Wexford club highlight fixture issues

July 25, 2018

A bloodied hand and hurl ©INPHO/Oisin Keniry

The St Martin's GAA club in Wexford have highlighted the growing concern of player burnout by revealing their fixture schedule over the Bank Holiday weekend.

Five of their side will line out with the Wexford under-21 hurlers in the All-Ireland semi-final against Cork on Bank Holiday Saturday.

Then 48 hours later, they are scheduled to play a third round senior hurling championship match. Four days later on the following Friday, they are scheduled to play in the senior football championship with the five players involved in all three games, while many more are involved in the club's hurling and football championship games.

"With no balance to the fixtures, there's a growing concern among clubs," St Martin's chairman Michael Morrissey told the Wexford People.

"It can prove devastating for the players, with the issue of player burn out being ignored. We have no problem with the Friday fixture. We requested Friday as we have a big fundraiser in the club that weekend, but at the time we made the request we did not expect to be playing hurling on the Bank Holiday Monday.

"That's an issue as it is less than 48 hours after the under-21 game. Things were bad with club fixtures up to this year, but it's now worse than ever. What would have happened had we (Wexford) beaten Clare, or what will happen if we qualify for the under-21 final."


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