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The CPA have brought forward fixture proposals that would see April and August-November dedicated completely to club fixtures. Intercounty games would take place in every other month except December. Is this really any improvement in what is in place at the minute? Surely no club player wants to be having to get ready for championship games in April with a guarantee of no more championship games again until August? There is possibly the odd county who have a similar arrangement already but are most not playing club championship throughout the summer? Id be interested to see the fixtures fully laid out but on first look they seem to have made a lot of changes to come up with something worse than what is currently in place. Soma (UK) - Posts: 2630 - 26/07/2017 13:06:37 2023828 Link 1 |
The idea of wrapping up the AI Club Finals before the end of the year is a really really poor one. uibhfhaili1986 (Offaly) - Posts: 1296 - 26/07/2017 13:47:04 2023857 Link 0 |
https://gaaclubplayers.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Plan-Green.pdf https://gaaclubplayers.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Plan-Purple.pdf https://gaaclubplayers.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Plan-Purple-Plus.pdf I think intercounty finishes up in August and all GAA is free in December. I think there's some good ideas in there but I don't really think they're realistic, they involve a great reduced prominence for the Provincial championships in favour of a 2 tier football championship. I can't see the GAA going for that. I don't think the club only April is smart either. So county teams play half a season and then have to start over again with training, it's not going to work. The only solution I see is a split season, with a heavily shortened intercounty window. March to Mid July even. Club championship to be played after that. Maybe April to Mid August with Provincial club championship moving to the start of the year before the intercounty season. Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4247 - 26/07/2017 14:01:33 2023868 Link 0 |
It's just crazy to think that a calendar that would work for a county like Leitrim or Longford would also work for Galway or Dublin. Iv never understood the rush to play the club All-Ireland in the calendar year either - it's 24 teams each year involved which is a very small number and except for 2-3 clubs it's very rare that a player would play in these more than 3 times in a career. I'd rather have a few weeks break after winning a provincial title to enjoy it and celebrate than to face an All-Ireland semi-final the following week. Soma (UK) - Posts: 2630 - 26/07/2017 14:49:17 2023917 Link 0 |
It's a poor effort and poorly presented in my opinion. Compare it to Duffy's proposal last year http://www.gaa.ie/mm/Document/GaaIe/GAANews/13/41/92/FootballRevisionProposalA4SPREADSSCpdf_English.pdf which clearly outlines the reasoning behind it. It has to be assumed that club league football will be played when the intercounty games are going on. However, we shouldn't have to assume this. No mention of Sigerson or Fitzgibbon Cups. No mention of the Minor or U-21 grades either. Just three tables showing the calendar. Additionally, they still, despite all the complaints, have the All-Ireland series overlapping with the club championships in August. Sure the 2018 proposals (above) have done as much as that. I think it'll rightly be thrown out of the Special Congress (if it makes it there) and then there'll be a crying match about elitism etc. I'd say Brolly is rubbing his hands in anticipation of the row. Skelling (USA) - Posts: 289 - 26/07/2017 15:28:34 2023948 Link 1 |
Regarding the whole Leitrim Dublin thing they're wanting the championship to be more of a league so that teams finish their season more in line. It's a good idea but what they suggest sounds boring. The purple plan has 2 groups of 8 with everyone playing home and away. 4 teams to go through to the All Ireland. Their purple plan plus is probably best thought out. It includes a Provincial cup competition moving on to an All Ireland cup in addition to their league. Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4247 - 26/07/2017 15:32:10 2023953 Link 0 |
With the Leitrim Dublin thing I was as much referring to the fact that in Dublin you will have lads like Con O'Callaghan playing senior club hurling and football, 1 of his teammates playing senior football and junior hurling and another only footballing. In Leitrim there are only 2-3 adult hurling teams in total so there it's easy to accommodate dual players, in other counties it's very difficult. The reality is most county boards do a decent job with fixtures all things considered.
Soma (UK) - Posts: 2630 - 26/07/2017 16:06:14 2023980 Link 0 |
Because they're thinking of the poor County Players who miss out on some of the League when their club gets as far as All-Ireland semis...so not really about the club player.
game.on.now.ger (Galway) - Posts: 423 - 26/07/2017 16:08:51 2023982 Link 0 |
Ah right yes gotcha, completely agree
Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4247 - 26/07/2017 16:33:32 2024002 Link 0 |
I completely agree, it looks like they have brought forward a rubbish proposal to make certain it is rejected so they can then have a right whinge about out of touch elites. If they want to create real change they need to push for representation at county board level so club players have a say in local fixtures, not try to impose a one size fits all national calendar.
Soma (UK) - Posts: 2630 - 26/07/2017 16:46:30 2024014 Link 0 |
I agree - a poor effort. Just three diagrams and no accompanying text to explain the proposals is not very impressive. It's very hard to come to a judgement without the logic and details being fully described.
CeachtPeile (Cavan) - Posts: 104 - 26/07/2017 16:57:36 2024024 Link 0 |
They've updated the site. Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4247 - 26/07/2017 17:55:41 2024057 Link 0 |
I was reading this in the Irish News today and couldn't help but think what happens if fixtures get delayed as a result of the weather in the league. Not uncommon in this country. Say a team has three fixtures delayed due to the weather but still make the league final. Does the league final not get played because it's April? gotmilk (Fermanagh) - Posts: 4971 - 26/07/2017 21:39:58 2024168 Link 0 |
They've now put up some accompanying text for the proposals on the CPA website - see link It wouldn't inspire confidence - there are a number of inconsistencies and ambiguities. Just taking some examples from Plan Green: Hurling Provincial Competition * Terminology inconsistent regarding Provincial competition - is it League or Championship? * "Groups play each other Home and Away" It's unclear what that means. Do all teams play each other once or twice - are there games between teams in different groups? * "All teams guaranteed minimum of 4/5 games." It's not obvious how a team can play only four games as there are six teams in the smallest group (Munster). In fact, they list the minimum as five later on. * This only caters for 13 counties - what about the remainder? Hurling Championship * "Group's (sic) play each other Home or Away" - as above? * "Potential opening week 2 "triple headers" in neutral venue." But there would only be four games in a single round (two per five-team group) so how can you have triple headers? * "Bottom teams in Group enter relegation Play Off" How many? Are there relegation crossover games between the two groups? * There's reference to the Christy Ring cup but no mention of its format nor any mention of the other tiers and their championships. You'd have expected more from club players many of whom are likely to be from non-elite counties. Football Provincial Competition * Same confusion re home and away. * "All teams guaranteed minimum of 3-5 games." The smallest possible group is of size five (in Leinster) so this can't be correct. Football Championship * New York are included in this proposal but not in the Purple and Purple Plus proposals (by the way, what's the significance of these fancy names?!). Also note that New York are expected to travel for three games here! * Same confusion regarding the relegation play-offs as in hurling. Also they say one will be relegated and then a few lines later that it's "Two up, Two down each season." ! Advice for the CPA for any future documents - get yourselves a proof reader and double-check any proposals for consistency. CeachtPeile (Cavan) - Posts: 104 - 28/07/2017 00:07:13 2024709 Link 0 |
I'm sorry but this proposal just doesn't add up on so many levels. It's actually quite poor. Tadhgmacda (Limerick) - Posts: 99 - 28/07/2017 10:54:09 2024810 Link 0 |
I am sure most club players would disagree with that statement and would rather have there football/Hurling season wrapped up within 11 months rather than be constantly on the go for up to 20 months without a break!
BigJoe14 (Meath) - Posts: 937 - 28/07/2017 11:34:53 2024822 Link 0 |
As a club player I always felt the season should end at October. Provincial and All Ireland club at the start of the year. When you win the county you want to enjoy it, then you can look at trying to give an account of yourself at Provincial level. Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4247 - 28/07/2017 12:00:28 2024830 Link 0 |
The vast, vast majority of club players would be lucky to play in an All-Ireland semi-final or final once in their careers. Anybody ever involved would know that the excitement in a parish or town during December and January while waiting to play an All-Ireland semi-final is incredible, and a huge amount of fundraising is done in that period as everyone gets behind the club. I'd much rather that than expect lads to play a provincial final, All-Ireland semi and final in the space of 3-4 weeks. In that case you have lads inevitably playing the biggest games of their lives while carrying small injuries, tired or missing out entirely due to relatively minor injuries as they have no time to recover.
Soma (UK) - Posts: 2630 - 28/07/2017 12:08:36 2024835 Link 0 |
Very disappointing proposals. Makes little sense. I'd be far more in agreement of running of the Intercounty cships by mid July and then concentrating on club games. tiobraid (Tipperary) - Posts: 4119 - 28/07/2017 12:22:21 2024839 Link 0 |
The proposals are all over the place. Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4247 - 28/07/2017 18:06:27 2025062 Link 0 |