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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Sport
Gavin Quinn

Leitrim boss Terry Hyland doesn't think All-Ireland championships will go ahead this summer

Leitrim manager Terry Hyland doesn't think that the All-Ireland championships will go ahead this summer and can't see 'football with large crowds' being played at all this year.

The Cavan native reckons that if an inter-county championship of some form was to go ahead, it would be later in the year in a behind-closed-doors capacity.

The GAA will host a Special Congress tomorrow to overhaul the All-Ireland championships after the association this week admitted that it's unlikely competitions will begin before July.

"I don't know how they're going to allow crowds or allow 30 guys into a dressing-room,"  Hyland said on Ocean Fm.

Leitrim manager Terry Hyland (©INPHO/Oisin Keniry)

"Once crowd restrictions went in and (social) distancing went in, I think that's going to be the case until you have a vaccine. 

"The can will just be kicked down the road further, it's just a matter of knowing how far down the road they can kick it.

"This lingering, hanging on, and even talking about sticking in two rounds of the National League after the first round of the Championship, to me it's nonsense."

But Hyland remains hopeful that players can get back on the pitch at some point in Autumn or winter, and that some kind of inter-county championship can be played out.

"The only way I can see it is in the back end of the year, maybe October/November.

"I can't see football with large crowds being played this year".

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