National Forum

How To Level The Playing Field

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On the back of Leitrim failing to fulfil a fixture today - whatever the real reason is - surely it is time to try and work out a way to allow counties with smaller populations to claim players from the more populous counties. Demographics are only going one way and amalgamated counties doesn't sit well with anyone.

There are obviously financial options to make it easier for counties to get the best our of their playing resources, but sometimes the populations are too small (not looking at Monaghan here) to produce and maintain a competitive squad.

Maybe a solution is to ask managers to select an extended senior squad at the start of the league, say 40 players.
Those 40 players are then the senior squad for that county for the entire season and can not play for any other county team.

For a team who have a smaller pool of players or who are weak in a particular area, they can now go and check out every other player in the country and ask them to join their training panel. If a player decides to accept the offer, they commit to that county team for the season.

Paudie Clifford didn't play senior for Kerry until he was 22 or 23, so maybe he could have gotten Kildare, Monaghan or even Mayo over the line if he had used his 1 year switch.

kingdom_come (Kerry) - Posts: 83 - 16/03/2025 14:11:17    2596710

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An interesting idea. But an immediate probable flaw -

Number 41, 42, etc. in somewhere like Dublin or Kerry is unlikely to commit to another county unless they're fairly well assured of regular playing time.

Let's say a county like Waterford (picking them as they're bottom of Div. 4) pick up two players from Dublin and one from Kerry. Now you could end up with a situation where three genuine Waterford footballers who are willing to commit to the county cause would have to sit things out for the sake of a few outsiders.

There's already a sort of parentage rule that designated "weaker" counties can avail of in hurling. Perhaps might be better to explore something like that for football too.

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 2777 - 16/03/2025 18:23:38    2596766

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Dublin will soon see its population cross two million. It simply isn't a county in the sense of what the gaa began as. A relatively simple, and possibly popular solution would be to leave Dublin as it currently is but allow some of the huge clubs in the Dublin championship compete at inter County level. They could be discounted from the pool the county team can pick from. The likes of Ballyboden, etc, have the resources to manage this. I know this idea is radical but it is also a return to the way things were at the start. The idea of Dublin competing in the same competition as say Longford or Leitrim I'd frankly ridiculous. The argument about how lots of people in Dublin don't play gaa I'd irrelevant. There are soccer and rugby clubs in every county in Ireland, not just Dublin.

KingdomofBreifne (Cavan) - Posts: 167 - 16/03/2025 19:00:22    2596779

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Leitrim has a population comparable to Navan and are running 23 clubs from it.

Fermanagh have a smaller playing population than us due to so many from a Protestant background.

Longford have less clubs than us.

What these counties are doing is staggering in the face of low populations

I would hate to see the idea suggested here where Leitrim would select players not deemed good enough for other counties and who have no ties to Leitrim coming to play for us. It would demotivate the genuine club players who want to play for us. I would have no love or respect for that team if it happened.

leitrim4sam (Leitrim) - Posts: 689 - 16/03/2025 21:43:08    2596810

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Replying To KingdomofBreifne:  "Dublin will soon see its population cross two million. It simply isn't a county in the sense of what the gaa began as. A relatively simple, and possibly popular solution would be to leave Dublin as it currently is but allow some of the huge clubs in the Dublin championship compete at inter County level. They could be discounted from the pool the county team can pick from. The likes of Ballyboden, etc, have the resources to manage this. I know this idea is radical but it is also a return to the way things were at the start. The idea of Dublin competing in the same competition as say Longford or Leitrim I'd frankly ridiculous. The argument about how lots of people in Dublin don't play gaa I'd irrelevant. There are soccer and rugby clubs in every county in Ireland, not just Dublin."
The thing about Dublin is that it's no longer a county in the original administrative sense either. It's got three County Councils (Fingal, South Dublin, and Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown), and a City Council too.

For all the talk a few years ago of "split the Dubs in two", I say we should actually split them in four! ;)

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 2777 - 16/03/2025 22:03:52    2596815

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Replying To Pikeman96:  "The thing about Dublin is that it's no longer a county in the original administrative sense either. It's got three County Councils (Fingal, South Dublin, and Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown), and a City Council too.

For all the talk a few years ago of "split the Dubs in two", I say we should actually split them in four! ;)"
Split four ridiculous talk not their fault others behind and geographic regions it would devalued winning all ireland dubs split in four should u split kerry etc in l two

Gaaforlife2023 (Longford) - Posts: 656 - 16/03/2025 23:30:40    2596824

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Replying To leitrim4sam:  "Leitrim has a population comparable to Navan and are running 23 clubs from it.

Fermanagh have a smaller playing population than us due to so many from a Protestant background.

Longford have less clubs than us.

What these counties are doing is staggering in the face of low populations

I would hate to see the idea suggested here where Leitrim would select players not deemed good enough for other counties and who have no ties to Leitrim coming to play for us. It would demotivate the genuine club players who want to play for us. I would have no love or respect for that team if it happened."
I totally get it. I'm from Kerry and I remember being highly insulted when it was suggested that Vinny Murphy transfer to help us out during the early 90s.

But at the same time, I can see parishes in Kerry that were once able to easily field a team are now struggling. Clubs are being amalgamated all over the place - even the town of Dingle had to join up with Annascaul and Lispole to field a minor team a couple of years ago due to falling numbers in the town catchment area.

Like a lot of things, it may be unpalatable at first, but it might also be hard to avoid in the long run.

kingdom_come (Kerry) - Posts: 83 - 16/03/2025 23:33:18    2596826

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Replying To Pikeman96:  "The thing about Dublin is that it's no longer a county in the original administrative sense either. It's got three County Councils (Fingal, South Dublin, and Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown), and a City Council too.

For all the talk a few years ago of "split the Dubs in two", I say we should actually split them in four! ;)"
Maybe break the whole country into equally sized population units and give each a team? Bit of GAA--rrymandering.

Dublin is a problem for the GAA. That exceptional team they had has ruined Leinster, and even after that team has split up, the next crop of players are starting to step up. Fair enough, Meath and Kildare dropped the ball big time in not putting the right infrastructure in place to try and keep up, but Dublin's weight of numbers make it almost impossible to compete in the long term.

kingdom_come (Kerry) - Posts: 83 - 16/03/2025 23:38:02    2596828

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Replying To leitrim4sam:  "Leitrim has a population comparable to Navan and are running 23 clubs from it.

Fermanagh have a smaller playing population than us due to so many from a Protestant background.

Longford have less clubs than us.

What these counties are doing is staggering in the face of low populations

I would hate to see the idea suggested here where Leitrim would select players not deemed good enough for other counties and who have no ties to Leitrim coming to play for us. It would demotivate the genuine club players who want to play for us. I would have no love or respect for that team if it happened."
It may be staggering but it's no longer good enough to compete. It may be time to put something in place on a more formal basis. The whole parent rule hasn't really worked for Leitrim, the couple of lads that played under Moran didn't make the first 15 on a regular basis. Anyhow, bigger issues are coming down the line for Leitrim with population / club demographics. Some clubs may not make it. There has to be a conversation held soon because the future of the GAA in the county depends on it.

Square_B (Leitrim) - Posts: 1226 - 17/03/2025 08:31:33    2596850

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Something like this already is there.

In recent years Clare in particular has used it. Pat Spillane son is the same with Sligo.

If a very good club player from Kerry, Cork etc is able and committed to playing with another county then why not. There would have to be a limit on now many players a team could have however.

oneoff (UK) - Posts: 1541 - 17/03/2025 09:14:16    2596856

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Replying To leitrim4sam:  "Leitrim has a population comparable to Navan and are running 23 clubs from it.

Fermanagh have a smaller playing population than us due to so many from a Protestant background.

Longford have less clubs than us.

What these counties are doing is staggering in the face of low populations

I would hate to see the idea suggested here where Leitrim would select players not deemed good enough for other counties and who have no ties to Leitrim coming to play for us. It would demotivate the genuine club players who want to play for us. I would have no love or respect for that team if it happened."
Would you have much time for a tie up with Sligo say in football, where your club competitions and county teams are joined up.

I wouldn't be totally against that for Antrim with Down or something.

It'd be a big decision for any counties to merge like that but at least if that were the arrangement then players would still have a natural allegiance to the team that they are representing.

Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4431 - 18/03/2025 11:00:22    2596995

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Replying To Whammo86:  "Would you have much time for a tie up with Sligo say in football, where your club competitions and county teams are joined up.

I wouldn't be totally against that for Antrim with Down or something.

It'd be a big decision for any counties to merge like that but at least if that were the arrangement then players would still have a natural allegiance to the team that they are representing."
I think you are coming around....
weren't you totally against this alien concept (contraption)?

omahant (USA) - Posts: 3148 - 18/03/2025 17:59:24    2597125

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Replying To kingdom_come:  "
Replying To Pikeman96:  "The thing about Dublin is that it's no longer a county in the original administrative sense either. It's got three County Councils (Fingal, South Dublin, and Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown), and a City Council too.

For all the talk a few years ago of "split the Dubs in two", I say we should actually split them in four! ;)"
Maybe break the whole country into equally sized population units and give each a team? Bit of GAA--rrymandering.

Dublin is a problem for the GAA. That exceptional team they had has ruined Leinster, and even after that team has split up, the next crop of players are starting to step up. Fair enough, Meath and Kildare dropped the ball big time in not putting the right infrastructure in place to try and keep up, but Dublin's weight of numbers make it almost impossible to compete in the long term."
I do like equal 'playing' population units - a bit like Dáil constituencies. You'd have quite a few Dublin teams, like in the League of Ireland.

omahant (USA) - Posts: 3148 - 18/03/2025 18:05:36    2597127

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Replying To omahant:  "I think you are coming around....
weren't you totally against this alien concept (contraption)?"
I don't remember that really. Maybe. I think it would be something that shouldn't be enforced, it'd have to be by the consent of the units to merge but I could see how it may be necessary.

Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4431 - 18/03/2025 19:07:38    2597133

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Replying To Whammo86:  "I don't remember that really. Maybe. I think it would be something that shouldn't be enforced, it'd have to be by the consent of the units to merge but I could see how it may be necessary."
Yeah, I agree with "not forced" - some traditional counties, i.e. Kerry, might want to stay intact as one.

Imagine carving up Ireland into say, 12 competitive teams covering all 32 counties.
Every fan could get behind its own team,knowing it has a reasonable expectation of at least being competitive.

All dream world, of course.

omahant (USA) - Posts: 3148 - 18/03/2025 20:49:51    2597149

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Are the Leitrim hurlers fulfilling fixtures? Anything to be learned from the hurling tiered structure?

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 8618 - 19/03/2025 07:53:44    2597184

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Replying To legendzxix:  "Are the Leitrim hurlers fulfilling fixtures? Anything to be learned from the hurling tiered structure?"
The NFL is a tiered structure though....

CastleBravo (Meath) - Posts: 1674 - 19/03/2025 11:37:29    2597224

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Replying To CastleBravo:  "The NFL is a tiered structure though...."
Absolutely. Thinking ahead to championship though and counties complaining about one sided games in the provincial championships.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 8618 - 19/03/2025 12:06:55    2597233

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Replying To legendzxix:  "Are the Leitrim hurlers fulfilling fixtures? Anything to be learned from the hurling tiered structure?"
Is your point that 5 or 6 divisions might be better - playing teams closer to own level?

omahant (USA) - Posts: 3148 - 19/03/2025 12:34:08    2597247

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Replying To omahant:  "Is your point that 5 or 6 divisions might be better - playing teams closer to own level?"
Leitrim earned a good promotion from Division 4 last year. I'm more curious on expectations for championship where county boards want the one sided nature of provincial championship matches to be addressed. At the same time there was little support for Tier 3 championship. Little interest in addressing lopsided provincial draws also. There is no clear picture! Maybe that's their intention?!

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 8618 - 19/03/2025 12:50:51    2597251

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