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I see massive benefits to the split season, lets hope it rejuvenates some tired legs and it proves to bring a new freshness and freedom to the players. jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20600 - 03/03/2021 20:32:20 2333464 Link 2 |
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Riding off in to the sunset a tad prematurely I suspect. See how it goes and let it bed in. Then maybe the time would be right.
Greengrass (Louth) - Posts: 6031 - 04/03/2021 02:55:14 2333475 Link 0 |
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Job well done by all involved in one way, yet just like everything in the GAA it took a pandemic for them to react. StoreysTash (Wexford) - Posts: 1733 - 04/03/2021 09:25:38 2333485 Link 0 |
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Think it's a pity that cpa walked..the split season came about by accident,everything looks great at moment on paper..it was great that club players had a voice in croke park,I would worry that once everything goes back to normal that club players will be forgotten again..it was great to that some very well known Gaa people represented the cpa.. CTGAA10 (Limerick) - Posts: 2219 - 04/03/2021 10:09:40 2333492 Link 0 |
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The split season is being used as a smokescreen to the grassroots of the GAA. Everyone rides off to the sunset thinking the club has finally been listened to. Within a few years it will be clear this is far from the truth. The GAA now have an inter county window to push their elite agenda. We're heading towards the "super 8" inter county competition taking a more visiable twist. It'll likely be added to, maybe "super 12" but an elite competition with all the media coverage, commerical potential and exposure is on it's way. sam1884 (UK) - Posts: 999 - 04/03/2021 11:30:01 2333502 Link 1 |
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It is an odd one. It seems to me the achievement of the CPA is to get 7 months of the year dedicated to the tiny % that play intercounty, and 5 months dedicated to the 100% of players that play club. And this is considered job done by them?! Iv a suspicion they realised that there is no perfect solution to the problem they came forward with and no agreement at all across the country. The first 'victory' they got was April being clubs only, that was quickly considered by almost everyone to be completely stupid when it was put into practice. I'd be very interested to see the schedule for a dual club like Slaughtneil in this new format, Iv a feeling this split season could put an end to the dual player at club level across the country. Soma (UK) - Posts: 2630 - 04/03/2021 11:47:41 2333504 Link 0 |
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Good points! I guess the future of the dual player will be down to individual counties and how each run their competitions. If it's a genuine dual county then it might be considered; if not it won't in some cases. Central council are basically handing keys to the counties to do as they please from July to December, so local solutions will have to be found. There is more than a suspicion the motion to split the season received little discussion at Congress; county boards will be happy they can use July, August and September, fairly warm months to run and receive revenue for their county championships. The 7 month inter county window though does provide an opportunity to make those games more elite; running off the latter stages when other major sports are mainly in off season. There is a commercial thought to these plans and the split season is the perfect political answer to the grassroots who make any complaints about a more commerical process, maybe more controversial media deals and making our inter county competitions more elite. The secondary competition is the obvious start to this. sam1884 (UK) - Posts: 999 - 04/03/2021 12:28:21 2333506 Link 0 |
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I don't really think it's a 7 month intercounty window though. Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4226 - 04/03/2021 16:46:27 2333520 Link 5 |
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That's true whammo... it wont be a 7 month Inter County season when 75% of Counties will probably be finished in early June..... Black+Blue (Galway) - Posts: 122 - 04/03/2021 17:13:00 2333527 Link 0 |
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Sam the "elite" anything won't happen unless the "grassroots" support it....HQ are fairly astute with their commercial vehicles and finances and they won't be pushing anything unless they think they will get plenty of paying customers ?... if there are plenty of paying customers then surely that means there is a demand for it ?...I hate the idea that there might be a possible pure elite ahead as it goes against all the GAA should stand for but if thats what the GAA populace want what do you do... ?.....I'd rather have it than the soccer or rugby anyway
Black+Blue (Galway) - Posts: 122 - 04/03/2021 17:22:02 2333529 Link 1 |
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They'll be back when there's another problem to solve. lionofludesch (Down) - Posts: 475 - 04/03/2021 18:49:32 2333534 Link 0 |
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It will be interesting to see how it plays out but I'd have serious concerns about some of it. There are a lot of lads across the country playing junior championship where no no intercounty players would be involved. Presumably all these lads now will have no championship games all summer, waiting til August for things to start up. People may say clubs can play league all summer, but that was an option under the old system as well but lads described it as meaningless games. They will be even more meaningless now with zero chance of any intercounty players being involved. For 7 months of the year now intercounty players won't be seen anywhere around their own club, I'm not sure that is to anyone's benefit. It deserves a fair chance but there seem to be some obvious issues with it. I was always of the view club players issues are best sorted at county board level as the issues and constraints in each county are so different, the idea it could be all sorted by Croke Park never made sense to me. Has there been any suggestion when u20 club games will be played in this new system? Soma (UK) - Posts: 2630 - 04/03/2021 19:58:04 2333538 Link 0 |
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For me in my last few years playing the frustration was really not knowing when championship was going to be. The league games are useful but if you miss one it's not a huge stress. To not know when you could have championship as it depended on how inter county championship played out was very frustrating. You couldn't plan holidays or any breaks at all. I played in Meath and they actually did try to produce a masters fixtures calendar but that was could only work until around the Leinster quarter final time. You'd then have to wait until Meath were out to know when you'd be playing again. Something that wasn't great also was how there was a bit of a split season. We'd usually have 2 championship games played by the end of April. You lose both of those and you were practically knocked out of championship about 10 weeks into the season. Part of the problem with leaving it to the county boards was that they didn't always think through all eventualities. Something untoward would happen with the county team and then they'd real struggles to play their competitions. Under 20 club rightly won't be a big priority but no reason why it can't be played during the inter county window. Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4226 - 04/03/2021 21:02:41 2333542 Link 5 |
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You make some very good points and to be honest you've probably hit the nail on the head. There has never been any reason for clubs not to start their county leagues in March; play away weekly right through with county players dropping in and out, and the majority of county championships starting in August with all inter county players returned full time, except maybe for the All Ireland finalists. People are now saying clubs can start competitions, I presume leagues in March/April, play these off and then start the county championships in late July/August when the county players return. When you spell it out; it's a bit laughable because you'd wonder what the fuss was about. Yes the earlier end to the inter county season is significant, that part I get but it's unlikely county championships will start to the first week of August anyhow. I don't envisage many inter county teams being finished in early June when you consider it's likely there'll be two or in a few years maybe three inter county competitions. I except a number of counties to still have games into July. Lets see how it all works out, your point about clubs not having inter county players around the club for 7 months is very true and will probably add more to the elite/club player argument, at least the old system had them around but this new system will result in total absence. sam1884 (UK) - Posts: 999 - 04/03/2021 21:11:33 2333543 Link 1 |
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I had a look at the Meath master fixtures plan there for last year. The football championship was to start the first weekend of August, unless Meath made the All-Ireland semifinal which would push it back 2 weeks. 13 rounds of the league were to be played by the end of July and 3 rounds of the hurling championship, presumably under the new system no hurling championship games will be played before August, and no league games with intercounty men. I don't know what you mean by u20 club not being a priority, it's between u17 and u20 that most players fall away so having a decent competition to keep lads involved is vital. Looks to me like it can't be started before August because lads will be playing intercounty, and there isn't much room for games from August on. You could play it without intercounty lads, but tell fellas who are drifting away that the best u20 players in their club and county won't be playing and keeping them involved becomes even more difficult. Soma (UK) - Posts: 2630 - 04/03/2021 21:54:23 2333546 Link 0 |
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Jesus there's some awful negativity on here lads....I can't wait to see a game again and I don't care if it's league or championship or even a challenge match !! Black+Blue (Galway) - Posts: 122 - 05/03/2021 01:17:29 2333550 Link 0 |
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Yes Meath is a good example of why the old system doesn't work. They had to play club hurling championship without inter county footballers to be able to make their season work and they put a hell of a lot of work into restructuring their competitions to try to bring a robust set of games to accommodate everything and still couldn't do so. If they had reached an All Ireland semi final it would have really put things under pressure. Under 20 shouldn't be prioritised because not everything can be prioritised. In the 2 counties I've been involved in it was prioritised anyway. They were run as straight knockout competitions in both and very much plugged in around other competitions. Would a good quality competition for under 20s be beneficial? Maybe. I'm not sure it exists in many counties before. The Meath solution was to play it at the end of the year and at the same time as Leinster club competitions, our under 20s has to forfeit in 2 years because of their other commitments. It is what it is. We didn't have a big drop off in players really. Their participation in successful adult teams made up for that. I'd like to think that better organised adult competitions would help to retain a lot of under 20s who can start to play in adult competitions. Again Meath are an example to follow as they've done good work to reorganise their leagues to help take reserve football more seriously. There's just not enough weeks in the year to accommodate all the competitions that people want to fit in. So under 20 can't be prioritised. Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4226 - 05/03/2021 04:53:13 2333551 Link 5 |
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Sure we will see. But maybe the fact that the counties you are involved with don't take u20 seriously is one of the reasons why they have been struggling for success with too many players dropping away. Get a lad to stay playing with his club til he is 20 and you probably will have him for years, lose him when he is 19 and he is probably finished with the game for good. Saying the 20 or so lads who are u20 in a club are not a priority seems a strange way to look at things. Maybe you are right that all will get games at adult level but it wouldn't be my experience of things at all. There would be lots of clubs with an u20 team and maybe 2 adult teams, tis hard to find game time for the entire u20 panel if there are just 2 adult teams. I'm just amazed the CPA have folded up their tent and walked away. They remind me of some of the fellas who drove Brexit - come in with a simple slogan that everyone agrees with and then slip away before the fully implications of your changes are realised. Their April club month was a disaster, surely they should stick around and see how their new proposal works? Soma (UK) - Posts: 2630 - 05/03/2021 10:08:02 2333560 Link 0 |
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I know it's a different organisation but I for one am sad to see Paul Flynn leave his job with the gpa. He did some outstanding work in the role and he is obviously moving on to bigger and better things, with more remuneration I'd say and I wish him well. He's been a great ambassador for all players big or small. I wouldn't be surprised if he is employed by Dublin gaa in one of their commercial ventures. Best of luck Paul. the creeler (Cavan) - Posts: 512 - 05/03/2021 11:22:06 2333567 Link 0 |
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I don't disagree that work needs to be done to keep under 20s playing. I actually think that the GAA would be better served with under 19 being the minor grade. Guys could be allowed to play senior but senior inter county players would not be allowed to play the Minor grade at club or county level. Minor club championship maybe should be restricted to those not playing adult club championship above a certain level. There are too many teams, levels and competitions at present to be able to facilitate everyone to play everything that the are eligible for. In trying to do so we over expose the elite young player whilst then also not providing enough games for other members. Really though as under 20 as it stands right now and if you're trying to facilitate it for everyone, I think it's very tough and maybe not an achievable or desirable goal. I very much agree that it is early days for the CPA to fold. The implementation of this split season is still very much up in the air. Hopefully if there are issues it would be easy for something to be revived quickly. Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4226 - 05/03/2021 17:01:53 2333584 Link 4 |