Official GAA Proposal of New Championship Structure

Prop Joe

4 Provincials

Nestor Cup
Delaney Cup
Munster Cup
Anglo Celt Cup

Each competition are split into A & B sides

The A side is 4 teams drawn at random from the province the cup represents
The B sides are drawn from the rest

Would give 4 eight team competitions,With one side from all the same province the Final would remain in the host province

I.E
Side A - Semis

Roscommon v Galway
Sligo v Leitrim

Side B - Semis

Derry v Westmeath
Donegal v Clare

Etc..Etc...

Bass Reeves

I have seen a good few proposals and Jim MacGuiness's idea is the best. It strengthen's the league as league placings become important. It makes winning your provincial important in getting a place in last 16. It provides a meaningful competition for the lower ranked 16 and even two places could be reserved for this competition so both finalists get rewarded. This would give bit to Division 2 of national league if maybe only top 4 in division were guaranteed a place in the Sam Maguire competition.

However you would have to have a couple rounds of championship matches during the weeks ends in May and June and get the Provincials championships over in Late June. Could then consider a champion league type competition. 4 provincial winners top seeds then down through league placing. Run this off in July and top two ( in each group play quarter finals August Bank holiday weeks end.

Similar with tier two competition with any Div two team only getting one home fixture, but getting top seeding in groups. Quarter finals ran again August Week end as curtain raisers to top tier games.

What ever system is put in place it is vital that it effectively has got to semi final stage by early August. This would allow club game in 28 counties to take place again. To do this provincial championships need to be ran off by last weekend in June. The minor and 21's competition could be ran in present form, however it could mean that 21's competition would have to be abolished.

Fr Tod Umptious

More details on the proposal are out

http://www.gaa.ie/mm/Document/GaaIe/GAANews/13/41/92/FootballRevisionProposalA4SPREADSSCpdf_English.pdf

To add the extra games for the QF group stages basically the football season will run between the 1st weekend of May and the last week of August, final the last Sunday in August

Hurling final will mid August

No replays except for finals.

I think it's worth a try, the condensed championship schedule and the elimination of replays where possible is a good move

Fianna Fowl

The proposal would leave September & October free of inter-county matches and allow proper scheduling of club championships. Would also allow for All-Ireland club championship to be potentially completed within calendar year!

Having (half of August for hurling), September & October earmarked for senior club championship would be a major plus.

I like the condensed nature of the Provincial Championship and goal of making the last 8. I think the Provincial Championships would have to remain unseeded which depending on the draw will allow non division 1 & 2 teams to make the last 8.

The football championship will generate real momentum, however my main concern is that the revised football structure will overpower the current hurling championship. Do you replace the quarter finals in hurling with 2 groups of 3?

dr.kenneth noisewater

I like the idea of condensing both championships so they finish by August(barring replays) but don't see the need of the QF groups. Hopefully both ideas aren't tied together so if it fails to pass the season wont stay as is.

Boom__Boom

The fall in attendances is fairly massive.

In 2001 there were 58 games and a total attendance of 1,082,876
In 2016 there were 60 games and a total attendance of 788,746
(these figures don't include replays)

That's a fall of 294,130 in 15 years.

Nidgeweasel

Boom__Boom wrote: »

The fall in attendances is fairly massive.

In 2001 there were 58 games and a total attendance of 1,082,876
In 2016 there were 60 games and a total attendance of 788,746
(these figures don't include replays)

That's a fall of 294,130 in 15 years.

How many games were on TV back then?

The figures speak for themselves. It is a huge concern.

For me, I'd start simple at the higher level. Get needless games out of Croke Park and down the country.

Provincial winners get a home tie in the quarter finals. Provincial losers get a home tie in round 4. You may say that by default this may restrict numbers but you start creating the demand again.

Dirty Dingus McGee

Boom__Boom wrote: »

The fall in attendances is fairly massive.

In 2001 there were 58 games and a total attendance of 1,082,876
In 2016 there were 60 games and a total attendance of 788,746
(these figures don't include replays)

That's a fall of 294,130 in 15 years.

The attendance in Leinster have fallen off massively because of Dublins dominance.Even Dublin fans aren't bothering with it any more.

Negative tactics being used by a lot of teams is part of the problem I would think and also competitiveness has dipped massively.

Truth is making comparisons from any other period up against the period between the mid nineties and mid 00's probably isn't a good idea as in that period football in particular went through a truly golden period in terms of competitiveness and excitement it wasn't as good before then and probably won't be as good ever again.

OldMrBrennan83

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keane2097

Emigration probably a factor also.

Boom__Boom

Dirty Dingus McGee wrote: »

The attendance in Leinster have fallen off massively because of Dublins dominance.Even Dublin fans aren't bothering with it any more.

Negative tactics being used by a lot of teams is part of the problem I would think and also competitiveness has dipped massively.

Truth is making comparisons from any other period up against the period between the mid nineties and mid 00's probably isn't a good idea as in that period football in particular went through a truly golden period in terms of competitiveness and excitement it wasn't as good before then and probably won't be as good ever again.

They had the figures from 2000 to 2016 but I only posted the end and the beginning. 2001 was the first year of the qualifiers and the number of games increased from 35 in 2000 to 58 in 2001.

Posted the figures for every year below.



Also the average attendance.



It's obviously not just one factor causing the decline, I'd imagine it's a combination of various factors.

Also the total figure for 2016 is not that far away from the total figure for 2000 - only about 100,000 in the difference despite 25 more games.

For me a big thing is that people (especially the more casual supporters) have no interest in going to games that are extremely likely to be uncompetitive - anyone care to guess what the attendance will be like at Dublin's first game in the championship next year against the winner of Wexford or Carlow?

Dirty Dingus McGee

Boom__Boom wrote: »

They had the figures from 2000 to 2016 but I only posted the end and the beginning. 2001 was the first year of the qualifiers and the number of games increased from 35 in 2000 to 58 in 2001.

It's obviously not just one factor causing the decline, I'd imagine it's a combination of various factors.

Also the total figure for 2016 is not that far away from the total figure for 2000 - only about 100,000 in the difference despite 25 more games.

For me a big thing is that people (especially the more casual supporters) have no interest in going to games that are extremely likely to be uncompetitive - anyone care to guess what the attendance will be like at Dublin's first game in the championship next year against the winner of Wexford or Carlow?

Be interesting to see the comparisons between the late 80's and today.

Football was extremely competitive in the 90's up to mid 00's and thus attendances were great in that period but that was not normal

The un-competitiveness is the main issue in my opinion as there is very little point going to a match when the result is a foregone conclusion and so many matches are foregone conclusions these days.It would be very interesting to see what the attendances would be (particualrly at the top end) if the championships were split into divisions and we got more competitive games to go to.

Also I think the GAA couldd do with slashing ticket prices and seeing would that make a difference.Live sport is terrible poor value for money and I

Nidgeweasel

Patww79 wrote: »

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I think you're possibly scraping the barrel with that one myself.

OldMrBrennan83

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dr.kenneth noisewater

Patww79 wrote: »

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It's the main reason I don't go to any games any more. Try parking at Aughrim, Netwatch, Tailteann, Nowlan, etc. It's near impossible unless you want to kill 4 hours sitting in the car before a match before every other **** lands.[/quote]
Too be honest I never understand why so many people drive to matches still, especially Croke Park. I've always preferred getting a club bus or public transport to Croker and found it much easier.
I know a lot of games require people to drive themselves especially league and qualifiers but I doubt many people think "I won't go because theres no parking"

ProudDUB

dr.kenneth noisewater wrote: »

Too be honest I never understand why so many people drive to matches still, especially Croke Park. I've always preferred getting a club bus or public transport to Croker and found it much easier.
I know a lot of games require people to drive themselves especially league and qualifiers but I doubt many people think "I won't go because theres no parking"

Not every one has access to decent public transport, especially on a Sunday or Saturday evening, when buses/trains don't run at all, or do so on a much reduced capacity.


Also, if you are looking at a 2-3 hour drive home, you can't start that journey much sooner, if you stash the car somewhere near Fairview Park, or East Wall Rd. If you have to trek into town, to get the Luas to the Red Cow to pick up your car, or travel out to Maynooth or Celbridge to pick up your car in one of the Park and Rides, that makes your overall journey time longer than it needs to be, if you are looking to get home as early as possible. Taking the car is often much easier, especially if you have young kids.