(Oldest Posts First)
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We need to go back to the old semi final structure and have final in August. 4 provincial winners, no back door. This will solve a ton of issues. The league can finish in May also to accommodate the new reality of climate change. Connacht could pick up Longford, Westmeath and Offaly to balance it out and Munster could get Carlow and Wexford. The league is already great. maroondiesel (Mayo) - Posts: 1196 - 19/03/2018 09:43:50 2085654 Link 0 |
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Ya you make a good point in fairness, that way the championship could be ran off in 6-8 weeks which would leave a later start for the league and an earlier Finnish for the championship and a lot of time for the clubs as well.
KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 19/03/2018 10:58:38 2085711 Link 0 |
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Yeah I would have no qualm with it going back to how it was, no back door, Provincial winners in to the semi Final, both Hurling and Football. I for one am fed up with club seasons still going on in October, November and December when you are fighting the elements as much as anything and it becomes a war of attrition as much as anything else. Offside_Rule (Antrim) - Posts: 4058 - 19/03/2018 11:25:44 2085727 Link 0 |
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I'd be inclined to agree with you. Increasing revenues is hardly a sign that the GAA is in a healthy position either. Might be great if you're in the media business or are a paid executive within the GAA or GPA but how much is actually filtering back. More games is more cost to County Boards because of longer season, more training sessions, more travelling, more hotel stays etc Players are being pushed into a more professional lifestyle at greater cost to their actual professions. A lot of this extra money might also be swallowed up to pay trainers and physios and other various professionals attached to inter county panels but how much is actually going to grass roots. There is a finite supply of money so the more revenue collected for the inter county game the less for the club. I'm not going off any stats but judging by the club scene in Cavan I would say club attendances are at an all time low. The actual money collected by clubs through actual foot traffic through the gates does not even come close to a level to be sustainable to the club game. If it weren't for donations and club lotto and other various money generating schemes by club members clubs wouldn't even be able to afford the electric, not after they shell out a lump of money every year to the County Boards to run the actual competitions, pay referees, sustain the county panels etc. and then try run the club. We've really lost the run of ourselves. A lot of people seem to think the club game doesn't exist. Their logic is more county games=more exposure=more revenue=good. It most certainly isn't. Unless we dedicate a bit of time to the club scene and cut out a lot of meaningless games at inter county then I don't see how the two scenes can stay compatible in the long term future.
Hardtimes (Cavan) - Posts: 1056 - 19/03/2018 12:31:10 2085762 Link 0 |
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Hell no, the current system isnt perfect but it sure a lot better then old system, if we go back to the old system there would be less games shown and that would be an advantage to the rival sports especially when rugby could change to a global calender in the years ahead which could have european rugby played in the summer months, plus a lot of people might lose interest if there team only plays once and get knocked out straight away and there summer is over PyatPree (Cork) - Posts: 376 - 19/03/2018 12:35:23 2085768 Link 5 |
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Maybe it's time to play 3 or 4 rounds of the League in October and November and the remaining matches in the Spring like in the past, give teams plenty of time to train and recover from injuries, only 3 teams in each division are trying to win the League, the rest are just trying out new players or just going through the motions until championship starts riverboys (Mayo) - Posts: 1389 - 19/03/2018 13:44:09 2085809 Link 1 |
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With the old system they didn't really show games until the AI semis anyway. It wasn't a case of not having games available and suddenly the back door alleviating the problem. There were always plenty of games to show if TV had wanted them. The back door is good only when you get a run going and get to the business end. For a lot of teams it holds little interest and can be a case of prolonging the agony. For the neutrals, again only the business end piques interest or if heavyweights collide. A large portion of games are not shown by TV and for good reason. Viewership would be low.
Hardtimes (Cavan) - Posts: 1056 - 19/03/2018 14:44:07 2085835 Link 0 |
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Only in the gaa is there a constant desire to make the most valuable product less valuable. gotmilk (Fermanagh) - Posts: 4971 - 19/03/2018 14:56:58 2085844 Link 3 |
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Run the provincials off from early May. Then an open draw All Ireland. No backdoor. No replays except for the final. Final only in Croke Park unless Dublin get a home draw. Could be a few championship first round upsets with a provincial finalists in All Ireland soon after provincial with a few injuries/suspensions against losing provincial semi finalists who have had a week or more rest and preparation. GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7336 - 19/03/2018 15:10:43 2085848 Link 0 |
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Yeah I have no problem with a format like that where the Provincial is one competition then it is an open draw for the AI series. You could even have a qualifier for the AI knockout involving the Exiles for want of a better word - any County/State outwith Ireland who want to get the 'Kilkenny Spot' or County 32 e.g. NY, London or any Country who want to throw their hat in the ring can play off a separate competition run at the same time as the Provincials. Meaning then you would have 32 teams and an opening round of 16 games with the winners going in to the last 16, QF, Semi and Final. So in theory you have 5 rounds of games from Round 1 to the final. Not only making the AI more interesting but also an opportunity to increase interest in other places. Do I think we will ever see a format like that, a format which could add a bit of excitement or romance to the competition? Probably not as too many big boys wouldn't be happy. Offside_Rule (Antrim) - Posts: 4058 - 20/03/2018 12:02:59 2086197 Link 0 |
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Good post and if every team had only one shot with no backdoor reentry you would have more upsets I think, some teams have the mindset that if they get beaten in the first round ah sure we'll get a few games in the qualifiers.
KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 20/03/2018 13:40:42 2086232 Link 0 |
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You could run the Prov and Open Draw Championships side-by-side as two paths to the AI QFs: Prov Stream - Extend by one rd - 4 Champs Playoffs - 2 winners to AI QFs. Open Draw Stream - 16 in Lein/Uls QFs get bye to KO rd 2 - Other 16 to KO rd 1 - then 24 in rd 2 - 12 in rd 3 - 6 winners to AI QFs. If 1 or 2 teams qualify from both streams, they get AI QF bye = go to AI SFs. omahant (USA) - Posts: 2570 - 28/03/2018 11:49:37 2088989 Link 0 |
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I wouldd have replays though.
lilywhite1 (Kildare) - Posts: 2987 - 31/03/2018 16:32:22 2089710 Link 0 |