Proposals to change the All Ireland Football structures

[Catch and Kick]

There's been lots of criticism of the existing structures for the past 10 years or so. Have any new options surfaced yet from the counties?

[BennyHarp]

Not sure but there's been plenty of threads about it on here.

[Real Talk]

Jim McGuiness's has got the perfect answer in the last weeks Irish Times  .... a solution that deals with all the issues in a fair and balanced structure 

[larryin89]

New one today from the GPA and it sounds great tbh. If the players are in favour and most supporters want some kind of change , then why should it not be given a shot?

[blewuporstuffed]

New one today from the GPA and it sounds great tbh. If the players are in favour and most supporters want some kind of change , then why should it not be given a shot?

What are the GPA suggesting?

[Esmarelda]

Here it is. Haven't read it myself yet.

http://www.the42.ie/gpa-all-ireland-football-2206913-Jul2015/

[Esmarelda]

Initial problems:

1. Probable dead rubber games at the last stage.
2. Provincials devalued as the top teams are concerned with peaking for the AI series.

Other than that it seems reasonable. Only initial views though.

Also, Dublin will hammer someone in Division 4 so that issue will remain.

They'll also hammer someone in the Leinster Championship.

In fact won't about six teams get hammered, finish bottom and have no chance of winning anything?

[Rossfan]

So the 8 bottom seeds get 3 batins and have nothing to play for.
Why not have 3 "streams" with the winners of the weak streams getting into the knock out stages along with 8 qualifiers from the top "stream"

[larryin89]

It's like we are looking for the perfect utopia, such things don't exist in life , politics or sport. Next thing we will want handicaps for some counties .

[muppet]

Initial problems:

1. Probable dead rubber games at the last stage.
2. Provincials devalued as the top teams are concerned with peaking for the AI series.

Other than that it seems reasonable. Only initial views though.

Also, Dublin will hammer someone in Division 4 so that issue will remain.

They'll also hammer someone in the Leinster Championship.

In fact won't about six teams get hammered, finish bottom and have no chance of winning anything?

I see a lot of problems with that proposal tbh.

The Provincial Championships effectively replace the O'Byrne/McKenna/FBD/McGrath Cups, only they are played off after the League. I don't see the point of this at all. They should incorporate the Provincial finals into the groups, which would retain the thrill of the local rivalries and provincial finals, and free up time for club games by scrapping the other cups.

'with seedings to be determined from final NFL position'. - I am sure this is to force teams to take the NFL seriously, which is fair enough, but it will REDUCE competitive games in the early stages by keeping top teams apart.

'with the bottom-ranked side having home advantage in their game against the top seed'. - Is this always to be the case. i.e. does the lower (rather than bottom) ranked team always have home advantage? In this case it would be advantageous for Mayo to finish just below Galway or Roscommon, if they are in the same NFL division, to gain home advantage if they meet in the Championship. Indeed, finishing just above relegation would be the best position to finish in the League rounds.


Personally I think thewobbler's and Jimmy's watching matches proposals were far better. But the O'Rourke/Martin Carney group from about 14 years ago was the best.

[larryin89]

I agree with you muppet on the provincials just replacing the meaningless o Byrne , McKenna , McGrath and Roscommon cup .

What I don't agree with is the sentiment that you can avoid having a team finishing bottom / receiving a hammering , sure as hell as there's the best team there has to be the worst team .Wimbledon starts off with I imagine players that are seeded as low as 200 and nearly always end up with the top four in semis , same as any sport. I just don't get that point and these are the same boyos who are against a 2/3 tier system too. You just can't win.

[doodaa]

What would be wrong with;

Run the provincials as a separate competition (as per GPA proposals)
Then 4 groups of 8 in a straight knockout.

It might throw up some big games early on or some complete mismatches but at least there will be a buzz about it due to a straight knockout. Can you imagine Cork & Kerry meeting in the first round with no safety net? Last weeks game would pale in comparison.

[Maroon Manc]

I'm not a fan of the GPA proposal, I want to see more games between the stronger teams with more games like Kerry & Cork last week.

The league is a huge issue and will continue to be, A Division 1 side is guaranteed 7 tough games which is ideal preparation for the championship whilst every other county not in Div 1 will final it near on impossible to make an impact in the championship. Split the league up, take 2 counties from each division to create a new division. Weaker teams will benefit from tougher games whilst stronger counties level will perhaps drop given their lack of competitive action which will lead to weaker counties closing the gap.

[Bingo]

Provincial games - lack of public interest and will be equivalent of McKenna Cup games in a few years. No impact on All-Ireland.

Group games - only one team doesn't enter knock out, in effect they will be dead rubbers like the early rounds of the provincils but closer to early rounds of qualifiers. Its not knockout and its not league, will have little real bearing till the last 16. Big teams still avoid each other. Very little at stake.

Last 16 - might generate a bit more interest.

Last 8 onwards - as it is now. This is really only where it will start.

GPA proposal: 4/10 - it shortens the season but provides better planning for club season. But overall, just more dead rubber type games and no real knockout action until later stages.

[blewuporstuffed]

Anyone have a link to what mcguinness proposed?