The 2014 Laois SFC gets underway for a second time this evening.
Laois county board is facing a racing against time to have champions ahead of the start of the Leinster club SFC after being forced to rescind this year's senior and junior football championships following an emergency meeting on Wednesday night.
Both championships must start from scratch again after St. Joseph's and Arles-Kilcruise, who were due to play in a relegation playoff last night, queried the validity of the relegation process.
Under rule 6.20.3 of the GAA's Official Guide, club championships are permitted to have a bye in Round 1 only, with permission needed from Central Council to award a bye in any further rounds.
Crettyard were awarded a bye in the second round as part of the restructuring of the Laois SFC, thus sparing them from the threat of relegation. This left the county board with no option but to adopt a proposal to declare the championship null and void, and to continue with a new 12-team competition.
Relegation won't now take place, meaning Arles-Kilcruise, Stradbally and St. Joseph's will be involved in a 16-team SFC in 2015.
The new SFC commences this evening with the previous Round 3 draw forming the new Round 1. It sees Mountmellick meet Crettyard and Emo face Portarlington in a double-header at O'Moore Park.
O'Moore Park will host its second double-header of the weekend tomorrow evening when Ballylinan take on Killeshin and The Heath square up to Ballyroan Abbey.
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