Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Sport
Michael Scully

Kildare manager Glenn Ryan blasts GAA for allowing Dublin Croke Park advantage

Glenn Ryan blasted the GAA for poor planning and communication - and for allowing Dublin the ongoing advantage of treating Croke Park as their home.

Ryan's Kildare pushed the under-par Dubs in their Leinster SFC semi-final clash at Headquarters before Dessie Farrell's side prevailed on a 0-14 to 0-12 scoreline to set up a provincial final against Louth on May 14.

However Ryan was unhappy with how officials dealt with the game being pushed back by approximately half an hour to accommodate extra-time in Louth's victory over Offaly in the first of the two games at Croke Park.

READ MORE: Dublin survive big scare to see off Kildare and reach Leinster decider

He also called out match officials for their decision-making, highlighting a second half touchline call against Daniel Flynn and also the encroachment of Dubs selector Darren Daly into the Kildare technical area.

"The Yankees when they play a supposedly neutral venue, they get to play in a neutral venue," said Ryan.

"It’s frustrating. All these calls seem to come at the big moments when it’s going into the deciding stages of the game.

"(Referee) Fergal Kelly I thought did a great job - but in general from the sideline, from officials, you just always feel that you’re getting treated second-rate."

Ryan recounted how there was nothing relayed through official channels to Kildare in Carlow last week when their provincial quarter-final against Wicklow was delayed 10 minutes due to crowd congestion.

"You're told out on the pitch on the intercom that the game is delayed 10 minutes," he said. "Nothing came through our official channels.

"Today we're told the first game is going to extra-time, so our game is pushed back until 4.30, maybe 4.35...'that’s if it doesn’t go to penalties - and if it goes to penalties we’ll let you know what the next start time is'.

"I thought we were past that kind of planning just in case.

"Of course this game should have been played in a neutral venue. Whether one of the games is here and the other one somewhere else, so be it.

"But common sense tells you. Like, why do the players always have to suffer in regards to these things?

"Surely if the game today was started to take penalties and extra time into account, well then it should have been not time set but instead, 'well, if this happens then we can change things around'.

“We were going through our warm-up, and then you’re told it’s not just put back ten or 15 minutes, it’s put back half an hour. And, absolutely, there’s no difference in terms of the treatment of us and Dublin in that regard.

“But surely with all these games coming as quickly and as often, and the schedule that is put on players, the planning should be focussed mostly on what’s best for the players.

“Sure why didn’t they start us at six o’clock? What difference would that have made? At least we would have known our plans. And again, Dublin are in the same boat – they had to put up with that too.

"But then there’s the familiarity that Dublin have with here, that no other team gets a chance, and it does benefit them.

"And I’m probably echoing the thoughts of most other counties.

"On the sideline, it’s always our players that get told to put the gumshield in by a fourth official or a fifth official.

"It’s always the fourth official telling our sideline to maybe step back a bit, when a mentor from the Dublin team is actually standing in ours - and then you see a sideline ball that’s nowhere near a sideline ball given against you.

"There was no one incident in the game that swung it, and I thought Fergal Kelly did a very good job on it.

"You can talk about sour grapes if you like, but it’s a familiarity that’s certainly not Dublin’s fault."

READ NEXT:

Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email alerts

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.