Down's All Star Hughes says Giants' clash should have been moved

GAELIC GAMES:IT CAN'T be without some irony that the Ulster Council are advertising Saturday's football quarter-final between Armagh and Down under the slogan "Giants Will Clash".

Throw-in at the Athletic Grounds is at 7.30pm – which is effectively a direct clash with the two giants of world football in the Uefa Champions League final, between Manchester United and Barcelona, which will be televised live from Wembley on several channels including RTÉ 2, with a 7.45pm kick-off.

RTÉ 2 will be showing full delayed coverage of the Armagh-Down game from 10.30pm, although there will be live coverage on BBC Northern Ireland. The Ulster Council have also made it an all-ticket game, with admission priced at €27 for the covered stand, and €15 for the terrace.

Earlier this month the Leinster Council agreed to bring forward their football quarter-final between Offaly and Wexford in Tullamore on Saturday to 5pm: originally that game was set for 7pm, but it was decided that the clash with the Champions League would inevitably hit the attendance, at least once Manchester United made the final, and the change was therefore seen as logical.

Commenting on the decision not to bring forward the Armagh-Down throw-in time, Ulster Council secretary Danny Murphy merely pointed out their fixture was set “last October in conjunction with Central Council’s national fixtures policy” and that there wouldn’t be any change in that position.

Down All Star forward Danny Hughes sees it a little differently – and reckons the Ulster Council are shooting themselves in the foot by not bringing the throw-in time forward to avoid a clash of giants of another sort.

“I just can’t understand it,” says Hughes. “The Ulster Council should definitely have moved the game. I don’t understand that. Why take money off the gate? Why take people away from the game when there’s absolutely no need to do it? Why not put it on at three or five o’clock on a Saturday?

“Economically speaking it just doesn’t make sense. You’ll see that in the ground. You’ll have your hard core supporters but it probably won’t be anything more than would go to a national league match.”

The GAA have been slow in the past to alter throw-in times in order to avoid clashes with other sports, and the Ulster Council are clearly following that trend, although Hughes believes situations have changed.

“The GAA are a small organisation, and we have to make the most of the population we have so that people will actually go to the game so they’re cutting off their nose, they really are. As a player you just want to get on and play a good game and be sure that it’s as attractive to the neutral as possible. Let everybody see it.”

As last year’s beaten All-Ireland finalists, Down will start Saturday’s game as favourites – and Armagh, who are managed by former Down All-Ireland winner Paddy O’Rourke, have an extended injury list that now includes midfielder James Lavery.

Lavery had been coming back into contention for a starting place during the league, but is now carrying an ankle injury, and joins longer-term absentees Ronan Clarke (Achilles tendon) and Gareth Swift (broken collarbone).

Down’s main absentee will be defender Damien Rafferty, who is carrying a hip injury, although manager James McCartan won’t name his starting 15 until Friday evening.

TODAY

Leinster JFC quarter-finals

(All games 7.30)

Longford v Cavan, Pearse Park; Kilkenny v Wexford, Nowlan Park; Dublin v Wicklow, Parnell Park; Kildare v Louth, Newbridge.

SATURDAY

Leinster SFC preliminary round: Offaly v Wexford, O'Connor Park, 5.0, Pádraig O'Sullivan (Kerry)

Ulster SFC quarter-final: Armagh v Down, Athletic Grounds, 7.30, Cormac Reilly (Meath)

Ulster MFC quarter-final: Armagh v Down, Athletic Grounds, 5.45, N Mooney (Cavan)

SUNDAY

Connacht SFC quarter-final: London v Mayo, Ruislip, 3.0, Michael Collins (Cork)

Leinster SHC quarter-finals: Dublin v Offaly, Croke Park, 2.00, John Sexton (Cork); Antrim v Wexford, Wexford Park, 3.30, Cathal McAllister (Cork)

Munster SHC quarter-final: Tipperary v Cork, Thurles, 4.00, Brian Gavin (Offaly)

Ulster SHC quarter-finals: Down v Derry, Casement Park, 3.30,Owen Elliott (Antrim); Armagh v Monaghan, Newry, 3.30, Declan Magee (Down)