Cooper calls for overhaul of fixtures calendar

Colm Cooper has called for an overhaul of the championship fixtures calendar as Kerry and Cork are made to wait four weeks for their Munster SFC final on July 3, the Irish Examiner has reported.

What’s more, the Kerry captain has predicted more provincial winners will lose their subsequent All-Ireland quarter-finals because of the delay between provincial deciders and the last eight games.

Providing they claim victory in Fitzgerald Stadium, the winners of the much-anticipated provincial showdown will have to wait at least another four weeks before their All-Ireland quarter-final.

As Munster champions last year, Cooper and his Kerry team-mates were caught cold by Down in their knockout game in Croke Park. Cooper says the fact all four provincial winners in last year’s championship lost their All-Ireland quarter-finals demonstrates the lack of any gain there is in claiming Munster, Leinster, Ulster or Connacht honours.

"That fact in itself backs up the point is there an advantage to winning a Munster championship or a provincial championship," remarked Cooper, who also pointed out the last three All-Ireland champions have won the Sam Maguire Cup via the backdoor.

"We definitely want to win the Munster championship in three weeks’ time but maybe it’s something that the GAA have to look at in providing another advantage to winning it.

"At the moment, the four weeks break isn’t an advantage for winning a Munster championship. Where they go on that I don’t know but it’s definitely something that should be explored in my opinion."

Similar to the sentiments expressed by Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC) chairman Seamus Woods in the Irish Examiner last month, Cooper believes the championship goes on too long and can be condensed.

"I love Munster final day, I love Kerry-Cork, I love Kerry-Limerick, whatever it is as long as Kerry are there. I just think the season is very drawn out. The first game was Donegal and Antrim in May and I think there are too many gaps between games. Antrim lost and they don’t play until June 25! It doesn’t make sense. It’s nearly two months that they have to wait for another game which is crazy.

"Down are a similar situation after losing to Armagh. When you have a situation where you play your first round of the championship and don’t play again for two months it’s ludicrous."