Meath Forum

Championship Semis Outside Tailteann.

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Is it just me why was there a second team competition on in pairc tailteann when 2 jnr semi finals of championship on in different grounds.there glorified league games really premier stuff.disrepectful in my book.

Borderroyal (Meath) - Posts: 496 - 26/09/2023 11:28:55    2505775

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Replying To Borderroyal:  "Is it just me why was there a second team competition on in pairc tailteann when 2 jnr semi finals of championship on in different grounds.there glorified league games really premier stuff.disrepectful in my book."
Your mindset is unbelievable

That "second team" game was a premier 1 final
Both of those teams could potentially win the junior A championship the games you are talking about are semi finals
What you have said I disrespectful in my book

Awaywin (Meath) - Posts: 116 - 26/09/2023 11:59:45    2505795

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Replying To Awaywin:  "Your mindset is unbelievable

That "second team" game was a premier 1 final
Both of those teams could potentially win the junior A championship the games you are talking about are semi finals
What you have said I disrespectful in my book"
Semi finals of main competition in the county not secondary stuff.

Borderroyal (Meath) - Posts: 496 - 26/09/2023 13:31:52    2505830

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Replying To Awaywin:  "Your mindset is unbelievable

That "second team" game was a premier 1 final
Both of those teams could potentially win the junior A championship the games you are talking about are semi finals
What you have said I disrespectful in my book"
I've played over the years in those type of comps and never in navan unless nothing else on

Borderroyal (Meath) - Posts: 496 - 26/09/2023 13:33:21    2505831

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Replying To Borderroyal:  "I've played over the years in those type of comps and never in navan unless nothing else on"
As a player, I'd much prefer play in a good atmosphere in a club ground with the crowd on top of you than in an empry Navan

Belt (Meath) - Posts: 272 - 26/09/2023 14:34:44    2505852

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Replying To Belt:  "As a player, I'd much prefer play in a good atmosphere in a club ground with the crowd on top of you than in an empry Navan"
My point is first team semi finals were in navan not secondary comps.they took preference over them.ur missing my point

Borderroyal (Meath) - Posts: 496 - 26/09/2023 16:50:17    2505876

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A perfect solution to this is to let 2nd teams back into the junior championship. Means second team football is no longer dead and premier wouldn't take up room in Pairc Tailteann. Everybody wins :)

LeitrimRoyal99 (Meath) - Posts: 1523 - 26/09/2023 22:55:34    2505913

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Replying To Borderroyal:  "I've played over the years in those type of comps and never in navan unless nothing else on"
Interesting, seeing as up until about 3 years ago these secondary competitions didn't exist, all second teams were in the the junior and intermediate championships!!

ratlag (Meath) - Posts: 582 - 27/09/2023 08:25:21    2505926

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Replying To ratlag:  "Interesting, seeing as up until about 3 years ago these secondary competitions didn't exist, all second teams were in the the junior and intermediate championships!!"
Yea premier in effect at least 4 years at this stage- and have to say still think its a bad idea. I do think better teams in Premier 1 would win a Junior most years.

Jimmycricket (Meath) - Posts: 113 - 27/09/2023 14:04:26    2506002

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Replying To Jimmycricket:  "Yea premier in effect at least 4 years at this stage- and have to say still think its a bad idea. I do think better teams in Premier 1 would win a Junior most years."
Fully agree, and it removes this dismissive and frankly insulting attitude towards lads on second teams who put in just as much effort and have every right to get to play in Pairc Tailtin on a final of the championship. The Premier competitions have been a disaster but the problem is that a lot of Junior clubs don't want them in the competition for the simple reason that they won't be able to win it as easy

ratlag (Meath) - Posts: 582 - 27/09/2023 14:20:27    2506005

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Replying To ratlag:  "Fully agree, and it removes this dismissive and frankly insulting attitude towards lads on second teams who put in just as much effort and have every right to get to play in Pairc Tailtin on a final of the championship. The Premier competitions have been a disaster but the problem is that a lot of Junior clubs don't want them in the competition for the simple reason that they won't be able to win it as easy"
This is so true and is holding back the development of many players and in turn lowering the standard in the county
It is small minded by the junior clubs and I challenged anyone on here to give me a good argument as to why it's a good idea
Competition is a good thing !!!!

Awaywin (Meath) - Posts: 116 - 27/09/2023 15:19:45    2506014

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Replying To ratlag:  "Interesting, seeing as up until about 3 years ago these secondary competitions didn't exist, all second teams were in the the junior and intermediate championships!!"
Type of comps horse you know what I mean.there a disaster but somehow are jnr clubs fault?

Borderroyal (Meath) - Posts: 496 - 27/09/2023 22:35:51    2506053

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The arguement about second teams in first team championships has long been discussed and debated. The reason they are no longer there is because of walkovers and the issue of fielding strong teams in the early rounds of championships and then weak teams at the end. It was a constant problem that affected the integrity of the competitions to such a level that in the final years of it all second teams were put in the same group together in the JFC.
Dunboyne won last year's JHC and then gave a walkover in the first round of this year's IHC.
As for taking part in first team competitions, you only have to look at this year's league to see how second teams don't work. Ratoath won the Premier 1 at the weekend and the same team took part in Division 2B of the league with first teams. Ratoath gave walkovers in the league which totally messed up the division having already beaten other teams in contention for promotion.
As for getting a day out in the sun at Pairc Tailteann, the junior C and junior D finals were always in Navan, so why wouldn't these be likewise. Finals should always be there, semi-finals not so much.

Roger (Meath) - Posts: 478 - 28/09/2023 08:47:34    2506058

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Replying To Borderroyal:  "Type of comps horse you know what I mean.there a disaster but somehow are jnr clubs fault?"
I clearly don't know what you mean, there was never any 'Type of comps' like this before 4 years ago, second teams played in the Intermediate, Junior A, B and C championships so there was never a chance for a 2nd team comp to be played ahead of a junior game in Navan. And it was most of these Junior clubs that lobbied to have them removed and put into a separate competition so thats why its 'somehow jnr clubs fault'

ratlag (Meath) - Posts: 582 - 28/09/2023 09:19:55    2506064

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Replying To Roger:  "The arguement about second teams in first team championships has long been discussed and debated. The reason they are no longer there is because of walkovers and the issue of fielding strong teams in the early rounds of championships and then weak teams at the end. It was a constant problem that affected the integrity of the competitions to such a level that in the final years of it all second teams were put in the same group together in the JFC.
Dunboyne won last year's JHC and then gave a walkover in the first round of this year's IHC.
As for taking part in first team competitions, you only have to look at this year's league to see how second teams don't work. Ratoath won the Premier 1 at the weekend and the same team took part in Division 2B of the league with first teams. Ratoath gave walkovers in the league which totally messed up the division having already beaten other teams in contention for promotion.
As for getting a day out in the sun at Pairc Tailteann, the junior C and junior D finals were always in Navan, so why wouldn't these be likewise. Finals should always be there, semi-finals not so much."
I see your point, but giving a walkover in a league game (happened once with Ratoath) simply can't be compared to a championship game. Between County, college, injuries and holidays over half of the second team squad for Ratoath played in the league for the first team. Having all second teams in the one group in my opinion solved the issue of fielding stringer teams at the start and then weaker by the knockout stages. Ashbourne and Dunboyne both won the Junior football and managed to stay afloat in the Intermediate grade.

ratlag (Meath) - Posts: 582 - 28/09/2023 09:23:54    2506065

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Replying To Roger:  "The arguement about second teams in first team championships has long been discussed and debated. The reason they are no longer there is because of walkovers and the issue of fielding strong teams in the early rounds of championships and then weak teams at the end. It was a constant problem that affected the integrity of the competitions to such a level that in the final years of it all second teams were put in the same group together in the JFC.
Dunboyne won last year's JHC and then gave a walkover in the first round of this year's IHC.
As for taking part in first team competitions, you only have to look at this year's league to see how second teams don't work. Ratoath won the Premier 1 at the weekend and the same team took part in Division 2B of the league with first teams. Ratoath gave walkovers in the league which totally messed up the division having already beaten other teams in contention for promotion.
As for getting a day out in the sun at Pairc Tailteann, the junior C and junior D finals were always in Navan, so why wouldn't these be likewise. Finals should always be there, semi-finals not so much."
You are wrong.

There were very few if any walkovers in the junior football championship while the 2nd teams were in it. This has absolutely nothing to do with them not being in it anymore. Nor has them fielding strong teams at the start and weak teams at the end because as you rightly pointed all the 2nd teams were grouped together in the last few years in JC which made sense and alleviated the issue of one junior first team playing a strong 2nd team in round 1 and 1 junior first team playing a weak 2nd team in round 4 or 5.

Also to use the 2nd teams participation in the A leagues as an example of how having 2nd teams in first team comps isn't working because they are giving walkovers is totally disingenuous. Why did they give walkovers ? Because the CB fixed league games for clubs first teams and 2nd teams on the same night at the same time . When the restructuring was happening clubs were assured that wouldn't happen. To my knowledge anytime the games were fixed on different days there were no walkovers given.

There are a couple of reasons the 2nd teams were removed from the first team championships and neither of them are because it was for the greater good of Meath football.

1. The decision makers and people in power wanted to restructure the championships particularly the senior championship and Intermediate championships . To do this they needed the votes of the Junior clubs and Intermediate clubs who had been junior or were hovering around the bottom of intermediate . To secure their votes they needed to offer them an incentive . The incentive was the removal of all 2nd teams from first team championships .

2. Clubs voted for the restructuring because it would give their club a better chance of winning the Junior Championship with the removal of strong 2nd teams like Dunboyne Ashbourne Cilles Ratoath Dunshaughlin etc . Nothing to do with anything else only looking after their own patch. This is a fact that plenty of people in junior clubs that I know have confirmed to me.

What we are left with is a Premier comp which has never worked and is pretty much dead already and only a few years in and a junior A championship which is easier to win than a few years back when there was 3 or 4 strong 2nd teams in.

A less competitive Junior A championship is no good for Meath football and only good for the teams who might struggle if there was stronger teams in it.

In fact in this years Junior A final we have a team who didn't even have to win Junior B to get out of it. They were promoted by the stroke of a pen. Great club who have put in serious work underage in the past decade or so and I have no doubt they would have got where they want to go anyway but it is still a fact that they were a Junior B club who didn't have to win Junior B to get out of it.

The current format at Junior level and below is not good for Meath football.

Blackspot09 (Meath) - Posts: 1003 - 28/09/2023 09:55:42    2506073

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Replying To ratlag:  "I see your point, but giving a walkover in a league game (happened once with Ratoath) simply can't be compared to a championship game. Between County, college, injuries and holidays over half of the second team squad for Ratoath played in the league for the first team. Having all second teams in the one group in my opinion solved the issue of fielding stringer teams at the start and then weaker by the knockout stages. Ashbourne and Dunboyne both won the Junior football and managed to stay afloat in the Intermediate grade."
Exactly. Clubs were assured at the time of restructuring that first and second team league fixtures would not be put on the same day and the same time ever which turned out not to be the case.

Blackspot09 (Meath) - Posts: 1003 - 28/09/2023 10:03:52    2506075

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Replying To ratlag:  "I see your point, but giving a walkover in a league game (happened once with Ratoath) simply can't be compared to a championship game. Between County, college, injuries and holidays over half of the second team squad for Ratoath played in the league for the first team. Having all second teams in the one group in my opinion solved the issue of fielding stringer teams at the start and then weaker by the knockout stages. Ashbourne and Dunboyne both won the Junior football and managed to stay afloat in the Intermediate grade."
Without doubt putting all second teams in the same group was the answer to fielding strong teams in early rounds so that argument is mute
So what is the reason now not to have them compete in junior competitions
Maybe because they may win a them???

Awaywin (Meath) - Posts: 116 - 28/09/2023 10:33:10    2506080

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Replying To Blackspot09:  "You are wrong.

There were very few if any walkovers in the junior football championship while the 2nd teams were in it. This has absolutely nothing to do with them not being in it anymore. Nor has them fielding strong teams at the start and weak teams at the end because as you rightly pointed all the 2nd teams were grouped together in the last few years in JC which made sense and alleviated the issue of one junior first team playing a strong 2nd team in round 1 and 1 junior first team playing a weak 2nd team in round 4 or 5.

Also to use the 2nd teams participation in the A leagues as an example of how having 2nd teams in first team comps isn't working because they are giving walkovers is totally disingenuous. Why did they give walkovers ? Because the CB fixed league games for clubs first teams and 2nd teams on the same night at the same time . When the restructuring was happening clubs were assured that wouldn't happen. To my knowledge anytime the games were fixed on different days there were no walkovers given.

There are a couple of reasons the 2nd teams were removed from the first team championships and neither of them are because it was for the greater good of Meath football.

1. The decision makers and people in power wanted to restructure the championships particularly the senior championship and Intermediate championships . To do this they needed the votes of the Junior clubs and Intermediate clubs who had been junior or were hovering around the bottom of intermediate . To secure their votes they needed to offer them an incentive . The incentive was the removal of all 2nd teams from first team championships .

2. Clubs voted for the restructuring because it would give their club a better chance of winning the Junior Championship with the removal of strong 2nd teams like Dunboyne Ashbourne Cilles Ratoath Dunshaughlin etc . Nothing to do with anything else only looking after their own patch. This is a fact that plenty of people in junior clubs that I know have confirmed to me.

What we are left with is a Premier comp which has never worked and is pretty much dead already and only a few years in and a junior A championship which is easier to win than a few years back when there was 3 or 4 strong 2nd teams in.

A less competitive Junior A championship is no good for Meath football and only good for the teams who might struggle if there was stronger teams in it.

In fact in this years Junior A final we have a team who didn't even have to win Junior B to get out of it. They were promoted by the stroke of a pen. Great club who have put in serious work underage in the past decade or so and I have no doubt they would have got where they want to go anyway but it is still a fact that they were a Junior B club who didn't have to win Junior B to get out of it.

The current format at Junior level and below is not good for Meath football."
There were lots of walkovers in the A team championships with second teams over the years, that you just try to ignore that fact does little for your argument. There were even walkovers when they were all put together in the same group.
There were eight walkovers in the A leagues this year from second teams not fulfilling fixtures which totally messed up some of the divisions. The idea that super commuter clubs like Ratoath or Dunboyne can't come up with 35 or 40 adult players because A league games are the same night is disingenuous. The reason they don't field is because football is win at all costs and they don't bother playing if they think it is a weak team that will go out.
There were four walkovers alone in the IHC this year from second teams.
The idea that was floated to allow second team remain the A championships was that clubs treat them as two separate squads, there could be no crossover of players moving from second team to the first team, thus maintaining the integrity of the championships. The clubs involved said this was not a runner and thus we have a Premier championship.
We will never see second teams back in the A championship under the new four tier system - JFC B, JFC, IFC and SFC.

Roger (Meath) - Posts: 478 - 29/09/2023 08:55:06    2506184

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Replying To Roger:  "There were lots of walkovers in the A team championships with second teams over the years, that you just try to ignore that fact does little for your argument. There were even walkovers when they were all put together in the same group.
There were eight walkovers in the A leagues this year from second teams not fulfilling fixtures which totally messed up some of the divisions. The idea that super commuter clubs like Ratoath or Dunboyne can't come up with 35 or 40 adult players because A league games are the same night is disingenuous. The reason they don't field is because football is win at all costs and they don't bother playing if they think it is a weak team that will go out.
There were four walkovers alone in the IHC this year from second teams.
The idea that was floated to allow second team remain the A championships was that clubs treat them as two separate squads, there could be no crossover of players moving from second team to the first team, thus maintaining the integrity of the championships. The clubs involved said this was not a runner and thus we have a Premier championship.
We will never see second teams back in the A championship under the new four tier system - JFC B, JFC, IFC and SFC."
There was 8 walkovers given this year in A leagues by 2nd teams and if the county board had stuck to the original plan of not fixing 2 teams on the same night there would have been maybe 1 or 2 at best.

If you think it's that easy and black and white for a club to get 35/40 footballers out on the same night every single fixture without fail then you are incredibly naive . Injuries suspension illness work commitments college holidays etc all come into play with the big clubs exactly the same way they do with the small clubs.

"The idea that was floated to allow second team remain the A championships was that clubs treat them as two separate squads, there could be no crossover of players moving from second team to the first team, thus maintaining the integrity of the championships. The clubs involved said this was not a runner and thus we have a Premier championship"

A complete fabrication.

This idea was never floated and clubs were never offered that as an option. (It wouldn't work anyway) It was a simple yes vote for the restructuring or a no vote for the restructuring .

Before they changed the format I remember very few walkovers given in junior a championship. I'm sure there was some over the years but it's easy to just throw out a statement like there were lots over the years .

I agree we will never see the second teams back in the Championships. The damage has been done and it has gone too far now. Instead we are stuck with meaningless premier championships that very few care about and Junior B and A championships that are easier won for the small clubs. Mission accomplished for the mediocre junior clubs who want a a better chance of getting up to intermediate .

Blackspot09 (Meath) - Posts: 1003 - 29/09/2023 09:32:18    2506197

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