Club v County fixtures

[Jinxy]

It worries me that Michael Murphy thinks the Donegal method is part of the solution as opposed to part of the problem.
Talk about the tail wagging the dog.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-football/donegal-solution-can-help-ludicrous-fixture-situation-murphy-29793674.html

[AZOffaly]

From a certain point of view, he's absolutely right. Of course that point of view is fundamentally flawed in my opinion.

The more I hear of this, the more I think I'd prefer to go to an inter county league that means something, i.e. your position in the league determines your seed in either an open or provincial draw.

Eliminate the qualifiers then, and have straight knockout all the way through, based on the seedings from the league. Leinster 1 v Leinster 12, or Overall 1 v Overall 32, whatever.

Allow county teams 1 weekend before games where no club matches are fixed, other than that publish a calendar and stick to it.

[Zulu]

Something I've been advocating for years AZ. We can debate formats all year but a format that provides plenty of games in a structured manner will, along with limiting players to one code and grade, ensure that there are clear windows in which club games can be played. There's no perfect solution when IC players can still play with their clubs but there are steps which can be taken to bring some clarity for all players.

[Bingo]

New format or league basis is one solution but a very simple and obvious one (to me anyway) is to condense the Championship season, in particular the provincal championships. Play them in 5/6 weeks and move on from there. Some provinces seem unable to play two matches on the one weekend, never mind the same day.

One possible change is to even the provinces - 8 in each.

Thats not a major change and no one in Ulster would be sorry to see Armagh go to Connaght 

[AZOffaly]

Something I've been advocating for years AZ. We can debate formats all year but a format that provides plenty of games in a structured manner will, along with limiting players to one code and grade, ensure that there are clear windows in which club games can be played. There's no perfect solution when IC players can still play with their clubs but there are steps which can be taken to bring some clarity for all players.

Yep Zulu, I know this is something you've been a fan of, or at least variants of it. I'm not completely sold on making players choose one code over the other, as you know, but I think expanding the number of championship matches, along with an 'unstructured' approach to the club calendars has been a disaster for club players.

[Jinxy]

Murphys argument seems to be 'Yeah, club players will still be sitting on their arse all summer but at least now they KNOW they will be.'
Or is that an over-simplification?

[AZOffaly]

More or less it. And he is right in one way.

[blewuporstuffed]

More or less it. And he is right in one way.

yeah he is actually right in one way, in that know you will def have no football all summer is better than thinking you might, training away and then finding out week on week that you actually dont have.

its still far from a solution though

[deiseach]

We all agree there is a problem. There are several possible solutions. This has to be one of the worst.

[Bingo]

Will club football then have the longest "summer break" as opposed to a winter break of any sport?

Lads, ye can play football in the spring and early summer but no ball for June and July, maybe August as well and possibly into September, but anyways see ye's then and we'll pick up where ye left off. PS you's will get all the ball you's want for a few weeks.

[Zulu]

Something I've been advocating for years AZ. We can debate formats all year but a format that provides plenty of games in a structured manner will, along with limiting players to one code and grade, ensure that there are clear windows in which club games can be played. There's no perfect solution when IC players can still play with their clubs but there are steps which can be taken to bring some clarity for all players.

Yep Zulu, I know this is something you've been a fan of, or at least variants of it. I'm not completely sold on making players choose one code over the other, as you know, but I think expanding the number of championship matches, along with an 'unstructured' approach to the club calendars has been a disaster for club players.

Nor was I but I can't see any other way around this. Take Aidan Walsh as an example, this guy won YPOTY, an All Ireland senior football medal and recently a Cork intermediate club hurling title. He's won a lot more as well but that's a few high points, in other words he has had a better GAA career than 90% of lads who ever play either code. Now he is going to try and combine both at IC level and more power to him if he is successful but while he is doing all this he is adding to the difficulties that his own club and all their opponents will face in playing games. Aidan and anyone else who play both codes can do so at club level and if they want play one code at IC level for a few years and then the other. I see no justification for the GAA accommodating players who already have a great GAA sea on while others have none at all.

Remember if you accommodate dual players then you can't really play both codes on the same day and fixing the calendar to suit this will also impact upon counties like Kilkenny or Tyrone when they don't play both codes seriously. IMO, every GAA player, regardless of level, should get a fixtures handbook at the start of the year with their full year laid out and at least 60-70% should be games with something at stake if at all possible. It's not an exaggeration to say we almost have the polar opposite to that now.

[joemamas]

simple solution (s)

Play all championship games to a conclusion.
have all inter county championships completed by end of August. i know tradition always has the all-ireland football at the end of September, tradition also had the Bishop and a half a dozen other clowns throwing in the ball and then scurrying off the field.

looking At 2014, the Munster football championship is set for July 6th, the winner will then play Q/Final 4 or 5 weeks later, then the semi final 3-4 weeks later, then a final 3-4 weeks later again. Three games in 11 weeks. i really want to hear the argument for this schedule. of course in the interim, minimal club championships will be played in the respective counties .

not sure who is dictating this, but one would have to believe that provincial bosses are playing a huge part in this. Why the clubs do not revolt in their own fault, if they threaten to remove county chairman and secretaries for not listening to their complaints, then eventually the madness will be stopped.

The GAA of which I am a big supporter of, is becoming a big business, at administrative, sponsorship,coaching, physio, broadcasting, marketing levels. I do believe that the concerns of the club players are being ignored, there is no doubt that there is a air of elitism i.e. county player syndrome that is now in full effect. the clubs games are in some cases being looked at as being a bit of a nuisance.

Answer, play to a conclusion.

I am sure that as the full schedule for 2014 comes out, there will be a lot more debate.

[Jinxy]

Maybe we should have an extended defined period of a month between the end of the provincial championships and the start of the All-Ireland series.
Plenty of other sports have breaks like this due to International competitions overlapping with domestic competitions.
Whatever we do, the fixture agenda is currently being driven by the needs of the inter-county players as they have the profile and the platform to provide their perspective, which is understandably heavily influenced by their own personal experience.
They also have a certain number of media cheerleaders who will frame every argument in the context of what is best for them, as opposed to the tens of thousands of club footballers sitting on their hands during the best time of the year to be playing football.
Those cheerleaders were quite evident during the recent 'club vs. country' nonsense surrounding the IR series.

[Zulu]

I don't think the season is even suitable for IC players, it's better for them than it is for club players but it still a disaster. IC players are often waiting weeks for their next game or playing club and IC games on the same weekend. The GAA has built its season in a haphazard way and now it's a farce for everybody, why we can't sit down and look at what we want before going about delivering that is beyond me.

[Rossfan]

club players will still be sitting on their arse all summer but at least now they KNOW they will be.'

All the better for partaking in the Semi Pro circus in the US