TYRONE great Peter Canavan has struck an optimistic note by suggesting we could still see Championship football before the end of the year – even if it means social distancing applying in GAA grounds.
GAA activity has been shut down since the start of March due to the coronavirus pandemic with forecasts of a return to action quite gloomy, especially with the fear of a second spike of the deadly virus later in the year.
However, Canavan feels that the strict adherence to social distancing and other government directives to combat the virus by the vast majority of people gives him hope of seeing football returning before too long.
“I think the GAA has been spot on with the way they’ve approached things,” Canavan said. “They’ve taken the lead up to this point and are very aware of the severity of the virus. They have put the health of the country before anything else, so they have to be applauded.
“And hopefully with the way people are adhering to the social distancing and everything else we may not be hit as severely as some of the other countries and if that it is the case then I see no reason why there won’t be some kind of Championship in due course, be it a return to the old-fashioned system of knock-out football. And there will maybe be more time for clubs to finish off their Championships as well.”
The Errigal Ciaran clubman added: “After round one, those defeated counties would be free to get on with their club championships. I’d like to think if things go well there can be a Championship later in the year. And I think it can be run off in a very short space of time.”
Whatever happens over the coming months, the double All-Ireland winner feels that social distancing is likely to play a part in our lives for some time to come yet.
“There is talk about a second peak and things like that, and if that’s a possibility the GAA might be able to take action and reduce the capacities and it might be a case of people sitting in every other seat rather than every seat in the stand and restrictions in the terracing. I think that’s possible and that’s down to the way people have conducted themselves in general since the outbreak.
“The GAA has been exemplary with all the pitches being closed and sticking to those guidelines, from what I can see. All clubs and Gaels need to be commended and if there was to be implications for crowds and going to games I think they would certainly be followed.”
Since retiring from football in 2007, Canavan had spells in management with Cavan Gaels and Fermanagh before turning his skills to the punditry arena with TV3 and more recently Sky Sports.
Asked what he's missing during the current lockdown, he said: “I miss talking about football and to everybody else. You’re missing the banter and somewhere to go. It’s the smallest of things that you miss. Never before has our own club been closed in that manner. There were always youth games to attend or something’s going on. It’s strange times.”
