Football finals to be all-ticket

With confirmation that Croke Park will stage the National Football League Division One and Two finals on Sunday week, it was subsequently announced yesterday that the games will be an all-ticket affair.

With the Hogan Stand demolished and the redevelopment of the Canal End still in progress, only the Cusack Stand and Hill 16 will be available - similar to the club finals of last month. That creates a capacity of around 32,000.

Tickets will be issued through the participating county boards with the Division Two final between Louth and Offaly set for a 2.0 throw-in and the Division One final between Derry and Meath for 3.50. The Vocational Schools final will also be a curtain raiser at 12.30.

Derry's request to postpone their opening fixture of the Ulster football championship against Cavan - scheduled for May 14th, the Sunday after their league final appearance - looks set to be turned down.

Ulster Council chairman Danny Murphy has responded to the matter by saying that the precedent for changing a championship fixture is not strong.

"The dates have all been fixed from way back last Autumn," said Murphy. "But we will be making a decision as quickly as we can." Derry county board chairman Gerard O'Kane confirmed that they would be filing a request for the postponement but would "take whatever they throw at us".

Meanwhile, the AIB touring teams in Australia and beyond continue their series of matches unbeaten. The footballers comfortably won their latest match against Queensland, 4-11 to 0-10, with the Irish team's performance dominated by intercounty representatives Enda Gormley of Derry as well as Kerry's Pa Laide and Mayo's Stephen Rochford.

Having already beaten Auckland in New Zealand, followed by Australian state sides Victoria, New South Wales, and now Queensland, only Singapore remains for the international tour clean sweep. They are due back in Ireland on May 2nd.

In the hurling encounter, Queensland and Irish players were mixed into two teams to give a more entertaining display. Strong Irish performances included Galway's Declan O'Brien, Niall Butler of Dublin, and Waterford's Stephen Frampton. And solid as always was Limerick's Ger Hegarty.

There is an equally experimental series set for Scotland this weekend. Good Counsel GAA club are sending a camogie team for combined shinty-camogie matches with the Dunaad club in Loghgilphead, Argyll - some two hours into the Scottish highlands. This is the first such venture, with the games to be played on Saturday and Sunday.