McIntyres plea for hurling in Offaly

[Declan]

McIntyre's last-ditch plea to save Offaly

GAA: Offaly hurling is facing "a doomsday scenario" and "a death sentence" if the GAA fail to alter the format of next year's national league.

Manager John McIntyre yesterday made a final plea to GAA president Nickey Brennan and members of the Central Council ahead of this weekend's decision to either stick with the nine-team Division One format or expand it to 10 teams to accommodate Offaly, and insisted he wasn't exaggerating in putting the consequences in such dramatic terms.

The indications are the Central Council will insist on the nine-team format, set to be introduced in 2008 as part of the latest overhaul of the hurling league.

Offaly lost out on Division One status after their defeat in the relegation play-off with Limerick last month, and in fact the final Division One spot has still to be decided between Limerick and Laois, the recent Division Two champions, who are due to play-off on Saturday.

McIntyre, however, is adamant it's not too late for the GAA to look again at the 10-team format, prompted by the decision at last month's congress to defer an Offaly motion on matter to this weekend's Central Council meeting.

"I'd appeal to Nickey Brennan in the strongest possible way," said McIntyre, "knowing he is a true hurling man, to show some real leadership here. It may appear that I'm putting the gun to his head, but Nickey said himself years ago as chairman of the then hurling development committee that he did have concerns about the game, and keeping it alive in the smaller counties. Here's a decision that will definitely help kill it off in such a county.

"We're talking about a death sentence, a doomsday scenario, whatever way you want to put it. And that's really not exaggerating. Just this week Nickey was talking about hurlers taking their helmets off during the parade so that people get to recognise them, and yet if this league format goes ahead Offaly players won't be recognised in their own homes, never mind their own counties.

"The reality is Offaly will be exiled in Division Two for years. Promotion will be based on playing the bottom-placed team from Division One, who'll have had eight high quality games behind them, whereas Offaly won't have had one. The real killer in all of this is there's no single reason to limit Division One to nine teams, where 10 teams make just as must sense. It will take exactly the same amount of weekends to run off, and also prevents one team from being left idle every week."

Brennan refused to be drawn in the matter yesterday, beyond saying it had been considered by both the Hurling Development Committee (HDC) and Competitions Control Committee (CCC): "Offaly had a notice of motion to the last Central Council meeting, which was set aside to be considered by both the HDC and the CCC, and they're coming with their recommendation to Management and Central Council at the weekend. But other than that I can't comment, because I'm chairing that meeting, so it would be disingenuous of me, but there will be a decision made on Saturday."

Any late change at this stage would render Saturday's Limerick-Laois play-off meaningless, and instead probably require Offaly to play Laois to determine the last remaining Division One spot. Yet McIntyre still felt the GAA would best serve everyone's interest if they agreed to the 10-team format.

"The reality is the future of a hurling county is at stake here. Offaly are a young team, with around 12 under-21 players on the senior panel . . . So I would also appeal directly to the Central Council members to take this opportunity to stand up and be counted. They've made big decisions, opening Croke Park to soccer and rugby, and yet here's a small decision that will have much, much greater implications for our own game.

"I do feel very passionate about this. I've devoted most of my life to hurling, and I just can't see any sense whatsoever in this decision. That's what makes it so demoralising. People will ask why we didn't tackle this matter when it was originally proposed, but that would have been seen as defeatist. I just know if Tipperary or Cork or even Kilkenny happened to be in this situation then hell and earth would be moved to still accommodate them in Division One.

"We did manage to beat Waterford, who went on to win the league. And there is so much work going to promote Offaly hurling at all levels. And it's so important to have the likes of Henry Shefflin and Eoin Kelly and SeáÓg Ó hAilpín playing in Birr every Sunday, that's the best promotion of all."


What do our hurling afficianados think of this ?

[fearglasmor]

This is bullshit, the state of Offaly hurling has mor to do with the Offaly county board than any league format. How long have the county board known this new format was to be in place. When did they start bleating about it. To be honest at the moment I wouldn't be overly confident of them beating Laois anyways.

However there is one issue I would change in the new format whether be a 9 or 10 team league. The team that wins division 2 should earn the right to automatic promotion and likewise for the team finishing bottom in division 1 in the opposite direction. A playoff is nonsense and makes it very unlikely that teams will get out of div 2.

[johnneycool]

I wonder how the Offaly delegates voted when this was up for debate??

The nine was agreed before those Dublins f**kers had the cheek to go out and win a few games, imagine that, spoiling the party for the big hurling counties. Dublin are there on merit, Offaly are also at where they are on merit, so this is a big non issue.
Does it help Offaly hurling, no but thats tough, I'm sure Antrim would like another crack at Div1 but I don't see too many calling for special dispensation for them.

[full back]

Cant believe McIntyre is being serious when asking for this.
Why should the structure be changed to suit 1 county?
If it wasnt affecting Offaly I doubt very much if they would want 10 teams in the league

[tayto]

"Wasteland of division 2" is a bit over the top. IF it was to be a 10 team division 1 shouldnt it be Laois, as division 2 champions, that go up anyway?

[neilthemac]

Offaly are now back where they were in the early 80's - an average hurling county

they took their underage development up a few steps in the 80's to produce a few great teams and players

now they need to look at why they are not producing top quality talent and rectify the problems from the grassroots up

[Loughers]

Offaly are now back where they were in the early 80's - an average hurling county

they took their underage development up a few steps in the 80's to produce a few great teams and players

now they need to look at why they are not producing top quality talent and rectify the problems from the grassroots up

We won our first Leinster in 1980, the AI in 81, robbed by Matt Ruth in 82, AI finalists in 84 and won the AI in 85.  Not bad for an "average" team.

[the colonel]

Posted on: Today at 11:00:20 AMPosted by: johnneycool
I'm sure Antrim would like another crack at Div1 but I don't see too many calling for special dispensation for them. 

your right johnny.at the end of the day, one year in the 2nd division will maybe give them they kick the arse they need. in antrim there has been an awful amount of work being done at club level and county level but why should offaly should get special dispensation. they knew what was going to happen at the start of the year and is there own fault they got relegated. not the gaa's and no other county should suffer because of it.

we have had the eoin kelly's and the sean og's in antrim constanty to coach but thats only to help increase the promotion of games up here. i think they need to look at themselves and their own youth structures. i know antrim can hardly preach to anyone but you have to start somewhere

[AZOffaly]

This smacks of desperation by McIntyre. It's ridiculous and embarassing as an Offaly person. As it happens I agree with his idea that it should be a 10 team league, where there are no bye weeks, but the 10th team should be Laois, as winners of Division 2. Offaly finished as the third worst team in Division 1, so are well entitled to be relegated.

This whining is just stupid. Maybe beating Clare or Limerick or Wexford would have been more in his line.

Neilthemac, you are right, but your timeline in wrong. Offaly are back where they were in the 70s. The 80s were grand for us

[Gnevin]

Isnt a shame the Dub's didn't do where they where suppose to do and get religated and leave the real hurling to proper couties . I would love to see the DCB lauch this sort of appeal it wouldnt even get a mention in the paper

[tayto]

This smacks of desperation by McIntyre. It's ridiculous and embarassing as an Offaly person. As it happens I agree with his idea that it should be a 10 team league, where there are no bye weeks, but the 10th team should be Laois, as winners of Division 2. Offaly finished as the third worst team in Division 1, so are well entitled to be relegated.

fair play AZ, agree a 10 team division would make more sense. Seán Moran made a good case for an 8 team division one about a year ago, the thinking being that it would be taken seriously by the top counties as none of them would want to be relegated, making the whole thing more exciting. it'd also mean division 2 was very competitive. 10 makes more sense tome for now.

[turk]

McIntyre has set Offaly hurling back by 40 years

[flairgun]

While I think Div. 1 should be either 8 or 10 teams,(that's just common sense, surely?), we had our chance against Limerick to get ourselves out of this mess, and we conceded 6-20.


The league ship has sailed, Mcintyre needs to concentrate on this summer.

[Bord na Mona man]

Yeah, a bit pointless arguing so late in the day. Offaly were unlucky, in that they only ended up in the play-off because of a poorer points difference and got the same number of points as Dublin in the other division. However those are the rules.

A 10 team Division 1 would probably be fine, as in it would take the same number of weeks on the calendar as a 9 team division. However, you'd still have to avoid relegation every year anyway, so you might only be getting a 1 year stay of execution.

[neilthemac]

i got my decades mixed up. seriously hungover today