Caulfield says all other options for United home venue were exhausted
Manager hails assistance of Galway GAA but says Dundalk refused to budge on date of game
It is hard to think that, at the start of the season back in February, being the manager of the home team in a competitive game at Turners Cross would have been on John Caulfield's bingo card.
However, that is what faces Galway United's manager on Friday after confirmation earlier today (Monday) that the Tribesmen's home game with Dundalk is being moved to the Cork venue, the culmination of bargaining and bartering and attempts at compromise over a more local venue which were all rejected by either Dundalk or by the League's offices.
"It is not ideal, but we have spoken about the situation in training this morning and there will be no excuses: we are going to Cork to win this game, the lads shouldn't be wanting for extra motivation, but the way things have worked out, it should give them that extra desire if that is needed," Caulfield told Tribune Sport this evening.
The need to temporarily vacate Eamonn Deacy Park during the summer is well-known, and the Galway GAA could not have been more helpful in organising for United to set-up a makeshift home at its Pearse Stadium headquarters in Salthill.
"I want to make one thing clear: the Galway GAA could not have been any more help, they have been incredible, they have stayed in touch with us, they're letting us go in and train at the ground before we play there.
"All I hear is 'John, anything you want', they have been brilliant to work with. They were opening the ground to us next Monday to play Dundalk, but Dundalk refused to play on the Monday, so we are where we find ourselves now," Caulfield said.
Where we find ourselves - or rather, where we will find ourselves on Friday - is about 130 miles away from home, playing at Turners Cross in Cork the home of the Munster FA, and a ground where Caulfield will fell right at home, having spent 15 seasons there as a player, and another seven as manager. It is not what he wanted, though.
We asked them to play on Monday night, they refused. we offered to play behind closed doors, they refused
"We exhausted all other options. We asked Dundalk to reverse fixtures with us, but they refused," he said, though that is understandable given that the scheduled fixture between the sides in Oriel Park in August coincides with the Lilywhite's celebrations marking their 100th anniversary of first playing in the league.
"We asked them to play on Monday night, they refused. We offered to play behind closed doors, they refused. We said we’d play it in August or September, that was refused. We offered to take the game to a ground in Mayo, that was rejected. We applied for the fixture to be postponed, but the league refused," he said.
In a ruling brought in in 2021, the League Director has the final say over fixtures and could agree to postponements, but he or she can also insist on games being played, and it appears that is the tack taken by Mark Scanlon, who is the league director, in relation to this game.
Therefore, if United refused to play the game - and it is believed that was something that was being considered - they would not only have missed out on possibly taking any points from the game, they would also have been docked three points.
"The players came back from holiday and we trained on Saturday and Sunday, and we spoke about the game. We were determined to play it in Galway but those offers were rejected, we looked at closer to home but Treaty [Markets Field] was not available so it was looking like the Belfield Bowl in Dublin, or Athlone or Sligo. We might as well play it in Dundalk as play it in Dublin, so that wasn't an option, and the players didn't want to play on the artificial surface in Athlone, or in Sligo.
"One of the lads suggested Cork, we spoke about it, got on to the Muster FA who said 'yeah, no problem' so that's what is happening.
"It is not ideal for our fans and were apologise to them, but we are being forced into playing the game, so hopefully they will travel down in big numbers and get behind the lads," he said.