Munster Club Championships 2021

[Rossfan]

I think the Kerry system is fascinating and it's a wonder other counties don't adopt a more similar approach. I know clubs won't vote for their demotion either.

Also here in Mayo the league and championship are two separate entities.

Leagues and Championships have no link in vast majority of Counties.

[Maroon Manc]

I've probably posted this a few times here already but just once more...

The aim in Kerry for many years now has been to 1)Keep the County Senior football championship as strong as possible so it is a testing ground for potential county players..and 2)That every single player in the county, regardless of their club's level, have an opportunity to play in the Senior c'ship through the Divisional teams.
Now, for the last 2 years this has meant there has only been 8 club teams and 8 divisional teams in the Senior championship. In my own view, 8 clubs is too few and they are currently reviewing this situation. I think it's likely they will increase to 10 clubs and 8 divisions this year or next. I think that would be a better balance. There is currently 16 clubs in Intermediate, 16 in Premier Junior, 16 in Junior. There are no second teams allowed in these championships unlike other counties. They have separate competitions. I'm not sure how it is proposed to alter the number of clubs - perhaps a 10 - 16 - 16 - 14 split, but I'm not entirely sure.

In case it needs to be said again, there is zero connection between county league and a club's championship grade in Kerry. This often gets thrown out there as an argument - Gneeveguilla who won the Premier Junior (and Munster Junior) last year, won Division 2 of the league and are therefore promoted  to Div 1 for 2022. They beat Castleisland (an Intermediate club in 2021) in final. Na Gaeil, winners of Intermediate 2021, so Senior in 2022, are still in Division 2 below Gneeveguilla. League has no bearing or link to championship. Clubs play most league games without their county players, without players who spend summer on J1s etc (quite a decent number) so there are teams who do better than others in League.

Could keep typing but don't want to be very long winded..basically, the gradings are done for good reasons and even if there are 10 Senior clubs the Intermediate and Junior winners will still be strong. In Munster the strongest competition for Kerry clubs would usually be from Cork clubs, but they have a system for the last few years that has the winners of their 3rd tier championship entering Munster Intermediate and winners of 5th tier entering Munster Junior..hence, Kerry teams are largely winning the Inter and Junior football and often by large margins. The Cork situation needs changing and there is a proposal to rectify it being debated currently.

Anyway, as I've said before it's the way it's done down here. Divisional teams play in Cork SFC and should actually be very strong but are largely treated like sh*t, so haven't had very much success recently. A North Tipp combination won a Tipp SFC in last 10 years I know but I seem to recall there was a move to stop them playing thereafter?
Apart from that divisional teams don't seem to exist in many other places, when there would definitely be areas that could benefit from them surely..

Given the current split of clubs it would be much fairer if the premier junior champions entered the intermediate championship and the junior champions entered the junior championship. This would be the 25th best club and 41st best club out of a total of 56. The current situation of the 9th and 25th gives Kerry teams an unfair advantage. The change would make no difference to the internal club championships in Kerry.

Not exactly the most difficult thing to implement either, could even rebrand the Intermediate Championship to Senior B which would have the same impact.

[Ciarrai_thuaidh]

Why would Kerry just arbitrarily pass over the winners of the second grade championship? That wouldn't make any sense and isn't going to happen.

If Cork sort out their gradings this won't even be a debate in a few years as Cork teams would be winning their fair share of Intermediate and Junior titles.
At the moment the Cork structure is:
Premier Senior (12 clubs) - winners to Munster Senior club
Senior A (12)
Premier Intermediate (12) - Winners to Munster Inter club
Intermediate A (16 clubs)
Junior A (Basically every other club in the county! Over 100..must be the largest championship in the country.) - Winners to Munster Junior club

So 1st, 3rd and 5th tier winners to Munster..which is them shooting themselves in the foot from a Munster club POV. There is a proposal being debated to rename grades, but if Top, 2nd and 3rd grade winners were allowed to enter Munster it would change the picture immeasurably and 50% of titles at all grades of football would be won by Cork teams. Even as is, Knocknagree won a Junior All Ireland a few years back.

[hoynevalley]

Kerry will do what suits Kerry, rest do what suits themselves.
Good luck with trying to get Clubs to vote for downgrading thenselves

Don't let the facts get in the way of a good story. Other counties can embrace the kerry system. Players from most junior clubs have the opportunity to player senior champion with the county championship.

[hoynevalley]

Eh?

Another poster for the ignore list.

[Blowitupref]

In the terms of ranking Kerry club teams where would Na Gaeil be? They are currently the clear favourites for the Intermediate All-Ireland championship.

[full moon]

In the terms of ranking Kerry club teams where would Na Gaeil be? They are currently the clear favourites for the Intermediate All-Ireland championship.

Yes and in my view Steelstown are a very high level side for Intermediate. So if they are heavy underdogs against Na Gaeil the Kerry team, think that says a lot

[full moon]

I'm watching Denn the Ulster junior champions play the Kerry junior champions in the All Ireland semi final at the moment.

Denn are 12 points down at half time. The Kerry side Gneeveguilla are clearly a Senior level side in any other county, nevermind an Intermediate and this is Junior level.

Incredible the Kerry County Board get away with this. Basically makes the Intermediate and Junior All Ireland club a non event due to bad grading system.

[clarshack]

Watching the Steelstown game and Na Gaeil are kicking themselves out of it.

[clarshack]

Steelstown have 1-4 and no wides. Na Gaeil 12 wides so far.

[clarshack]

Steelstown have missed 2 great goal chances to finish the game off.

[Blowitupref]

Steelstown have missed 2 great goal chances to finish the game off.

Will be winning, awaiting to take a penalty deep into injury time.  Long delay with a injury.

[Baile an tuaigh]

St Finbars very big powerful team can't see them loosing. Winning alot if 50/50 ball. Big crowd behind them.

[Hoof Hearted]

St Finbars very big powerful team can't see them loosing. Winning alot if 50/50 ball. Big crowd behind them.

Showing serious aggression and physicality
Kikcoo haven't had this as while I'd say
Need to watch as a few are on yellows already

[quit yo jibbajabba]

Bejaysus these Cork boys are up for it 😃