World of equality between male and female footballers remains poles apart

In a world where equality in men’s and women’s sport is never far away from the limelight, the treatment of the Roscommon intermediate ladies’ footballers on Sunday afternoon proved that such an ideal world has never been further away.

Let’s get one nugget of reality out of the way before we move on — Down deserved their three-point victory and probably would have won regardless of where this game was played.

But that wasn’t the point. Sunday’s Lidl LGFA Division Three League match shouldn’t have been staged at a venue — still technically in County Down — under the shadow of Ulster Rugby’s Affidea Stadium in Ravenhill, Belfast.

The recent incessant rain has put pitches all over the country under pressure. But taking the game out of Páirc Esler in Newry and moving it 45 minutes further up the A1 was one thing. Moving it to a 3G pitch in the middle of a busy community park where there was no shelter for players or spectators was only exacerbated when the heavens opened just before half time.

Kate Nolan picked up what looked like a serious knee injury and spent most of the final quarter of the match sitting on the side of the pitch beside the Roscommon team doctor as the thunder and lightning rattled around them.

There was no sign of an ambulance or any other qualified medical assistance.

Before that, Roscommon — having stayed in Dundalk on Saturday night — arrived only 40 minutes before throw-in, having been given the wrong Eircode/Postcode for the venue.

When they eventually arrived at their final destination, there was no place for the team bus to park. Consequently, the players and management had to get off the bus on the busy Ravenhill Road and walk towards their dressing rooms.

It was the equivalent of letting them off on the Athlone Road and telling them to walk into Dr. Hyde Park.

It wasn’t a good start to the afternoon, and that’s the way it continued for Finbar Egan’s charges, especially when a minor hurling game between Down and Derry finished at 1.47 p.m., delaying the 2 p.m. throw-in time for the ladies’ game by 15 minutes.

Outside of losing Nolan, key forwards Caoimhe Lennon and Róise Lennon also picked up knocks, which prematurely ended their involvement. Afterwards, Egan put the injuries down to the astro-turf conditions that were like an ice rink, especially in the second half as the monsoon continued.

Dare we mention the dressing rooms, which one Roscommon official described as a “small sitting room”? Apparently, Egan had to deliver his team talk in the shower area.

The LGFA did release a statement to the Irish Independent, saying: “The LGFA has regulations in place to govern venue changes and the use of all-weather pitches. We commend all our county boards for their efforts in securing playable pitches during the recent adverse weather conditions, and across 68 games, we have had two postponements to date.

“We will continue to navigate the challenges that arise and take on board any feedback that comes our way.” 

But that doesn’t address the kernel of the problem here — why was an important intercounty ladies’ football league game, in this day and age, staged at a venue that wasn’t fit for purpose?

It begs the question, would any of the above have happened if either counties’ senior men’s teams were put in the same predicament?

We all know the answer to that one.