Weekend fixtures still not agreed

Uncertainty still surrounds this weekend's GAA fixtures. Croke Park failed to issue the fixture list at the accustomed time yesterday afternoon, reportedly because neutral venues had yet to be agreed for the Division Two and Three quarter-finals of the Allianz National Hurling League, which are set to go ahead this Sunday as originally scheduled.

The Division One A quarter-finals were postponed a week to allow for the deferred Cork-Wexford tie to be played last Sunday, and the outstanding games in that division will also be played this Sunday - featuring Cork against Clare, Down against Wexford, and Offaly against Waterford.

All 16 games in the final round of the National Football League are also down for Sunday, but the question there is whether the GAA will fix them for the usual starting time of 3.30pm. A brief statement from the Gaelic Players Association (GPA) yesterday called on all intercounty squads to delay the official throw-in times of Sunday's hurling and football by 15 minutes as a form of protest over player welfare issues, as was agreed at their egm last Saturday.

The GPA called on all patrons attending the games for their "understanding in this matter" and also on the GAA "to respect the players' rights to protest in a dignified manner".

The GAA could soften the issue by fixing the games for 3.15pm, while it was also pointed out that the official rules state that teams who take to the field more than 15 minutes after the appointed time are liable to forfeiture of the game.

Regardless of what time the games start, there is still everything to play for in the final round of the football league.

Louth are the only team that can truly relax as their promotion from Division Two is guaranteed, but almost everything else remains open. In Division One A, Dublin can still steal a semi-final place if they beat Kerry by a sufficient margin, and Mayo also manage to beat Tyrone.

Dublin manager Paul Caffrey has made three changes from the team which beat Mayo last Saturday week, with Niall O'Shea, Jason Sherlock and Shane Ryan coming into the starting line-up. Missing out are Peadar Andrews and the injured Tomás Quinn and Ciarán Whelan.

Kerry are almost certain to start without forward Colm Cooper following the death of his father, Mike, on Monday evening. Aged just 61, Mike Cooper saw his five sons win Kerry county championship medals with Dr Crokes in 2000: Mike Jr, Danny, Mark, Vincent and Colm.

DUBLIN (SF v Kerry): S Cluxton; N O'Shea, B Cahill, D Henry; P Casey, C Goggins, P Griffin; S Ryan, D Magee; D Lally, J Sherlock, B Cullen; A Brogan, C Keaney, M Vaughan.

MONAGHAN (SF v Cork): S Duffy; C Flanagan, J Coyle, D Morgan; K Sheerin, V Corey, D McArdle; P Finlay, E Lennon; S Gollogly, D Freeman, D Clerkin; T Freeman, R Woods, P McGuigan

TIPPERARY (SH challenge v Galway; Sunday, Kilsheelan, 3.0): B Cummins; C O'Mahoney, S McDermott, P Ormonde; B Dunne, D Fanning, H Moloney; P Kelly, J Woodlock; J O'Brien, J Devane, C Morrissey; E Kelly, M Webster, D Egan.