Provincial Championships - is this the beginning of the end?

[ONeill]

The provincials are outdated.

Take out NY and London, including Kilkenny, there are 32 teams - a very natural 8x4, or 4x8.

Instead we have 1x12, 1x9, 1x6, 1x5. Makes no sense.

[armaghniac]

The provincials are outdated.

Take out NY and London, including Kilkenny, there are 32 teams - a very natural 8x4, or 4x8.

Instead we have 1x12, 1x9, 1x6, 1x5. Makes no sense.

So you throw one team out of Ulster? Not a very big difference.

[ONeill]

Aye.

[Eire90]

provincials are better at club level because you have to win your county to get into them its not like you  have to win like two matches and win a  provincial like in some provinces

[balladmaker]

In answer to the subject line question, yes, this is the beginning of the end of the Provincial Championships feeding into the All Ireland Series.  I can see the Provincials replacing the pre-league competitions and being run off as a completely separate competition.  That leaves the leagues to feed directly into the Championship seedings and should remove the current unfairness that exists when provincials feed into the All Ireland.

[Rossfan]

Could well happen in time.....
Provincials on a round robin (with Finals) Jan to mid March with some perk for the Winners.
League/Championship April to mid June
3 Knock out series Sam, Tailteann  and say Cúchulann Cups 12/10/10 late June/July.

[seafoid]

The provincials are outdated.

Take out NY and London, including Kilkenny, there are 32 teams - a very natural 8x4, or 4x8.

Instead we have 1x12, 1x9, 1x6, 1x5. Makes no sense.

4x8 is outdated
Now young people wouldn't know how to multiply. They would do it on their phones

[Louther]

2x16 league basis.

Div1
Top 8 go into all Ireland series - knock out on seeded basis. Top 8 straight into quarter final.

Bottom 8 relegation play offs. 2 groups of 4. Bottom 2 each group relegated.

Div 2 - Top 8 Tailteann Cup or something. Semi finalists promoted. Winner gets team holiday.

Bottom 8 play for a Mickey Mouse Cup to finish season out and a team holiday in a campsite in Donegal in November. Or something.

[toby47]

2x16 league basis.

Div1
Top 8 go into all Ireland series - knock out on seeded basis. Top 8 straight into quarter final.

Bottom 8 relegation play offs. 2 groups of 4. Bottom 2 each group relegated.

Div 2 - Top 8 Tailteann Cup or something. Semi finalists promoted. Winner gets team holiday.

Bottom 8 play for a Mickey Mouse Cup to finish season out and a team holiday in a campsite in Donegal in November. Or something.

[/b]

🤣🤣🤣

[yellowcard]

In answer to the subject line question, yes, this is the beginning of the end of the Provincial Championships feeding into the All Ireland Series.  I can see the Provincials replacing the pre-league competitions and being run off as a completely separate competition.  That leaves the leagues to feed directly into the Championship seedings and should remove the current unfairness that exists when provincials feed into the All Ireland.

I'd agree with that, it seems like the natural progression to play the provincial competition prior to the Leagues commencing. Then create the link between League and championship.  But the provincial council delegates will firmly resist it. It would eliminate the unfairness of the provincial system which is currently skewed in favour of Dublin and Kerry. This season will see either Sligo or New York in the AI series which does nothing for either county as they would be potential whipping boys all because of the luck of the provincial draw. Making the link between the League is a much more equitable system as a team will find itself in the competition it deserves to be.   

[seafoid]

In answer to the subject line question, yes, this is the beginning of the end of the Provincial Championships feeding into the All Ireland Series.  I can see the Provincials replacing the pre-league competitions and being run off as a completely separate competition.  That leaves the leagues to feed directly into the Championship seedings and should remove the current unfairness that exists when provincials feed into the All Ireland.

I'd agree with that, it seems like the natural progression to play the provincial competition prior to the Leagues commencing. Then create the link between League and championship.  But the provincial council delegates will firmly resist it. It would eliminate the unfairness of the provincial system which is currently skewed in favour of Dublin and Kerry. This season will see either Sligo or New York in the AI series which does nothing for either county as they would be potential whipping boys all because of the luck of the provincial draw. Making the link between the League is a much more equitable system as a team will find itself in the competition it deserves to be.

What system would not skew things in favour of Dublin and Kerry ?

[yellowcard]

In answer to the subject line question, yes, this is the beginning of the end of the Provincial Championships feeding into the All Ireland Series.  I can see the Provincials replacing the pre-league competitions and being run off as a completely separate competition.  That leaves the leagues to feed directly into the Championship seedings and should remove the current unfairness that exists when provincials feed into the All Ireland.

I'd agree with that, it seems like the natural progression to play the provincial competition prior to the Leagues commencing. Then create the link between League and championship.  But the provincial council delegates will firmly resist it. It would eliminate the unfairness of the provincial system which is currently skewed in favour of Dublin and Kerry. This season will see either Sligo or New York in the AI series which does nothing for either county as they would be potential whipping boys all because of the luck of the provincial draw. Making the link between the League is a much more equitable system as a team will find itself in the competition it deserves to be.

What system would not skew things in favour of Dublin and Kerry ?

By playing the provincial competition before the League and severing the link between the provincial championships and the All Ireland series. Kerry had the luxury of spending last week on a training camp in Portugal while the provincial series got underway.

[Blowitupref]

Jim McGuinness

For all the talk of provincial competitions smoking out on dying embers, last weekend they produced a spark that lit the flame for the 2023 football championship. From the Bronx to Castlebar to Ennis, none of it felt like a fading of the light. Far from it.

There was some commentary over the weekend suggesting supporters will spend the next six weeks watching games that mean nothing. If you speak to people from Roscommon or Clare after Sundays wins , they might have a different take.

And for me, the number of spectators in New York epitomised what these games represent. It goes beyond football – they provide a tangible link and allow folk maintain a strong culture of identity.

From that point of view, it was a very good weekend for the provincial championships. I don't agree with this whole air of negativity around the provincials, because what's the alternative? We don't have them, and so we fight for two cups instead of six? That doesn't make sense for the development of the game.

The jury is still out on the new All-Ireland format purely because nobody really knows yet how it will unspool, but we do know what championship football looks like – it's everything on the line, it's no tomorrow, teams playing with an edge, hunger, desire, passion – and all of that was on show last weekend.

So, people who have been calling hard for an end to these competitions need to pause, because once something is gone, it's gone forever. There is so much history attached to them and, even if they might not mean much to some commentators, they absolutely have a place in the hearts and minds of supporters and those involved in coaching and playing the games.

[Armagh18]

Jim McGuinness

For all the talk of provincial competitions smoking out on dying embers, last weekend they produced a spark that lit the flame for the 2023 football championship. From the Bronx to Castlebar to Ennis, none of it felt like a fading of the light. Far from it.

There was some commentary over the weekend suggesting supporters will spend the next six weeks watching games that mean nothing. If you speak to people from Roscommon or Clare after Sundays wins , they might have a different take.

And for me, the number of spectators in New York epitomised what these games represent. It goes beyond football – they provide a tangible link and allow folk maintain a strong culture of identity.

From that point of view, it was a very good weekend for the provincial championships. I don't agree with this whole air of negativity around the provincials, because what's the alternative? We don't have them, and so we fight for two cups instead of six? That doesn't make sense for the development of the game.

The jury is still out on the new All-Ireland format purely because nobody really knows yet how it will unspool, but we do know what championship football looks like – it's everything on the line, it's no tomorrow, teams playing with an edge, hunger, desire, passion – and all of that was on show last weekend.

So, people who have been calling hard for an end to these competitions need to pause, because once something is gone, it's gone forever. There is so much history attached to them and, even if they might not mean much to some commentators, they absolutely have a place in the hearts and minds of supporters and those involved in coaching and playing the games.

Ironically it was the province that is usually the most competitive that served up the most one sided game last week, although our next game should be a cracker. The Rossie and New York wins did no harm at all to the argument in favour of the provincials.

[Eire90]

Jim McGuinness

For all the talk of provincial competitions smoking out on dying embers, last weekend they produced a spark that lit the flame for the 2023 football championship. From the Bronx to Castlebar to Ennis, none of it felt like a fading of the light. Far from it.

There was some commentary over the weekend suggesting supporters will spend the next six weeks watching games that mean nothing. If you speak to people from Roscommon or Clare after Sundays wins , they might have a different take.

And for me, the number of spectators in New York epitomised what these games represent. It goes beyond football – they provide a tangible link and allow folk maintain a strong culture of identity.

From that point of view, it was a very good weekend for the provincial championships. I don't agree with this whole air of negativity around the provincials, because what's the alternative? We don't have them, and so we fight for two cups instead of six? That doesn't make sense for the development of the game.

The jury is still out on the new All-Ireland format purely because nobody really knows yet how it will unspool, but we do know what championship football looks like – it's everything on the line, it's no tomorrow, teams playing with an edge, hunger, desire, passion – and all of that was on show last weekend.

So, people who have been calling hard for an end to these competitions need to pause, because once something is gone, it's gone forever. There is so much history attached to them and, even if they might not mean much to some commentators, they absolutely have a place in the hearts and minds of supporters and those involved in coaching and playing the games.

if provincials are so great as McGuiness says they could be play as a stand alone competition