Dublin concerns over how to accommodate Spring Series

NEGOTIATIONS WILL continue this week to agree the venues and dates for the 2012 football and hurling leagues.

Provisional fixtures have been circulated to all counties, who must now submit their preferred venues and dates, with some possible manoeuvring with the opposing counties, ahead of the GAA confirming the 2012 master fixture list at the next meeting of Central Council, which is scheduled for November 12th.

What looks certain is that the 2012 Allianz Football League will begin with a rematch of the 2011 All-Ireland final – as Dublin are set to host Kerry in Croke Park, under lights, on Saturday, February 4th.

However, Dublin are also concerned about how to best accommodate their Spring Series, which the county are intent on continuing for at least another year, following the success of the inaugural series in this year’s league.

The difficulty this time is Dublin have only three home games in the 2012 football league, compared to four last year, and only two in hurling, partly because of the new slimmed-down Division One A.

In football, Dublin are also at home to Donegal and Armagh, but are away to Mayo, Laois and Down, before finishing up their Division One campaign with a trip to Cork to face the reigning league champions.

It means the only potential double-headers are Dublin against Armagh in football and Dublin against Cork in hurling (both provisionally fixed for the weekend of March 10th/11th), and Dublin against Donegal in football and Dublin against Tipperary in hurling (both provisionally fixed for the weekend of March 24th/25th).

Earlier this year, Dublin used Croke Park on four separate league dates for the Spring Series – and started with a double header under lights when their footballers and hurlers faced the All-Ireland champions in both codes, Cork and Tipperary.

In football Dublin were also at home to Kerry, Mayo and Down, the latter game being played as a double bill with the Dublin hurlers’ home match against Kilkenny.

The 2011 Spring Series also featured additional entertainment, such as pop twins Jedward, and with tickets priced at €45 for an adult stand ticket for all four games, drew a healthy crowd on each occasion.

It was originally expected Dublin would be away to Kerry in the 2012 football league, having hosted them earlier this year, but in that case it seems the draw works on a two-year cycle, and the Kerry County Board are agreeable to the trip to Croke Park for the All-Ireland rematch.

There is also the possibility of Dublin switching one of their home games to the Friday evening, as was actually proposed last year, against Mayo, only for the GAA to rule that out.

Addressing that issue recently, GAA director general Páraic Duffy admitted Friday night games do have their attractions, but would only be practical if the counties involved were neighbours, or at least close by: “The problem with the Dublin-Mayo game last year was that it was Mayo. If it was Dublin-Meath, or Dublin-Kildare, two teams from adjoining counties, there’s nothing in principal against that. We often play under-21 games midweek . . . The problem with Mayo was because they were so far away they had to take a day off work and so on, but there’s no reason why they couldn’t play Laois, for example, who are in the same division.

“I certainly think there would be a market for it, a game played on a Friday night against an adjoining team. And as far as we’re concerned we’d hope the Spring Series will continue. We won’t be putting any barriers in their way. I think whether it’s Friday night or Saturday night there is great interest in playing these games under lights.”

There is also the possibility of a Friday night game in the Allianz Hurling League, as Limerick are looking into playing their opening Division One B clash against Clare on February 24th – a rematch of last year’s Division Two final, which Limerick won.

Either way that weekend will mark the start of the hurling league – where the headline game will be the Division One A meeting of Kilkenny against Tipperary, which is also an All-Ireland rematch. All three Division One A games are provisionally scheduled for Sunday, February 26th, including Cork’s hosting of Waterford, while league champions Dublin must travel to Galway. The tight scheduling of the hurling league – despite the introduction of semi-finals – means Waterford too have only two home games, against Kilkenny and then Dublin.