McDonnell backs Ulster final for Croker

Armagh ace Steven McDonnell has backed the possible return of the Ulster SFC final to Croke Park.

Earlier this week, Ulster Council Secretary Danny Murphy suggested that the Jones's Road venue was open for consideration to host the July 18 decider.

However, no venue for the game has been fixed as of yet.

Croke Park hosted the Ulster final on four occasions between 2004 and 2007, including a replay in 2005.

McDonnell was involved in all of those encounters at GAA headquarters, which included wins over Donegal in 2004 and 2006, as well as the epic 2005 decider which the Orchard County side won after a replay against Tyrone.

"I've been fortunate that the Ulster Council have taken three Ulster finals to Croke Park and I played in every one of them - and luckily enough won every one of them. I would be quite happy to see the Ulster final go to Croke Park," said McDonnell, who was today confirmed as the OPEL/GPA Footballer of the 2010 League.

"We have a long road before we go before we can even think of Ulster finals but regardless of who is going to be contesting the Ulster final, I would certainly be open to the possibility of taking it to Croke Park because it is a great stadium.

"Any opportunity a footballer can get to play at Croke Park, they should be given that right. If the Ulster Council feel they can fill it, then I would be urging them to go ahead with it."

Meanwhile, McDonnell has rejected suggestions that the Championship structure is in need of a shake-up.

Yesterday, Down manager James McCartan proposed that the GAA should examine the possibility of using a 'Champions League' style format.

But McDonnell is adamant that the provincial Championships are special and should continue to be played.

"I feel that the Championship is set up fine. I have no problem with the way the provincial Championships are set up at the minute," he said.

"The one issue I would have is the eventual winner maybe having a second chance. Ourselves in the past, we fell down of course come the quarter-final stage, I would say mostly because of the gap between the matches after provincial finals.

"But, I would say that there is certainly something special about the Ulster Championship and I would like it to be kept the same way that it is."

McDonnell rejected the notion that winning a provincial title can hamper sides in their pursuit of greater success later in the year.

Armagh won seven Ulster titles between 1999 and 2008 but only managed to go on to win an All-Ireland title in one of those years - 2002.

However, McDonnell puts Armagh's failure to build on provincial success down to their failures as a team rather than any problem with the format of the Championship.

"In the last ten years, maybe ourselves and Dublin have been the two most successful counties in relation to winning provincial titles and it hasn't probably served us well going on to the All-Ireland series.

"But that is probably through our own fault as well," the current Armagh captain added.

"We maybe took our eye off the ball in some of the matches and against some of the teams that we faced.

"It's a problem that we have to overcome as a team, but I would certainly feel that winning a provincial title is a very special thing."