Has the Back door become Redundant?

[Zulu]

Going back to straight knock out would be daft but the current system is barely any better. The provincial championships are the problem as they ensure you can't run a structured program for IC and club players. There are easy and logical solutions but it seems too few are willing to pursue them.

[Syferus]

You have to deal with the financial question above all else if you want a fairer and more competitive championship. No format change is going to stop hammerings being dealt out in the early season and it amazes me that so many mistake format change for a solution to uncompeditive games or route for counties to uplift themselves to a higher level.

After that given how essential provincial ties are to the health of the GAA's accounts editing them by chopping and changing teams between the traditional provinces is the only realistic format change that can be pursued.

[seafoid]

The GAA is always in crisis this time of year.

Croke Park psy ops.

[Zulu]

given how essential provincial ties are to the health of the GAA's accounts editing them by chopping and changing teams between the traditional provinces is the only realistic format change that can be pursued.

They no longer guarantee big crowds and since we have never tried a format other than the provinces then we don't know other formats can't deliver at least as much revenue.

The current system is perfect in my opinion

Lets see...

The serious stuff doesn't start until Aug, can never understand why they is such crying every year, only 4/5 teams win championships so what is the point is dragging these things out any longer with farcical suggestions like group stages.

Well a season that has teams training and playing games since January but doesn't get going until August is far from perfect, the current system is the very definition of dragging the arse out of it.

As for the club situation, that is up to each counties own county board, which are owned by the clubs, to run off their own competitions.

That's simply ignoring reality. In dual counties in particular you can't develop a structured season for club players under the current system while counties that do get their seasons finish often do so by piling on games in a short period of time. Simply finishing your club season shouldn't be the acceptable bench mark, it should be giving club players a clear structured season and to do that we need to do it at IC level first.

There is more to the GAA than the inter county scene.

Agreed and the current system is killing it in many counties.

[Fuzzman]

Being from Tyrone of course I'm gonna be in favour of the back door as we've won 2 AIs this way.
However, I think it has also benefited lots of counties at that 2nd level, where they probably will never win Sam but they could get a good run maybe into the quarterfinals and maybe even semi finals.
Donegal & Fermanagh are good examples in Ulster, where in the old system they would only have one or two games each year had they lost to Armagh or Tyrone etc but with the new system their fans get lots of trips away to counties all around the country that they'd usually never meet.
They then built up momentum and confidence and look how Fermanagh beat Armagh then in the quarterfinal in 2006.

It's not all about winning the AI for many teams but giving them a second chance to put a run of games together and in the process creating more income and interest in games for fans.
Yes club games do suffer but many county boards now have plans in place to push ahead with games anyway. If you're more of a club man, especially in a county where ye know you're not gonna win much then naturally enough you'll not be in favour of the qualifiers.
Mayo have recently become regular winners in Connaught but for teams like Sliigo, Roscommon & even Galway the back door gives them hope of putting a wee run of matches together.

[Keyser soze]

If a 'Champions League Style Format' is introduced does every team get to win the All Ireland every year.

Or will it still have that same shite oulschool nonsense of only one winner. Sure that's no good, if Meath and Roscommon and every other county can't win an all ireland every year we need change. And soon

[deiseach]

If a 'Champions League Style Format' is introduced does every team get to win the All Ireland every year.

Or will it still have that same shite oulschool nonsense of only one winner. Sure that's no good, if Meath and Roscommon and every other county can't win an all ireland every year we need change. And soon

+1

[Syferus]

I'm starting to like Meath now, but only because Mayo hate them and you bàstards keep lumping us together.

[From the Bunker]

I'm starting to like Meath now, but only because Mayo hate them and you bàstards keep lumping us together.

In contrast, I like Roscommon. Generous People! 

[Jinxy]

'It only gets going in August'.
When does the Champions League 'get going'?
When does the Heineken Cup 'get going'?
There's a business end with every sporting competition when the weaker teams have been eliminated and the big boys come up against each other.
I honestly don't get the hysteria about this.

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

I'm starting to like Meath now, but only because Mayo hate them and you bàstards keep lumping us together.

In contrast, I like Roscommon. Generous People! 

I thought most Mayo people stopped hating Meath around 2005/2006 ish. Ten years was long enough to get over it, possibly I think Meath is fairly popular amongst Mayo people again.

[Zulu]

Jesus boys that's entirely different. The champions league isn't the only, or even, the main competition for all those teams so if you get or give a few hammerings in the group stages you've the league to excite players and supporters. A man u fan can watch his team play 40 - 60 times and they'll have at least 2 competitions important to them, the league and the CL. We have maybe 15 games for most IC players and the majority of those are played by April in competitions that nobody cares about (to varying degrees granted) including the players and managers. I can't believe anyone could think what we have is acceptable. If I knew nothing about the GAA I would almost think it was devised by someone with a vested interest in the destruction of the GAA.

[Farrandeelin]

I'm starting to like Meath now, but only because Mayo hate them and you bàstards keep lumping us together.

Keyser isn't a Mayoman.

[Syferus]

I'm starting to like Meath now, but only because Mayo hate them and you bàstards keep lumping us together.

Keyser isn't a Mayoman.

Never said the 'bástards' were Mayomen

[Milltown Row2]

Straight knockout all in draw. Move on