Smith blasts ‘scandalous’ scheduling of All-Ireland U-20 football semi-final

Roscommon U-20 football manager, Cian Smith, has blasted the scheduling of Wednesday evening’s All-Ireland U-20 football semi-final against Kerry.

The game at FBD Semple Stadium, which attracted an attendance of just 1,437, got underway at 7.30 p.m. and went to extra-time, meaning that players and supporters from both counties didn’t arrive home until well after midnight.

Smith revealed that two players on the Roscommon panel couldn’t tog out because of college exams, and went on to question the GAA’s promotion of such an important grade — suggesting that senior players who are eligible for U-20 teams would have plenty of years in their careers to play senior championship football.

“There’s a bigger picture, and I was going to say this whether we won or lost this evening. It’s great to play in an All-Ireland semi-final — great pitch, great venue — but, personally, I think it’s absolutely disgraceful that it’s on a Wednesday night.

“It’s absolutely crazy. This is supposed to be the second premier football competition after the senior championship. It’s one thing playing in a Connacht championship round robin on a Wednesday night, I’ve no problem with that. 

"But to ask ourselves and Kerry to come down here on a Wednesday night, we had two guys today that couldn’t tog out because of exams in college.

“It’s scandalous — for players, supporters and management. At the end of the day, we’re all volunteers. We all have day jobs, we have to take half days. We love doing it, but the GAA really needs to think about promoting this competition.

"Obviously, the issue is senior players with U-20 squads. But at the end of the day, you’re either a U-20 or a senior. You’ll play senior for long enough."