National Forum

Late County Finals - Split Season

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Maybe I am missing something, but does the split season not offer the opportunity to play off club championships earlier. The most important club matches in almost all counties are being played in appalling conditions. Surely the opportunity to finish most championships by Mid September is a possibility.

Backheel (Leitrim) - Posts: 133 - 14/10/2022 17:05:06    2443994

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Replying To Backheel:  "Maybe I am missing something, but does the split season not offer the opportunity to play off club championships earlier. The most important club matches in almost all counties are being played in appalling conditions. Surely the opportunity to finish most championships by Mid September is a possibility."
It's hard when most of the club players play for their club at both hurling and football.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 11806 - 14/10/2022 21:25:11    2444013

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Replying To Viking66:  "It's hard when most of the club players play for their club at both hurling and football."
I understand that Viking not really a problem in Leitrim, Donegal, Sligo,Cavan, Fermanagh, Mayo etc.
Perhaps it is only me that thinks it is lazy administration. I am an old git. Would be interesting to know what players think about it.

Backheel (Leitrim) - Posts: 133 - 15/10/2022 10:11:49    2444026

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Replying To Backheel:  "Maybe I am missing something, but does the split season not offer the opportunity to play off club championships earlier. The most important club matches in almost all counties are being played in appalling conditions. Surely the opportunity to finish most championships by Mid September is a possibility."
Must be remembered the window of getting club championship games played between national league and intercounty championship is gone now too, plenty of years in Wexford 2 football and 2 hurling rounds of games was played at this time.

TerribleFootwork (Wexford) - Posts: 1715 - 15/10/2022 10:53:38    2444028

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Replying To Backheel:  "I understand that Viking not really a problem in Leitrim, Donegal, Sligo,Cavan, Fermanagh, Mayo etc.
Perhaps it is only me that thinks it is lazy administration. I am an old git. Would be interesting to know what players think about it."
We only had 2 1 weekend breaks in our club championships. Players I was talking to it like it. They knew when the games were and could plan accordingly. They all would rather play meaningful games than training sessions.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 11806 - 15/10/2022 11:06:36    2444032

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I think the split season is a good idea. If you look at rugby and soccer, there are windows for international matches where players leave their clubs and play for their country. This didn't seem to work in the GAA world so the split season is the next best option to accommodate players who play county football. or hurling. There will always be an issues in counties where there are dual players who play both hurling and football in their respective club championship. This probably only affects a small number of players and each county deals with these scenarios in different ways - I don't think there is a prefect way to do it. I think most counties schedule the county final close to the provincial championship. Most counties like to give their county champions two week between the county final and their first provincial championship which is probably about right. I don't get the hysteria about playing the All Ireland in late July/early August; most counties are long gone by that stage plus what percentage of the playing population in gaelic games play at intercounty level, never mind play in an All Ireland!!! ... a very small privileged group.

wicklowsupport (Wicklow) - Posts: 1909 - 15/10/2022 12:02:07    2444042

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Cavan had a a long break from league to championship . But the Ulster club isn't until 13th of November for cavan senior and Intermediate champions.

The weather is terrible now. Finals could really be finished earlier. The provincial championships should start earlier

FoolsGold (Cavan) - Posts: 2763 - 15/10/2022 12:48:22    2444046

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Ulster all counties finals our within a couple of weeks due to the ulster club championship starting in mid nov, reason for this it stops lads being ideal for weeks on end its all about momentum.
i don't understand counties having championship wrapped up weeks ago it really doesn't give them much hope going into there provinces championship.

No player wants to sitting around waiting weeks on games.

Yourjoking (USA) - Posts: 704 - 15/10/2022 20:49:20    2444148

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Replying To Yourjoking:  "Ulster all counties finals our within a couple of weeks due to the ulster club championship starting in mid nov, reason for this it stops lads being ideal for weeks on end its all about momentum.
i don't understand counties having championship wrapped up weeks ago it really doesn't give them much hope going into there provinces championship.

No player wants to sitting around waiting weeks on games."
Portaferry won down championship last week no games now until ulster semi final on November 20th against slaughtneil who won Derry championship weeks ago what is the reason for such big gap between games madness

Awaywiththeferrys (Down) - Posts: 335 - 16/10/2022 08:50:40    2444160

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Most counties holding their finals at all grades more or less the same time as any other year. Split season was a red herring as far as that is concerned,

The "hysteria" about running off the inter-county championships by July - which obviously has made no difference whatsoever to the club season - is that instead of Limerick and the Cats and Kerry and Galway being the focus of public attention in September - with all the benefits that brings to the clubs - the Irish media could happily concentrate on their "beloved" Cities and Uniteds and Pools etc, etc,

As was pointed out at the time by Donal Óg and Spillane and other wiser heads.

BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 2546 - 22/10/2022 10:37:40    2445008

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I definitely think they will have to seriously look at this so called split season in Galway hurling only at quarter final stage which are on next weekend so prob be near end November before county final absolute joke weather brutal pitches cutting up most clubs start training in feb finish in oct / November Thars some split , play very few matches June - aug

Kickitout (Galway) - Posts: 838 - 22/10/2022 12:15:16    2445016

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Replying To BarneyGrant:  "Most counties holding their finals at all grades more or less the same time as any other year. Split season was a red herring as far as that is concerned,

The "hysteria" about running off the inter-county championships by July - which obviously has made no difference whatsoever to the club season - is that instead of Limerick and the Cats and Kerry and Galway being the focus of public attention in September - with all the benefits that brings to the clubs - the Irish media could happily concentrate on their "beloved" Cities and Uniteds and Pools etc, etc,

As was pointed out at the time by Donal Óg and Spillane and other wiser heads."
Main aim of the split season was to address the biggest issue in GAA in the last 10-15 years which was the uncertainty all players faced on when club matches will and won't be played therefore unable to plan other elements of their life. I doubt a sway of children will give up GAA because the All Ireland final is on in July instead instead of August like these supposedly wise heads Cusack and Spillane make out, frankly if someone things a September All Ireland Final is feasible then there not living in the real world.

TerribleFootwork (Wexford) - Posts: 1715 - 22/10/2022 13:25:13    2445018

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Replying To TerribleFootwork:  "Main aim of the split season was to address the biggest issue in GAA in the last 10-15 years which was the uncertainty all players faced on when club matches will and won't be played therefore unable to plan other elements of their life. I doubt a sway of children will give up GAA because the All Ireland final is on in July instead instead of August like these supposedly wise heads Cusack and Spillane make out, frankly if someone things a September All Ireland Final is feasible then there not living in the real world."
Uncertainty about when club games were to be played had almost nothing whatsoever to do with the inter county championship which was over no later two years ago than it was this year for 95% of players even at senior club!

Might have stroked the egos of junior lads like myself to have thought that Croke Park was tossing in its sleep to ensure they had a better organised season, but seriously.

Reducing your market presence makes no sense. Unless of course your marketing people and accountants have different plans for the use of certain stadiums at the times they ought to be hosting hurling and football....

BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 2546 - 22/10/2022 14:25:21    2445025

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Replying To Kickitout:  "I definitely think they will have to seriously look at this so called split season in Galway hurling only at quarter final stage which are on next weekend so prob be near end November before county final absolute joke weather brutal pitches cutting up most clubs start training in feb finish in oct / November Thars some split , play very few matches June - aug"
Think the issue there is Galway champions are straight into an AI semi so there's no urgency to get it finished, definitely think Galway champions should compete in either Leinster or Munster.

TerribleFootwork (Wexford) - Posts: 1715 - 22/10/2022 14:42:20    2445029

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Replying To BarneyGrant:  "Uncertainty about when club games were to be played had almost nothing whatsoever to do with the inter county championship which was over no later two years ago than it was this year for 95% of players even at senior club!

Might have stroked the egos of junior lads like myself to have thought that Croke Park was tossing in its sleep to ensure they had a better organised season, but seriously.

Reducing your market presence makes no sense. Unless of course your marketing people and accountants have different plans for the use of certain stadiums at the times they ought to be hosting hurling and football...."
Your 1st sentence is way off the mark, for years club players couldn't even book a holiday as there was so much uncertainty on when matches would be played, a county team could be out of the championship mid june or could go on a run til late july/ early August add in if a county u21 team went on a run and leave club players in limbo. The April club was a good idea in theory but created in Wexford anyway the unintended consequence of club players back in January with the focus all on your 2 football and 2 hurling games in April, then taper down early summer and eventually taper back up depending on when county teams are finished, the year was far too long. As i said I'm amazed that people genuinely think that children will sway from GAA because the All Ireland final is on July instead of August or September, children in Castletown who won the Wexford football final last Sunday will be as inspired by watching the performance their team gave then anything Gearoid Hegarty or David Clifford did last July in Croke Park.

TerribleFootwork (Wexford) - Posts: 1715 - 22/10/2022 14:58:37    2445030

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Would it be an option to start the year with the club championship & finish with the GAA playing season with inter county series. As we saw in 2020.

St.Mologga (Cork) - Posts: 103 - 22/10/2022 17:07:45    2445040

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Replying To TerribleFootwork:  "Your 1st sentence is way off the mark, for years club players couldn't even book a holiday as there was so much uncertainty on when matches would be played, a county team could be out of the championship mid june or could go on a run til late july/ early August add in if a county u21 team went on a run and leave club players in limbo. The April club was a good idea in theory but created in Wexford anyway the unintended consequence of club players back in January with the focus all on your 2 football and 2 hurling games in April, then taper down early summer and eventually taper back up depending on when county teams are finished, the year was far too long. As i said I'm amazed that people genuinely think that children will sway from GAA because the All Ireland final is on July instead of August or September, children in Castletown who won the Wexford football final last Sunday will be as inspired by watching the performance their team gave then anything Gearoid Hegarty or David Clifford did last July in Croke Park."
You are spot on. We had our u11s up in Croke Park for a blitz and then they did a guard of honour for our adult team in Wexford Park. Our eldest got more of a lift from those times than all the intercounty games I brought our lads to this year put together!

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 11806 - 22/10/2022 17:21:22    2445043

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Replying To BarneyGrant:  "Most counties holding their finals at all grades more or less the same time as any other year. Split season was a red herring as far as that is concerned,

The "hysteria" about running off the inter-county championships by July - which obviously has made no difference whatsoever to the club season - is that instead of Limerick and the Cats and Kerry and Galway being the focus of public attention in September - with all the benefits that brings to the clubs - the Irish media could happily concentrate on their "beloved" Cities and Uniteds and Pools etc, etc,

As was pointed out at the time by Donal Óg and Spillane and other wiser heads."
All-Ireland Finals are the showcase of the GAA. All club action should be over in time for the All -Irelands in late September.

Saynothing (Tyrone) - Posts: 2011 - 22/10/2022 18:09:13    2445048

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Replying To Saynothing:  "All-Ireland Finals are the showcase of the GAA. All club action should be over in time for the All -Irelands in late September."
How do you manage that? How do you fulfil intercounty fixtures with no players? Who plays inteecounty if all the players are with their clubs?

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 11806 - 22/10/2022 20:29:48    2445064

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Replying To Viking66:  "How do you manage that? How do you fulfil intercounty fixtures with no players? Who plays inteecounty if all the players are with their clubs?"
How did they always manage?

End the championship 2 months early to have club finals maybe a week or two earlier!

Doesn't make sense to me. I have to say.

BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 2546 - 22/10/2022 20:34:18    2445065

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