Declan Bonner has reiterated calls for Donegal’s Super 8 game against Dublin away from Croke Park.
The opening weekend of the Super 8 group games see the Ulster and Leinster champions face off.
The game is pencilled in to take place at Croke Park, but Bonner has again called out the unfairness of the system.
Each county was to play one home and one away game along with a game at Croke Park. However, with Croke Park having become Dublin’s de facto home ground – they have played all their Championship games since 2004 at the venue and all their League fixtures since 2010 – Bonner believes that the Donegal-Dublin game should be played at a neutral venue.
“Basically it is meant to be one away, one at home and one at a neutral venue, but from a Donegal perspective, we are ending up playing two away games and Dublin will have two home games,” Bonner said.
Donegal’s home game in the Super 8 series is not until the August Bank Holiday weekend and the third set of games when they welcome Tyrone or Cork to Ballybofey.
Bonner said: “For all eight teams, I think it’s got to be the one playing field, and I don’t think it’s that levelled if you have to play two matches away from home and another team has two home games.
“In fairness to all eight teams, they should be all playing on the one pitch, and at the minute there seems to be a slight edge towards Dublin and the fact that they have two home games, and we end up with two away games.
“In terms of fairness, if Donegal were to play Dublin and someone said the game was to be played a neutral venue, then you would expect somewhere like Cavan or Clones or a neutral venue.
“Not going into Dublin’s back yard to play what is a so-called ‘neutral match’.”
It is believed that Donegal, via their Central Council delegate Seamus Ó Domhnaill, have sounded out the Central Competitions Controls Committee on the matter.
Bonner added: “There has been a fair amount of talk in the media during the week about it. I’m sure the CCCC will take note and maybe in the interest of fair play and a bit of common sense, let’s have a look at it.”
