On right track, but far from perfect
GAA
by Diarmuid O’Flynn
EVERYBODY and her aunt will be having a cut off these new football proposals, so I may as well have mine. Immediate first impressions and I should know by now that knee jerk reactions are dangerous) were negative, very negative. Under the new system, pure championship wouldn’t start until the provincial semi final stage, with one county in Munster and Connacht going straight to the final, from the league format.
Terrible, I thought. Goes against the basics. Every county should at least have the right to participate in the championship. Then a few discussions on the subject. And, though without at this stage having the benefit of the complete package, it starts to make more sense. Because the league is a major part of the championship, in the proposal.
The major knock against the current system is that the League is not taken as seriously as it should, and that as a result, half the teams in the country get just one truly competitive outing per annum - the first round of the championship.
It is fair to say that, over the past decade, the League has grown, drawing decent crowds, a good measure of media coverage, and favourable comments from some of the leading team managers in the country. Sean Boylan, the outstanding football manager of the past couple of decades, is a consistent supporter of the League and has used it over the years to blood some of his most high profile players.
Sadly however, not every manager, and certainly not every player especially the more established, from the more established counties), gave that same commitment.
Without question then, something needed to be done. The surprise, the shock even, is that something so radical should have been proposed from within the GAA itself. And, if for no other reason, it deserves serious consideration.
Certainly, there are holes in the proposal. For starters, if I were Sean Boylan or Larry Tompkins, I would be hoping for a slot in the lowest division, among those ‘other’ 10 counties from the four provinces that fail to make the seedings North and South. Avoid the top seven in both Leinster and Ulster, the top four in both Munster and Connacht, and fall in with the other also rans from those provinces, plus London.
Top that particular section, or even, finish second. The reward? A place in the All Ireland ‘B’ final, big deal. But throw in a trip to America, to play either New York or the North American Board champions, and, better yet, a guaranteed place in the All Ireland quarter final suddenly, the carrot is magnified.
Playing in the top two divisions, the new GAA defined North and South, offers no such guarantees. Finish first or second there, and the reward is the provincial final, at best. That’s one step before the All Ireland quarter final. Even to make the provincial semi final, you have to finish no worse than fourth, for Ulster and Leinster, or third, for Munster and Connacht, against top rated teams. The provincial semi final two huge steps before that All Ireland quarter final place. Which division would you rather be in, as a team manager, with the championship as the ultimate goal?
As with any proposal, there are some kinks to be ironed out, and this could be done over the proposed two year probation period for the experiment. Another major criticism is that, even if the league style games on offer would now be a lot more competitive than at present, with much greater prizes on offer. Over half the teams in the country would have lost all competitive interest by the end of June. This doesn’t offer much improvement.
The ultimate aim of this new league in fact, the only aim is to provide the teams for the new reduced version championship. It’s inconsistent that a team from a lower division should end up with automatic entry to the championship at a higher level than teams from the higher leagues, and something should be done, before this proposal goes to the various counties, to address that. Something should also be done to address the lack of competitive games after June.
On the positive side, the proposals really do give teeth to the league. I have long argued in these pages that because the championship is the be all and end all for most GAA fans and players, for the league to have meaning, it would have to be tied to the championship. This committee has gone further and made the championship the whole raison d’être for their new league. Very radical, but also, I think, a bridge too far. In doing away with the existing League, they’ve thrown out baby, bath water, bath and all. The existing League could have been salvaged.
However, on first reading, it makes for a change, and one worth debate. It’s not perfect, never going to be, and is bound to meet some very rocky water. But it’s a start.
By The Way: I did not and do not wish ill luck to the footballers of UCC, despite last week’s headline. Never have, to any genuine team of sportsmen which I believe College to be), never will. I did say that I wouldn’t be disappointed if they lost. I repeat that.
© The Examiner, 1999