Jim McGuinness slams GAA over ‘unfair’ treatment of Donegal

He was not a happy camper.

A one-point, 0-19 to 1-15 win over Mayo this evening, confirmed Donegal's spot in the All-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals.

Their loss to Tyrone earlier in the group stage meant that the Red Hands topped the table and will advance straight to the last eight.

The neutral venue chosen for today's game was Dr Hyde Park in Roscommon, with many complaining over the unfair distance of the stadium to Donegal compared with Mayo.

After the game, Donegal manager Jim McGuinness, slammed the GAA for their decision.

He said: “We think it was very unfair to bring us here. It was the equivalent of bringing Mayo to Omagh and we also put in an email to the CCCC to say we couldn't get a hotel in the area so we had to stay in Athlone. We had to go beyond the venue to come to play in the venue.

“So it was the equivalent of Mayo going to play us in Omagh and staying in Derry and I don't believe that would happen. I think that would only happen because it's us. I think it would only happen because it's us. Disappointed in that.

“We made a case and we made the case early. It was on deaf ears. But, again, that's for another day but I don't like the fact that our supporters are always being taken advantage of.

“We had seven games up to this point. Nobody's played more games than us. Nobody. And yet and all, we had the longest trek and all those people have to find a way to do all that. Breffni [Park] was an option. They're going to say it wasn't.

“I know that Clones was offered and that was rescinded. All you're looking for is fairness and the middle is fair.

“Well, that's probably a long conversation column that we would need to have. But yeah, we knew a month ago that it was going to be here and we also knew we couldn't get accommodation and we also knew that it was going to be difficult for our supporters and we put that case forward and that didn't happen.

“You're 38 minutes from Mayo's training ground. We're three and a half hours from Inishowen. It's not fair.

“If I don't say it, who's going to say it? If I don't say it, who's going to say it? You always seem to be the one that's pointing fingers but at the end of the day, my job, and it's 100% my job, it's the players. The responsibility is to the players.

“When you're travelling on a bus for three hours the day before a game, that takes it out of your legs. There's no way that's not taking it out of your legs. That's taking it out of your legs.”