[caption id="attachment_71490" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Meath manager Seamus McEnaney. "]
With the European Soccer Championship and the London Olympics Games both coming up this summer, the GAA is well aware of the threat of competition from other sports organisations. And for once they are doing something positive to try and win over the fans and maybe entice the armchair supporters also. Every County Board chairman in the country has received a letter from Croke Park directing them to organise a “meet and greet” session with supporters and media on Friday next. The counties have been told that the session must take place between 7.00-8.30pm and that there cannot be any games that evening, nor any intercounty training. This will all take place just a week before what promises to be a hectic sporting weekend with the Champions League final between Bayern Munich and Chelsea in Munich on May 19 and the all-Irish Heineken Cup final between Leinster and Ulster at Twickenham on the same day. There are also football championship games in the Leinster, Ulster and Connacht that weekend and the GAA want to ensure that they don’t lose out in the publicity department. It’s a move that is definitely necessary and it should ensure plenty of coverage in the media for the GAA next week
MEARA DECLARES
FOR REPUBLIC
Red Bull goalkeeper Ryan Meara has declared for Ireland and has been called in the under 21 squad for the friendly against Denmark at Tallaght Stadium on May 28. Twenty one year-old Meara, who is from Crestwood in Yonkers, qualifies through his grandparents. The 6 foot 4 inch net minder has broken through to the Red Bulls first team this season, making eight starts already. Under 21 manager Noel King said: ‘‘We have been following Ryan for a couple of months and then when he started their season as number one, that was a big statement. He is a big lad with good hands and he is a strong kicker. Ryan is coming over for the friendly against Denmark, we will have a good look at him then and he could possibly make the squad for the European Championship game against Italy in Sligo on June 4.’’
DERRY CITY TO FACE
CRUSADERS IN FINAL
Derry City will be hoping to maintain the League of Ireland clubs good record in the Setanta Cup when they play Crusaders in the final of this year’s competition at the Oval, Belfast on Saturday next. Linfield were the winners of the inaugural All-Ireland Setanta Cup competition in 2005, but since then League of Ireland clubs have won it every year. Drogheda won it twice in 2006 and 2007, they were followed by Cork City in 2008, Bohemians in 2009-10 and Shamrock Rovers last year. This will be a first final appearance for both Derry and Crusaders.
MCENANEY REVAMPS
MEATH MANAGEMENT
Seamus McEnaney has freshened up his Meath management team for the championship by bringing in former Royals star Trevor Giles and John Evans. Giles is already involved with the Meath team as a physio and he will now work with the forwards in the build-up to the Royals Leinster championship opener against Wicklow on May 27. Evans had much success with Kerry club Laune Rangers and initially did well as Tipperary manager, but he walked away from Tipp job earlier this year when they dropped from division three to division four of the National Football League.
Meanwhile Tyrone the Tyrone County Board has agreed a new deal with manager Mickey Harte that will keep him in charge of the county team until 2015 at least. Harte is already the longest serving intercounty football manager, having been appointed in 2002.
In Down star forward Benny Coulter has been ruled out of the Mourne County’s Ulster championship opener against Fermanagh on June 3 with an ankle injury. The Mayobridge clubman damaged his ankle in a recent club game against Bryansford. Down manager James McCartan says that Dan Gordon is also doubtful for the Fermanagh game after he injured his ankle in the League game against Laois.
DELANEY TO TRAVEL
FAI CEO John Delaney says he will be travelling with the Irish squad throughout their Euro 2012 preparation, liasing closely with manager Giovanni Trapattoni and the players. Ten years ago Delaney, then the FAI Treasurer, was critical of former CEO Brendan Menton because he was not in Saipan when the row broke between Mick McCarthy and Roy Keane. In fact Delaney’s star began to rise after the Saipan row between Keane and McCarthy: Delaney said: ‘‘One of the outcomes of the Genesis Report was that the chief executive should have been in Saipan. I think it’s the right thing to do because even though it’s just a training camp, issues could come up. It also set a tone. I have committed that Giovanni, Robbie Keane and myself will meet every three or four days to make sure everything is okay and to see if there are any issues bubbling. It’s something I suggested to Giovanni and Robbie and they were both very welcoming. Robbie has been very good to work with. He understands common sense and he understands issues that do arise. He is very strong on his word and he is somebody that the association has a very good working relationship with.’’
PENNEY TO LEAD MUNSTER
Munster Rugby has confirmed that 48 year-old New Zealander Rob Penney will take over as head coach from Tony McGahon. Penney, who was head coach with Canterbury, will take charge of the All Blacks under 20s at the World Cup in mid-June, and will take over in Munster in July.
Meanwhile Leinster, the reigning Heineken Cup champions, are through to this year’s final and with that success comes news of 20 players renewing or agreeing to new contracts with the Blues. Among the big names who have confirmed that they will be staying with Leinster next season are: Gordon D’Arcy, Isa Nacewa and Leo Cullen. So far exciting winger Luke Fitzgerald is the only big name who has not finalized a deal. Leinster’s qualification for the final means that Connacht is also guaranteed Heineken Cup Rugby again next season. Connacht coach Eric Elwood is hoping to strengthen his squad in the coming weeks. Already former Scottish out half Dan Parks is committed to joining Connacht as are Ulster flanker Willie Faloon and Leinster prop Nathan White.
HAWK EYE TO DEBUT
The first live test of the Hawk Eye goal line technology takes place in England next Wednesday. It will be trialed during the Hampshire FA Senior Cup final between Eastleigh FC and AFC Totton at Southampton’s St. Mary’s Stadium. A second fixture in England has yet to be confirmed. Meanwhile another system, GoalRef, is to be trialed in Denmark.
