WATERFORD’S LIAM CAHILL has become the latest manager to call on the GAA to relax the restrictions and allow extended panel members to attend inter-county games.
Cahill watched his team defeat Clare by nine points today to set up an All-Ireland semi-final with Kilkenny next Saturday.
But afterwards in Páirc Uí Chaoimh, he appealed to the GAA to ease that specific restricition and described it as ‘ludicrous’ that his full squad of players were not present for their quarter-final victory.
Cahill echoed the views of Limerick manager John Kiely who was heavily critical of the current situation when speaking last Sunday in Thurles.
“Having ten players at home again today and I know John Kiely touched on it last weekend after the Munster final. It really is difficult and I know we’re in tough times. The GAA has got so much right, they absolutely have and they have to be commended on what they’ve done to date.
“But at the moment it just seems ludicrous to have ten players that are inside with me, pushing them guys on the field every night, and they can’t come down to see their team-mates playing.
“I look in front of me today at the media and in fairness to ye, that’s ye’re job and all ye all have fridges to fill. But the bottom line with me is there’s lots of yellow bibs outside around there and nobody to steward. So it just doesn’t make sense.
“I’d appeal to the GAA to really look at that for Croke Park. We’ll be going to an 80,000 capacity stadium, if we can’t allow 20 people, ten from each side to socially distance up there, it beggars belief. So anyway that’s just my rant out of the way but I feel I owe it to the players that are at home and their families and the work they are putting in.”
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