By Damian Dolan
London will have home advantage for their NHL Division 2B relegation play-off with Warwickshire after winning a coin toss.
McGovern Park, Ruislip, will stage the game on 7/8 March.
This Sunday, London and Warwickshire have a dry run for their play-off as they lock horns in their dead-runner Round 5 fixture – a game moved from Pairc na hEireann to Ruislip (1pm) due to the weather.
It will be the near neighbours first competitive meeting for 15 years.
On 9 July 2005, London came out on 1-23 to 1-6 at Ruislip on their way to lifting the inaugural Nicky Rackard Cup.
The teams’ current managers, London’s Kevin McMullan and Warwickshire’s Chris Brough, both played in the game.
Normal practice is for such a fixture to take place at a neutral venue, but CCCC were forced to resort to a coin toss due to a lack of viable alternative venues in England.
The coin toss took place on Tuesday in the presence of a member of the London and Warwickshire county boards.
Speaking after London’s defeat to Down at Ruislip on Sunday, McMullan told the Irish World: “I’d be happy enough to toss a coin. If you win you win, and if you lose you lose.
“I’ve no idea where it will be played….it doesn’t really matter. Wherever it is, it is.”
The only other recognised inter-county ground is Lancashire’s Old Bedian’s in Manchester, but that is only used for championship due to flooding.
It will be the second time in 12 months that Warwickshire have been in the Div 2B relegation decider – they defeated Donegal at Pearse Park in Longford.
London also faced Donegal in a relegation play-off last year in the Christy Ring – with the tie played at Crossmaglen.
The GAA’s regulations for the Division 2B relegation play-off states ‘venue to be determined by the CCCC’.
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