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Replying To Formertownie: "The players are surely the ones who should be listened to . They are the ones giving the most and realistically without the majority on board for any format will lead to a possible turning away from the games .
Hurling.only clubs and hurling first brigade won't want split season . Hurling advisory won't want split season .
With their egos they took away another year of even half decent round Robin competitive games could nt admit they got it badly wrong aftrr the first year.
We are a hurling first county no doubt but as far as I can see most of the players enjoyed the split season when in place . And more played football after the hurling.
Still feel too many games fir dual players at present and would nt be enough games if only playing one code if reduced to 3 groups of 4 .
Pikeman is right it will be changed every few years and most likely will never get it right as so many different agendas and personal reasons come into the reckoning.
Our championship will never improve.if we dont get it right at underage first . Inc schools and the structure of underage . We have nt competed at intercounty underage consistently for a very long time if ever but yet the intercounty underage takes precedent over club with the new split season at intrcounty no championship for 16s or 18s til July ." Im not aware of the fixtures at underage club level in the county. Surely there are games at U16 and U18 level before July. That is crazy if true lads will go find other sports to play and we will lose players
Afinestick96 (Wexford) - Posts: 821 - 14/01/2026 09:51:32
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Replying To alwaysasub: "I would disagree. Most of our players hated it. And we are a dual club. Championship was over way too way and I remember one of the players getting injured and missing the rest of the championship. Also the championship is a poor standard not because of
Split season but due to the championship format" Individual dual players hurling especially was hampered by having very little hurling in 2 week blocks. Of course you could get around this by doing alot of hurling during Footballs 2 week block, but then you arent really a dual club.
You say Championship was over way too early, but for dual players the end of the Championship hasnt changed with the end of the split season. It still ends around the same time. I take it the player you are talking about was a one code player so?
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17981 - 14/01/2026 10:37:15
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Replying To Formertownie: "The players are surely the ones who should be listened to . They are the ones giving the most and realistically without the majority on board for any format will lead to a possible turning away from the games .
Hurling.only clubs and hurling first brigade won't want split season . Hurling advisory won't want split season .
With their egos they took away another year of even half decent round Robin competitive games could nt admit they got it badly wrong aftrr the first year.
We are a hurling first county no doubt but as far as I can see most of the players enjoyed the split season when in place . And more played football after the hurling.
Still feel too many games fir dual players at present and would nt be enough games if only playing one code if reduced to 3 groups of 4 .
Pikeman is right it will be changed every few years and most likely will never get it right as so many different agendas and personal reasons come into the reckoning.
Our championship will never improve.if we dont get it right at underage first . Inc schools and the structure of underage . We have nt competed at intercounty underage consistently for a very long time if ever but yet the intercounty underage takes precedent over club with the new split season at intrcounty no championship for 16s or 18s til July ." The reason our minor Championship starts late is primarily because of leaving certs, not just intercounty.
Apart from that I agree with your post. We actually pulled our players before making up our minds on all 3 major votes. Unfortunately for them none of their 3 preferences got voted in. They were unanimous in their desire to return to a split season.
The bottom line was the bottom line. There were other considerations given precedence when people decided what way they would vote. And that was their right, to use their votes as they saw fit.
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17981 - 14/01/2026 10:41:38
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Replying To alwaysasub: "I would disagree. Most of our players hated it. And we are a dual club. Championship was over way too way and I remember one of the players getting injured and missing the rest of the championship. Also the championship is a poor standard not because of
Split season but due to the championship format" At our meeting to discuss it the players actually laughed at the proposal to go back to the split season with words to the effect of "are you joking"
tearintom (Wexford) - Posts: 1600 - 14/01/2026 10:43:46
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Replying To Afinestick96: "Well the format is decided now too 3 go into quarters, 4th v 5th in the preliminary quarter final and bottom place goes into relegation final . I think it's a decent format there is reward for finishing as high as possible . What are your thoughts Lads?" Definitely a huge improvement over the previous set up. Having a set up that copied the system used by, and only worked for, one of the last counties still operating a split season was always not going to work out too well when we had gone away from the split season.
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17981 - 14/01/2026 10:44:10
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Replying To Viking66: "That's about it Pikeman. I do know the motion is being brought at the request of the players at the clubs concerned.
I doubt it will pass, but we have consulted our own players on how they feel we should vote on it.
Just a small correction, there wasn't an 80-90% vote to get rid of the split season, there was in fact no seperate motion to retain it.
I agree there's probably no such thing as an ideal format/structure that will please everyone especially as we are a genuinely dual county, but I do know that the current system we have only works in Kilkenny because they have a split season. Football is played at a different time of year there.
As an aside they refer to the group stage as their League, they don't class it as Championship at all. They even play League finals between the group winners. Maybe we shouldn't class it as Championship either, mutton dressed as lamb calling it Championship." For the record - the 80 to 90% support two years ago was for a motion that said precisely this:
That the championship be played on the basis of alternative blocks of two or three weeks for each code as set out by CCC to best suit our calendar. The semi-finals and finals in both codes should be played on alternative weeks to allow time between quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals (if a team is not involved in the final stages of both codes) with the flexibility to use any spare weekends available to facilitate a rest weekend for players and to allow for other impacts on games.
i.e. to get rid of the split season. Four clubs brought other motions that were broadly similar.
It didn't need a separate motion to retain it. You never need a motion just to retain what's already there. If you don't want change, then what you do is vote against all calls for change, and if they all fail, then whatever's the status quo of the time remains in place.
You make a valid point about Kilkenny though, and it's one I've often made myself. Kilkenny don't play a championship of two groups of six where everybody goes through. Instead, they play a separate league competition, with its own final and trophy, before moving on to play a straight knock-out championship.
Yes, where you start in the championship is determined by where you finish in the League, but that doesn't mean it's the same competition. It's a bit like how your National Football League position can determine whether you go to Sam Maguire Cup or Tailteann Cup later in the year. But the National Football League is still recognised as a separate competition, and nobody claims that it's part of championship.
Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3318 - 14/01/2026 10:50:42
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Replying To Formertownie: "The players are surely the ones who should be listened to . They are the ones giving the most and realistically without the majority on board for any format will lead to a possible turning away from the games .
Hurling.only clubs and hurling first brigade won't want split season . Hurling advisory won't want split season .
With their egos they took away another year of even half decent round Robin competitive games could nt admit they got it badly wrong aftrr the first year.
We are a hurling first county no doubt but as far as I can see most of the players enjoyed the split season when in place . And more played football after the hurling.
Still feel too many games fir dual players at present and would nt be enough games if only playing one code if reduced to 3 groups of 4 .
Pikeman is right it will be changed every few years and most likely will never get it right as so many different agendas and personal reasons come into the reckoning.
Our championship will never improve.if we dont get it right at underage first . Inc schools and the structure of underage . We have nt competed at intercounty underage consistently for a very long time if ever but yet the intercounty underage takes precedent over club with the new split season at intrcounty no championship for 16s or 18s til July ." Thing is, players tend to want what's best for themselves. That's not necessarily what's best overall.
Perfect example is my own club, which actually voted in favour of the split season motion. At our own club meeting to discuss the motions, Players' Rep said he'd canvassed the others, and there was a strong preference for it, mainly because we did relatively well in both codes during the few years the split season was in place.
But significantly, the Players' Rep acknowledged "the lads know it wouldn't be the best thing overall, but they think it would be the best thing for us, so they think we should vote in favour of it".
Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3318 - 14/01/2026 10:56:10
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Replying To Afinestick96: "Im not aware of the fixtures at underage club level in the county. Surely there are games at U16 and U18 level before July. That is crazy if true lads will go find other sports to play and we will lose players" Yes, there are games at U16 & U18 before July. The early part of the year has leagues that are the rough equivalent of the All County Leagues at adult level, where clubs play without their county players.
Last year, our U16s and Minors had eight matches (four in each code) between March and middle of May. Then a further six or seven matches in each code when championships began after the State Exams.
Overall, our Minors played 21 matches last year and our U16s played 20, between March and October (which is really only six months if you consider how June is a "closed" month). We had a big number of U16s who also togged out at Minor, so those lads could have played close to 40 matches! It's not an issue that there's not enough games for those age groups.
Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3318 - 14/01/2026 11:05:15
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Now it's time to stop thinkering with the formats and go out and let teams play hurling / football .. Any format change should be given 3 seasons.
12 Senior teams .. if you finish bottom you're not good enough and go into a relegation final.
Was never a fan of the split season - Call a spade a spade, we think we are a dual county when in realty we are a hurling county trying to keep playing football. Having a split season is never going to change that.
MyOhMi (Wexford) - Posts: 280 - 14/01/2026 11:05:38
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Replying To MyOhMi: "Now it's time to stop thinkering with the formats and go out and let teams play hurling / football .. Any format change should be given 3 seasons.
12 Senior teams .. if you finish bottom you're not good enough and go into a relegation final.
Was never a fan of the split season - Call a spade a spade, we think we are a dual county when in realty we are a hurling county trying to keep playing football. Having a split season is never going to change that." Couldnt agree more good post
Afinestick96 (Wexford) - Posts: 821 - 14/01/2026 11:47:30
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Replying To MyOhMi: "Now it's time to stop thinkering with the formats and go out and let teams play hurling / football .. Any format change should be given 3 seasons.
12 Senior teams .. if you finish bottom you're not good enough and go into a relegation final.
Was never a fan of the split season - Call a spade a spade, we think we are a dual county when in realty we are a hurling county trying to keep playing football. Having a split season is never going to change that." I'd agree as much as the last lad, apart from the bit about any format change being given three seasons.
If we had that as a rule, then we'd be stuck with the "everybody goes through in hurling" system for this year again, despite the appetite for change that we saw last night.
Think a large part of how it got even a second season was the Chairman saying last year that everything should be given two years in order to give it a chance. But two years is long enough if there are clear issues with it.
Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3318 - 14/01/2026 12:26:20
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Replying To MyOhMi: "Now it's time to stop thinkering with the formats and go out and let teams play hurling / football .. Any format change should be given 3 seasons.
12 Senior teams .. if you finish bottom you're not good enough and go into a relegation final.
Was never a fan of the split season - Call a spade a spade, we think we are a dual county when in realty we are a hurling county trying to keep playing football. Having a split season is never going to change that." Well said, hopefully last night puts an end to the debate on it. At least if you come last you are into relegation, that was my one pet hate, There are still too many games but it is what it is. All teams being seeded now should make the groups more even in nature.
alwaysasub (Wexford) - Posts: 585 - 14/01/2026 13:11:54
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Replying To tearintom: "At our meeting to discuss it the players actually laughed at the proposal to go back to the split season with words to the effect of "are you joking"" It was good you had that discussion
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17981 - 14/01/2026 14:21:57
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Replying To Pikeman96: "For the record - the 80 to 90% support two years ago was for a motion that said precisely this:
That the championship be played on the basis of alternative blocks of two or three weeks for each code as set out by CCC to best suit our calendar. The semi-finals and finals in both codes should be played on alternative weeks to allow time between quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals (if a team is not involved in the final stages of both codes) with the flexibility to use any spare weekends available to facilitate a rest weekend for players and to allow for other impacts on games.
i.e. to get rid of the split season. Four clubs brought other motions that were broadly similar.
It didn't need a separate motion to retain it. You never need a motion just to retain what's already there. If you don't want change, then what you do is vote against all calls for change, and if they all fail, then whatever's the status quo of the time remains in place.
You make a valid point about Kilkenny though, and it's one I've often made myself. Kilkenny don't play a championship of two groups of six where everybody goes through. Instead, they play a separate league competition, with its own final and trophy, before moving on to play a straight knock-out championship.
Yes, where you start in the championship is determined by where you finish in the League, but that doesn't mean it's the same competition. It's a bit like how your National Football League position can determine whether you go to Sam Maguire Cup or Tailteann Cup later in the year. But the National Football League is still recognised as a separate competition, and nobody claims that it's part of championship." Kilkenny are one of the last counties still operating a split season. Carlow have got rid of theirs, which hasn't pleased their hurling people.
As regards the vote we are probably both splitting hairs to an extent, 80 or 90 % of the clubs weren't in favour of ending it though.
Its done, the split season is gone, it will be interesting to see how that affects the quality of hurling in our hurling championship overall. For our standard to get better it will require more dual clubs to spend more time training for hurling than football, which will obviously then affect the standard of our Football Championship.
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17981 - 14/01/2026 14:30:04
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Replying To MyOhMi: "Now it's time to stop thinkering with the formats and go out and let teams play hurling / football .. Any format change should be given 3 seasons.
12 Senior teams .. if you finish bottom you're not good enough and go into a relegation final.
Was never a fan of the split season - Call a spade a spade, we think we are a dual county when in realty we are a hurling county trying to keep playing football. Having a split season is never going to change that." If that's the case why not go back to a split season and run it like Kilkenny run theirs?
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17981 - 14/01/2026 14:41:46
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@Viking66 - yes, we're certainly splitting very fine hairs if you're arguing that an 80 to 90% vote in favour of something that's the complete opposite of the split season wasn't an 80 to 90% vote to get rid of the split season, as you said in your post yesterday afternoon:
"Just a small correction, there wasn't an 80-90% vote to get rid of the split season, there was in fact no seperate motion to retain it."
I take the point that maybe 80 to 90% of clubs may not have been in favour of ending it, since the top table and a few others account for maybe 25% of the total vote, but that's not what you said in the first place.
Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3318 - 14/01/2026 15:01:01
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Replying To Pikeman96: "Thing is, players tend to want what's best for themselves. That's not necessarily what's best overall.
Perfect example is my own club, which actually voted in favour of the split season motion. At our own club meeting to discuss the motions, Players' Rep said he'd canvassed the others, and there was a strong preference for it, mainly because we did relatively well in both codes during the few years the split season was in place.
But significantly, the Players' Rep acknowledged "the lads know it wouldn't be the best thing overall, but they think it would be the best thing for us, so they think we should vote in favour of it"." I wonder is that the case in many clubs, results on the field dictated the votes off it. The split season in theory should have levelled up the playing field between genuine dual clubs and the more traditional one sport + hobby club.
More jeopardy in the case of relegation is no harm anyway.
Timbertony (Wexford) - Posts: 485 - 14/01/2026 15:12:48
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IMO, the split season benefits football more than hurling given that a lot of clubs that are dual in theory are really hurling clubs that do a little bit of football here and there
Not saying it's the right or wrong option because it benefits football, just that most of these clubs will do hurling training the same week they actually have a football match
The format where the top 3 go through, 4th plays 5th, and 6th goes straight to relegation is an improvement on what we had although I still think we can do better than this. I think we could do with fewer rounds because there are enough games as things stand but if we are going to do 9 rounds of hurling, then the Aussie double-elimination structure would be better e.g. 1st plays 2nd from the other group with the winner going straight through to the SFs and the lose then playing the winner of 3rd vs 4th in the QFs
Would personally prefer 8 rounds rather than 9; would rather 1st goes straight through to the SFs, with 2nd playing 3rd in the QFs (If you come 4th in your group after 5 games, I'm not sure you should feel entitled to be in the knockout stages)
ElGranSenor (Wexford) - Posts: 771 - 14/01/2026 15:25:42
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Replying To Pikeman96: "@Viking66 - yes, we're certainly splitting very fine hairs if you're arguing that an 80 to 90% vote in favour of something that's the complete opposite of the split season wasn't an 80 to 90% vote to get rid of the split season, as you said in your post yesterday afternoon:
"Just a small correction, there wasn't an 80-90% vote to get rid of the split season, there was in fact no seperate motion to retain it."
I take the point that maybe 80 to 90% of clubs may not have been in favour of ending it, since the top table and a few others account for maybe 25% of the total vote, but that's not what you said in the first place." If we split any more hairs we will both be bald :-D
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17981 - 14/01/2026 16:02:37
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Replying To ElGranSenor: "IMO, the split season benefits football more than hurling given that a lot of clubs that are dual in theory are really hurling clubs that do a little bit of football here and there
Not saying it's the right or wrong option because it benefits football, just that most of these clubs will do hurling training the same week they actually have a football match
The format where the top 3 go through, 4th plays 5th, and 6th goes straight to relegation is an improvement on what we had although I still think we can do better than this. I think we could do with fewer rounds because there are enough games as things stand but if we are going to do 9 rounds of hurling, then the Aussie double-elimination structure would be better e.g. 1st plays 2nd from the other group with the winner going straight through to the SFs and the lose then playing the winner of 3rd vs 4th in the QFs
Would personally prefer 8 rounds rather than 9; would rather 1st goes straight through to the SFs, with 2nd playing 3rd in the QFs (If you come 4th in your group after 5 games, I'm not sure you should feel entitled to be in the knockout stages)" At a personal level the reason Id like our Club Championships to be better quality, as in every player playing his best Hurling and Football, and to have more jeopardy, so every player is giving their 110%, is so that our county teams will be better.
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 17981 - 14/01/2026 16:05:43
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