Donegal winning will ruin the club!

Ronie32

I'd be very fearful for the club game if Donegal in the All-Ireland. McGuinness wouldn't let any club championship be played until Donegal are out of the All-Ireland, meaning the club championship in Donegal won't start until October which I think is absolutely crazy! My biggest fear is how many other county managers will attempt to do the same in their own county next year as inevitably everyone tries to copy last year's winners!

keeponhurling

well well, this is certainly a new problem

The Letheram

Not really new at all. Club players in Wexford have endured summer breaks of up to eight weeks due to inter county teams and that was with very moderate success.

Redsoxfan

Ronie32 wrote: »

I'd be very fearful for the club game if Donegal in the All-Ireland. McGuinness wouldn't let any club championship be played until Donegal are out of the All-Ireland, meaning the club championship in Donegal won't start until October which I think is absolutely crazy!

This is not true. Jim McGuiness was fine with a certain number of club championship games going ahead earlier in the year, but this was rejected by the county board (or the delegates, I can't recall excatly how it was decided). The move to a round robin format in Donegal has probably made it more diffcult to stagger games.

It's up to the County Board and the delegates how they want to structure the club championship. It's also up to them to agree to what Jim McGuinness wants - he can't unilaterally decide when games are to be played. He has undue influence, that is for sure, and the scheduling of club games is a serious issue, not just in Donegal. I'm pretty sure Armagh didn't run off their club championship until after the county team was out of the championship. the Dublin SFC is only getting back on track next week as far as I know.

Ronie32

I know many counties take a break if they are going well in the All-Ireland, but to not even start until October and then expect to be finished by mid November to be in for the provincial championships is extremely unfair on the normal club player! Train all year to run off a championship in six weeks!

Just out of interest, does anyone know at what stage are the club championships in Kerry at, at the moment?

Prop Joe

Ronie32 wrote: »

Just out of interest, does anyone know at what stage are the club championships in Kerry at, at the moment?

1/4 final stage

zetecescort

Things will get interesting in the next few years if the GAA want the club All Ireland finished before Christmas.

downthemiddle

Ronie32 wrote: »

I'd be very fearful for the club game if Donegal in the All-Ireland. McGuinness wouldn't let any club championship be played until Donegal are out of the All-Ireland, meaning the club championship in Donegal won't start until October which I think is absolutely crazy! My biggest fear is how many other county managers will attempt to do the same in their own county next year as inevitably everyone tries to copy last year's winners!

Another myth perpetuated. If people want to knock Jim McGuinness or Donegal the least they can do is be factually correct in their criticism.

Many counties delay their championships because of inter county commitments. Only two counties play in the All Ireland final so progressing to that stage won't affect the other thirty counties. However if you are as concerned, as you appear to be, forward a motion to your club's AGM and eventually it could make its' way to annual congress for discussion, if you can get enough support.

Dirty Dingus McGee

County Boards would be better off not playing any club football before April and playing club leagues (and maybe early championship rounds) in April,May,June and July.After the first week of August only 4 counties are left in the football championship and so almost every county will be free to run their championship without interruption.

Would be better all round as it would get rid of big gaps between matches and would condense the club year.Also it would result in less training in sh1t weather which I am sure most club players would wlecom.

Chun the Unavoidable

tipp hurling final was in october and football final played in november last year.

county footballers went out of munster on may 26, out of championship 29th june

county hurlers went out of munster on june 9th, out of championship 6th july. you would have thought plenty of time to have the club finals done and dusted by end of sept.

thelad95

It's when issues like this arise when you only realise that GAA is an amateur sport.

CrabRevolution

I read elsewhere that one of the reasons some counties avoid summer games is the money. During the summer there are many distractions that might prevent people from attending games. At all times a portion of people will be on holidays, many young people are abroad for the summer, busiest time for farming too. There will be inter county matches on the TV just about every weekend too. These all take away from potential attendances, and of course, money.

Come September though and people start going to games at weekends as they have nothing better to do. Some will be back from America, others will be away at college, but home at the weekends and are looking for something to kill the time. Only 2 or 3 inter county matches on the TV too, so people will be more likely to go to club games to get their fix.

Ronie32

downthemiddle wrote: »

If people want to knock Jim McGuinness or Donegal the least they can do is be factually correct in their criticism.

I'm not trying to knock Jim McGuinness, he's only doing his job. And from watching Donegal this year he's clearly doing an unbelievable job of it.

All I'm worried about is other managers around the country who may not be quite as good. They'll take the lazy option and assume that all they have to do to succeed is copy last years winners and inevitably they'll point to Donegal and they calling off their club championship. I suppose it's up to the county boards to stand up to these demands.

Also, I don't believe copying last years winners works either. We see this year how Dublins all out attack was found out. Better managers (McGuinness included) come up with plans on how to beat these systems and not just copy them.

downthemiddle

Ronie32 wrote: »

I'm not trying to knock Jim McGuinness, he's only doing his job. And from watching Donegal this year he's clearly doing an unbelievable job of it.

All I'm worried about is other managers around the country who may not be quite as good. They'll take the lazy option and assume that all they have to do to succeed is copy last years winners and inevitably they'll point to Donegal and they calling off their club championship. I suppose it's up to the county boards to stand up to these demands.

Also, I don't believe copying last years winners works either. We see this year how Dublins all out attack was found out. Better managers (McGuinness included) come up with plans on how to beat these systems and not just copy them.

As has been previously explained this was a decision made by the clubs not by Jim McGuinness.

zombieHanalei

In order to take this thread seriously I'd have to assume this is an issue that is unique to McGuinness and Donegal; which is just not even a little true. It has been an ongoing issue for many counties for years.

thelad95

zombieHanalei wrote: »

In order to take this thread seriously I'd have to assume this is an issue that is unique to McGuinness and Donegal; which is just not even a little true. It has been an ongoing issue for many counties for years.

It's been an issue that finishing the championship has been delayed but for the championship to not have started at all by this stage is unique as far as I know.

zombieHanalei

thelad95 wrote: »

It's been an issue that finishing the championship has been delayed but for the championship to not have started at all by this stage is unique as far as I know.

Open to correction here, but I'm fairly certain the Kilkenny SHC regularly starts in September.

Rob Thomas

Most counties which now have round robin or back doors in their championships try to play the initial games early in the summer and then everything is parked until the county teams are out of the championship. In fairness it's never really been much different. Some counties are better than others at getting it run off, generally those who have more experience in their county teams being involved later in the year. Kilkenny hurlers will play a full round of games this weekend.

I remember Galway won the football All Ireland in 1998 and the county final was played in October I think. In 1999 they were knocked out early by Mayo (no back door) and they still fAiled to finish the club scene in time. The Connaught club final went to a replay and had to be played 2 days in a row. So this is nothing new. In the early 90s and 00s when Ulster teams were to the fore it was common for championship to be abandoned completely until the county team were beaten and many county players didn't play with their clubs in the meantime. Jimmy Mc is only interested in what gives Donegal the best chance of winning the all ireland and to be fair that's his job.

zombieHanalei

The way its going the proposal to run off All-Ireland club semi's and finals in the same calendar year just will not work. If anything they'll have to push the provincial championships into the following Spring!

The worst ever was what happened in the Clare club championships last year, something crazy like playing off 9 combined rounds of football and hurling championship games in 6 weeks. A team playing a Munster championship game the day after winning the county final is ridiculous.

I don't agree at all with personalising this against McGuinness and Donegal, but there certainly is a major issue at hand here. Too many counties screwing their club players over just to suit their county teams. Not fair on club players to train all year and have a gap of several months in the summer where they play no competitive games.

slingerz

i reckon postponing the start is probably a good thing really if its organised properly within clubs.

Better than current stop start situation which is a nightmare for the ordinary club player.

If there was proper league fixtures each week with fixtures set out at the beginning of the year and only allowing for 2 postponements by clubs for legitimate reasons it would provide meaningful games. could even do the leagues on a home/away basis as well

then keep the championship in storage and play it off each week with extra time instead of replays should increase the interest in those competitions anyway

Hammer Archer

I'm open to correction but, as far as I remember, the 2011 Dublin SFC didn't start until after the All Ireland Final.

downthemiddle

For those who still don't understand what happened this year in Donegal Jim explains it yet again.

http://www.newstalk.ie/player/podcasts/Off_The_Ball/GAA_on_Off_The_Ball/63144/1/wooly_meets_jim_mcguinness

Amprodude

Kerry will win this so Donegal have nothing to worry about here. People in Kerry are 100% confident.