Once again we are a laughing stock, the proposals would have brought new life into the championships and reinvigorated what is a stagnated county. Everyone here is giving out about the state of Meath football yet wnen change is proposed the so called knowledgeable people in the county succeed in making a mockery of the efforts of those who want to see Meath football as a whole improve. Once again small localised thinking has won out over the bigger picture, those responsible should hang their heads in shame but of course they won't, the Meath club delegate strikes again.

Richieq (Meath) - Posts: 3590 - 22/03/2016 10:46:19    1836650

username.if - You are correct and may I add that the guys who came up with the idea of mass relegations know very little about football and how to improve it. How could you propose to improve adult football by forcing teams to play in lower divisions- football nonsense. If you want to improve adult football then you indeed follow the Kerry model closely and allow a championship where a number of junior teams or combinations of intermediate teams are allowed to join -just for the senior championship. The proposed changes were typical of what goes on at National level -tinkering around the edges and making changes for the sake of change. Introducing the mark is one example when something simple could have been done about hand passing and the tackle/black card. You need to introduce rules to reduce the workload on Refs and suspend managers whose players sledge.

browncows (Meath) - Posts: 2189 - 22/03/2016 11:00:42    1836655

Ritchieq: Totally agree with you on this, a case of "Oh my God" or "What the f@ck". One step forward followed quickly by three steps back.

moylagh (Meath) - Posts: 461 - 22/03/2016 11:13:17    1836659

The point here is not anything to do with the proposals themselves but the fact that they were voted in and only a few weeks later rejected by the SAME people who voted them in. If that is not making a clown of yourself then i don't know what is

Analyst (Meath) - Posts: 1338 - 22/03/2016 11:37:56    1836675

Analyst

I have read whats going on and the posts here and really I haven't been able to think what to say,but I think you have it spot on.You wouldn't know whether to laugh or cry to be honest!

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 22/03/2016 12:11:12    1836695

But what happens now? Do we plunder along with the same old dated championhip? Why can we not amend some of the new ideas? Surely it cannot just be the old format or the new one that was proposed without coming up with another idea?

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 22/03/2016 12:15:50    1836698

What annoys me too is that you have 18 senior clubs and only one gets relegated.Terrible system.At least 5 clubs are plodding along every year with little ambition,going nowhere,but just doing to enough to call themselves senior clubs.Imagine if we tried to cut it to 12 or 14??

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 22/03/2016 12:29:21    1836704

things like this only happens in ireland,comical stuff.

thelutch (Meath) - Posts: 856 - 22/03/2016 12:33:57    1836707

It looks as if there were just 2 proposals on the agenda. Either the new structures or the old system. This is where the executive needed to act. If they could see that there was a groundswell to row back on the new changes then they needed to asap review the proposals and modify to ones that are acceptable to the majority. Obviously clubs had significant concerns but to do nothing considering so much done to date is unacceptable.

I would have thought 2 relegated from senior with one promoted from intermediate and repeat that all the way down through Junior would, in two years, get us to a 16 team senior championship. Then repeat to move towards a 16 team intermediate championship. Also, two up and two down should be standard between grades.

Regarding regional teams, it should be looked at. I dont know who in the county would take this on after this debacle.

oldsam_newsam (Meath) - Posts: 638 - 22/03/2016 13:08:34    1836722

Shouldn't have changed it back! 18 teams in the senior championship can not be competitive in any county, it's just too much. Smaller numbers of teams at every grade will make the championship more competitive across the board

pat_custard (Meath) - Posts: 125 - 22/03/2016 13:15:08    1836726

Was against this from the start as I thought it wasn't fair on smaller clubs but had accepted that this was happening and was looking frwd to what should have been a very competitive championship and probably would have made for better championships in future years. Now how can the county board be taken seriously from now on football in all areas is a shambles from intercounty to fixtures to even raising the prices of club championship games and obviously no being able to get motions through or keep them passed. On the other hand clubs need to get their house in order this was passed first time out proving there was no communication in the club committees. Absolute mess and a joke, embarrassing for everyone!

ahherehey (Meath) - Posts: 18 - 22/03/2016 13:18:23    1836728

yes embarrassing for everyone but once again Meath football suffers..

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 22/03/2016 14:15:40    1836749

Analyst - That is a valid point (but when did that concern them) and of course reducing the teams in each grade will make it more competitive but it will also suit the stronger teams who may end up winning more and may not do anything to improve county football. In senior only two different teams have won the senior championships over the last 5 years, while of course a different team wins the junior and intermediate every year. You need the Kerry model if you are serious.

browncows (Meath) - Posts: 2189 - 22/03/2016 15:34:57    1836791

But were to now? Thats the end of it and we continue with the old model for God knows how long?

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 22/03/2016 15:59:03    1836801

Do all the lads advocating the "Kerry model" know that there's only 9 club teams in the Kerry championship, so if we brought it in there'd be a huge number of relegations anyway?

CastleBravo (Meath) - Posts: 1391 - 22/03/2016 16:09:35    1836806

The worst thing about all this is that we'll be stuck with the same out-dated championship for the next 4-7 years now. After the way this was handled who'd be bothered trying to propose a change it's an absolute disaster.
The new structure wasn't excellent but it took away a lot of meaningless games and would have almost each club playing in the graded deserve to be in. It also could've been a stepping stone to the needed Kerry model in the future.
For me it's a case of tunnel minded, stubborn old men putting their own club's status ahead of the good of Meath football. Meath football's the only loser out of this.

nmsmithy96 (Meath) - Posts: 108 - 22/03/2016 16:15:14    1836808

ya gotta say I am sick of the county board and the clubs over the last number of years.

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 22/03/2016 16:52:40    1836827

Brownscows I agree that reducing the teams would make all divisions more competitive but I also disagree with some of your comments. Yes the change may causes the bigger teams to win more but that's not to say it won't cause the smaller teams to try that bit harder and force them to become that bit more competitive.

How long have I seen posters on this page saying there's not enough North Meath footballers in the county team? While these smaller teams might not have the catchment of Ashbourne, Dunboyne, Navan etc. Would their competitive streak and fighting will not surely be better developed in order to compete with the so called larger clubs?

At the moment there is plenty of these smaller clubs "competing" at senior level and they seem quite happy to kick a ball around 3/4 times a year in the groups and then pack it in happy that they're safe for another year.

I think the current system is actually better tailored for the bigger clubs than what was meant to be the new system.

Uncle_Fester (Meath) - Posts: 217 - 22/03/2016 16:53:14    1836828

CastleBravo - When I refer to the Kerry model I am referring to the process whereby every player in the county (if the are good enough) gets the opportunity to compete in the top competition inside the county and having 16 teams would be no problem. I think what concerns most clubs is the way the new system was rushed in without it being sold and a maximum of 1 additional team being relegated in each division would probably have got carried.

browncows (Meath) - Posts: 2189 - 22/03/2016 17:10:26    1836834

lads the vote actually passed.Why didn't the county board just say thats the end of it?

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 22/03/2016 17:21:11    1836836