GAA season Overhaul

hisholinessnb

The more I read the ideas on this thread, the better the existing arrangements look!

Some of the ideas on here are an absolute shambles.

People want change for the sake of change, it ain't broke folks.

DH2K9

hisholinessnb wrote: »

The more I read the ideas on this thread, the better the existing arrangements look!

Some of the ideas on here are an absolute shambles.

People want change for the sake of change, it ain't broke folks.

That explains why not one provincial winner got to the semi-finals last year.

hisholinessnb

DH2K9 wrote: »

That explains why not one provincial winner got to the semi-finals last year.

So we take a first time ever occurrence and use it as a reason to change everything beyond recognition??

And so what if they didn't make the semi finals?
Most of the provincial winners who were knocked out have more than benefited from the back door system themselves in recent seasons.

Your point is irrelevant no matter how many times people say its a disaster that this happened.

jordainius

DH2K9 wrote: »

That explains why not one provincial winner got to the semi-finals last year.

In fairness, the backdoor wasn't designed to protect provincial champions or ensure them an easier path to the semi finals. (Let me point out that I'm not saying you said/think that!) Also, lets not overlook that last year was the first time that no provincial champion made the semi's since it was introduced in 2001!

The biggest problem (in my own opinion) is how the football provincial championships are scheduled- the way its staggered is a bit strange. All first round games in each province should be held the same weekend, all quarter final games in each province on the same weekend and so on.

antoobrien

Football

Rearrange the provincial championships into an open draw double elimination format - everyone gets a second chance. Will be slightly complicated by the mixed numbers in each province, but it's workable.

In the case of a draw, 20 mins, Extra time followed by 20 more. Replay if required. Or for more fun have all 6 starting forwards on each team take a penalty - more emphasis on people that can kick the ball - with sudden death after that.

4 champions play in the semi finals (straight knockout) to be rotated in the same fashion as the pre-back door system. Do a draw for the first two years and follow the sequence after that.

Hurling

Leave the three lower tier competitions as they are to see how the extra tier develops.

Liam McCarthy

Move Galway to Munster & Leave Antrim in Leinster (to even up the numbers a bit and because it's more practical than moving Antrim in there).

Run the two provincial championships off as double elimination, with the champions meeting in the final.

Have some kind of promotion/relegation system (which has to be enforced this time, no appeals to congress) to give the teams in the Christy Ring a chance to play in the Liam McCarthy.

namloc1980

hisholinessnb wrote: »

So we take a first time ever occurrence and use it as a reason to change everything beyond recognition??

Well only 3 out of the last 12 semi-finalists in football have been provincial winners.

This is my proposal click here. It retains the traditional importance of the provinces, but every team gets at least 2 games. Plenty of time for club games also.

jordainius

While I admit that it can lead to an interesting discussion- I always find these threads a bit pointless, nobody will ever make a suggestion that major holes can't be poked in!

munchkin_utd

jordainius wrote: »

While I admit that it can lead to an interesting discussion- I always find these threads a bit pointless, nobody will ever make a suggestion that major holes can't be poked in!

well... (assuming that the major problem in the football is the congestion between provincial finals and quarter finals, with back door games to be squeezed in there for the loosing provincal finalists)

... my suggestion was simply to compress the provincial championships from currently May-July to something more compact, say May - late June.

Taking the guts of 3 months to whittle down 6 teams to 1 in a KNOCKOUT like in Connacht is just stoopid. (round robbin would be loads of games, but this IS a knockout, you loose youre out)
Even in Ulster, 9 teams to 1 is easy done if you played more than one game in a WEEKEND which is currently the case.
Theres friday night - Saturday and Sunday afternoons there also to play games.

It would be culture shock for Provincial Councils to get their head round having games on a Saturday, but its already there with big replays and the backdoor.

Clareman

Clareman wrote: »

I think the biggest problem is players playing for different teams and competitions, I think if you were to split each segment into their own season and try to limit overlaps as much as possible.

I also think that underage players (i.e. college and Under 21) should be accommodated by having their competitions as mush outside of exam times as possible but also taking into account that having under 21 players on senior teams is an exception rather than a rule. Also, under 21 championship would have to be a "floating" competition where fixtures would need to be changed depending on the Senior Championship.

Inter-county Championship
As the blue-ribbon competitions these should be given top priority. Late April/May till September should be enough time to play these over.

League
With no replays to worry about there should be no reason why this couldn't be ran off during Feb - Late April/May (depending on Championship). I would also propose that it is the home counties responsibility to have a venue available, if a pitch is unplayable, visiting team gets the points. Bit rough, but it will limit re-arrangements. In the event of a pitch being unplayable an alternative venue can be nominated within 1 hour of the original.

Club Competitions
Bit of an annoyance for me, so apologies in advance. County Championships should be the vehicle for getting players for the County Team, you aren't going to discover a new allstar by playing it during October. You should be able to play it during the summer. If a club is affected by having too many intercounty players, then relegation shouldn't be an option for them. Also, most counties are out of the championship in August, play the county championship August-October if need be.

Inter-County Club Championship
Have a hard start date of 3 weeks after the All Ireland Final for this, this will allow every county adequate time to get a champion, if a county can't get a team in time then they forfeit the tie, unless the opposition are willing to make an exception. Counties will know 12 month in advance when they have to have their championships finished by. By the end of November there should be only 4-6 teams left in the inter-club, semis/quarters to be played in Feb, final at St. Patrick's day.

College's/Railway Cup
Personally I think the GAA is 1 of the biggest tourist attractions Ireland has and St. Patrick's Day is 1 of the biggest tourism periods for Ireland, why not use it to promote the Games? I would leave the Club finals in Croke Park, but have the College's and Railway Cup Finals at different locations leading up to St. Patrick's Day. You could have the Railway Cups as part of the St. Patrick's Day Celebrations in Belfast, Sigerson in Cork & Fitzgibbon in Galway for example.

Sorry for the shameless bumb, but it looks like the GAA might be listening to us

Mehapoy

Clareman wrote: »

Sorry for the shameless bumb, but it looks like the GAA might be listening to us

Looks like they might finally do something about it, the problem is the proposals will go to congress, be voted down by guys that played in a totally different timeframe(50's, 60's, 70's) and have an attitude of 'it was good enough for us so it should be good enough for them' ...very hard to change things in the GAA...

munchkin_utd

Clareman wrote: »

Sorry for the shameless bumb, but it looks like the GAA might be listening to us

where do you see a massive change?
the timetable I saw proposed still left 4 ulster quarter finals over 4 weeks IIRC - and then cram the living daylights of all the proper knockout games in July/August.
Hurling doesnt need to be re-jigged as theres so few games in the first place.

munchkin_utd

heres the proposed new calendar for 2016 with club finals in December and Hurling final end of August, which to me is missing the point.
The only change in Ulster football (the main culprit for the long GAA season if truth be told) is a lessening of the gap between the semis and the final from 4 or 5 weeks to 2 or 3 weeks.
There really needs to be 2 round 1 (quarter final) games on the same weekend to get them out of the way quicker and then the whole provincial series can be wrapped up in June ready for 8 weeks of pure knockout action !
Or at least move the whole thing a week earlier again and have the first round 1 and the preliminary game on the same weekend.

Pete_Cavan

munchkin_utd wrote: »

heres the proposed new calendar for 2016 with club finals in December and Hurling final end of August, which to me is missing the point.
The only change in Ulster football (the main culprit for the long GAA season if truth be told) is a lessening of the gap between the semis and the final from 4 or 5 weeks to 2 or 3 weeks.
There really needs to be 2 round 1 (quarter final) games on the same weekend to get them out of the way quicker and then the whole provincial series can be wrapped up in June ready for 8 weeks of pure knockout action !
Or at least move the whole thing a week earlier again and have the first round 1 and the preliminary game on the same weekend.

Did someone actually take my schedule from a few months ago to make that?

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=92771611

Looks suspiciously like it!

If I have a free weekend soon I might try to expand out my schedule to include League, interpros, etc.

iDave

The provincial championship scheduling is still all over the place.
All 4 Ulster QFs played on separate weekends. A month just to sort out Ulsters QFs!
3 Leinster QFs played on 1 day but bizarrely the 4th a week later. This is usually the one that doesn't involve any of the prelim winners so its even odder that gets played last.
The Connacht prelim involving New York a week before the Leinster & Ulster prelims.
3 weeks to play 2 Connacht 'QFs'
3 weeks to play 2 Connacht SFs but just 1 day needed to do the same in Leinster and Munster.
Leinster and Connacht finals on same day but Ulster and Munster get to be stand alone.

davegrohl48

The first thing to be established with a season overhaul is to get rid of all unnecessary games that neither GAA supporters, club player, inter county player or club/county managers would mind if were scrapped.
Competitions to be gotten rid of:
1. The inter provincials/Railway cup. (1 - 2 games inter county)
- GAA Supporters rarely even know the weekends this is on.
- It's up to two extra games that county players don't need.
2. The league semi finals/finals ( 1 -2 games inter county)
- Simply award the league titles to the highest placed teams
3. The international rules series (2 games inter county)
- Barely any interest in this competition this year from media and gaa supporters.
4. U21 club. It's simply not sustainable anymore, the playing numbers are not there in most clubs to play U21. Many clubs are putting out amalgamation teams. Big pressure to get teams togged with lads being away at university.
5. Club competitions other than regular league/championship.
Most championships now have a group stage. There is enough games between divisional league and group stages of championship.
6. Inter county minor is too much on young people in leaving cert/first year university. Can simply have inter county U20 for this level. This allows most players get their leaving cert done unimpeded. Players should only have two years at this level 19 and 20. It has the advantage of not clashing with last year of University.
7. The only inter county competitions are league and championship.
Eligibility:
1. Minor club players cannot play senior club
2. County senior players are to be made up of players 21 and over i.e. no one from U20.
3. Only eligible to play county U20 in the final two years when U19 and U20
4. Players in University cannot play Freshers and Sigerson (already done I believe). Also cannot play Freshers if registered for inter county. It's wrong for an inter county player to be competing at that level against what are often 18 year old club players. I'v seen county minor forwards sitting on the bench as they couldn't displace two senior inter county forwards.
5. Players registered for Sigerson cannot play inter county league till Sigerson completed (many managers respect this already).

There's no need for more whitepapers on player burnout or injuries. The evidence is undeniable in terms of the volume of serious injuries suffered in games and progressive injuries.