Changes in the GAA - super thread

Rockfish

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118029940#Comment_118029940

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118029940#Comment_118029940

So thats one county apart from Offaly, you said a few

B2021M

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118037420#Comment_118037420

The group stages in both of those are seeded. Here we guarantee the 25th ranked team a place in the last 10.

Coillte_Bhoy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118037832#Comment_118037832

Ya but thats not really releavnt, hes right, they are regarded as the one competition from the first group stage game

B2021M

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118037950#Comment_118037950

How is it not relevant? The groups in the champions League etc are balanced in terms of seeding. So you have one top seed, one second seed and so on.

Here the 25th team progresses to the last 10 having played teams 26 to 32 only.

Treble double

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118037442#Comment_118037442

Is two not a few, I presume every county board of the bottom 16 counties will be mandated to vote b, of course in counties where hurling is number 1, they might be not bothered about football and may mandate county board to maintain the status quo so that it doesn't take away from the hurling.

Always_Running

I see former GAA president and the man the put the task force for change together John Horan at tonights online meeting of county chairs has told them that any proposal voted in should be a 2 trial system and not to commence until 2023 because at the moment there is too many flaws with the proposals going forward for what will be a permanent change

Iecrawfc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118039786#Comment_118039786

I can't see any proppsal getting through this year, so i assume it will be the status quo next year again...they'll probably come up with same 'horse designed by committee' proposal that tries to keep everyone happy esp. the provincial councils but satisfied nobody and we'll be back to square 1 again.

Coillte_Bhoy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118038044#Comment_118038044

The point is that the league part and knockout part are parts of the same competition. People are talking about the league as a separate competition to the knock out stage being a separate competition. I dont disagree with the actual points you have made above

Coillte_Bhoy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118039905#Comment_118039905

Probably but at least the genie is out of the bottle now and this is the first time that serious consideration is being given to a radical restructuring. I know many GAA heads who hadnt given this any consideration at all until the last week or two, there is a year now to come up with soemthing better, though id still like to see B passed this year and be implemented on a trial basis

Treble double

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118039935#Comment_118039935

I agree. Would love to see B passed and trialed. I think people are so used to what we have that they are unable to get their heads around what is being proposed.

I believe if this got the green light it would revolutionise gaelic football. Supporters could really get on board with their team on their 7 game journey home and away in early summer with possible Saturday evening throw ins.

The feeling is however that it's not going to get over the line.

Listening to the leinster Council secretary being interviewed yesterday would make you despair about the situation. The ignorance, the self serving attitude and total disregard for players was sickening. And its these dinosaurs that have the power.

I wouldn't be surprised if there is some sort of backlash from the players in relation to this. The backlash has come already in the weaker counties where players just don't bother commiting to the county.

threeball

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118040628#Comment_118040628

Its change for changes sake. The current system is crap, this is just as bad if not worse. Relatively strong counties getting dumped out in favour of weak counties who have faced far inferior opposition. If I was a top end of division 2 team I wouldn't vote for this in a fit. You're virtually assured of missing out on reaching the knockout stages multiple times per decade. Same with teams that struggle in division 1.

Its not like its a decent league run where you can overcome an early bad result or two. A draw and a loss and you're as good as out of the running. You'd need far more games where a team can overcome a bad start. It also means that younger players won't get their chance as the stakes are too high. There's a dozen reasons this should be tossed. To me it looks like something that was designed not to go through but give the illusion that an alternative was being offered.

Treble double

Ah I don't know it seems people only care about the top 10 teams in the country, if that's the case to hell with it do like the hurling let the top 10 teams play each other all the time for the All Ireland and put the rest into mickey mouse competitions like the Christy Ring and Joe McDonagh.

Everyone will be happy there will be high quality competitive games and like the hurling we can conveniently forget the rest of the counties and the fact that a decent club team would beat most of them

Coillte_Bhoy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118041336#Comment_118041336

Just on your point that if a Div 2 team lost one and drew one they would be missing out, in 2019 and 2018, 3rd place lost 2 and drew 2, 2017 3rd lost 2 and drew 1, 2016 they lost 2 and drew 3.

B2021M

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118042079#Comment_118042079

I agree with your earlier point about the 'league' element needing to be played in better weather so that is definitely an improvement.

I just don't understand how you see this as an improvement for teams in div 3 and 4 apart from the winners of each division. Even then what's the difference for say the div 4 winner who will now play a strong div 2 team? How is that different from a qualifier match under the old system?

Treble double

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118043273#Comment_118043273

It's different because they will have played 7 championship games up to that point as opposed 1 under the old system

B2021M

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118043304#Comment_118043304

But there won't be a separate league? That will be their season. Will interest be maintained with them involved in competitions for only about two months of the year?

Treble double

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118043329#Comment_118043329

The provincial championships will be played in the spring as a stand alone competition on a round robin basis that will replace what was the leauge.

Check out what Adrian Marren recently retired Sligo footballer has to say about it, I'm not able to copy it in here.

These are the lads that should be listened to, but that's not the way it works of course.

Treble double

Clare County Board have now announced that their delegates will be mandated to vote for proposal b at special Congress.

Slipperydodger

Momentum swelled behind ‘proposal B’ tonight with a number of counties opting to back the motion at Saturday’s Special Congress.

The ‘League as Championship’ football format got the thumbs up from Cork, Tipperary, Kildare, Meath, Louth Clare and Longford, joining a number of other counties like Westmeath and Offaly that have already indicated that they will also back it.

Elsewhere, rather than mandating their delegates, Laois, Waterford and Kerry have afforded them a free vote on the matter.

StupidLikeAFox

I honestly don't know why they don't use teams in div 1 and 2 as the senior allireland, and div 3 and 4 as intermediate all ireland. 4 x 4 seeded groups in each grade in a world cup style - this is in place in many sports worldwide and in club championships across the country, not sure why the senior system has to get so complicated with things

Retain the provincial championships as straight knockout alongside the all ireland series'.

The season would culminate in 4 x provincial finals in August and 2 x all ireland finals. What more do you want?? I worked out a fixture list for this once and it actually worked really well

manofwisdom

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118043412#Comment_118043412

Under proposal B the provincial knock out championships are scrapped. Provincial round robin/leagues played in spring and not connected to AI series is basically O'Byrne, McKenna cup and FBD retained.

Marren is clearly smitten by new format without reading into the glaring flaws. Talked about how great it was for the Sligo U17s to win the Connacht knock out championship this summer yet I don't think he realises those players won't even get the chance to play in that competition as a Senior in the summer with proposal B voted in. His own county career highlight was winning Connacht in 2007, had the opportunity to win another few titles but lost finals narrowly to Roscommon and Mayo.

As for his view on players opting out. I don't think so, you only have to look at the buy into club football this summer and autumn with some teams able to field 3 teams in their championships to know the commitment levels is as high as its been for many years so no county team should have issues with numbers next year regardless of format and set split season allows most players to plan accordingly.

The NFL our secondary competition was generally the competition whereby counties like Sligo would use to improve and develop and if kept and changed to Div 1A 1 B 2A 2B instead of Div 1,2,3 and 4 it will help them further.

Treble double

This has been argued to death now.

Can anyone explain the voting system at special Congress.

I think there are 160 votes, I know some counties have more votes than others and New York, London etc have votes plus the provinal councils.

I would love to know how many votes each have because it would be fairly easy then to work out if proposal b gets over the line or not.

Obviously the provincial councils will vote against it and the majority of the Ulster Counties.

Most of the bottom 16 will vote for it but hurling dominated counties like Waterford, Kilkenny etc will probably vote against it.

It's certainly gaining momentum but more than likely not get across the line.

blowitupref

183 Congress delegates made up of

32 Counties = 90 votes

GB/overseas = 34

Cental Council delegates = 52

Past Presidents =7.

109 votes needed to pass either A or B proposals

Treble double

I believe 19% of the vote is outside of the country, Lancashire, Scotland, Newyork, Australasia etc. This cohort seemingly vote as directed by Central Council.

The 32 counties have under 50% of the vote.

The players representatives have 2 votes.

There are a total of 180 votes.

Over 60% is needed for a motion to pass, its laughable really. Whatever central council want will be passed or not as far as I can see, democracy GAA style 😀

Treble double

Central Council to break their silence in relation to this today.

I predict that they will say that there is an appetite for change, but that there is no perfect solution for that change yet and we will keep the status quo while we work on it.

That way they can keep everyone happy, the provincial councils are a problem that won't be easily solved

An Ciarraioch

Do we have a running tally on which counties favour Proposal B? Today's declarations:

Clare: Yes

Cork: Yes

Down: Yes

Kerry: Neutral

Kildare: Yes

Laois: Neutral

Longford: Yes

Meath: Yes

Offaly: Yes

Tipp: Yes

Waterford: Neutral

Westmeath: Yes

Treble double

Larry McCarthy and the director general have come out in favour of proposal b,

I'm very surprised but happy. McCarthy say let's be bold and try it from next season on.

He has gone up in my estimation, interesting to see how this goes now.

Coillte_Bhoy

Roscommon have come out in favour

PTH2009

Looking like Propsal B is going to win out

Think it's the right choice and of course will feel unusual but it will give attendances a huge boost. Will Allianz stay on as sponsors for the Football league

On a negative aspect for it, I can see from a players point of view that winning a Provincial title would be a massive aim but winning it for which is a pre season competition might not sit well

An Ciarraioch

At least the provincial round-robins would be played off over February and March, and given ample calendar time and TV coverage, unlike the FBD and McKenna Cups being squeezed into January before the Leagues start.