LAST UPDATE | 1 Apr 2022
THE CORK FOOTBALLERS insist they will not agree to playing their Munster semi-final at any venue other than Páirc Uí Rinn, hitting out at Munster GAA for the change they have made to the fixture.
In a statement issued to The42 last night, the Cork players expressed their fury with the decision to move their game against Kerry to Fitzgerald Stadium on Saturday 7 May, a change from the original venue of Páirc Uí Rinn.
The Munster CCC removed home advantage from Cork as they deemed the venue’s capacity too small to cater for the game.
The Cork players feel the decision ‘is driven by the financial benefits resulting from a larger crowd’ and that it creates ‘a bad precedent’ and ‘is wrong’.
They believe the decision ‘must be reversed’.
The statement in full reads:
“As players and management our sole focus is on preparing and playing to the best of our ability next month in the Munster Championship, representing our families, our clubs and our county. We did not envisage needing to issue this statement.
“Cork and Kerry have long had an agreement in place to decide home and away fixtures. This year’s fixture is a home game for Cork, as initially announced in a press release by Munster GAA on the 4th of March.
“We believe the decision made this week by the Munster Council must be reversed.
“The decision to take the game to Killarney is driven by the financial benefits resulting from a larger crowd. We feel this reasoning sets a bad precedent, it is wrong and it goes against the values of the Gaelic Athletic Association.
“As such, we are preparing for the Munster Football Semi-Final on 7 May 2022 to be played in Páirc Uí Rinn.
“We will not be playing the match in any other venue.
“Regards,
“The Cork Senior Football Players & Management”
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The reason they can’t play in Pairc Ui Chaoimh is because of a concert – financial gain to Cork County board. Does it not seem strange that the players basically call it greed for moving a game to Killarney yet the reason for the issue in the first place was for the financial gain of their own stadium.
@Laura McCarthy: Newbridge or nowhere
@Laura McCarthy: Great point!! Plus none of this is greed, these stadia and this tournament need to be financially viable, so the concert and the Kerry venue are both correct decisions and should stand.
@Laura McCarthy: Agree there is a financial issue, but when money becomes more of an issue before the game the stance of the players is the right decision. A business or the game, The board opted for business.
@Laura McCarthy: At least it will be filled to capacity for the concert, something Cork GAA cannot do for for GAA games, only time this stadium has been filled to capacity for a sporting event since it was renovated was for a Soccer tribute game for the late Liam Miller.
@Laura McCarthy: Nope,not financial gain more like debt collection.
@SomeGuy: they don’t pay the players hardly any overheads, just greed by the gaa. I’m sure get enough out of Cork fans over the league and championship season too take a hit for one game
@Laura McCarthy:.PUC is a white elephant? A memorial to a certain dictator!
@Laura McCarthy: woah Laura, where do you think you are going with this radical comment called “the truth”. Common sense isn’t allowed in these types of situations, it’s all about Hyperbole and bluster.
A venue of 9,200 for the game isn’t big enough surely,even with works carried out 11k is a very tight number. Cork fans won’t travel now and if its moved back Kerry fans won’t travel so won’t be an issue surely now?
@Laura McCarthy: It wasn’t the players and management that decided to have Ed Sheeran in PUC. They have every right to refuse to play the game in Kerry.
@SomeGuy: let’s see if the players will have the balls so to speak to stand behind their decision.
@John O Mahony: Hardly any overheads,you haven’t a clue what you’re talking about.
@Laura McCarthy: did the players book the concert ? I think ur just proving the point the my already made!!!!!!
Even Kerry having to concede home advantage for the following two years, is wrong.
If Citk county board are more interested in p pop concerts than the county Gaelic football team, it says it all.
@sean de paore: why should they give it up? The attendance will be far closer to what it is at pairc ui rinn. Its corks two stadiums and they have home advantage, they can do what they want with them. If anything it couldn’t have worked out better for them, empty stadiums cost money.
That’s fine, grant Kerry the walkover, Cork will be out of Munster and out of the All-Ireland. It’s beyond rich of Cork to put a snot on over a situation entirely of their own making. Maybe the players should be grilling their own County Board over their priorities for PUC in the Spring time.
@Eoin Roche: i think that’s the point their trying to make.
@David Jackman: But acting the brat with the Munster Council and Kerry does what exactly? They had nothing to do with it. They could find their bluff being called fairly lively.
Well done Cork proud of your stance.
That’s very hypocritical of them to say the move is financially motivated considering they can’t play at Pairc Ui Chaoimh because of a money making concert. If they don’t turn up then give Kerry the walkover.
@Ed: will probably be a walkover with or without the cork lads showing up
Cork people won’t care……It’s only football.
@Colm: Football you call it, more like basketball on grass.
@Leonard Barry: more like volleyball on grass
@Gary O: Bit of volleyball, basketball and hand bag throwing to complete the spectacle, football it certainly ain’t.
@Leonard Barry: How sad are you?
@A Well Known Comical Stereotype AKA PRGuy: Ain’t sad in the slightest, nor blinkered for that matter, no doubt cannot say the same for you.
@Gary O: same with hurling… maybe should Change its name to throwballing.
@A Well Known Comical Stereotype AKA PRGuy: exceedingly sad it seems
@Seoirse Ó Staighe: bat and ball, random application of the rules, points from 90 plus metres, borefest
The double standards of this is jaw dropping but totally unexpected in GAA circles where cash is king.
The Cork Co. Board sold out on both their Senior teams and the fans in Cork for a big pay day and we’re prepared to put this iconic game into a stadium which could hold only 9000 fans.
The Munster Council are also looking for a big pay day and want a stadium that can meet the needs of the fixture and frankly they are 100% correct here.
As a Cork man I’m sickened by the behavior of our Co. Board and to further compound the embarrassment the Senior Footballers are taking issue with the Munster Council when the real culprits here are our own Co. Board.
EMBARRASSED TO BE A CORK MAN WITH THIS DRAMA BEING PLAYED OUT IN PUBLIC.
Doesn’t matter where the game is played
Cork fans prefer Killarney than Cork City for a match .
much ado about nothing.
Has anyone asked Ed if he’d maybe hold off for couple of DayZ he seems like a reasonable bloke …simples
@CAMILA REMONA: He might like to play in Killarney
Stand strong and remember “Newbridge, or nowhere”
No matter where the game is on Cork won’t be playing football?
“The decision to take the game to Killarney is driven by financial benefits……..”. And the Ed Sheerin concert in Pairc Ui Caoimh is free?
Kerry need to be careful …. Last time a team threatened not to play ……… remember Tyrone !!
@Brian Moriarty: Anyone check the date??
Well done Fintan O Toole. I’m amazed so many fell for this April fools joke.
Can they not play the game on a different day,?.
Look at the facts… Cork will get the revenue from the concerts…so they get the cash..: if Cork don’t go to Killarney they lose no revenue… the only people who lose are the Munster Council and Fitzgerald Stadium…no business sense here by Munster Council
@Kevin50: you just accidentally made the best counter point yet! Cork will get the next two games at home so in effect they are postponing this home game till the future when PUC will be available. It’s wrong to compare the revenue difference as versus Killarney, it should be the 11,000 or so not versus the 25,000-30,000
next year in PUC
@Ciaran Kennedy: unless Kerry brought 10000 fans to PUR there was not a hope that stadium was being filled. Munster council hoping by switching it to Killarney more of a Kerry crowd might show up otherwise it would be 4000/5000 tops at PUR.
Stand off the Cork players will go on strike?
@Chris Tobin: I thought they were on strike all through the league.
Another strike is on the menu. But a gaa stadium that plays live gigs.