GAA/Congress Report: Ian O'Riordan on how the GAA is facing up to the possibility of a radical overhaul of its competitive structure
The GAA head of games, Pat Daly, has proposed a new competitive structure that would radically alter the All-Ireland series and guarantee all teams a minimum number and an even distribution of qualifying games.
The main problem facing the current structure, says Daly, is getting an effective balance between club and county fixtures and ensuring that players, at all levels, are provided with a regular programme of meaningful games.
Such a balance will only be possible when the All-Ireland winners are determined on the back of a series, the details of which are outlined in his games overview ahead of next month's congress.
"Foremost on my mind when developing this overview was the Strategic Review Report," says Daly, "and its recommendation that the games need to be marketed in a more effective manner.
"Part of the problem now is that we have a lot of games in February and March, less games in April and May, more in June, and then a reduction in July and August.
"The main element to this structure is to establish more equality and fairness in the championship, where each county would play the same number of games in the qualifying stages of the competition.
"If you want to look at the alternatives . . . then effectively you have to move away from the provincial system."
Daly has outlined a number of advantages to be gained in the absence of the provincial championship: more than double the games would be involved; the series would require less time to complete; it would reward sustained effort and provide a far better distribution of high profile intercounty games.
"There is an element of the Football Development Committee thinking here as well. We do need to get some sustained period of stability for five or 10 years. At the moment we are making one change, and by the time it is implemented it's already overtaken by the need to make another change."
Ideally, Daly would also like to see the All-Ireland championship concluded by the end of August. "At the moment, the intervals between games can vary from one to six weeks. Apart from the inherent inequities involved, this makes it impossible to set out a planned club fixtures programme. The idea would be to get everything out of the way by August so that we can clear September and October for the clubs."
Daly has suggested an ideal football and hurling format as part of his recommendation. The football format would involve four groups with five teams in each Division One, and two groups with six teams in each Division Two.
For the inaugural year, the top two seeds in each group could be determined on a provincial basis (that is, the two provincial teams with highest league finishing positions). The remaining teams would be determined on the basis of league finishing position alone. The top teams would then go straight into a play-off series.
The hurling format would involve three groups of six - two groups from counties in Munster and Leinster plus Galway (seeded based on league finish). The third group would comprise north east Ulster, the rest of Ulster, the rest of Connacht, north Leinster and south Leinster.
Daly also believes the importance of the leagues could be copper-fastened provided they were played off on a straight league basis, with each division comprising eight teams.
There is added significance to Daly's overview in that Central Council have put forward motion 14 to Congress, which proposes to extend the current format in the All-Ireland football championship by a year, so that the conclusion of its trial period will coincide with its hurling equivalent, thus allowing the future direction of both championships to be considered at the same time in 2003.
"It may be a little premature to say something like this should be in place after 2003. But I think we need to establish some stability for once and for all."
