Destination Maastricht

This weekend the GPS says Maastricht. For the Ladies it is Round 4 of the Pan-European Championships and an opportunity to put a firm hand on their third successive Championship. I think they are missing one or two this weekend which may slightly weaken their hand but on current form they should have enough. The competition badly needs some more teams to step up and make things interesting.

Normally the lads would be heading to Munich for Round 1 of their Pan-E Championship. However, at last year’s European Convention, it was agreed to reduce the Pan-E from 4 to 3 tournaments and replace the vacant weekend with the Nations Cup. I find very little attractive about this format.

It hasn’t got off the ground in the intended way this year and at the weekend; we are basically left with a Benelux tournament involving Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg. Many of our lads have decided to opt out and head away on an early holiday, their football needs satisfied with the Intra Club league. I can’t blame them either. We play this opposition enough and ‘getting up’ to play them in a friendly format is not so easy.

I decided to opt out a few weeks ago as my back has been acting up for the last couple of months. With the hurling over, it puts less strain on it but in any case, it needs a break. In the past I wouldn’t have thought twice about playing but I suppose as you get older you get more conscious of preserving the body!

Despite many absences, we have a very healthy looking panel of around 20 travelling. There are many established faces and other lads who are chomping at the bit for a crack at the A’s. Andrew, Mike and Pat Barrett will make their debuts and Shane Griffin should be bursting for action.

I presume the opposition will be in the same boat as us so it could be a very even competition. The short drive and later than usual start will be a bonus for the lads so hopefully they can make it count.