Out with the old, in with the new

The importance placed on competitions, the format and the timing of same, within the GAA was highlighted on Monday night in the West County Hotel when there was a huge gathering of Clare club representatives to discuss the recently completed review of the 2011 competitions and structures in the county.
Unlike the annual convention of Clare GAA back in December, when there were many vacant seats, there was a near full attendance on this occasion, leading to a lively debate on the recommendations from the seven-person committee, which had met with representatives of the clubs across the county in recent weeks.
From the outset, there was broad support for the report and this followed through when a vote was taken after two hours of debate. A two-thirds majority was required and this was comfortably secured with 51 voting in favour of the report and 14 opposing the recommendations.
Opening the debate, committee chairman Pádraig Boland explained that what was presented reflected the views put to them at their meetings with the clubs. He also pointed out that they had met with both senior county managers and with the fixtures committee.
“The biggest problem is inter-county fixtures and the uncertainty with regard to the qualifiers,” he told the big attendance before adding that the committee believe the plan is workable.
There was a broad welcome for the proposed changes to the championship formats, with most opposition for the proposals in relation to regrading, while concern was expressed by a number of speakers at the suggested timing for the U-21 football championship.
Clondegad delegate Seamus O’Reilly told the meeting his club was opposed to the change in the format proposed for the senior competition. “There is nothing wrong with the system that is there at present. The problem is with the programme,” he said before stressing his club was also strongly opposed to the proposal that clubs should play two league games without their county players.
“We are delighted to have three players on the senior panel but if the reward for that is to lose them for two league games, it is wrong,” he said.
Welcoming the proposed changes, Cooraclare’s PJ McGuane raised questions with regard to what he termed “the trimmings” and the proposed inclusion of divisional or group teams. “In my time involved, I can only remember about four divisional teams and some of them only lasted one year. We are pre-supposing that there will be a plethora of amalgamations. There is nothing to prevent clubs from amalgamating to participate in the senior championship,” said the former Munster Council delegate before raising a question about what will happen if there are draws.
“If you have eight games and there is a draw, it will throw the calendar out of gear,” he said before adding “it should be possible to complete the leagues with or without county players before the championship”.
Ballyea’s Sean McNamara voiced his club’s opposition to the new championship format proposed for senior hurling. “It’s too extreme to have eight teams relegated in one year and that is what is happening here and for a club like Ballyea, with a young team, it is a step backwards. We have been in a very hard group in the past two years and we will probably be one of the eight teams picked to go down to senior B. Clubs should know what they are playing for at the beginning of the year and this shouldn’t be imposed on them,” he said.
Welcoming the proposed new format for the senior hurling championship, Newmarket’s Mike Clancy said, “The knockout system with a backdoor is every hurler’s dream,” before stating his club will want their county players for all games in the league as this is when you prepare your team for the championship. “The Clare Champion Cup is a good competition with good sponsorship and it deserves to have the strongest team playing,” he said.
Kilmaley’s Niall Romer also argued that players must be available to play with their clubs in the league.
Paul Gannon from Inagh-Kilnamona noted, “It would not be ideal if players were part of a county panel and didn’t play with the county or the club. Where there is a county panel of 30 or over, surely it should be possible to release those not needed by the county to play with the club?” he asked.
Doonbeg’s Michael Neenan wondered why the report was proposing just one semi-final in the leagues. “Having two semi-finals has served us quite well,” he said.
Welcoming the report, Tubber’s Michael Lee argued there must be a move to have two weekends allocated exclusively to club competition during the summer season.
Lissycasey’s Eamonn Finnucane welcomed the proposal for the senior football championship format but voiced concern about the timing for the U-21 championship and asked if it could be started at an earlier date.
Kildysart’s John Meade also wanted the U-21 championship at an earlier time and he suggested junior and intermediate clubs would have difficulty agreeing to starting their championships before the senior competition got underway.
O’Curry’s chairman Michael Curtin, who proposed the setting up of this review back in November, described the report as an excellent document. “The feedback is excellent. We all have to think outside the box and this document should be accepted for a trial period of two years.”
On the question of amalgamations, he said, “Meaningful amalgamation is the only way forward for a lot of clubs and they deserve their chance.”
Naomh Eoin delegate Gabriel Keating told the meeting “change is good” before reminding all “we had something similar to this when we were in the football board”.
“It’s a fine document and it will put a bit of bite into the senior championship,” Michael McGann from Michael Cusack’s told the meeting before stressing “regrading must be kept to three to protect the junior club”.
“It’s a good report and while it won’t please everybody, it’s a step forward,” O’Callaghan’s Mills delegate Noel O’Driscoll told the meeting before adding his club would favour having five players regraded. “We could talk all night about this. We should go with the report,” he said.
Munster Council delegate Tom Downes also praised the report but wondered about playing the opening rounds of the junior and intermediate championships before starting the senior competition.
Supporting the proposal, Pat Frawley, St Joseph’s, told the gathering, “We had four or five on the county team in the past and we played all our league matches without them and we didn’t do too bad,” before adding “September is the right time for the U-21 football.”
Ennistymon’s Noel Crowe also supported the report. “One of the objectives was to get past the 10-week gap in the championship, while the new format for the senior championship means a team has to have two wins to get to the quarter-finals, which wasn’t the case and that was an imbalance in the old system.”
Clooney-Quin’s PJ Cunningham also supported the recommendations but favoured having five players re-graded.
Miltown’s Noel Walsh supported the new championship format noting that his club had proposed this format in a motion to convention. He said divisional teams should be allowed take part.
He asked what would happen if there were drawn games and added, “Inter-county players should play every match with their clubs. Clubs need them more than ever now.”
Tulla’s Declan Hogan also supported the proposals but he too favoured being allowed to regrade five players. A similar view was put forward by Clonlara’s Michael Hogan.
Doonbeg’s Michael Neenan wondered if the recommendations would be voted on individually. No one here is 100% happy,” he said.
Noel Walsh asked about the recommendation to put a time limit of five years on the term to be served by county board delegates, at which stage county secretary Pat Fitzgerald stated, “Only the aspects dealing with competition structures will be voted on here.”
Noting that his club didn’t have time to have a full meeting as they only received the report on the previous Thursday, Crusheen’s Michael Browne said that in the current senior championship system, players are guaranteed five games and this is now being reduced to three.
He pointed out that since 2007 “there have been four different winners of the senior championship. The championship has developed a lot of players”. On the question of players being available to their clubs, he said he could not see why a county has to have a panel of 30 to 32 players when they can only name 24. I am personally aware of two that have left a county panel because of this. County panels don’t have to be as big and this would make more players available to the clubs,” he said.
The meeting voted and board chairman Michael O’Neill then directed the committee, which presented the report, to go back and draw up the master fixtures plan, providing dates for the different competitions.
It is expected the result of their deliberations on this will be available at next Tuesday’s county board meeting.

Main changes in brief

l Senior football championship changes to a knockout open draw competition with 16 teams, with first-round losers getting a second chance. Competition not to start prior to July 1.
l U-21 football championship to start at the end of September/early October.
l In football leagues, the first-placed team qualifies for the final with the second and third-placed teams meeting in a semi-final, with the second-placed team having home advantage. Both finalists to be promoted.
l Senior Hurling Championship to revert to a senior A and senior B format for next two years before moving to a knockout championship in 2014 with a backdoor system.
l There is to be a reduction in the number of senior teams from 20 to 16 at the end of 2013.
l Provision to be made for the inclusion of group teams (amalgamations) in both senior championships.
l A reduction in the number of players to be re-graded from five to four in 2012 and from four to three in 2013 and subsequent years.
l Only teams in Division 1A and 1B will be eligible to win The Clare Champion Cup as teams in the old Division 1B will now be in Division 2. The top two teams in 1A and 1B will qualify for the semi-finals of The Clare Champion Cup.
l Clubs will be requested to play a minimum of two league games without their inter-county players.
l Quarter-finals to be introduced to the junior B hurling championship.
l Dividing hurling teams to A and B grades. Results for the past three years are to be used to divide senior hurling teams into the A and B championship for 2012. Based on those results, the B competition will include O’Callaghan’s Mills, Smith O’Brien’s, Scariff, Tubber, Wolfe Tones, Ballyea, Whitegate and Éire Óg. This leaves Crusheen, Sixmilebridge, Clonlara, Cratloe, Newmarket, Kilmaley, Inagh-Kilnamona, Clooney-Quin, Tulla, Broadford, Clarecastle and St Joseph’s in the A competition.