NFL Division 4 games being set for different times 'not a big deal' says Tipperary selector Paddy Christie
Tipperary football selector Paddy Christie discusses the upcoming final round of games in Division 4 of the Allianz Football League, stating that the controversy surrounding the four games not taking place at the same time is not 'that big of a deal'.
Wednesday 23 March 2022 15:47, UK
A degree of controversy surrounds the final round of Division 4 in the Allianz Football League this weekend.
Unlike in the top three tiers, the Division 4 campaign will not culminate with four consecutive matches.
With Cavan already promoted, Tipperary could join the Breffni County with a home victory over London on Saturday evening. Should the Premier County fail to win in Semple Stadium, it would open the door for the winner of Sligo vs Cavan; a game that takes place on Sunday afternoon.
The final rounds of league-based tournaments usually have simultaneous matches, with some commentators raising fears around competition integrity in this instance.
But Tipperary coach Paddy Christie feels it is not overly significant.
"That fixture has been there for a long time. It was in my diary, I remember looking at it," said the former Dublin star.
"The fixtures were there a good while ago. It was one of those things that, as it crept up closer, you realised this could affect things. But for me, the fact that we play London and if we win that game, we're through, and that's the end of it, I don't see it being that big of a deal.
"I certainly don't think there was anything untoward," he continued.
"I heard people talking, saying it was 'disrespectful' and 'it made a farce of things'. I don't know.
"The GAA are between a rock and a hard place. They're trying to get fixtures in, set up for the year. And then stuff like that happens and it's a little bit awkward. Ultimately, Tipperary need to go out and beat London. If they did that on Saturday night, Cavan are already through, that is Division 4 finished with."
And although a Tipp victory would render Sunday's all-Connacht clash a dead rubber, Christie says Sligo and Leitrim would still be taking it seriously.
"If that was to happen, Sligo would play Leitrim on Sunday in a game that doesn't mean anything. But if there wasn't a game on that weekend, would they not be playing a challenge game anyway? For me, I don't see it as that big of a deal. I know it's not ideal.
"If it was the other way around, and we were playing in a game of possibly no significance, what way would we look at it? We'd look at it as preparation for the championship.
"Sligo and Leitrim are local rivals, there'll be a bit of an edge there anyway. For me, I don't see the big deal about it. Obviously it's not perfect. But I don't think anybody did it on purpose, and it certainly wasn't being done to be disrespectful. It's just the way the cookie crumbled."
