Provincial championships have to go to save the GAA

Terry Reilly

County managers fail to realise the problems of a club. They become wrapped up in preparing a team for the championship and feel, rightly or wrongly, their efforts should be rewarded by the GAA. All rule changes should be in their favour and to help them improve their teams.

Sometimes they have a point.

Yesterday, Mickey Harte called on county board’s to propose a motion for provincial champions to meet in a play off with the winners going through to the All-Ireland semi-finals and the losers going through to a quarter-final against two team who have come through the qualifiers.

A good idea to reward the champions and he’s just looking for fairness.

But, unfortunately, the club game simply can’t sustain another round of fixture interruptions. The grassroots section is already under severe pressure.

If you’re an ordinary club player you can’t book a holiday in the summer. The second you do the fixtures will be changed and you’ll be out of pocket, your missus won’t be too happy and you’ll question your involvement in the sport.

It’s happened up and down the country. Less involvement in the club when you’re able to play means less involvement in the future when you’re not. It creates a disconnect and ultimately an inability to interact with your community.

That’s the death knell to the game. The GAA is nothing without its community links.

While the inter-county scene is the showpiece, the club is where the love of the game come from.

So why not create a definitive structure for county games, granting justice to those who have won all their games and allowing club players know what their fixtures are from the start of the year.

The only way to do it is by getting rid of the provincial championship. Make eight groups with four teams in six and five in two. Do the draw at the start of the year.

The winners go through to the All-Ireland quarter-finals, second placed teams play off for a B All-Ireland and the rest build for next year.

Every team is guaranteed three games. There won’t be surprises down the line. County fixtures secretaries will be able to structure their club games early.

Traditionalists will be aghast but the future of any sport is reliant on its ability to change when the need requires it.

It’ll be a big call by the provincial councils, a perceived loss of power and identity. But a requirement to keep the GAA strong in this country or lose out to other sports who can guarantee fixtures week in and week out for everybody.

Source: http://feeds.examiner.ie/~r/iesportsblog/~3/BGubQiXzpyE/post.aspx

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