Fears for Tiers in the Underage Grades at Convention.
By Noel Dundon, Tipperary Media
Convention time is just around the corner and it is the time of the year when thoughts turn to systems, rankings, tiers, leagues and championships. It appears to have started a little earlier this year and County Bord na n-Og’s proposals to take the scalpel to the U-15 and U-17 championships is causing quite a stir.
A busy evening in the Dome last week outlined the proposals which would see an elite tier established, but with the divisional championships also running as separate competitions – in other words, no links to the county championships. Leagues would run in tandem with the championship and the big carrot is the claim of extra games for players.
However, many delegates were not impressed with the proposal and round table discussions – or workshops- were used to get the views of the clubs of the county. All of these changes have been put forward on foot of a survey of clubs undertaken some time ago.
The trouble is, less than half the clubs of the county responded, and of those who did respond, less than half again felt that there was need for change. So why change then? Bord na n-Og says these would be the first major changes to structure – apart from moving to uneven ages – since 1990. But, is that reason enough to change? The current system has, after all, yielded two All-Ireland minor hurling titles in three years.
The up-shot of all this talk is that Bord na n-Og is to bring a proposal to the County Convention for discussion and vote. That particular Convention could be one of the most highly attended in years.
Football Matters
At County Convention level there are a number of motions for debate also and the November meeting of the Board this Monday evening in the Dome will discuss matters arising. Football is high on the agenda, and specifically, what to do about clubs who fail to fulfill fixtures.
There are various motions down from the Upperchurch Drombane club, the County CCC and the Football Board with suggestions ranging from automatic relegation, to points reductions, to punitive financial implications.
But, there are also a few puzzling ones from the Football Board which links the hurling and football championships like never before. What to make of this?
“Where a club that in the previous year, their 1st team has played in either of the top 3 county football championships (Senior, Intermediate and Premier Junior) and fails to affiliate a team in these competitions in the following year, or upon affiliating fails to field a team in the competition, the following shall apply:
· Automatic disqualification from fielding an adult football team in any grade for a term of two years
· If they re-enter a team in adult football competitions within a period of five years, from last fielding they will re-enter at the same grade as their 1st team played in their last year of competing
· If they re-enter a team after a period of 5 years has elapsed since last played, the grade they play at will be decided by the county gradings committee in the normal manner.
· This rule does not apply to a team relegated from the premier junior grade in any given year
3. Where a Clubs 1st adult hurling team plays in either of the top two grades (Senior or Premier Intermediate) in any given year, then in that year the minimum grade that they can compete at in county championship football competition is at Junior ‘A’ grade.
The grade at which a club plays in divisional competitions shall be decided by divisional/county boards in the normal manner, but a club playing at either of the top two hurling grades as above, are graded Junior ‘B’ or lower, then they shall not be eligible to go forward beyond the divisional competitions in Junior ‘B’ or lower grades. Divisions may if they wish, nominate an alternative qualifying club (based on the above criteria) to take their place for the county stages of the relevant competitions.
Peculiar or what?
Loughmore atone – Cashel ready for Eddie?
Congrats to Loughmore Castleiney on atoning for their hurling disappointment by making it to the Munster Club Football Final – a major achievement, though they will be up against the might of Dr Crokes of Kerry.
Meanwhile, Cashel King Cormacs will have to contend with Eddie Enright’s Watergrasshill in their final next weekend. Eddie has been undertaking great work ‘on the missions’ in his adoptive Watergrasshill – clubs, and county, will be keeping a close eye on their progress with the view to tempting him back to these shores.