All Ireland u21 football championship 2015

[AZOffaly]

I think the U21 grade is a great competition, and provides a vital stepping stone for young lads to stay around county panels until they are ready for senior. In a county like Tipp, the club scene is not strong enough, so unless the young lad is good enough to bring straight into Senior, he would be in danger of stagnating, or worse.

In Tipp we have made a conscious decision to use Junior to keep lads from Minor to U21 who might not be good enough to make U21s until they are of the age, and then from U21 they stay with Junior until they will either make or not make the senior panel.

If U21 is to be done away with, the Junior would need to be made an U23 competition or something, and made more prominent.

[macdanger2]

Yeah, I think U21s is a good grade. If something was to be done away with, I'd vote for Sigerson over U21s

[Jinxy]

Better hurry up and play this Eugene McGee wants rid of it.
http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/why-its-high-time-to-ditch-u21-grade-once-and-for-all-31137250.html

I always enjoy reading Eugene's articles.

[Syferus]

Better hurry up and play this Eugene McGee wants rid of it.
http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/why-its-high-time-to-ditch-u21-grade-once-and-for-all-31137250.html

McGee continues to amuse.

[GaillimhIarthair]

Gaelic Football may have its flaws but the U21 grade is not one of them!  Some of the best inter-county matches I have seen have been at this grade and I would include the recent Connacht Final as one of them - superb game by two teams totally committed to playing attacking football and going at it hammer and tongs over the hour plus. 

[BennyHarp]

Better hurry up and play this Eugene McGee wants rid of it.
http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/why-its-high-time-to-ditch-u21-grade-once-and-for-all-31137250.html

McGee continues to amuse.

It would be amusing if he wasn't Chairman of The football Review Committee.

[blewuporstuffed]

Better hurry up and play this Eugene McGee wants rid of it.
http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/why-its-high-time-to-ditch-u21-grade-once-and-for-all-31137250.html

McGee continues to amuse.

It would be amusing if he wasn't Chairman of The football Review Committee.

'In most club teams at least half the players are minors at present, '

jesus 

[Blowitupref]

Better hurry up and play this Eugene McGee wants rid of it.
http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/why-its-high-time-to-ditch-u21-grade-once-and-for-all-31137250.html

Wanted to get rid of it back in 2007 but was shot down. This competition has gone from strength to strength since then and it produces some of the best football at any grade. Attendance wise is strong also at U21 level though McGee has the view that nobody notices this grade?

[AZOffaly]

Hang on, I just read the article. It seems he's NOT actually looking to abolish U21, he just wants to combine it and minor into the one grade (U21). Or am I losing it entirely? Or is he. He definitely seems to contradict himself.

The hard decision and the correct one for the GAA to face up to is to scrap both U-18 and U-21 as separate entities and opt instead for an U-21 competition at club and county level. There are so many positives for such a proposal that it is astonishing that enough thinking GAA members will not bite the bullet on this.

[Syferus]

Combining the two grades is taking a sledgehammer to a problem that needs a surgeon's scalpel. It remains the dumbest, most unambitious proposal that keeps popping up.

[AZOffaly]

Yeah, but does that one sentence not completely contradict the rest of his article? He's going on about there being no need for U21, it serves no purpose blah blah blah, then he says do away with Minor and have it all U21.

Then in the next paragraph he wants U17 and U19 competitions. He's losing the run of himself. If you were to list his 'proposals' here what he actually wants is :

Abolish Minor, and incorporate into U21 (not eliminate U21).

Set up U19 and U17 competitions to 'help with scheduling'.


I defy anyone to read this, and tell me what the f**k he is talking about?

The hard decision and the correct one for the GAA to face up to is to scrap both U-18 and U-21 as separate entities and opt instead for an U-21 competition at club and county level. There are so many positives for such a proposal that it is astonishing that enough thinking GAA members will not bite the bullet on this.
Players aged 19 today are well able to play inter-county football if they are good enough, thereby undermining the original purpose for county U-21. Young men today are much more mature and more knowledgeable about the science of sport than their predecessors of 50 years ago so this proposed change is necessary.
In most club teams at least half the players are minors at present, which defeats the purpose of U-21 in the first place. An U-19 grade, preceded by U-17 grade, would work wonders for fixture-making. Students, in many cases including Leaving Cert and A-Level students, would be freed from the pressure of county minor competitions to the relief of thousands of parents annually.

I think, and I hasten to emphasise 'think', that he is saying do away with U18 entirely, and have an U21 competition at club and county level. And at club only have an U19 and U17 grade. But I'm only guessing. I think he's losing his marbles.

[blewuporstuffed]

Im glad im not the only one confused 

As someone else has said, it would be funny if he wasnt on the Football Review Committee

[macdanger2]

He's a clown of the highest order although what else do you expect from the Indo except rubbish

[BennyHarp]

I was confused by that too, I assumed there was a misprint and that he meant just opt for an u19 grade at club and county. Though, it's virtually impossible to decipher what the feck he means.

[Jinxy]

Combining the two grades is taking a sledgehammer to a problem that needs a surgeon's scalpel. It remains the dumbest, most unambitious proposal that keeps popping up.

The u-21 grade being abolished must be the stuff of nightmares for you Syf.