Westmeath GAA has issued a statement lashing out at Kilkenny for what it termed a "clear refusal to play a properly scheduled and authorised fixture" in the wake of the cancellation of their Walsh Cup Round 1 game on Sunday.
The match was one of three Walsh Cup ties which failed to go ahead due to the weather conditions, with the playing surface at the original venue, Breedon Kevin Molloy Park - home of The Downs GAA Club - being deemed unplayable at a 12pm pitch inspection.
The game was switched to the nominated alternative venue, the 3G pitch at St Loman's GAA club, with throw-in pushed back to 2.30pm.
However, Kilkenny manager Derek Lyng said the 3G surface was "quite bare" and "not fit for purpose, not for an inter-county match."
Lyng told KCLR that the referee was in agreement with his stance.
"It's fine, you could do a few drills there and things like that, but I was speaking to our medical team and everybody else and I have to take the advice on board. Number one is player safety," the Kilkenny manager said.
"I had a good discussion with the referee, and he completely agrees, and the decision has been made," he added.
It was reported that Kilkenny were willing to play on the grass pitch at St Loman's and conducted a warm-up in the car park in anticipation of this possibility, however that surface had not been made available.
While it was initially announced that Kilkenny had forfeited the game, Leinster GAA subsequently posted that the game had been cancelled after a pitch inspection.
The match was decided by coin toss, with Westmeath advancing to the next round - as their footballers had done in Longford the previous day.
However, Westmeath GAA issued a statement last night, lambasting what it said was Kilkenny's refusal to play the game and seeking to "clarify" the sequence of events which led up to the cancellation.
"Kilkenny arrived at Dovida Lakepoint Park [3G pitch] at the appointed time," the statement read.
"However, their management subsequently decided not to fulfil the fixture, declining to warm up or commence the match and withdrawing from play.
"As a result of Kilkenny’s failure to fulfil the fixture at the nominated authorised venue, the match did not take place. Westmeath trained and completed an in-house challenge game in adherence to match-day preparation requirements.
"Westmeath GAA considers Kilkenny GAA’s actions to constitute a clear refusal to play a properly scheduled and authorised fixture, despite every reasonable and practical effort having been made by Westmeath GAA to facilitate the game in difficult weather conditions.
"Westmeath GAA rejects any suggestion that responsibility for the non-fulfilment of fixture rests with the organising authority or with Leinster competitions, and reserves the right to seek clarification, outcome determination, or further review under the relevant competition regulations."
