Would you be in favour of a second tier?

[Bord na Mona man]

Unfortunately this is another example of the creeping elitism in the GAA.
They're now bubbling the high profile, high earning teams to the top and filtering out the less desirable ones.

It also shows that GAA democracy is top down instead of bottom up.
John Horan decided this was to be his defining legacy and set about using all the tools at his disposal to ram it through.

For the elite counties there's a plenty of "I'm alright Jack" at play in how they voted.
We're happy for the dregs to bugger off someplace else, but we don't want to play in a 2nd tier ourselves.
Look at how Cork and Tipperary shored up their position when it looked like they were slated to operate in tier 2.
If it's such a great place for counties to develop and win a national trophy, they shouldn't have minded.
It's reminds of that Onion satirical survey which said that 98% of commuters favoured public transport for others.

There may be other teams who fall through the trapdoor in future who will change their tune on the merits of a tiered championship.
John Horan himself wants to add an extra team to the Leinster hurling championship now that Leix may possibly nudge Dublin into the Joe McDonagh Cup.
And we laughed at John Delaney wanting a 33rd team in the world cup.

As usual there was plenty of woolly promises to sweeten the deal. Promises about coverage and promotion which might be well intentioned but are unlikely to amount to anything.
Remember when people wanted Croke Park opened, all the fluffy talk about soccer and rugby matches being preceded by GAA demos to woo the masses. How the new Lansdowne Road would be open for GAA quarter finals.
People use all sorts of fudges to push something over the line.

[From the Bunker]

Unfortunately this is another example of the creeping elitism in the GAA.
They're now bubbling the high profile, high earning teams to the top and filtering out the less desirable ones.

It also shows that GAA democracy is top down instead of bottom up.
John Horan decided this was to be his defining legacy and set about using all the tools at his disposal to ram it through.

For the elite counties there's a plenty of "I'm alright Jack" at play in how they voted.
We're happy for the dregs to bugger off someplace else, but we don't want to play in a 2nd tier ourselves.
Look at how Cork and Tipperary shored up their position when it looked like they were slated to operate in tier 2.
If it's such a great place for counties to develop and win a national trophy, they shouldn't have minded.
It's reminds of that Onion satirical survey which said that 98% of commuters favoured public transport for others.

There may be other teams who fall through the trapdoor in future who will change their tune on the merits of a tiered championship.
John Horan himself wants to add an extra team to the Leinster hurling championship now that Leix may possibly nudge Dublin into the Joe McDonagh Cup.
And we laughed at John Delaney wanting a 33rd team in the world cup.

As usual there was plenty of woolly promises to sweeten the deal. Promises about coverage and promotion which might be well intentioned but are unlikely to amount to anything.
Remember when people wanted Croke Park opened, all the fluffy talk about soccer and rugby matches being preceded by GAA demos to woo the masses. How the new Lansdowne Road would be open for GAA quarter finals.
People use all sorts of fudges to push something over the line.

Excellent post!

[Blowitupref]

How do the qualifiers work now ?
I assume they are basically capped to 8 teams because the powers that be are assuming there will be 8 division 1 or 2 teams in the 4 provincial finals.
Does this mean the qualifiers can't begin until after the all the provincial semi finals are completed ?
Could a team be waiting for over 6 weeks for a qualifier if they are in the top 2 divisions and get knocked out in a premilarily round game like the losers of the Donegal v Tyrone game in Ulster next year ?

[under the bar]

So Armagh and Down, perennial div 3 fodder that they are, will be contesting the Mickey mouse cup from 2020? LMAO! 

McKenna cup winners should get an automatic invite.

That's Armagh fcuked twice then.  They couldn't win a game of snap!...

[BennyCake]

I don't trust Congress. Transparency is needed. CPA wanted it and they were right to want it.

The GAA are fast becoming the Tory party.

[Rossfan]

Does this mean the qualifiers can't begin until after the all the provincial semi finals are completed ? YES.
Could a team be waiting for over 6 weeks for a qualifier if they are in the top 2 divisions and get knocked out in a premilarily round game like the losers of the Donegal v Tyrone game in Ulster next year ? YES.

As far as I'm aware there will be a Prelim Round if needed weekend * 23 June.
Round 1 weekend * 30 June
Round 2 weekend* 7 July.

*Can't be bothered to check exact dates

[Rossfan]

I don't trust Congress.

How are things in the Purity Cave?

[seafoid]

One of the arguments against tiering is that it takes away the dreams of weaker D3 and D4 counties .
Funding Dublin takes away the dreams of the stronger counties.

[FermGael]

So more than likely we will have Tyrone/Donegal will a minimum 4 week break between when they are out out of the Ulster championship and play there first round qualifier game.

It's farcical that this has been allowed to be pushed through.
There is absolutely no detail in it.
I am assuming from what's been outlined that is possible for a Div 3/ Div 4 team to win this competition and then win it again the next year ( assuming they have not be promoted to division 2 and get knocked out before their provincial final).
At least with the hurling structure( Joe McDonagh winners) they are given the chance to compete in the all Ireland hurling championship in the same season.

Thee is no detail in this proposal.  Nothing at all.
Just dump the division 3 and 4 teams from the senior championship and let them play among themselves.
There are no incentives to win this competition.  What has been talked about is All Stars, Tv coverage and semi finals and finals before the all Ireland semi finals and finals. 
Again no detail has been given but sure John Horan got a text from RTÉ.
Imagine if the main competition was changed like this.
It shows exactly what direction the Gaa is heading in.
We are losing what was great about our organisation in a rush to create marquee games at the end of the summer.  Nothing is being done to develop these weaker footballing counties.
The minute your tier teams off you are increasing the gap between the halves and the have nots.
The league was tiered and it has helped the stronger and better organised counties

Just look at what has happened Offaly and Antrim in the hurling? Show me all the new teams that have suddenly appeared in hurling at the top table since they tiered it ?
Yes teams now win competitions but they end up getting relegated the next year from the competition above. How is that helping developing hurling ?

It's just typical Gaa.  No though. No plan. More greed.

[Farrandeelin]

So more than likely we will have Tyrone/Donegal will a minimum 4 week break between when they are out out of the Ulster championship and play there first round qualifier game.

It's farcical that this has been allowed to be pushed through.
There is absolutely no detail in it.
I am assuming from what's been outlined that is possible for a Div 3/ Div 4 team to win this competition and then win it again the next year ( assuming they have not be promoted to division 2 and get knocked out before their provincial final).
At least with the hurling structure( Joe McDonagh winners) they are given the chance to compete in the all Ireland hurling championship in the same season.

Thee is no detail in this proposal.  Nothing at all.
Just dump the division 3 and 4 teams from the senior championship and let them play among themselves.
There are no incentives to win this competition.  What has been talked about is All Stars, Tv coverage and semi finals and finals before the all Ireland semi finals and finals. 
Again no detail has been given but sure John Horan got a text from RTÉ.
Imagine if the main competition was changed like this.
It shows exactly what direction the Gaa is heading in.
We are losing what was great about our organisation in a rush to create marquee games at the end of the summer.  Nothing is being done to develop these weaker footballing counties.
The minute your tier teams off you are increasing the gap between the halves and the have nots.
The league was tiered and it has helped the stronger and better organised counties

Just look at what has happened Offaly and Antrim in the hurling? Show me all the new teams that have suddenly appeared in hurling at the top table since they tiered it ?
Yes teams now win competitions but they end up getting relegated the next year from the competition above. How is that helping developing hurling ?

It's just typical Gaa.  No though. No plan. More greed.

100% agree with everything you have said here FermGael. I do wonder what the end-game is in all of this?

"Get yer houses in order" will be the line taken, but you can only do so much when Dublin are swatting away everyone. And please, don't mention the 1 point wins in the finals against Mayo. Mayo are gone you could say, Kerry may win one or two, but we won't ever see Dublin going through 16 years of pain again.

[t_mac]

Empty stadiums would send a clear message but that us never going happen. Folk will continue to fill the pockets of the GAA so in their mind it will be deemed a triumph.

[Rossfan]

There'll be no handy Qualifier games next year!

[Rossfan]

Such as.....?

[Esmarelda]

Does this mean the qualifiers can't begin until after the all the provincial semi finals are completed ? YES.
Could a team be waiting for over 6 weeks for a qualifier if they are in the top 2 divisions and get knocked out in a premilarily round game like the losers of the Donegal v Tyrone game in Ulster next year ? YES.

As far as I'm aware there will be a Prelim Round if needed weekend * 23 June.
Round 1 weekend * 30 June
Round 2 weekend* 7 July.

*Can't be bothered to check exact dates

I see it mentions byes if there are less than 16 teams. So if there's 15 teams there's a bye but if there's 14 there's two byes?

Also, when the Super 8s were introduced the championship was condensed with the view of facilitating club games for those teams knocked out. Now, as Ferm Gael, has pointed out, either Monaghan or Cavan will be sitting around as they used to do before the Super 8s.

Talk about making it up as you go along.

[BennyCake]

Empty stadiums would send a clear message but that us never going happen. Folk will continue to fill the pockets of the GAA so in their mind it will be deemed a triumph.

Fans will flock to the big games no matter how many there are. Even if people boycotted Tier 2 games, the big games will balance the books anyway, so the GAA don't give a shit. And, nobody would notice a boycott because Tier 2 will get feck all coverage anyway.