Is it time for the Provincially-based Football All-Irelands to be scrapped?

[From the Bunker]

we have to go open draw, there are only two decent provincial champsd anyway (leinster and Ulster). Munster is just a joke at this stage and Galway v Mayo aint much better.

Hate to tell you but Leinster has not set the world on fire the last 3 years. Dublin have been 10 points better than most teams in the province!

[Tankie]

we have to go open draw, there are only two decent provincial champsd anyway (leinster and Ulster). Munster is just a joke at this stage and Galway v Mayo aint much better.

Hate to tell you but Leinster has not set the world on fire the last 3 years. Dublin have been 10 points better than most teams in the province!

I never said the standard in leinster was good but atleast there are a few contenders, its just dublin have been very good the last few years. If a provincial championship has a good team that wins all the time does not make it a bad championship. the problem with munster is that there are only two teams, connacht maybe has 3 but really only two teams. One games provincial winners is a joke!

[deiseach]

A strictly meritorious system, with no regard for the traditions on which the present is built, would deprive the likes of Sligo of the moment they had in the sun this year. Leave it as it is.

[Rossfan]

we have to go open draw, there are only two decent provincial champsd anyway (leinster and Ulster). Munster is just a joke at this stage and Galway v Mayo aint much better.

Hate to tell you but Leinster has not set the world on fire the last 3 years. Dublin have been 10 points better than most teams in the province!

Hate to also have to tell him that Galway v Mayo did NOT decide the Connacht Title this year.

[ziggysego]

Fermanagh would go mad if the GAA decided to dump the Provincial Championship now.

[Real Talk]

Because of Finance it is unlikely fair play with for example a 'seeded opendraw' based on the last 5 year League performances being adopted.  The Provincial Councils use their championships as their main source od finance and are unlikely to relinquish this grip in favour of a more balanced and fair system.  The Qualifier system has deminished the importance and the desire to win a Provincial title.  Money will always win over Equality

[carnaross]

I see some of the so-called experts are calling for the scrapping of the Provincial championships. Interesting? I've been suggesting that for ages. The way I see the game moving forward to everyone's benefit would be as follows:

The eight quarter-finalists to be seeded (winners 1, runners-up 2, losing semi-finalists 3 and 4 etc). These provide the first county in each of eight groups A - H). An open draw would then follow to fill each of the other three places in the groups. This will enable ALL counties to have a minimum of three Championship games and the winners of each group progress into the All-Ireland quarter-finals. The Provincial's could be played another time if the counties really wanted to keep them in place.

Never mind money (not something the GAA is likely to take on board!), games are the issue here.

[J70]

A strictly meritorious system, with no regard for the traditions on which the present is built, would deprive the likes of Sligo of the moment they had in the sun this year. Leave it as it is.

Leave it as it is because one or two unsuccessful counties a decade might taste provincial "glory"?

[stephenite]

I'd be in favour of dropping them, but until there is a significant overhaul of the GAA as an organisation change is going to be very difficult to get through congress. Provincial Councils weild a significant amount of power as it is and whilst the Central Council can make recommendations they won't pass at congress if they are going to affect the status quo.

My own take on it would be to scrap the Provincial Councils as they are and streamline the organsiational structure of the entire organisation - I feel it's a far too cumbersome structure at present to be as efficent as it needs to be in the modern era and the present model is so outdated as to be prehistoric.

I'd see something along the lines of appointing a full time CEO/Managing Director of each County Board who are responsible to the stakeholders of that entity (ie the Club county board delegates). These CEO's make up a new Provincial Council, who elect a chairman, who in turn sits on Central Council. President is head of Central Council that includes the Provincial Chairmen, Players rep and the DG (in effect the CEO of the entire organisation).

This is just off the top of my head and I'm sure there are quite a few things I haven't thought through but I think that something needs to be done.

However Turkeys if given the chance would not vote for Christmas and there is no way that something like this would ever be allowed to pass by those with the power as it is now

[Real Talk]

However Turkeys if given the chance would not vote for Christmas and there is no way that something like this would ever be allowed to pass by those with the power as it is now

Perfect analysis of the reality of the likelyhood of progessive change to a 'fair system'

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

As it stands there's an even split between those who'd wish to retain the Provincials, either as they are or modified, as part of the Championship and those who'd like to see them play no part at all: 21 vs 21.

Mildly surprised at that, thought there'd be more looking for a more equitable path in the Championships, unless there are more Kingdom folk here than are letting on 

[stiffler]

Champions league style tournament.....8 groups 4 teams........2 qualify out of each group to last 16.

Advantages

every team gets at least 3 games
3rd place in each group play off for tommy murphy
Alot more attractive to a marketing campaign, tv


Disadvantages

Hard to fit in all games
Lose of provincial championship


However i suggest the National league should be done away with, and the Provincial tournament could be a league running around feb/mar/apr in its place to keep tradition.

[deiseach]

A strictly meritorious system, with no regard for the traditions on which the present is built, would deprive the likes of Sligo of the moment they had in the sun this year. Leave it as it is.

Leave it as it is because one or two unsuccessful counties a decade might taste provincial "glory"?

Well, yes. If we abolish the provincial championships it'd be a question of winning one trophy or winning nothing at all. And at the moment no one would bet against Kerry, so in what way would we be better off?

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

Well, yes. If we abolish the provincial championships it'd be a question of winning one trophy or winning nothing at all. And at the moment no one would bet against Kerry, so in what way would we be better off?

It's not necessarily about abolishing the Provincials, more about whether they should be an integral part of the Championship. The Provincials should still exist, and perhaps the League could be ditched.

[his holiness nb]

Leave it alone, its grand as it is