Semple Stadium pitch will be ready for big games

Tipperary secretary Tim Floyd has offered assurances that Semple Stadium in Thurles will be fit to host some major fixtures in the coming weeks – starting with the All-Ireland colleges hurling final this Easter Monday.

Despite some concerns over the state of the pitch, Floyd says that Tipperary are simply “trying to mind it”. He has also clarified the re-fixing of this Saturday’s Allianz Football League game against Kildare, which has been switched from Seán Treacy Park in Tipperary town to Clonmel.

‘Muddy conditions’

“That football game on Saturday was never actually fixed for Thurles, despite some reports to the contrary”, says Floyd. “It was fixed for Seán Treacy Park in Tipperary, but then the club pulled it, because with so many home games played there recently it was destroyed, really, and they couldn’t take another chance.

“A lot of games were played in muddy conditions and now the mud has dried up, so it’s for safety reasons, really, they pulled it. They couldn’t really allow any games in there, especially not intercounty, so that’s why it’s been switched to Clonmel. But it was never actually fixed for Thurles.”

That’s not saying there aren’t some concerns about the playing surface at Semple Stadium: the county board are mindful of some major fixtures coming in the weeks ahead, potentially an Allianz Hurling League semi-final and potentially the final too, as well as the first big hurling championship match of the summer, when Tipperary host Cork at Semple Stadium on May 22nd.

“The pitch is playable, but we’re just trying to mind it,” says Floyd. “We’ve been getting some criticism about the surface of the pitch recently so the last thing we want to do is let too many games in there. It’s about making sure it doesn’t get any worse, or destroyed completely.”

Semple Stadium has always prided itself on its pristine playing surface, although there are no plans to either help address the current problem or consider some long-term remedial work: “I think like a lot of pitches around the country we’ve been badly affected by the weather. With the old stand now covered as well the pitch doesn’t get much sunlight at this time of year and that’s a factor as well. There would be shade over nearly three-quarters of the field at this time of the year, so it wouldn’t dry out as quickly, as it does during the summer. But there’s nothing wrong here in the long term. It’s just because the weather has been so bad, that hasn’t helped.”

Semple Stadium will be in the running to stage the 2016 league final on May 1st, depending on which teams make it: “We’d be considered for it, but it all depends whether Tipp are in the final are not. If we do make the final then it might well be somewhere else. Unless the two counties agreed.

Opted out

“As things stand we’re due to meet Kilkenny in the semi-finals [set for April 17th], provided we beat Clare [and Kilkenny beat Offaly] on Sunday week. We’ve played them on a home-and-away basis in recent years, but it will depend on where that is for a semi-final, or final. That will have to be checked, but we’re not looking that far ahead just yet. But the league final might very well go ahead in Thurles, if Tipp aren’t in.”

Meanwhile the Limerick hurlers have lost the services of forward Seanie Tobin, who has opted out on the panel due to lack of game time.