GAA may block Ballygunner fielding two senior sides

Ballygunner's Peter Hogan and Mark Hartley after the game after the Munster club semi-final win over Sarsfields. Pic: ©INPHO/Tom O'Hanlon

A proposal to prohibit two teams from the same club playing at the same level will be discussed at Central Council on Saturday.

The recommendation by GAA director general Tom Ryan comes on foot of Ballygunner’s second team claiming the Waterford premier intermediate title in August to join their first side in the senior ranks, which they are obliged to join as per local rule.

Arising from discussions with the club, who compete in Sunday’s Munster senior club hurling final, the Waterford County Board contacted Croke Park as to how they could facilitate the two Ballygunner teams in next year’s senior championship. However, the GAA rejected them.

In the face of Ryan’s determination, Waterford are set to put forward their own measure to Central Council delegates, which would allow Ballygunner to field the two teams under certain strict conditions.

Ballygunner chairman Dave Sheahan was a selector with the premier intermediate side this year and he says the club “make no apologies” for winning the competition as much as they knew the difficulties it would entail.

The club held its own meetings about two teams in the senior grade, some of which Sheahan describes as “vociferous”. He senses Ryan’s ruling will be endorsed at Ard Chomhairle. “I couldn’t see a number of counties going against the ruling of the Ard Stiúrthóir, but Waterford are bringing an alternative stating the ruling amounts to too much interference with local clubs.

“The GAA came back at the end of last week and looked at it from a totally different point of perspective altogether, and said that, ‘No, we can't have this.’ I think their big fear is that the likes of Na Fianna, Kilmacud Crokes or some of the big clubs in Dublin would end up wanting to put in two senior teams.” That was what happened in the capital in 2006 when St Brigid's had two senior sides.

Unlike the premier intermediate hurling championship in Waterford, there is no obligation on the winners of the equivalent football competition to play senior. “One code shouldn’t be treated differently from the other,” insists Sheahan.

To make double representation work, putting the Ballygunner sides in separate groups seemed a reasonable idea but the club were informed by the board that this asn't possible as they had to be treated like every other team, while there was also no guarantee they could avoid playing at the same time or day.

Ballygunner were also told they would have to nominate their first and second teams before June 1 next year with no option to change them. “We were saying that’s grossly unfair,” says Sheahan. “Take our U20s with the county team, they would only be coming back to us in May and they’d have no time with us to allow us to assess which team they should fit into.” Because of the declared squads, a goalkeeper issue could present itself too. “We would have to go to our junior B team if a second goalkeeper got injured,” explains Sheahan.

Ballygunner also spoke with Kilcormac-Killoughey in Offaly who found themselves in a similar situation in recent years but opted for their second outfit not to play senior on the grounds of integrity and “two teams from the one club playing senior hurling not being the best thing for Offaly hurling.” 

Sheahan continues: “Our mantra has been the same – what’s best for Waterford hurling?” We did the sums – from minor to senior in Waterford, we provide about 21% of the players. We must be doing something right in the context of this and I hate to think we would be victims by virtue of our success. The bigger picture for us is preparing hurlers for Waterford.” 

Meanwhile, Ballygunner will wear their second black kit for this weekend’s decider against Éire Óg, Inis who will don an alternative white jersey.