National Forum

Late County Finals - Split Season

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Replying To sligo joe:  "Do you really believe a vote to change the finals back against the overwhelmingly expressed wishes of the players, club and county, is a plausible solution. You might get new dates but no games."
Yes I do believe as the delegates that need to be convinced are the ones who are strongly involved with the club scene also. They'll be compromise reached and Jarlath burns comments to the media are a basically leak/spoiler of plans that those at the HQ want.

Gaa_lover (USA) - Posts: 3653 - 12/06/2025 15:03:34    2616962

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Replying To sligo joe:  "While it's very clear that County players are against any return to later finals I agree it is more difficult to gauge the opinion of club players. However it must be remembered that the current season was very much the achievement of campaigning by club players (CPA). And a recent survey, Nov '24, in Cork had 87% of club players in favour of the current season and wanting no change. While I don't have the figures, there have been polls in other counties and nationally among club players with similar results."
The only real change for most players will be that some counties' club finals will be around 3-4 weeks later. Players away in America on J1s will miss less championship games also.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 16305 - 12/06/2025 15:48:54    2616980

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Replying To Gaa_lover:  "Yes I do believe as the delegates that need to be convinced are the ones who are strongly involved with the club scene also. They'll be compromise reached and Jarlath burns comments to the media are a basically leak/spoiler of plans that those at the HQ want."
I believe there is great support among committee members, delegates etc for later final dates but the players are different, they campaigned long and hard for the condensed season, time will tell but I don't sense any willingness on the players behalf to compromise the gains they made.

sligo joe (Dublin) - Posts: 938 - 12/06/2025 16:22:22    2616994

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Replying To Viking66:  "The only real change for most players will be that some counties' club finals will be around 3-4 weeks later. Players away in America on J1s will miss less championship games also."
I don't disagree and I have no axe to grind either way but just a question. Do you sense any willingness by current players, club and county, to move the dates of the All Ireland finals back and if there is no willingness what do you propose?

sligo joe (Dublin) - Posts: 938 - 12/06/2025 16:27:05    2616995

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Replying To sligo joe:  "Do you really believe a vote to change the finals back against the overwhelmingly expressed wishes of the players, club and county, is a plausible solution. You might get new dates but no games."
It is not happening, that I can assure you. Club and county players know now they have the power and rightly so. After one hundred and thirty something years we finally have a fixtures season that players can plan around. A week each end of the present county season may be possible, but anyone thinking there going to be September or late August finals ever again is living in Walter Mitty's land. The only complaints I hear are from the journalists and arm chair followers, and those are for selfish reasons. Real fans enjoy going to games, lots of games for both club and county. Roll on the weekend.

ORIELMAN85 (Monaghan) - Posts: 609 - 12/06/2025 16:48:38    2616999

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Replying To ORIELMAN85:  "It is not happening, that I can assure you. Club and county players know now they have the power and rightly so. After one hundred and thirty something years we finally have a fixtures season that players can plan around. A week each end of the present county season may be possible, but anyone thinking there going to be September or late August finals ever again is living in Walter Mitty's land. The only complaints I hear are from the journalists and arm chair followers, and those are for selfish reasons. Real fans enjoy going to games, lots of games for both club and county. Roll on the weekend."
There won't be September finals. But they could be put back a couple weeks?

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 16305 - 12/06/2025 17:05:59    2617004

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Replying To sligo joe:  "I don't disagree and I have no axe to grind either way but just a question. Do you sense any willingness by current players, club and county, to move the dates of the All Ireland finals back and if there is no willingness what do you propose?"
If the players don't want to do it then I wouldn't want it seen done. But if they didn't mind it wouldn't be a bad thing to have the finals beginning of August instead of mid July. It's not liable to affect us down here anytime soon anyway :-D

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 16305 - 12/06/2025 17:08:09    2617006

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Replying To ORIELMAN85:  "It is not happening, that I can assure you. Club and county players know now they have the power and rightly so. After one hundred and thirty something years we finally have a fixtures season that players can plan around. A week each end of the present county season may be possible, but anyone thinking there going to be September or late August finals ever again is living in Walter Mitty's land. The only complaints I hear are from the journalists and arm chair followers, and those are for selfish reasons. Real fans enjoy going to games, lots of games for both club and county. Roll on the weekend."
Yes looking forward to the trip to Limerick myself!

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 16305 - 12/06/2025 17:10:02    2617007

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Replying To sligo joe:  "While it's very clear that County players are against any return to later finals I agree it is more difficult to gauge the opinion of club players. However it must be remembered that the current season was very much the achievement of campaigning by club players (CPA). And a recent survey, Nov '24, in Cork had 87% of club players in favour of the current season and wanting no change. While I don't have the figures, there have been polls in other counties and nationally among club players with similar results."
The current system is no doubt better than what we had.

I still don't think that it's the best we could have.

You could absolutely have club break weekends built into the season and play more games overall at club level but still have certainty in fixtures.

Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4572 - 12/06/2025 17:31:55    2617013

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Replying To Whammo86:  "The current system is no doubt better than what we had.

I still don't think that it's the best we could have.

You could absolutely have club break weekends built into the season and play more games overall at club level but still have certainty in fixtures."
Do most counties not already have club break weekends built into their seasons, particularly in the League?
Club breaks were included in the Kildare master fixtures list before the so called split season and players knew exactly when they were playing.

lilywhite1 (Kildare) - Posts: 3032 - 12/06/2025 20:06:26    2617036

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Waterford will start their hurling championship in July. Will be finished in September as they play every week. Then the champions have to wait at least 7 weeks until November waiting for Munster opposition. The footballers will not kick a ball until the hurling is done and we expect to get players to play and improve our standard. This split season is a joke and I don't believe the b. s. That everyone prefers it. If you are dominantly a football club getting screwed over. If you are dominantly a hurling club injuries with a condensed schedule and too hurt to play football if a dual club.

Canuck (Waterford) - Posts: 3108 - 12/06/2025 22:23:53    2617052

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Replying To sligo joe:  "While it's very clear that County players are against any return to later finals I agree it is more difficult to gauge the opinion of club players. However it must be remembered that the current season was very much the achievement of campaigning by club players (CPA). And a recent survey, Nov '24, in Cork had 87% of club players in favour of the current season and wanting no change. While I don't have the figures, there have been polls in other counties and nationally among club players with similar results."
What was the alternative put in the poll by the way? A return to the #### system we had before when the club player never knew when he was expected to play championship?

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 16305 - 12/06/2025 22:27:30    2617054

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I think split season is working very well over all..it does affect some of the stronger dual counties..
It's excellent now that club players know exactly when championship starts,not waiting to see if county team is beaten and be told it might be such a weekend..
It does cause problems for likes of loughmore(tipp)..always involved in latter end of both but listening to the McGraths they love playing week on week.
Leagues have been played in limerick and it was great to see clubs with different fellas given chances to put hand up for inclusion when championship comes round..the system will never suit everyone but I think it's better now..

CTGAA10 (Limerick) - Posts: 2542 - 13/06/2025 00:11:22    2617078

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Replying To Viking66:  "What was the alternative put in the poll by the way? A return to the #### system we had before when the club player never knew when he was expected to play championship?"
Prior to the so called split season the majority
of players in every county knew when their championship would start.
Even now during the 'split season' club football and hurling leagues run in tandem with inter County league and championships. The only thing that the 'split season' has done is condensed the season to the detriment of player welfare and prevents us from enjoying games at the height of the summer.
It's time that the farce of the so called split season was addressed. One of the objectives of the split season was for the All-Ireland club championships to be finished in the calendar year. It still hasn't happened.

lilywhite1 (Kildare) - Posts: 3032 - 13/06/2025 00:15:53    2617079

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Replying To ORIELMAN85:  "It is not happening, that I can assure you. Club and county players know now they have the power and rightly so. After one hundred and thirty something years we finally have a fixtures season that players can plan around. A week each end of the present county season may be possible, but anyone thinking there going to be September or late August finals ever again is living in Walter Mitty's land. The only complaints I hear are from the journalists and arm chair followers, and those are for selfish reasons. Real fans enjoy going to games, lots of games for both club and county. Roll on the weekend."
It will happen and I can assure you of that… Remember none of your previous assurances ever came to pass and neither will this one for you.. Now back to your basketball.. Good lad

ForeverBlue2 (Cavan) - Posts: 4060 - 13/06/2025 07:20:34    2617087

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Replying To Viking66:  "What was the alternative put in the poll by the way? A return to the #### system we had before when the club player never knew when he was expected to play championship?"
It was a simple binary question, are you in favour of the new split season, as it stands, 800 players were polled and 86.5% said yes.
I see your point, if an attractive alternative was put to players could they be persuaded? Maybe.
The earlier All Ireland finals to a great extent were brought in to facilitate club competitions/club players. An unforeseen result was how popular the early finals are with county players.

sligo joe (Dublin) - Posts: 938 - 13/06/2025 08:11:07    2617089

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Usually there have been two weekends off at the end of December for those still in contention for the All Ireland club titles. If the inter county season was to extend by 2-3 weeks, they might have to use one extra weekend in December.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 8934 - 13/06/2025 09:23:22    2617102

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Replying To lilywhite1:  "Do most counties not already have club break weekends built into their seasons, particularly in the League?
Club breaks were included in the Kildare master fixtures list before the so called split season and players knew exactly when they were playing."
Sorry, I meant breaks in the inter county season to allow for club activity.

Like a quick guide of what I'm thinking.

National league starts in February it's played something like:
Week 1:NFL1
Week 2: NFL2
Week 3: Break
Week 4: NFL 3
Week 5: NFL4
Week 6: Club Window 1
Week 7: Club Window 2
Week 8: NFL5
Week 9: NFL6
Week 10: Club Window 3
Week 11: Club Window 4
Week 12: NFL7
Week 13: NFL finals
Week 14: Club Window 5
Week 15: Club Window 6
Week 16-21: Provincial Championship
Week 22: Club Window 7
Week 23: Club Window 8
Week 24-32: All Ireland Series

The inter county season ends 5 or 6 weeks later but we've had 8 rounds of club action (4 per code) in that time at have had fewer dead weeks when the weather is at it's best.

There's even further gains to be had if National League and Provincials could be played in parallel.

Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4572 - 13/06/2025 09:29:59    2617106

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Far too many meaningless county games with more nonsense this weekend…. Championship only really starts after wasting 3/4 weekends with this nonsense… Change will be imminent regardless of what the players think…

ForeverBlue2 (Cavan) - Posts: 4060 - 13/06/2025 09:54:02    2617118

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Replying To Canuck:  "Waterford will start their hurling championship in July. Will be finished in September as they play every week. Then the champions have to wait at least 7 weeks until November waiting for Munster opposition. The footballers will not kick a ball until the hurling is done and we expect to get players to play and improve our standard. This split season is a joke and I don't believe the b. s. That everyone prefers it. If you are dominantly a football club getting screwed over. If you are dominantly a hurling club injuries with a condensed schedule and too hurt to play football if a dual club."
That has nothing to do with the split season. In Galway, football and hurling are played every 2nd week, so neither code is left with a big layoff before the provincials. Dual players love playing matches week on week, as another poster mentioned with the McGraths.

Ciaran359 (Galway) - Posts: 29 - 13/06/2025 10:16:34    2617125

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