Lets start playing the club championships again

[Plain of the Herbs]

Don't leave it at that . . . please tell us the format of the Cork County football championship?

I agree with the sentiment that we play off the Club championships, while we await the qualifier draws. We will be out of both hurling and football in July, yet we won't play our county finals until October!!!.
The counties who reach the All Ireland finals will be playing their finals at the same time, ie Cork SF final in 2009,a week after the All Ireland Final, and they are a dual county.

[SearingDrive]

Don't care how Cork play off their football championship. The point is that the largest county in Ireland can have their footbal final one week after contesting the All Ireland Final, while Offaly are out of the championship in July, but we have a complete halt for 2 months May to July, and play our County Finals in October!. Seems like there is room for improvement.

Like most posters we would like to see the championships played off quickly. There are a lot of ordinary club players who don't have championship matches because of the break. I live in hope that championships are completed by September.

[puzzled]

From what i've heard the county board have a secondary plan if Cork beat us in the qualifers the club senior hurling championship will be restarted two weeks after the Cork game,they wont confirm this offically to any of the clubs but interestingly they arent denying it either!

Most of the clubs have already upped their training schedule just in case this turns out to be true!

Staying with the club scene Kinnitty have changed manager,Mick Molloy is back in charge of them that could be a very good appointment for them the last time he was at the helm they ended up in the county final!!

[Plain of the Herbs]

The format of the Cork Senior championship is, of course, important if you are using it for comparative purposes.

For your information, both Cork Senior championships are run on a straight knockout basis with a back door for first round losers only. It can be played off in about five weekends. But don't let facts or practicalities get in the way of your argument.

Don't care how Cork play off their football championship. The point is that the largest county in Ireland can have their footbal final one week after contesting the All Ireland Final, while Offaly are out of the championship in July, but we have a complete halt for 2 months May to July, and play our County Finals in October!. Seems like there is room for improvement.

Like most posters we would like to see the championships played off quickly. There are a lot of ordinary club players who don't have championship matches because of the break. I live in hope that championships are completed by September.

[Phoenix]

[quote="Plain of the Herbs"]The format of the Cork Senior championship is, of course, important if you are using it for comparative purposes.

For your information, both Cork Senior championships are run on a straight knockout basis with a back door for first round losers only. It can be played off in about five weekends. But don't let facts or practicalities get in the way of your argument.
[quote="SearingDrive"]

A knockout format (similar to Cork's) might bring more crowds and excitement to club games. I generally don't bother going to club championship games until the knockout stages anyway and there could be a lot of other people in the same boat. It's good experience for the players too when every game is do or die.

[Lone Shark]

Cork are also quite happy to set up a club hurling fixture on the same weekend as the county footballers are out, because there is little or now crossover.

If Offaly decided to do that we could run things off a lot quicker too- but clubs don't want to play without county players.

[Phoenix]

I think it'd be no harm to have club football championship group games on the same weekend as Offaly senior hurlers are out and vice versa for club hurling / county football.

After all the likes of Tullamore footballers should be able to qualify for the knockout stages without Shane Dooley. If they can't do that then they're not going to win the Offaly senior club football championship.

The other option is to run the Club Leagues (without the county players) through the summer to finals in June or July before running off Cork-style knockout club championships after Offaly senior teams bite the dust.

[Lone Shark]

You can only do that though if you have a Kilkenny like system whereby nobody misses out on a knockout place due to the groups. It's all very well to say that if Tullamore struggle to get out of their group without Shane Dooley they won't be going anywhere, but they've struggled to get out of group stages regularly even with him there and went on to play in county finals in October. What of clubs whereby a county player might be the difference between scraping into the knockouts or getting relegated?

I'm not saying I disagree with the principle, but I've no idea how you get it past the clubs in this county.

[Plain of the Herbs]

Why does the County championships have to be played off 'quickly'? I don't think there's anythig to be gained by having teams knocked out of the championship by this time of the year (as would happen in a knockout championship) just so the final can be played in August or September.

With no sign of the weather picking up, the summer is slowly slipping away and it's quite possible that the weather won't pick up until August or September. It could well happen that the championships will get the best of the year's weather the other side of summer.

[SearingDrive]

The format of the Cork Senior championship is, of course, important if you are using it for comparative purposes.

For your information, both Cork Senior championships are run on a straight knockout basis with a back door for first round losers only. It can be played off in about five weekends. But don't let facts or practicalities get in the way of your argument.

Don't care how Cork play off their football championship. The point is that the largest county in Ireland can have their footbal final one week after contesting the All Ireland Final, while Offaly are out of the championship in July, but we have a complete halt for 2 months May to July, and play our County Finals in October!. Seems like there is room for improvement.

Like most posters we would like to see the championships played off quickly. There are a lot of ordinary club players who don't have championship matches because of the break. I live in hope that championships are completed by September.

Someone is getting touchy here! Don't need a smart ass comment, I think the majority opinion is for a change from the present situation. You need to lighten up POTH.

[manfromdelmonte]

Roscommon played two rounds of their club championships between New York and Leitrim games.
Now they're gonna play another round before the Connacht final.
Keeps the players fresh by giving them a week or two break from the county squad.
No wrapping them in cotton wool

[Phoenix]

I agree that it is difficult for club senior teams who depend on vital dual players (and I know that Tullamore are struggling this year even with Shane Dooley) but I still think that it would be better for Offaly clubs and county teams if some way was found for club championship to continue side by side with county teams during the summer.

[flairgun]

With the news that Derek Molloy is off to the States for the summer, do you think the lack of club championship action makes it a little easier for lads to make that decision to head away?
The way things are, they could head off for the summer and still be back for the bulk of the club championship.
Perhaps if they knew their club was being left seriously in the lurch, it might persuade one or two borderline cases to stay. Just a thought.

ps. Anyone know where Molloy is headed? Just wondering if I need to keep an eye out for him in Boston.

[TheManFromFerbane]

Could be argued that that's a good thing for the clubs actually, say for example you have a guy in college, he needs to find work for the summer and can't BOTCEC, (Because of the current economic climate, I'm saying it so much it needs an anogram! ) This way he gets in the first 2 group games, heads off for the summer, earns his money, lives his life and comes back in September, granted he misses 2 if not 3 of the last 3 group games but he'd be there for the QF onwards anyway.

[puzzled]

Senior hurling fixtures released to the clubs last weekend:
Friday 29th July St Rynaghs V Belmont,venue Lusmagh(T.Carroll)7.30
Saturday 30th Shinrone V Coolderry,venue Ballyskenagh(P.Freeman)7.30
Saturday 30th Kinnitty V Drumcullen,venue Clareen(M.Walsh)7.30
Sunday 31st Birr V Shamrocks,venue Kilcormac(N.Flynn)12.00
Sunday 31st Seir Kieran V Tullamore,venue O.C.P.(B.Gavin)3.00
Sunday 31st K/K V Lusmagh,venue Birr(M.Kirwan)6.00

In fairness to the county board they seem to be sticking to the master fixtures plan,the only thing I cant understand is the lack of double headers for people,like myself,that want to take in as many games as possible it just makes it harder to get to them but i'm sure the county board has reasons for doing it this way????