Ciaran Whelan and Bernard Brogan calling for club first, and more too calling for it..
Wouldn't work with what is allowed back in each level, county level 4 and club level 3

what does everyone here think?

As someone who still playing club football, I want the county back first and give club player more time to get fit :)

tommy132 (Mayo) - Posts: 602 - 24/02/2021 13:47:41    2332628

I think the media should stop asking Ciaran Whelan or whoever what should go first. I don't think he is an expert in infectious diseases and if I wanted advice in managing a hurling team, I wouldn't be going to Tony Holohan or Cillian De Gascun........

StoreysTash (Wexford) - Posts: 1737 - 24/02/2021 15:11:04    2332635

Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4241 - 24/02/2021 15:14:46    2332638

Club first for sure and let us all play in the summer, not in bogging pitches in winter. Leave that to inter county where the actually play on good pitches anyway.

Frederick (Louth) - Posts: 479 - 24/02/2021 15:25:11    2332640

Can't see how club can go first. Club championship can't be played until level 3 so what happens if there is setbacks and outbreaks....club delayed and then county delayed all up in a heap.

The safest option is county first and that's what will happen in my opinion.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11236 - 24/02/2021 15:52:28    2332644

Yeah I don't think there is any decision for the GAA to take on this really as it will be out of their hands in any case. Unless the case numbers decrease dramatically I do not see how NPHET/government will lower Lockdown levels to permit the type of moving around and interaction that would typically be involved in the club scene up & down the country.

The best hope is that we get to Level 3 in May and that county teams are allowed a 4 week window prior to that to get some training in. If that is allowed then it will be up to the GAA to decide on what format they want to run. A condensed league? No league? Run a traditional provincial plus All-Ireland type championship? Or perhaps an all-in open 32-county draw for a straight knock-out championship?

I think the key will be to very quickly decide what way the 2021 county season is going to go, and rattle off the games in the hope that it can be wrapped up by say, the end of July. Leave August-September-October for club only.

Of course underpinning all of the above will be public health. Let's just hope and pray that these further lockdown measures in conjunction with an aggressively ramped up vaccination policy can give the GAA some options to play with.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9155 - 24/02/2021 16:43:52    2332650

To be fair club going back would effect 100% of GAA players and everybody wins. We had some super club championships last year.
County going back only effects a tiny percentage of the GAA population.
People need this more than ever now.

Bon (Kildare) - Posts: 1914 - 24/02/2021 17:01:35    2332653

Has to be county first. Might be July til club can go anyway according to the health advice.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 12057 - 24/02/2021 18:36:24    2332656

Yes county first. Considering the number of Covid outbreaks there were as a result of club championship celebrations it just wouldn't be the right thing to do to have the clubs go first. There is less risk with the county going first.....it is very hard to have trust that clubs in every county will act responsibly given what happened far too many times last year.

PoolSturgeon (Galway) - Posts: 1905 - 24/02/2021 19:05:22    2332664

Galway9801 (Galway) - Posts: 1722 - 24/02/2021 19:08:24    2332665

Club first, vaccines will allow for crowds back for the big intercounty Championship games later in the year, plus it will be great for everyones mental and physical health to get clubs back in action asap.

Tirchonaill1 (Donegal) - Posts: 2757 - 24/02/2021 19:58:48    2332672

Not a hope of club first unless the country goes to level 3..inter county nowcant take place unless country goes to level 4..going by this I'd be thinking most counties will struggle to get all club competitions started not to mind trying to finish them..it will see club games being played in the worst possible weather..

CTGAA10 (Limerick) - Posts: 2228 - 24/02/2021 20:27:39    2332676

Greengrass (Louth) - Posts: 6031 - 24/02/2021 20:48:54    2332680

Greengrass (Louth) - Posts: 6031 - 24/02/2021 20:58:11    2332681

I'd wait as long as possible and then get club in first. Young people spinning the tyres to get playing and a lot might just walk away. Then county even if it takes us up to Christmas again. I'd rather sacrifice national leagues and just play championship to let clubs get a bit of action.

Saynothing (Tyrone) - Posts: 2017 - 24/02/2021 21:51:04    2332684

I think county has to go first in any given year to be honest, and that is particularly true for 2021, given it has less players involved and more professional set ups (ie less likely of any Covid outbreaks after games).

Firstly, I have to say, I think the split season is a great idea. For the first time ever, club and county players will have clarity and structure to their seasons (not possible this year but from 2022 onwards). Players know what will be played and when it will be played.
This proposal should see the end of needless club training in the mud, in the month of January. It should also see the end of pointless county games played in late December / early January on pitches that resemble trenches.
I also agree with the GAA going with the county first approach.

If you go with club first, county managers will inevitably put pressure on county boards to get club ran off ASAP as they will want as much preparation as possible with a full squad of players. Club first could also result in players being put under pressure to train with the county panel while club championships are still running. Another issue would be having club players finished at loads of different periods. For example: Players from a team that goes out at county QF stage vs the players from a team that wins the county final / reaches their provincial final.

Lastly if club was to go first, you'd have club championships finished by May, or early June at the latest to allow county teams to prepare. What do you suggest club players do from June-Oct, some of the best months of the year for sport. There'd be no real incentive to play club league after championship. With the current proposal 100% of adult GAA players will be playing through those prime months. Though that won't be possible this year, from 2022 onwards the county all Ireland series will be finished by July. Club will get full attention from July onwards.

With the county first, from next year on you'd imagine club leagues will be played off in full without county players before club championship begins. Clubs can use this as a preparation for championship. It also ensures all county's club championships start at the same time. With the current proposal, clubs will have full, unrestricted and uninterrupted access to their county players for the duration of the club championship.

There's a number of reasons the proposed system was backed for 2021 by the GAA, the GPA and the CPA. It makes sense.

Donaldtrump (Galway) - Posts: 252 - 24/02/2021 22:32:53    2332690

Club should always come first as it includes all players and not just the supposed elite ( not deemed to be elite anymore and rightly so...about the only thing this Government got right )... Clubs came back first last year and the same should apply now..!

ForeverBlue2 (Cavan) - Posts: 1950 - 25/02/2021 08:54:29    2332701

club first as a\lways but a lot of lads on this know nothing about a club so they look for county first the dsame boys that want me banned

mickcunningham (Westmeath) - Posts: 1806 - 25/02/2021 09:08:42    2332702

I would normally agree that the club should come before county. It was a tremendous success last year and like myself, most people are more interested in the club scene these days given the way that the intercounty scene has become such a foregone conclusion and a rehash of the year before. However, with the current variants circulating and the higher transmission and death rates, I don't know if it will be feasible to have the club championship staged like last year without an increase in the vaccine rollout. If it is deemed safe with our without vaccine rollout, then the club championship should be staged first as it allows the greater number of players to get out training and palying.

wicklowsupport (Wicklow) - Posts: 1916 - 25/02/2021 10:05:14    2332709

Greengrass (Louth) - Posts: 6031 - 25/02/2021 10:28:50    2332712