Underage football forum for future plans

There was strong support for a motion from Shannon Gaels calling on Bord na nÓg football to hold a forum involving all stakeholders in underage football in the county.
“This forum would involve participation of county minor and senior board, representatives of all clubs, games development officers, coaches of development groups and any other group deemed necessary. An independent facilitator would chair this meeting and a blueprint for the underage structure for a five-year period would evolve from this process,” the motion stated.
Proposing the motion, Shannon Gaels secretary David O’Connell said, “For far too long it’s been a case of taking each year as it comes and the successful completion of the games programme is deemed a success. We have to look at the bigger picture. We must plan for the next five years and longer.”
Chairman Billy Archbold asked the proposer if he thought it was possible to have this work done in a short time and asked him to consider a longer timeframe to complete the work. Cratloe’s Flan O’Reilly said, “It’s an excellent idea but there isn’t a hope of having this work done in two or three weeks.”
Supporting the proposal, Wolfe Tones’ delegate Mike Riordan said, “It is up to the board to grasp this proposal. It has been brought to the correct forum.”
Newly elected treasurer Joe Kelly said, “This is a excellent motion but it’s going to take time to do it properly.” It was a view supported by the new PRO, Anne Hayes.
Having heard the debate, David O’Connell agreed to amend the proposal so that the work of the committee would be complete before structures for 2012 are put in place. Originally, Shannon Gaels had asked that the work be done before the 2011 programme was drawn up. Newly elected vice-chairman John Smith proposed Doonbeg’s Pat Cotter as chairman of the committee. “This is something he is very interested in,” said Smith.
Paying tribute to all at the end of the meeting, county board chairman Michael O’Neill spoke strongly in support of the Shannon Gaels’ motion. “This motion is crucial for the betterment of Clare football and it’s a pity that it didn’t go to the county convention. The sooner it is implemented, the better,” he said.

Decision deferred

Motions from St Senan’s Kilkee, Shannon Gaels and Kildysart asking that teams be allowed to field in lower divisions and amalgamate to play in a higher grade were deferred until after the January meeting of Clare County Board when a decision will be taken on a proposal to amend bylaws dealing with eligibility for assistance and isolated players. A proposal from Doonbeg to make Division 2 a competition for 13-a-side teams “to enable clubs that are struggling with numbers to compete” was lost as it failed to find a seconder.
A motion from Lissycasey calling for the abolition of the one hop, one solo rule from underage football, was defeated on a vote. Proposing the motion, Eamonn Finnucane said, “As there is no competition for U-12s and as this rule does not apply to Féile competition, it serves no purpose for U-14 football. It does not apply at schools level and it has done nothing to improve football at minor level over the past decade. Kilrush delegate Pat Kelly supported the motion.
Cratloe’s Flan O’Reilly said, “The only reason the rule was introduced was to stop the individual player from dominating a game and it should be retained.”
A motion from Lissycasey asking that U-16 football revert to a spring league, with the championship being played during the summer months, was deferred to the structures committee. Eamonn Finnucane explained that this would give more games to players during the summer months.
The proposal was strongly supported by outgoing treasurer Joey O’Connell, Kilrush. “The area where we lose the most amount of young players is between 15 years and minor,” he told the gathering.

Big challenge

The biggest challenge facing Clare underage football is to hold the players we have, county board treasurer Bernard Keane told the adjourned convention of Bord na nÓg on Tuesday night.
“We are not particularly happy where we are at the moment. There is a lot of work being done in the area of coaching. We need to move forward in Clare football. We are losing players between 15 and minor and again from minor to U-21,” he said.
Keane went on to pay tribute to outgoing treasurer Joey O’Connell and outgoing PRO Liam Woulfe and he expressed the wish that they will not be lost to Clare football. He also paid tribute to the work of outgoing secretary, Anne Hayes, and welcomed new treasurer, Joe Kelly.

Two new officers on executive

TWO new officers were elected to the executive of Bord na nÓg football when the reconvened annual general meeting of the board was held at the West County Hotel, Ennis, on Tuesday night.
In addition, two of the outgoing executive will have new posts in 2011 after a meeting that saw just one contest take place.
Doonbeg’s John Smith defeated Seanie Lyons from Doora-Barefield for the post of vice-chairman. Smith was also nominated for the position of treasurer and the filling of this post was deferred until the outcome of the vote for the vice-chair was confirmed. The Doonbeg clubman was previously a member of the executive in 2009 when he filled the post of assistant secretary. He resigned from that position in mid-season.
The board has a new secretary in Niamh Madigan, an officer with Kilrush Shamrocks minor club. She was unopposed for the position after the only other nominee, Liam Woulfe withdrew from the race.
Joe Kelly, Wolfe Tones, is the new treasurer and Anne Hayes, Lissycasey, is the new PRO. Both were unopposed. They were the outgoing vice-chairman and secretary respectively but had to step down as they had completed their five-year terms, which was also the case for Liam Woulfe, the outgoing PRO.
Billy Archbold, St Breckan’s was returned, unopposed, for what will be his final term as chairman, as he is now in his fifth year in this position. Outgoing treasurer, Joey O’Connell, Kilrush, did not seek re-election after two years in the position.
Starting on January 19, a series of meetings will take with the clubs of the county to decide on the gradings for the coming season.
The board executive for 2011 is: chairman, Billy Archbold (St Breckan’s); vice-chairman, John Smith (Doonbeg); secretary, Niamh Madigan (Kilrush); treasurer, Joe Kelly (Wolfe Tones); PRO, Anne Hayes (Lissycasey).