National Forum

GAA Restructuring

(Oldest Posts First)

The GAA should learn a lot from the virus - particularly when it comes to fixtures and the whole structure of the organisation.

What do people think of the below structure? I would scrap the league and all pre-league tournaments (FBD league etc). in order to provide a proper structure for the club player. I would keep the Sigerson as is an excellent competition and also the provincials as the local rivalries associated with these are worth hanging onto.

Intercounty Club
Jan/Feb Sigerson / County Training Training/challenge games
Feb Sigerson / County Training Training/challenge games
March Intercounty players with clubs Championship
April Intercounty players with clubs Championship
May Provincial Championships League - (ex intercounty players)
June Provincial Championships League - (ex intercounty players)
July Championship Group Games League - (ex intercounty players)
August Prelim Q Finals and Q Finals League Final
Sep Semi Finals and Final
Oct Provincial and All Ireland Club Championship
November Provincial and All Ireland Club Championship

Championship Groups Year 1
Meath Dublin Mayo Galway Donegal Tyrone Monaghan Kerry
Roscommon Armagh Kildare Cavan Westmeath Laois Fermanagh Clare
Cork Longford Down Derry Offaly Tipperary Leitrim Louth
Limerick Antrim Wexford Wicklow Sligo Carlow Waterford London

1 Top two teams progress to senior championship. Bottom two teams progress to intermediate.
2 Senior quarter finalists top seeded in year 2.
3 Remaining 8 senior teams second seeded in year 2.
4 Intermediate quarter finalists third seeded in year 2.
5 Remaining 8 intermediate teams fourth seeded in year 2.
6 Provincial winners who have not made second place in group get opportunity to progress in senior championship by playing the team(s) with lowest points or highest scoring difference in championship groups.
7 Intermediate winners who have not made second place in group get opportunity to progress in senior championship by playing the teams with lowest points or highest scoring difference in championship groups. Intermediate winners get all expenses paid trip to New York in February to play New York. Should New York win they enter one of the 8 championship groups with the GAA providing funding to them for the month of July.
8 All group games home and away. Bottom seeds guaranteed two home games.
9 Quarter Finals, semi finals and finals in Croke Park (senior and intermediate)
10 County Boards to incentivise the club league (promotion/relegation for one team). Use championship to determine the other team.

hopballref (Galway) - Posts: 249 - 29/07/2020 16:15:57    2285718

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Replying To hopballref:  "The GAA should learn a lot from the virus - particularly when it comes to fixtures and the whole structure of the organisation.

What do people think of the below structure? I would scrap the league and all pre-league tournaments (FBD league etc). in order to provide a proper structure for the club player. I would keep the Sigerson as is an excellent competition and also the provincials as the local rivalries associated with these are worth hanging onto.

Intercounty Club
Jan/Feb Sigerson / County Training Training/challenge games
Feb Sigerson / County Training Training/challenge games
March Intercounty players with clubs Championship
April Intercounty players with clubs Championship
May Provincial Championships League - (ex intercounty players)
June Provincial Championships League - (ex intercounty players)
July Championship Group Games League - (ex intercounty players)
August Prelim Q Finals and Q Finals League Final
Sep Semi Finals and Final
Oct Provincial and All Ireland Club Championship
November Provincial and All Ireland Club Championship

Championship Groups Year 1
Meath Dublin Mayo Galway Donegal Tyrone Monaghan Kerry
Roscommon Armagh Kildare Cavan Westmeath Laois Fermanagh Clare
Cork Longford Down Derry Offaly Tipperary Leitrim Louth
Limerick Antrim Wexford Wicklow Sligo Carlow Waterford London

1 Top two teams progress to senior championship. Bottom two teams progress to intermediate.
2 Senior quarter finalists top seeded in year 2.
3 Remaining 8 senior teams second seeded in year 2.
4 Intermediate quarter finalists third seeded in year 2.
5 Remaining 8 intermediate teams fourth seeded in year 2.
6 Provincial winners who have not made second place in group get opportunity to progress in senior championship by playing the team(s) with lowest points or highest scoring difference in championship groups.
7 Intermediate winners who have not made second place in group get opportunity to progress in senior championship by playing the teams with lowest points or highest scoring difference in championship groups. Intermediate winners get all expenses paid trip to New York in February to play New York. Should New York win they enter one of the 8 championship groups with the GAA providing funding to them for the month of July.
8 All group games home and away. Bottom seeds guaranteed two home games.
9 Quarter Finals, semi finals and finals in Croke Park (senior and intermediate)
10 County Boards to incentivise the club league (promotion/relegation for one team). Use championship to determine the other team."
Above didn't post correctly.

Intercounty
Jan/Feb Sigerson / County Training
Feb Sigerson / County Training
March Intercounty players with clubs
April Intercounty players with clubs
May Provincial Championships
June Provincial Championships
July Championship Group Games
August Prelim Q Finals and Q Finals (senior & intermediate)
September Semi Finals and Final (senior & intermediate)

Club
Jan/Feb Training/challenge games
Feb Training/challenge games
March Championship
April Championship
May League - 3 rounds (ex intercounty players)
June League - 3 rounds (ex intercounty players)
July League - 2 rounds and final (ex intercounty players)
August League Final
Sep
Oct Provincial and All Ireland Club Championship
Nov Provincial and All Ireland Club Championship

hopballref (Galway) - Posts: 249 - 29/07/2020 16:34:44    2285722

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We all think the same as we did the other million times this question was asked on Hoganstand

Breezy (Limerick) - Posts: 1106 - 29/07/2020 16:52:48    2285727

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Its about time that the ordinary club players were looked after rather than the 1% elite.

Bon (Kildare) - Posts: 979 - 29/07/2020 17:08:46    2285732

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It is about time the GAA started paying more attention to our native language and culture. It is a big advantage imho. Especially dealing with competitors like Rugby and Soccer. The GAA will never compete with the English language world wide sports like Golf , Soccer and Rugby.

galwayford (Galway) - Posts: 1927 - 29/07/2020 22:58:50    2285776

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Replying To Bon:  "Its about time that the ordinary club players were looked after rather than the 1% elite."
Suggest you take it up with your county board who design the fixtures in the county instead of the usual cheap dig at inter county players......some counties can run an excellent set of fixtures with clarity and certainity while others are a shambles.....all counties have an inter county team so what is the difference, the competency or otherwise of the individual county board...direct your ire there

ArmaghCat (Armagh) - Posts: 61 - 30/07/2020 10:20:39    2285792

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Replying To hopballref:  "Above didn't post correctly.

Intercounty
Jan/Feb Sigerson / County Training
Feb Sigerson / County Training
March Intercounty players with clubs
April Intercounty players with clubs
May Provincial Championships
June Provincial Championships
July Championship Group Games
August Prelim Q Finals and Q Finals (senior & intermediate)
September Semi Finals and Final (senior & intermediate)

Club
Jan/Feb Training/challenge games
Feb Training/challenge games
March Championship
April Championship
May League - 3 rounds (ex intercounty players)
June League - 3 rounds (ex intercounty players)
July League - 2 rounds and final (ex intercounty players)
August League Final
Sep
Oct Provincial and All Ireland Club Championship
Nov Provincial and All Ireland Club Championship"
when would inter county players get an off season?

Any proposal has to have a designated period where players dont have any games and the season is finished. There needs to be far more streamlining of the entire season

KillingFields (Limerick) - Posts: 1636 - 30/07/2020 14:01:20    2285834

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Replying To KillingFields:  "when would inter county players get an off season?

Any proposal has to have a designated period where players dont have any games and the season is finished. There needs to be far more streamlining of the entire season"
No football for anyone in December.
Intercounty off-season in October, November and December.
For the vast number of club footballers, their season is finished at end of July/August.
The county final winners to be playing in October/November, Very difficult to play this anytime else.

hopballref (Galway) - Posts: 249 - 31/07/2020 09:37:46    2285930

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Replying To ArmaghCat:  "Suggest you take it up with your county board who design the fixtures in the county instead of the usual cheap dig at inter county players......some counties can run an excellent set of fixtures with clarity and certainity while others are a shambles.....all counties have an inter county team so what is the difference, the competency or otherwise of the individual county board...direct your ire there"
Its not a cheap dig its a fact and you know it.

Bon (Kildare) - Posts: 979 - 31/07/2020 13:29:24    2285964

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Replying To galwayford:  "It is about time the GAA started paying more attention to our native language and culture. It is a big advantage imho. Especially dealing with competitors like Rugby and Soccer. The GAA will never compete with the English language world wide sports like Golf , Soccer and Rugby."
In what way do you think they could pay "more attention to our native language and culture".

Cockney_Cat (UK) - Posts: 1115 - 31/07/2020 14:10:40    2285969

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Replying To hopballref:  "No football for anyone in December.
Intercounty off-season in October, November and December.
For the vast number of club footballers, their season is finished at end of July/August.
The county final winners to be playing in October/November, Very difficult to play this anytime else."
When do club championships get played? You know that you probably need 12 weekends to run off club championships in dual counties

Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 3111 - 31/07/2020 14:36:52    2285973

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Replying To Bon:  "Its not a cheap dig its a fact and you know it."
Fact how...some counties have excellent fixtures others don't...that it due to the county board as they all have inter county teams...

ArmaghCat (Armagh) - Posts: 61 - 31/07/2020 21:07:02    2286000

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