Sligo threaten to boycott U20 final

Sligo GAA have confirmed that they will not be fulfilling Wednesday's Under-20 Football Championship final with Mayo if they are not granted home advantage.

The Yeats County qualified for the provincial final with a one-point win over Roscommon last Wednesday with the final then scheduled for the Connacht GAA Centre in Bekan, a location in Mayo.

In a statement yesterday, Sligo explained their position and also revealed details of an email sent to the provincial body informing them of their decision.

"If those charged with the administration of the GAA in Connacht insist on throwing in at Bekan at 7.30 on Wednesday next it is an event in which Sligo GAA will not be involved," their email to Connacht GAA read.

"This has been fully discussed by the players, their team management and the county committee. We are all at one on the point."

The email also stated that if the match was being played in Bekan rather than Markievicz Park to facilitate live coverage from TG4, then the broadcaster should "rearrange its schedule." The Sligo venue does not have floodlight facilities.

"On Wednesday night last (13 April) we formally noted our objection to Connacht Council of the announcement that of the Connacht Centre of Excellence as the location for the Connacht U20 final for which we had qualified minutes earlier," the Sligo statement read.

"This communication was immediately dismissed. Since then we have attempted to communicate the depth of feeling in Sligo on this issue to the Connacht Council and to have the game confirmed to take place in Sligo as would be the norm under the longstanding rotation for intercounty championship games in Connacht including finals.

"We sought to do so in a constructive manner without unnecessary conflict and