Divisional teams in the Laois SFC

Started by Pablo Escobar, November 12, 2015, 01:13:19 AM

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Are Divisional teams a viable option

Yes
18 (78.3%)
No
5 (21.7%)

Total Members Voted: 23

Pablo Escobar

It's that time of the year to look and make suggestions into how we can improve Laois Football. One of my ways of improving standards within the county would be  to introduce two divisional teams into the Laois SFC. These teams would consist of players from Junior and intermediate clubs . The two divisional teams would be North and South Laois . I know that this system has a lot of possible negatives including organisation and fixture congestation but I believe that the pros outweigh the cons. Junior and Internediate club players get greater exposure and the standard should rise within the SFC. I'll just illustrate what these divisional teams could potentially look like in 2016
South Laois (Timahoe, Spink, Barrowhouse, park/Ratheniska, The Harps, Borris in Ossory , , Kilcotton etc)
1. Eoin Culliton ( Timahoe)
2. Joe O Connor (Timahoe
3 Mark Delaney (Park)
4. Benny Greene (Park)
5 Eamon Jackman (Spink)
6 Damien O'Connor (Timahoe)
7.Joe Murphy (Barrowhouse)
8. Brendan Quigley (Timahoe)
9 Seamus Dwyer (Spink)
10 Sean Ramsbottom
11 Cha Dwyer (Spink)
12 Brian Daly (Barrowhouse)
13 Damien Carter (Spink)
14 Kieran Delaney (Park)
15Ruari O'Connor (Timahoe)

While North Laois (Courtwood, Annanough, O'Dempseys, Kilcavan ,Roseinallis, Castletwon/Slieve Bloom , The Rock etc)


would have players like
John Scully
Robbie Kehoe
Conor Meredith
Rory Stapleton
Mick Bermingham
Ronan Gorry
Simon Miller
Michael Finlay
Barry Kelly
Niall Donoher
Luke Doyle
O'Halloran
.

I'd like to hear people's opinions on this and if they think they can name North and South Laois teams go ahead as my knowledge of Junior and Intermediate football is very limited.

beano

Great idea, I would go one step further and have a third team called mid laois. This team would pick from Timahoe, spink, park ratheniska, harps, borris in ossorry etc, north laois would be courtwood, vicarstown, kilcavan, o'dempseys, the rock while instead of south laois I would call the final team east laois and pick from barrowhouse, crettyard, ballylynan. I know the last two are currently senior but I think this should be reduced to 12 and maybe even 10.

Heshs Umpire

It'll never fly, I'm afraid. It's a pity that lads like Donal Miller or Damien Carter or Niall Donoher will possibly never play club senior football. When 3 clubs tried to facilitate that a few years back, they got no support from the county board or indeed many of the senior clubs.

By right, for a county the size of Laois, there should be only maybe 8 senior football clubs. If the rest then wanted to form 3 or 4 decent area teams we could have a proper SFC.
Well I could keep it above
But then it wouldn't be sky anymore

SpeculativeEffort

In a county as small as Laois every player should have an avenue to play senior football. The standard would be much higher.

At the moment we have some lads in senior clubs who couldn't give a toss but a few players are keeping them up
and we have some really committed players at junior and intermediate level who don't have enough talented players with them to bring them to senior level.

Saint75

I think having 3 or 4 area teams would add a renewed interest to the senior championship.
I would relegate 8 teams from senior and then introduce 4 area teams. Senior championship could then have 2 groups of 6 with the top 2 in each group playing the semi finals. Have 2 area teams in each group. Play the group stages outside OMP to create a better atmosphere. We need to relegate that many to make the area teams strong enough.
Interest in football in Laois is at a very low ebb. Small changes will do nothing.

Dave like the tv channel

County Board too inept to think up something like this. Even when it's drafted as a proposal and put under their noses, they can't see it.

The SFC should be cut...by 4 or 6 or 8. At least two divisional sides or a few amalgamated teams (ie new clubs) should join the ranks. Get rid of the deadwood from the SFC and make the wannastays become wannabes. Make that cut in one year.....if it's 8, you take the 8 quarterfinalists. If it's 4, you take the 4 relegation teams.

I just don't see it happening though. It's too far outside the spectrum of safe-thinking.

BallyroanAbu


SpeculativeEffort

Quote from: Saint75 on November 16, 2015, 11:51:58 PM
I think having 3 or 4 area teams would add a renewed interest to the senior championship.
I would relegate 8 teams from senior and then introduce 4 area teams. Senior championship could then have 2 groups of 6 with the top 2 in each group playing the semi finals. Have 2 area teams in each group. Play the group stages outside OMP to create a better atmosphere. We need to relegate that many to make the area teams strong enough.
Interest in football in Laois is at a very low ebb. Small changes will do nothing.

Agree with all of this except maybe having groups of 6. Too many games to play when you factor in home clubs playing intermediate/junior, hurling and the intercounty scene.

12 is probably the right number of teams but how would you structure it?

Downtheroad

Kerry are in the process of reducing the number of senior club teams from 11 to 8. They have also 8 divisional teams. The system allows every player of ability to play senior football within the county. Yet in Laois,  we have 16 teams and a lot of good players still not playing senior. I think 12 senior teams and 4 area teams would make an interesting Laois competition played within the current format. The county board have to lead on this.

blueandwhite1

When Kerry have as many All Irelands as Laois have, then we will pay attention to what they are doing.....  ;)

Reducing the Hurling to 8 teams, despite some challenges, has done wonders to the standard of club hurling and most championship games are very competitive. It is a no brainer, especially when one club completely dominates (to their credit). The problem is not just with the county board but small minded club men with voting rights and entrenched outdated views.

redsetanta

I suppose it's up to people who want divisional teams to canvass clubs for their support. For many it's a big step particularly if their club is going to lose out. It would have to be sold to club members and lets face it many would turn it down straight away but other more progressive members would vote for it. It's not unlike any other vote or 'election'.

The benefits have to be shown to be worth the change so that's where the convincing has to start - with the benefits of something new.

The real glory is being knocked to your knees and then coming back. That's real glory. VinceLombardi

Downtheroad

There might be some breaking news about Divisional style teams for the year ahead. It may be possible providing, the Co board gives permissions, for players in intermediate and junior clubs to play for a senior club while also playing with their own club. The only difficulty is that such a senior team if it wins senior championship can't take part in Leinster club. Mind you I don't think that will bother many football teams considering the dominance of Portlaoise.  You could have Emo/ Courtwood, Stradbally Parish Gaels and Mountmellick Parish Gaels, Heath Gaels, St Josephs/ Barrowhouse among others.

BallyroanAbu


High Fielder

Too many stubborn old men poking their noses in for anything revolutionary to happen in Laois. Football is at its lowest ebb ever in Laois, and fellas are walking around happy out. We are scraping the barrel looking for anyone to come in to the county set up and in all honesty, we're wasting our time. It's going to be a bad year for Laois. Relegation is a certainty and we may or may not beat Wicklow, but it doesn't matter anyway because we'll get trimmed by Dublin and bow out meekly in the qualifiers. League club football is a total disaster and for as long as they want it, Portlaoise will win the Championship. We think we have it all sussed in Laois, but in reality we are rudderless and fading rapidly.

So here's to a happy and successful New Year. Have a good one everybody

Pablo Escobar

I've also heard this rumour that something is happening as regards to divisional teams/Parish teams in the coming weeks. I think they county board now recognise that something needs to be done to stop Laois football from stagnating . Still I won't count my Chickens just yet. I have heard these rumours before.