New championship formats

[Rynaghs Biffo]

Thanks to The Biff, i've had to rephrase the question!!! some people are just fussy!!!

Taken from GAA.ie

Does anyone else agree with all this change. I, for one, do agree!


Proposals for new Competition structures
The GAA have announced details of new proposals for the National hurling and football leagues and the All Ireland Hurling and football championships. The draft proposals are the result of a wide consultation process by the Games Administration Committee, which included the contributions of the Competitions Task Force, the Hurling Development Committee and the Football Task Force among others. The draft proposals have been circulated to all counties for their observations and a final document in respect of the National Leagues will be placed before Central Council at their next meeting. A final proposal in respect of the Hurling and football championships will be before Special Congress on October 14th next. The main points of the proposals are:

National Hurling Leagues
These would have four divisions – Division 1 (9 counties), Division 2 (9 counties), Division 3 (8 counties) and Division 4 (7 counties) – and would commence in 2007. The play off stages in all divisions would include semi-finals and a final with promotion and relegation between divisions. It is also proposed that a bonus point be awarded to teams who score two or more goals from open play in a league game. It is suggested that a South Dublin team would be included in Division 3 from 2008 onwards.

National Football Leagues
These would have four divisions of 8 (Divisions 1, 2, 3 and 4) and would commence in 2008, although there is an option to commence in 2007. Options to play the leagues without any final (i.e. the top placed team in each Division are named the League champions) or a final between the top two teams in each Division have been included. The bottom two teams in each division would be relegated with the sixth placed team in Divisions 1, 2 and 3 playing the third placed team in Divisions 2, 3 and 4 respectively to decide a final promotion/relegation place. It is also proposed that in Championship, the Division 4 counties would participate in the Tommy Murphy Cup only.

All Ireland Hurling Championship
It is proposed that there would be 12 teams in the Liam Mc Carthy Cup, 10 in the Christy Ring Cup and 12 in the Nicky Rackard Cup for 2007. The Liam Mc Carthy Cup would include the Leinster and Munster Provincial championships, in addition to a qualifier group with two pre-ordained groups of four teams. The Christy Ring Cup would have two groups of five, and the Nicky Rackard Cup four groups of three. There would be no promotion to or relegation from the Liam Mc Carthy Cup. It is also proposed to include a South Dublin team in the Christy Ring competition from 2008 onwards and a North Dublin team in the Nicky Rackard Cup.

All Ireland Football Championship
It is proposed that teams in Division 4 of the National Football league would only participate in the Tommy Murphy Cup once eliminated from their provincial championships. This would have the effect of reducing the current qualifier structure by one round. An open, unrestricted draw would be made for rounds 1,2 and 3. It is also proposed to discontinue the pre-ordained quarter and semi-finals roster.

Other recommendations designed to facilitate the club fixtures programme include the playing of football and hurling qualifier rounds on the same dates, two defined scheduling windows for club fixtures and the playing of extra time rather than replays in a greater number of games.

[Lone Shark]

Despite the fact that it contains a lot of good stuff, I think the lack of promotion/relegation in the hurling is a disgrace. You can't inspire improvement in a county if you say that they'll be second tier for life. I understand that if Westmeath suddenly beat ourselves or Wexford in a league game people would sit up and make a strong case for their inclusion, but the perception is there that they are barred from the top tier, which I would perceive to be a demotivational factor.

I do agree with the division 4 thing though. In saying that, the Tommy Murphy Cup is such a waste of space. An O'Byrne cup means more to players.

[The Biff]

He he he

[Sydthebeat]

the lack of relegation or promotion to the McCarty cup is a death knell for Irish Hurling.... id much prefer to see every team competing in their provincial championship...and then a series of qualifier akin to what we have now..

i think the football championship changes are accpetable... ie an all county provincial first.. tommy Murphy after...

[azoffaly]

I heard this Pual Duffy lad on Setanta last week. What he said was that there would be no AUTOMATIC promotion from the Ring to the McCarthy Cup. Rather there would be a playoff between the worst McCarthy Cup team, and the winner of the Christy Ring.

That wouldn't be so bad.

[juteman]

I am agreeing that we do need changes.I do not feel that this is the answer. I favour reducing the number of games a lot even to go to the old knock out championship.

[Rynaghs Biffo]

I heard this Pual Duffy lad on Setanta last week. What he said was that there would be no AUTOMATIC promotion from the Ring to the McCarthy Cup. Rather there would be a playoff between the worst McCarthy Cup team, and the winner of the Christy Ring.

That wouldn't be so bad.

I thought that that was the idea, can anyone clarify this?

[Plain of the Herbs]

National Hurling Leagues
These would have four divisions – Division 1 (9 counties), Division 2 (9 counties), Division 3 (8 counties) and Division 4 (7 counties) – and would commence in 2007. The play off stages in all divisions would include semi-finals and a final with promotion and relegation between divisions. It is also proposed that a bonus point be awarded to teams who score two or more goals from open play in a league game. It is suggested that a South Dublin team would be included in Division 3 from 2008 onwards.

The traditional counties will look at the new proposals and say “what’s in it for us?” So should we.

At first glance, a new league first division comprising nine teams look appealing. Four home ties against the cream of the country’s hurling powers. Eight chances to blood prospective talent against top opposition in advance of a Leinster semi-final against Kilkenny or Wexford. However, it’s not quite as simple as this. On paper, the weakest of the nine is our very own outfit. They would, therefore, be favourites to finish bottom of the pile and be relegated – particularly if they were to be caught in a rut and sustained a few injuries. Even three wins out of eight might not be enough to ensure survival. Offaly would find life difficult in the proposed nine team division 2 containing, as it would, Antrim, Dublin, Down and Laois. Promotion back to the top flight would be by no means assured.

One of the problems with the league was that some teams who were eliminated early faced a long gap to a mid-June championship start, while the finalists often faced a championship start the week after the final. This was in part eliminated by the two-phase league of 2003 to 2005. It also ensured eight matches for each participant. The fault with this was that, in 2004 and 2005, teams weren’t allowed carry league points accumulated in the first phase into the second phase (resulting in Offaly’s elimination).

If twelve teams enter the All-Ireland championship, then twelve teams should enter division 1 of the league. It’s too unfair to ask (under the proposed structure) Laois, Dublin and Antrim hurl in league division 2, yet survive in the top teir of the championship.

I vote against the proposals.

All Ireland Hurling Championship
It is proposed that there would be 12 teams in the Liam Mc Carthy Cup, 10 in the Christy Ring Cup and 12 in the Nicky Rackard Cup for 2007. The Liam Mc Carthy Cup would include the Leinster and Munster Provincial championships, in addition to a qualifier group with two pre-ordained groups of four teams. The Christy Ring Cup would have two groups of five, and the Nicky Rackard Cup four groups of three. There would be no promotion to or relegation from the Liam Mc Carthy Cup. It is also proposed to include a South Dublin team in the Christy Ring competition from 2008 onwards and a North Dublin team in the Nicky Rackard Cup.

As regards the proposed new championship structure, again, lets look at how it affects the wearers of green, white and gold. Beaten Leinster quarter finalists get a round robin group against Galway, a Munster team and Antrim in 2007 with two advancing to the All Ireland quarter finals. Perhaps this is as before. Beaten Leinster semi finalists are rewarded with a knock-out game against a beaten semi-finalist from either Leinster or Munster, an All-Ireland quarter final berth the prize for the winners in a straight knock-out contest. No more chances, unlike the beaten quarter finalist. Probably at a neutral venue, so no more qualifier matches on the grassy bank in Tullamore on balmy summer Saturday nights. I think I liked the way it was.

Now I realise the HDC is trying to cut down on the number of inter-county matches to make room for club matches. But in reality, the proposed newly-truncated only free up one –two at most- weekends for club activity.

Jarlath Burns, on BBC during the week, made the point that the ones who lose out most of all are the subs on the county teams, who see little or no game-time for either club or county. Perhaps the solution is more NHL matches on Saturdays with club leagues played on Sundays where non-playing county men could get some game time with their clubs?

The new championship proposals don’t appeal to me either.