GAA Central Council has agreed in principle to complete all club championship activity in the same calendar year, from 2016.

Proposals for the re-design of the football provincial championships into four groups of eight counties were turned down.

A proposal to abolish the semi-finals of the Allianz Football League Division 1 was also turned down.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 7842 - 28/06/2014 18:37:15    1610446

28/06/2014 18:37:15 legendzxix
GAA Central Council has agreed in principle to complete all club championship activity in the same calendar year, from 2016.

Proposals for the re-design of the football provincial championships into four groups of eight counties were turned down.

A proposal to abolish the semi-finals of the Allianz Football League Division 1 was also turned down. So no more of counties postponing club championships until counties out of all Irelands???
Number 1 is good, 2 is good but something needs to be done about provincial championships..
3 is good. Semi's are good in the league

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 28/06/2014 19:00:12    1610453

Semis in a group of 8 is the definition of STUPIDITY.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 28/06/2014 19:13:06    1610460

Why is it stupid to have playoffs in a mini-league of this nature with only seven games and where a full set of home and away games has not been played? In fact, it's the norm in many other sports e.g. Aussie Rules where 8 out of 18 (previously 16) teams play off after 22 regular season games have been played. It's similarly done in Rugby Union and in Rugby League where sometimes more than half the division take part in play offs even after a full home and away season (e.g. 8 out of 14 play off in the English Rugby League Super League after a season of 27 games).

The only unfairness perhaps in the football league is that there's no advantage in coming first or second in the league. Perhaps those teams could be given home advantage for the semi-finals.

DroimIarainn (Cavan) - Posts: 15 - 28/06/2014 20:40:36    1610500

Playing the All Ireland Club finals in the calender year is common sense and logical. The present situation of being crowned provisional champions in October/November and then waiting to Mid February the following year never made sense at any time. I don't see why we have to wait until 2016 it should be effective from 2015. The cost of clubs preparation from October to February are massive and also at a time when it should be part closed season. Come on Central Council show some imagination and make it effective from 2015.

Isolatedantrim (Antrim) - Posts: 31 - 29/06/2014 08:53:29    1610572

A step in the right direction I think..

ziggy320001 (Meath) - Posts: 2432 - 29/06/2014 09:11:13    1610580

Good move to complete club championships in the calendar year.

This should allow for county championships to be played early in the year, ideally finished by early June & then club players can have the whole summer playing league while county men can concentrate on the provincial campaigns.

As long as the rules are the same for everyone, I'm all for it.

Can't agree with the league semis being kept though, all they do is clog up a Sunday that may well be needed now that club championships will be starting earlier.

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 29/06/2014 10:16:53    1610601

29/06/2014 08:53:29
Isolatedantrim
Playing the All Ireland Club finals in the calender year is common sense and logical. The present situation of being crowned provisional champions in October/November and then waiting to Mid February the following year never made sense at any time. I don't see why we have to wait until 2016 it should be effective from 2015. The cost of clubs preparation from October to February are massive and also at a time when it should be part closed season. Come on Central Council show some imagination and make it effective from 2015. Provisional??? Surely you mean provincial?
29/06/2014 10:16:53 MuckrossHead
Good move to complete club championships in the calendar year.
This should allow for county championships to be played early in the year, ideally finished by early June & then club players can have the whole summer playing league while county men can concentrate on the provincial campaigns.
As long as the rules are the same for everyone, I'm all for it.
Can't agree with the league semis being kept though, all they do is clog up a Sunday that may well be needed now that club championships will be starting earlier.You will never get club championships finished by early June and why would you have championship finished well before the league? Isnt championship main competition ahead of the league?

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 29/06/2014 10:25:54    1610606

I don't understand why there is a need to finish the club championship in the same calendar year. This will diminish the prestige of the club competitions for no obvious gain.
If we assume the finals will now be played on the 2nd Sunday of December, we see that the Leinster football championship started on the last Sunday of October last year and finished on the 2nd Sunday of December, with clubs playing every 2nd week. To make this proposal feasible, and keep the week break between games, the Leinster football championship will have to start on the final Sunday in September. This means all club championships will have to be finished by mid-September. With some county managers ruling out club games in July, August & September, some club championships will now have to finish in June, meaning they will have to start in March (how does this work? county players play league throughout March & April). The ultimate result is club players will have to be in peak fitness for late March, so they will have to start pre-season training in early January, increasing club costs due to lights etc. Everyone sees how interest in their club falls away once knocked out of the championship, which for a lot of clubs will now happen in April. Therefore the majority of our club players will train in January, February & March, play their biggest games in April, and spend the best months playing meaningless games, if they bother to play at all. Why would anyone want to promote this?
Then you also have the issue of games getting cancelled in November/December due to flooded pitches, frost, snow, storms etc. Not a problem in Croke Park for the finals but a big problem in every other ground in the country. The result is likely to be that games will get cancelled, and as everything is planned to a tight schedule, the date of the final will have to be rearranged - it would be fitting for the AI club final to be rescheduled at 2 weeks notice, it is what would best represent the life of a club player.
And while it is a more minor issue, another consequence of this approach is that club players who achieve the dream of winning a county and provincial title will be denied the chance to take a couple of weeks to enjoy their achievements and celebrate with a weekend or 2 in the local pub, as they will still be involved in big games. The puritans will say that this is no problem, but any club player who is in their early 20's and wins a provincial championship is entitled to a few pints and to enjoy his achievements, not be treated like a professional and told he must go again in a couple of weeks.

Soma (UK) - Posts: 2630 - 29/06/2014 11:54:34    1610654

Terrible idea.Having the finals on St Patricks day was a great tradition .Expect a massive drop in attendance figures for the club finals going forward and they will become less of an important fixture in the minds of people in the country.The club finals and St Patricks day fitted very well together and this tradition on our national holiday should have been maintained.

If they want the AI club championship played in one year why not play them from January onwards and give clubs a break in the run up to Christmas.

uibhfhaili1986 (Offaly) - Posts: 1296 - 29/06/2014 12:05:30    1610661

29/06/2014 11:54:34 Soma
I don't understand why there is a need to finish the club championship in the same calendar year. This will diminish the prestige of the club competitions for no obvious gain.
If we assume the finals will now be played on the 2nd Sunday of December, we see that the Leinster football championship started on the last Sunday of October last year and finished on the 2nd Sunday of December, with clubs playing every 2nd week. To make this proposal feasible, and keep the week break between games, the Leinster football championship will have to start on the final Sunday in September. This means all club championships will have to be finished by mid-September. With some county managers ruling out club games in July, August & September, some club championships will now have to finish in June, meaning they will have to start in March (how does this work? county players play league throughout March & April). The ultimate result is club players will have to be in peak fitness for late March, so they will have to start pre-season training in early January, increasing club costs due to lights etc. Everyone sees how interest in their club falls away once knocked out of the championship, which for a lot of clubs will now happen in April. Therefore the majority of our club players will train in January, February & March, play their biggest games in April, and spend the best months playing meaningless games, if they bother to play at all. Why would anyone want to promote this?Finishing club championships in the one year gives a definite off season for everyone. The GAA season from January to December so why wait for March to finish off previous year competitions when they could be played in the previous year??
To do this you put in place that county coaches cant dictate that club games cant be played in June/July/August and that club players are guaranteed championship games throughout the summer.
29/06/2014 11:54:34 Soma
Then you also have the issue of games getting cancelled in November/December due to flooded pitches, frost, snow, storms etc. Not a problem in Croke Park for the finals but a big problem in every other ground in the country. The result is likely to be that games will get cancelled, and as everything is planned to a tight schedule, the date of the final will have to be rearranged - it would be fitting for the AI club final to be rescheduled at 2 weeks notice, it is what would best represent the life of a club player.
And while it is a more minor issue, another consequence of this approach is that club players who achieve the dream of winning a county and provincial title will be denied the chance to take a couple of weeks to enjoy their achievements and celebrate with a weekend or 2 in the local pub, as they will still be involved in big games. The puritans will say that this is no problem, but any club player who is in their early 20's and wins a provincial championship is entitled to a few pints and to enjoy his achievements, not be treated like a professional and told he must go again in a couple of weeks. While its more an issue for Hurling you can play Gaelic through the winter in most conditions... Flooded pitches, snow, storms etc don't stop rugby, soccer much in winter so wont exactly stop gaelic that much.

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 29/06/2014 13:09:49    1610686

29/06/2014 12:05:30 uibhfhaili1986
Terrible idea.Having the finals on St Patricks day was a great tradition .Expect a massive drop in attendance figures for the club finals going forward and they will become less of an important fixture in the minds of people in the country.The club finals and St Patricks day fitted very well together and this tradition on our national holiday should have been maintained.

If they want the AI club championship played in one year why not play them from January onwards and give clubs a break in the run up to Christmas.Why not create a system that gives more games in summer. Why would there be massive drop due to change in date? Why would finals be seen as less important because of a change in date?

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 29/06/2014 13:10:03    1610687

"With some county managers ruling out club games in July, August & September"

In short, some county managers need to be told to cop on.

Sgt.Pepper (Carlow) - Posts: 83 - 29/06/2014 18:01:48    1610870

ormondbannerman
County: Clare
Posts: 7645

29/06/2014 10:16:53 MuckrossHead
Good move to complete club championships in the calendar year.
This should allow for county championships to be played early in the year, ideally finished by early June & then club players can have the whole summer playing league while county men can concentrate on the provincial campaigns.
As long as the rules are the same for everyone, I'm all for it.
Can't agree with the league semis being kept though, all they do is clog up a Sunday that may well be needed now that club championships will be starting earlier.

You will never get club championships finished by early June and why would you have championship finished well before the league? Isnt championship main competition ahead of the league?

Why couldn't the club championship be finished in June? Start it in March & there would be plenty of time. There is no rule in any book that I know of that says the championship has to be played after the league.

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 29/06/2014 19:37:03    1610925

29/06/2014 19:37:03
MuckrossHead
Why couldn't the club championship be finished in June? Start it in March & there would be plenty of time. There is no rule in any book that I know of that says the championship has to be played after the league. I know that but why finish your main competition(championship is the main competition is it not) well ahead of the secondary competition
Why not mix up both of them with championship played in between league?

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 29/06/2014 19:57:49    1610951

Ormond

The main problem with finishing the championship later is that most county managers don't want their players playing in blood & thunder club championship games while the county is still going for honours.

A few counties might have enough strength in depth to handle injuries sustained in club games but most, Donegal included, don't.

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 29/06/2014 20:10:25    1610964

It will be interesting to see what is going to happen if the rule that the club championship has to be finished in the Calendar year comes in. Will more counties bring in the format like they have in Dublin whereby its basically straight knockout. This is a good format in my opinion but you have to have a good county league with at least 12 teams so that club players have plenty of games throughout the Summer months.

record (Limerick) - Posts: 129 - 14/07/2014 18:38:34    1619248

It's hard to change established structures. A number of counties just run off the leagues early out of the way.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 7842 - 14/07/2014 20:28:00    1619333

29/06/2014 20:10:25 MuckrossHead
Ormond The main problem with finishing the championship later is that most county managers don't want their players playing in blood & thunder club championship games while the county is still going for honours.

A few counties might have enough strength in depth to handle injuries sustained in club games but most, Donegal included, don't. Well put in place rules/regulations where the majority of players don't have to suffer from long periods without championship games because of a tiny minority playing with the county side.

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 14/07/2014 20:52:56    1619353