Parnell Park pitch is too small, says English

April 26, 2019

Former Tipperary hurler Nicky English. ©INPHO/James Crombie.

Nicky English has claimed Parnell Park is 'too tight' to host senior inter-county hurling matches.

And he is in no doubt that the pitch's dimensions give Dublin - who will welcome Wexford and Galway to the Donnycarney venue in the upcoming Leinster SHC - an advantage over visiting sides.

“Teams won’t like going to Parnell Park,” the Tipperary great said at the launch of Sky Sports' All-Ireland championship coverage.

“For me, I’m not sure. From an inter-county hurling perspective for championship matches it’s a very difficult place to go. Like, you could argue if you were the opposition whether it’s fair to actually play in Parnell Park, because it’s very tight.

“I think it’s too tight, yeah. For senior inter-county hurling matches I think it’s too tight. Ultimately, to win you have to go to Croke Park to win anyway. The team that’s going to prosper in the close confines of Parnell Park is unlikely to prosper in Croke Park; where ultimately to win anything, you have to go.

”But at the same time, if you want to create a fortress, then no better place to create it than Parnell Park because the confines are conducive to that. I don’t know the measurements, but certainly it feels tight in the corners.

”As a one-time corner forward, Parnell Park wouldn’t have been one of my favourites now.”


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