Ulster Junior Championship?

[sheamy]

I see Cavan won the Leinster Junior Championship last night. It begs the question of why, like with the minor championships and their back doors, is Ulster the only provincial body in the country not running something like this?

Surely this is a good way for counties to develop young players who might not be in the current senior teams. Cavan seem to think so anyway as do the rest of the GAA.

[clarshack]

ulster teams did compete in this up until the 1980's.

i think tyrone won the ulster junior championship around 1986.

i also think it would be good for developing players.

does anyone know why it was scrapped for ulster teams?

[thewobbler]

Sheamy, if anything, Cavan's involvement suggests your theory of positive benefit has shaky foundations.

Personally I don't see the point in the competition. There's county football for the elite, and club football for the rest. Why we need another artificial level of dubious quality and sporadic commitment is beyond me.

Though if we're giving away All Ireland medals to all and sundry, I'd love to see an All Ireland WFC title, with only players named Anthony and born in 1977 allowed to compete.

[fitzroyalty]

Sounds like a good idea. I don't know about other counties but Armagh have a senior 'development' squad. Basically a training panel for players who are not quite on the county panel yet. Would be good for them to have some competitive football.

I'm actually struggling to think of an 'elite' sport that doesn't feature reserve teams.

[sheamy]

Sheamy, if anything, Cavan's involvement suggests your theory of positive benefit has shaky foundations.

Do you call back to back Ulster U21 titles 'shaky foundations'? Surely they are using it to build their young talented players that won those up toward senior level? What am I missing?

I don't know how long they've been taking part but I think it's possibly a little early for you to make judgement on their (and following on from that, my) theory of positive benefit. They seem to be a rising force to me.

Anyone from Cavan got a view or can you explain the thinking behind your participation in this and how many players called Anthony you have on the squad?

[Denn Forever]

Anyone from Cavan got a view or can you explain the thinking behind your participation

There is no Junior competion in Ulster and I suppose we'd be closer to Leinster sharing borders with 2 Leinster counties.  (Do we have a border with Westmeath near Finea?)

[thewobbler]

I'm actually struggling to think of an 'elite' sport that doesn't feature reserve teams.

It's an amateur sport. Amateur sport.

[sheamy]

Anyone from Cavan got a view or can you explain the thinking behind your participation

There is no Junior competion in Ulster and I suppose we'd be closer to Leinster sharing borders with 2 Leinster counties.  (Do we have a border with Westmeath near Finea?)

I kinda meant 'why junior' rather than 'why leinster' 

[thewobbler]

Sheamy, if anything, Cavan's involvement suggests your theory of positive benefit has shaky foundations.

Do you call back to back Ulster U21 titles 'shaky foundations'? Surely they are using it to build their young talented players that won those up toward senior level? What am I missing?

I don't know how long they've been taking part but I think it's possibly a little early for you to make judgement on their (and following on from that, my) theory of positive benefit. They seem to be a rising force to me.

Anyone from Cavan got a view or can you explain the thinking behind your participation in this and how many players called Anthony you have on the squad?

There is about as much correlation between Cavan's success at u21 level and Cavan's participation in the Leinster JFC, as there is between me clicking my fingers and the weather changing

[Denn Forever]

Why over 40's teams.  Players want to play for their county.

[sheamy]

you've completely missed the point there wobbler...but you're good craic anyway

[screenexile]

If I'm not mistaken the Junior Championship is for players who have not played Senior Club Championship football in the previous year.

[tommysmith]

If I'm not mistaken the Junior Championship is for players who have not played Senior Club Championship football in the previous year.

Rules are different depending on what county you are in.

In Cavan you can't have played intercounty championship the previous year, while in cork its Senior Club Championship.

[thewobbler]

Sheamy I'm not missing the point.

Cavan's under 21s will comprise three groups:

- those who are ready for senior football
- those who'll never be ready for senior football
- those who need to develop before they can be considered for senior football

The only group that the JFC might concern is the third group. But why on earth would playing substandard football on a sporadic basis, with ever changing teammates be of any use to these players. Being a fringe player on the senior team, where you train, think an apply like a serious county player is of infinitely more benefit.

This is the case whether your county won the AI u-21, or crashed out by 20 points in round one.

[mylestheslasher]

The reason teams enter the Junior championship is fairly simple, to give a higher level of football to fringe players such as...

-Members of senior panel who may not be getting games.
-Lads showing well for their clubs who may not have been on senior panel at the start of the year.
-Lads who have finished their campaigns in U21 and/or minor that could do with the exposure to playing at a senior level.
- Perhaps some players returning from injury that need game time.

In answer to Denn, we do have a small border with westmeath in Finea, I once fought a tough battle there.

It is also worth noting that when Ulster hadn't won a single senior all ireland fortunes changed once Cavan won a Junior AI title and followed that up with a 2 senior titles shortly after. I think its a shame Ulster stopped running one myself.