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GAA

27th Jun 2018

Cavan offered choice of venue for Tyrone clash

Niall McIntyre

The GAA have taken two steps back.

The GAA bowed down to Kildare, now it looks like they’re bowing down to common sense too. Because in fairness, what would be the point in dragging Cavan and Tyrone down to Dublin for a qualifier game?

Kildare were victorious in their stand-off with the GAA that stretched from Monday morning all the way to Wednesday afternoon. After a two day back and forth, the Lilywhites won out with the GAA taking the first backward step and admitting the error of their ways.

Much a do about nothing as the game now goes ahead as planned in St Conleth’s Park Newbridge at 7.00 on Saturday evening as Monday’s Qualifier draw stated originally.

The GAA really shot themselves in the foot by fixing Kildare Mayo and Tyrone Cavan for a Croke Park double header. It was against the code of their own qualifier draw, it wasn’t fair and the lack of inexplicable withdrawal of home advantage was guaranteed to draw the ire of both teams.

While the whole world backed Kildare in the battle, Cavan’s fate slipped under the radar because they themselves had shot themselves in the foot by organising the restructure of their stadium for the height of the summer making Breffni Park a no-go.

Now the GAA have done away with the Croke Park idea altogether and Cavan Tyrone will go ahead in Brewster Park in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh.

It was questioned why they agreed to a game in Croker in the first place, but seeing as it was never going to be a home game for them anyway, it never really had the same weight as Kildare’s case.

Anglo-Celt Sports editor Paul Fitzpatrick confirmed the news.

The only worry now is the number of tickets that have been sold for a game in Croke Park that now won’t happen. One thing for sure is that the GAA have shipped one hell of a beating this week.

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