Reducing the size of the SFC

[Karate kid]

Im just going to put forward an idea of how the championship could be cut to 12 teams in one year (ideally I would cut it to 8 but can't see that happening in the immediate future).

Play the first, second and third round like normal. Quarter finalists are safe and play for the championship. Senior B quarter finals are all relegation finals. 4 teams relegated from that. I think for the fairness of intermediate you can't just take away promotion for a year so another team from senior has to go.

Your senior B semi finals are also relegation semi finals. Losers go to a relegation final where loser is the 5th team relegated.

I realise that promoting in theory the 17th best team and relegating in theory the 12th best team some might disagree with but you can't just strip promotion from the intermediate championship. It'd only take a year or two for teams to be in the exact right spot for their level. 12 teams would only be the start but if it's to be voted in at all 8 would be too extreme in my opinion.

Anyone have thoughts on this proposal?

[Verbal]

Getting any of the clubs who are in danger of falling into category 10-16 to agree to it would be the issue.

I think you'd have to create a "Premier" Intermediate grade like in Hurling.

Top 2 in intermediate plus the bottom 4 in Senior go there (6).
This would leave 12 Senior + 6 premier intermediate.

The following year the regular intermediate finalists plus the senior bottom 3* go to Premier. Winner promoted to senior.
Leaves 10 & 10 (I think).

*To get rid of 3 teams from 12.
I would go with 4 groups of 3.
Top two teams in each group to quarter finals. Seeding applies.
Bottom team in each group into a losers group of 4.
Winner of this group survives. The other 3 are relegated.

My sums could be wrong!

[Karate kid]

Getting any of the clubs who are in danger of falling into category 10-16 to agree to it would be the issue.

I think you'd have to create a "Premier" Intermediate grade like in Hurling.

Top 2 in intermediate plus the bottom 4 in Senior go there (6).
This would leave 12 Senior + 6 premier intermediate.

The following year the regular intermediate finalists plus the senior bottom 3* go to Premier. Winner promoted to senior.
Leaves 10 & 10 (I think).

*To get rid of 3 teams from 12.
I would go with 4 groups of 3.
Top two teams in each group to quarter finals. Seeding applies.
Bottom team in each group into a losers group of 4.
Winner of this group survives. The other 3 are relegated.

My sums could be wrong!

Sums seem to add up to me! That's another good solid proposal, needs to be flexibility in what the proposal is to get it off the ground, Rome wasn't built in a day.

Apart from a solid proposal what is the best way to get across to the 10-16 clubs. I've spoken to people from clubs definitely in that bracket and they are desperate for change as they are sick or survival year in year out with not even a hope of a Micky mouse senior B!

Laois teams never go on runs in Leinster currently. This change would you'd imagine increase chances of this.

Bottom line is players won't remember that year you lost 4 games and scraped over the line, they'll remember getting hands on silverware and having a good crack at Leinster with their club. The worth in 'senior status' is long gone and people need to get out of the past.

[Verbal]

I think you'd have to create a new competition (Premier Intermediate) as a start.
You couldn't drop teams 13-16 and bring up the intermediate winner.

[Karate kid]

I think you'd have to create a new competition (Premier Intermediate) as a start.
You couldn't drop teams 13-16 and bring up the intermediate winner.

You're probably right, what time of the year would this proposal be put forward to the clubs?

[Verbal]

The ideal time would be around September 2011 😂

[Myrising]

I think you'd have to create a new competition (Premier Intermediate) as a start.
You couldn't drop teams 13-16 and bring up the intermediate winner.

What happened to the proposal from last year to reduce to 12 teams

[Joeythelips]

They should introduce seeding next year, let clubs know that seeding will be based on league and last years championship and seeding will decide championship structure each season. That way every side know where they stand and if they want to stay senior they can do something about it.

[Voice of tReason]

They should introduce seeding next year, let clubs know that seeding will be based on league and last years championship and seeding will decide championship structure each season. That way every side know where they stand and if they want to stay senior they can do something about it.

I think club delegates won't trust anything that seems complicated.

Run the senior and intermediate championships as normal initially.

Play both the Senior proper and Senior B as separate competitions after Round 3 with promotion and relegation.

Beaten quarter-finalists into relegation semi-finals; one team down.
Senior B Champions promoted.

[on the hop]

the championship really needs to be reduced to 12 teams at the minimum. the standard has been very poor so far.

[Karate kid]

the championship really needs to be reduced to 12 teams at the minimum. the standard has been very poor so far.

I don't know if ballyfin would be far off getting relegated to the Junior A this year, Nevermind the fact they're senior. This format has let them down and let all other clubs down too. Think it's reached breaking point.

[Laois Rising]

Wheels have certainly come off the wagon in Ballyfin in recent years after a couple of years of being hugely competitive. They could still keep their senior status as Crettyard look poor too and are down a few of their big name players. Expect them two clubs to fight out it out for relegation. Not sure what good it does either club keeping their senior status though as are a long way off being competitive at senior level.

Graigue were good at the weekend. Port, as like previous years, will get players back and be much stronger if they can get through the next couple of rounds. If they were to meet in a semi-final or final my money would still be firmly on Port. Joseph's and Portlaoise strong contenders as well. Ballyroan and Arles-killeen best of the rest. While I was sceptical, the hurling format this year has worked very well. Having the top 10 sides in Laois compete in the championship using this model could work very well indeed. Players exposed to more high quality games and hopefully bring up the standards of the club championship.

Again, all of these proposals and ideas for reducing the size of the championship will never come to fruition. Clubs like Stradbally will shoot it down very quickly if they feel their senior status is threatened.

[LaoisHeritage]

What are the thoughts of the Laois Gaa proposal to reduce to 12 teams again?

[Karate kid]

What are the thoughts of the Laois Gaa proposal to reduce to 12 teams again?

Seems to me that it is a fairer proposal this time. As I have said before I would frankly take any proposal that they put forward but the previous proposal of no intermediate promotion was ludicrous really. That was never going to get off the ground.

They have accepted that it'll take a couple years to be where they want and that's probably best. As I've stated before, if you deserve to be senior, there's nothing to worry about because you will be there. Hope clubs see the bigger picture in all this.

[redsetanta]

Laois GAA proposal for the new Senior and Intermediate football championship structure

https://laoisgaa.ie/laois-football-championships-proposed-restructure/?fbclid=IwY2xjawNUfopleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHs5sRcdCdkJoD_QfhGQH2lv1WxdLiTp1Aqdk4YJ41XNGRv5xZfNxVLIRuhaz_aem_uJgrmrf13EOsNHa32RqedQ