Country club bosses slam Cork GAA for “killing” their set-ups

They are not happy.

After their Cork Premier SHC relegation final replay on Friday, the managers of both Erin's Own and Newtownshandrum hit out at Cork GAA, for different reasons.

According to the Examiner, both bosses agreed that decision making by Cork GAA has been "killing country clubs".

Newtown won out, 1-19 to 1-15, in Ballyhooly, with Erin's Own boss Shay Bowen, hitting out at the location and day of the game.

Bowen said: “Playing this match on a Friday night and bringing us out again to the middle of North Cork is a joke.

“It's no reflection on us losing the match by any stretch of the imagination, but there's no reason this couldn't have been played on Saturday.

“One of the Newtown lads said it a while ago, the County Board, in my eyes, are only looking at city clubs now. Country clubs like us are only an afterthought. Get the match played and that's it.

“They wouldn't play a county final out here on a Friday night. This is as big as any county final. It showed disrespect to both clubs, to be honest about it.

“Asking fellas to come out here on a Friday night after work, and the exact same for Newtown. If we'd won this match, I'd be saying the same thing.

“It's only right that this match would have been played on Saturday or Sunday. These are two hurling clubs. Football isn't going to make any difference to us this weekend.”

Newtown boss Gary Morrisey criticised Cork GAA's recent decision to reduce club amalgamations at juvenile level.

Newtonshamdrum are a combination of Newton and Dromina, but they are separate at junior level, with the reason given that it protects their sense of identity.

Morrisey said: “The way the GAA is set up, it just makes it so hard for country clubs at the minute.

“There's towns with 30-40,000 people, and they're splitting us up at juvenile level. It just beggars belief.

“We played an Under-14 Premier 1 county final two weeks ago against Ballincollig. We lost, Ballincollig won fair and square. Ballincollig have three under-14 teams. We have one. Lads that have been together since they were six or seven, and now they're being split in half. But Ballincollig are fine with their three teams.

“When we get to minor, under-21, we've a great retention rate because we have a very good structure in Shandrum Juvenile Club, and really good people involved."