John Fogarty
WHEN it comes to league revamps, Louth have more often than not been the victim.
In 2007 they had finished second from bottom in the old Division 1B. The following February, with the reintroduction of the current four division structure, they found themselves in Division 3.
In 1997, Louth finished top of Division 2 but as the Football Development Committee’s recommendation to bring in a two-section, 16-county Division 1 was backed for the following season, their “reward” was a place in Division 1B, basically a newer name for the group they had trumped.
Now they face another quandary. Next Saturday, Central Council will vote on proposals to bring back Division 1A and 1B.
Comprising all the teams that would have made up Division 1 and 2, each group will feature eight randomly selected teams.
Apart from accommodating semi-finals for Division 1 as were voted in by Congress this year, clearly the belief behind the move is that Division 2 is of the same level of competition as the current top flight.
But try telling that to Peter Fitzpatrick. Speaking after Louth’s qualifier exit to Meath in June, he said: “If the county board are happy with me I have no problem going forward. I could do a runner, let them go ahead in Division 2 and let them be relegated but I am not a coward.”
Imagine what it’s going to be like for them now against Division 1 heavyweights as well.
Mickey Harte certainly doesn’t think Division 2 is as good as Division 1. In April, he said teams in the second tier of the competition had less of a chance of winning the All-Ireland than those in the top eight.
“It is highly doubtful anyone from Division Two is going to win it,” said Harte. “So, the team that wins the All-Ireland generally comes from the top division.”
Donegal are the only Division 2 team remaining but were heading for Division 1 anyway next year.
Now they face coming up against the same teams this season they bettered to deservedly move away from into a higher echelon of rivalry.
Have little doubt the proposals will go through next weekend primarily because what were otherwise faced with is the ridiculous prospect of an eight-team Division 1 with the top four qualifying for the semi-finals.
But what was wrong with what we had? The status quo is excellent. An elite reward for an elite fleet of counties instead of the previous two-division structure in which the penalties for poor form were tame and the gulf in class was laid out for all to see.
Division 2, even if Harte doesn’t think so, offered up some thrilling games where only a point separated the top five teams.
Sponsors Allianz must wonder what to make of it all this chopping and changing after what they have stated has been their most successful campaign in 19 years of association with the National Leagues.
Admittedly, the rebranding of the competition with their name incorporated into its title, the Dublin Spring Series and the GAA’s ticket initiatives were major contributions to the vitality of the competitions but so too were the structures.
Now that the four divisional system has bedded in over the last three years, it’s safe to say that every team are where they are on merit.
Each has given ample opportunity over the past four years to improve their lot. If they haven’t done so by now it’s their own fault, not the structure’s.
Yet there appears to be an urge in Croke Park to accommodate as many teams as possible regardless of how it undermines the league. The same applies to hurling too where there are efforts to increase the number of teams competing for the Division 1 title.
But for what? Just like in both championships, there are only so many teams that are able to win the ultimate prize in the league.
In football, there are certainly not 16 teams never mind eight capable of lifting the Allianz Cup but that’s what we’re going to get.
Let’s stress that this Friday and Saturday when the GAA’s Management Committee and Central Council meet are not just two of the most important dates in the organisation’s 2012 calendar; they are also significant days in the presidency of Christy Cooney.
As well as discussing alterations to both football and hurling leagues, a decision on Hawk-Eye score detection technology will be made as well as the formations of a standing rules committee and hopefully (and finally) the discussion forum about payments to managers.
A large portion of his legacy is riding on what will happen but why is the league being targeted yet again when everyone know it’s the championship – and not just its time-frame – that needs urgent attention?
In his annual report this year, GAA Director General Páraic Duffy highlighted the virtues of the GAA’s secondary competitions.
“The leagues are extremely competitive, a feature emphasised by the close correlation between league and championship success in recent years,” he wrote.
“Yet there is no doubt that the growth in importance and the popularity of the championships have tended to overshadow the significance of the leagues.”
Duffy went on to point out that the attraction of the leagues diminished towards the latter end.
For that reason, as much as he was disinclined to support additional inter-county games, he accepted the need for Division 1 semi-finals to make games more appealing.
Duffy also acknowledged the leagues had suffered in the role of being a laboratory for testing rule changes. He might disagree but that point could also apply to the constant tinkering with the competition’s structures.
Whether it is the wont of GAA officials who will lose key positions next year and feel the need to make an impact before they’re gone, the league has been tampered enough.
Supporters want predictability and regularity of games. They like a competition they can set their watch by.
How can they expect to turn up to watch a competition that appears to be in a constant state of flux?
The league is the easy quarry. The sad reality is we’ll be saying the same in three or four years’ time. What are the odds Louth will be the fall guys once more?
Source: http://feeds.examiner.ie/~r/iesportsblog/~3/qMiqSfaJuK8/post.aspx
Job hunting European football Incineration Tony Cottee Aberdeen Wigan Athletic
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