Every Friday, Caolán Conroy provides his take on three different sporting developments across the UK and Ireland, and shares his predictions for match-ups ahead. This week he looks at the Gaelic club football and hurling, the Irish League, and shares his Ulster-born XI Team of the Week.

 

County Finals – Why so late?

Last weekend saw 19 senior county football or hurling finals take place across Ireland. My question is, why are they being played so late? The CPA (Club Players Association) have for the last 12 months been making us aware of the club players’ plight. They’re often treated with complete disregard by county boards and fixtures authorities. Many of their seasons started back in January and many of them are still going on into late November and December.

I can understand why counties that reached All Ireland semi-finals and finals have had to rush to play off their county championships with many of them running into October. However, last week saw counties such as Antrim, Louth and Laois all host their senior football finals even though their county football teams were out of All Ireland contention by early July.

There’s no reason why most of the county finals that were played last weekend and in the coming couple of weeks could not have been played weeks ago.

Club players often train for nine months and the successful teams can often be playing all year round. Club players are disadvantaged in that they don’t have a fixed schedule, they’re unable to organise holidays, attend social events or know when they need to peak. Many club teams can go weeks without competitive games and then find themselves cramming games in every week and often midweek. Players want to play more games when the weather is good, and supporters are more likely to attend games when the evenings are longer and brighter. Perhaps we might even see better spectacles if more club championship games were played during the summer months.

This year, in my own county, a number of championship games were played at 8.30pm on Friday and Monday nights. For me this is ridiculous, player welfare is completely ignored and it is unfair to ask them to play so late in the evenings. A few weeks ago Crossmaglen and Maghery met in the Armagh senior championship. The game was scheduled to start at 8.30pm, but because the match beforehand went to extra time the throw-in was delayed and didn’t begin until after 9pm, meaning that the game didn’t finish until 10.30pm.

It asks a lot of players to perform at the highest possible level if games are on so late in the evening. Many players work and live in cities such as Belfast and Dublin and have to travel, often leaving or starting work early so they make the games. It makes commercial sense for county boards to host games over different days, but sometimes they should take a step back and consider something else apart from their bank balances.

Next year this issue should improve as the GAA has confirmed that the Hurling and Football championships have been moved forward. However, this is unlikely to be a full solution and club players will continue to be an afterthought.

 

Irish league – Ten Games In

All teams in the Danske Bank Premiership have now played ten games. Let’s look at the key stats.

Leaders: Coleraine have 28 points out of a possible 30 and remain unbeaten. They are five points ahead of surprise package Glenavon, and seven points ahead of current champions Linfield.

Bottom: Ballinamallard United are bottom having only collected one point from ten games. They’re six points behind Warrenpoint and Ards who have both played a game extra. It is already looking ominous for the Erne side who have only scored seven goals this season and conceded 29. They need to start picking up points if they’re to have any chance of staying up.

Could do better: Linfield lost three of their five games after winning their first five games. Glentoran – have one of the best defensive records in the league but only scored 13 goals in 11 games.

Top Scorers: Glenavon have scored 31 goals.

Best defence: Coleraine only conceded 6 goals.

Top Scorer: Andrew Mitchell (Glenavon) with 8 goals.

Best minute per goal: Paul Heatley (Crusaders) & Darren McCauley (Coleraine). Both average a goal every 51 minutes.

Best Game: Cliftonville 6 – 3 Ards.

Player of Year so far: Coleraine winger Darren McCauley.

Young Player of the year: Glenavon midfielder Mark Sykes, who also made his debut for Northern Ireland under-21s recently.

Manager of the year: Oran Kearney (Coleraine)

 

Ulster-born XI – Team of the Week

Brian Neeson: Clean sheet against Glentoran last weekend.

Cameron Dummigan: Played in outstanding Oldham performances in win against Blackburn and draw against Bradford.

Jonny Evans: Solid display against Leicester on Monday night.

Shane Duffy: Kept Everton quiet until he was forced off with an injury with 20 minutes to go. Duffy is playing the football of his life at the moment.

Michael Smith: Another clean sheet for Hearts last weekend.

Ronan Curtis: Contributed a goal and an assist against Finn Harps last weekend

Rory Patterson: Scored two goals in the three nil win against Finn Harps

Steve Davis: Saved Southampton with clearance off the line in final few minutes against Newcastle

Mark Griffin: Continued his goal scoring form with another against Crusaders last weekend

Jamie McGonigle: Scored last minute winner against Linfield last weekend.

Rory Donnelly: Double for Donnelly in the win against Glentoran last weekend.

 

Weekend Predictions

Ulster Club Hurling Final: Slaughtneil (Derry) v – Ballygalget (Down) – Slaughtneil have injury concerns and may affect their performance. However, I still believe they will win by five points

London SFC final: Fulham Irish v Tir Chonaill Gaels – Fulham Irish by two points

European Champions Cup Pool 1: La Rochelle v Ulster – Draw

European Champions Cup Pool 3: Glasgow Warriors v Leinster – Leinster by five

European Champions Cup Pool 4: Munster v Racing 92 – Will be close, Munster just.

US Grand Prix – Lewis Hamilton