GAELIC GAMES:THE GAA heads into its biggest weekend of the championship to date with the two highest-profile provincial finals and a raft of All-Ireland qualifier matches as the competing counties are narrowed down further with the serious phase of the All-Irelands just weeks away.

It will also be a busy weekend for televised matches with five fixtures going out live between today and tomorrow, the most ever broadcast on a single championship weekend.

The only awkwardness to impinge on the weekend comes in the broadcast media boycott, organised by the Gaelic Players Association in furtherance of their campaign for recognition by the GAA. This means there are to be no interviews with players on RTÉ radio and television or on TV3 after the various matches.

After the GAA stated its position on the recognition issue last Wednesday, there will be a briefing for counties in Croke Park today and it is believed contact will be made between the association and the GPA early next week with a view to discussing a possible talks schedule.

Otherwise it has been a gratifying season for the association so far. With economic gloom spreading far and wide attendances have nonetheless improved and over 120,000 are expected in Croke Park and Semple Stadium, Thurles tomorrow afternoon for Dublin-Kildare and Tipperary-Waterford respectively.

According to the Leinster Council Croke Park isn’t sold out yet and unusually, by yesterday evening there were still 2,000 tickets left for the Hill 16 terrace frequented by Dublin supporters.

“We’re still going to be nearly full,” according to provincial chief executive Michael Delaney. “We’ll be expecting high 70s to 80,000 for the match. You have the huge attraction of a double bill of televised matches with two of the biggest sporting occasions in Ireland on one after another.”

As his season comes to an end barring a draw, Delaney is happy with the figures. “You’d have to be satisfied. The Dublin semi-final was a bit disappointing (51,458) but Westmeath’s form coming up to the game wasn’t encouraging and that probably took its toll on the crowd.”

Meanwhile in Munster the provincial council isn’t expecting a full house for the Munster final in Thurles. “We’d probably be doing well with 45,000. Waterford isn’t the biggest of counties and you’ve to take that into account,” said Daniel Nelligan, deputy chief executive of the council.

In 2002 when Tipperary last played Waterford in a Munster final, the attendance in Cork was 40,276.

Nelligan added it has been a good season for the province in terms of attendances and the plans launched back in May to stimulate greater crowds. “We have been very satisfied,” he said. “The various initiatives, from free flags to increased numbers of family tickets, have been well received and attendances have been up – we’re very happy with that – with the football in particular 100 per cent up on last year.”

The council has a programme of events planned this weekend to mark the GAA’s 125 anniversary. Today a torch will be carried from the Michael Cusack centre to Thurles to honour the GAA’s founder. It will be carried in relay along the route by clubs from Clare, Limerick and Tipperary.

Tomorrow the torch will be carried from Liberty Square up to Semple Stadium before the start of the match.

On the team news front, Kildare will be missing Eamonn Callaghan, as the full forward has aggravated a groin injury and will be replaced by Ken Donnelly.

In the qualifiers Derry will have to do without defender Kevin McGuckin, who was red-carded in the Ulster semi-final with Tyrone last month. His case before the Central Hearings Committee was turned down and a four-week suspension imposed to run from the date of the match, 21st June.

Finally, GAA president Christy Cooney has issued a public plea to spectators to stay off the playing fields at the end of matches.

“The risk factor involved in a mass stampede of people onto a field at any one time is simply too great to ignore and our players, who have given their all in the previous 70 minutes, deserve the opportunity to be able to leave the field in comfort instead of being swamped by supporters in what can sometimes develop into dangerous situations.