Fogarty Forum: Fact checking the new football championship

How do claims about the new football structures stand up?

Tue, 01 Mar, 2022 - 06:45

Claim:

“In the interest of fairness, it will give everybody a chance to start from an equal footing whenever we get to the knockout stages of the All-Ireland. It’s about a level playing field for all. As it stands, Dublin and Kerry basically get a straight route through. Even allowing for the backdoor, in Ulster there’s a very tough championship to get through before you can even get to face one of those teams” - Tyrone goalkeeper Niall Morgan.

The facts:

Although Dublin’s current poor form might suggest otherwise, it is unlikely either they or Kerry will fail to make the last eight in most if not every year. From the time All-Ireland quarter-finals were introduced in 2002 to their Super 8 existence in 2018 and ‘19, Kerry qualified for them all without fail. Dublin missed out on them once, in 2003. Whereas before, they had two ways of qualifying for the All-Ireland series (ie quarter-finals on), winning their province and the qualifiers, they now have three — a top three finish in any of the four Sam Maguire Cup groups. Winning Ulster will never be sneezed at for the likes of Tyrone but to be able to fall back on the league for a Sam Maguire Cup spot provides more comfort than the backdoor.

Verdict:

Yes, Dublin and Kerry will have to play more games and against stronger opposition next year to make the knockout stages but little will change for them. However, life will be a little easier for the leading Ulster counties.

Claim:

“The fact that three counties emerge from each four-team group does not bring with it the same level of jeopardy as per my original plan and so could lead to many dead rubber games — which won’t serve the excitement or drama of championship football well.” — Former GAA president Seán Kelly.

The facts:

Kelly’s criticism of three teams qualifying from the groups is shared by a number of people including Cork GAA chief executive Kevin O’Donovan. However, there is a strong chance something will be on the line for all four teams in each group going into the third round of the Sam Maguire Cup with three qualification places available. As GAA director of club, player, and games administration Feargal McGill said: “The possibility of games that have no meaning is miniscule in the Green proposal because each of the four places in a group will have meaning - first, straight to quarter-final, second, home preliminary quarter-final, third, qualifies for preliminary quarter-final, fourth, eliminated.”

Verdict:

It’s an unwieldy way of doing it but there won’t be as many dead rubbers in the Super 16 with three teams qualifying as opposed to two.

Claim:

“There is an enormous amount of consequence in the early part of the year.” - Former fixtures review task force member Conor O’Donoghue.

The facts:

While there will be 99 championship games next year, a jump of 31 from the last pre-pandemic competition in 2019, it is still dwarfed by the 116 matches played in the Allianz Football League. On the surface, it might make sense that the league previously comprising 63% of the inter-county football season and regarded as the sport’s best competition should have more of a say in the All-Ireland SFC. However, it is subject to inclement weather conditions which could upset its integrity — because of postponements, 10 counties will end up playing five weeks in a row, their rescheduled games organised for this weekend. That isn’t wholly fair. As teams look to avoid putting one foot in the Tailteann Cup, Division 2 is already cutthroat. It will be even more so as the top half could earn Sam Maguire Cup status.

Verdict:

This year’s All-Ireland SFC lasts exactly 100 days, the season 177 from the opening day of the league to the All-Ireland final. Pre-pandemic, the championship lasted 120 days and the season 219 from beginning to end. As the inter-county season contracts, the motto “start as you mean to go on” will be repeated ad nauseum. Even more so with Sam Maguire Cup qualification resting on league finishes.

Claim:

“There are issues around third level, which is a serious matter we are going to have to deal with.” - O’Donoghue.

The facts:

As seen in recent weeks, there are already player welfare issues posed by the start of the league running concurrent with the Sigerson and Trench Cups and fresher competitions. GAA president Larry McCarthy has acknowledged “we have to do something to relieve the pressure” and suggested those who qualify for Sigerson should not play county until Sigerson commitments are concluded.

Verdict:

With so much at stake in 2023, McCarthy’s idea seems unworkable. Unless third level competitions are protected by rule or move to before Christmas, student players will likely face ultimatums from inter-county bosses.

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GAA merger may end up being a long road

It didn’t take much reading between the lines on Saturday to see that the GAA and the GPA have very different timelines for the full integration of governing bodies.

Such is the level of work involved, the amalgamation of the rulebooks, the merging of departments, the use of facilities, and conjoining the provincial and county structures to name but four headline topics, that a ballpark figure of 10 to 12 years seems appropriate from a GAA perspective.

That will be too slow for the GPA but they have to consider their integration with the Women’s Gaelic Players Association, which they have used as an example, didn’t involve near as much heavy lifting.

It’s their determination to move the conversation on that will focus minds yet the “relentless” schedule which GPA chief executive Tom Parsons speaks of in pursuing equality will find it difficult to push the slow train of reform.

The GPA will be buoyed that money, as it usually does, could accelerate matters. “It’s now policy that all NGBs from 2023 onwards need to have a 40% gender balance on all their decision-making boards,” Parsons noted on Saturday, a balance that if not met could result in funding being withheld.

GAA director general Tom Ryan has already accepted hitting that figure will present the organisation with a challenge. “Our coiste bainistiochta (management committee), in common with management boards at all levels in the organisation, is not appointed but is voted upon democratically,” he wrote in his annual report. “And of course, we don’t govern women’s sport. I mention these not as excuses not to comply, merely simply to highlight a difficulty ahead.”

Not that any delegate cared to raise the matter at Annual Congress. The lack of debate about Ryan’s report was quite something but the GAA’s whole governance structure may have to shift.

Dublin dented on two fronts

On Saturday, Central Council endorsed the new coaching and games development model, which will see Dublin lose, over time, €250,000 and possibly more.

GAA director general Tom Ryan didn’t name them during his annual report press briefing but he revealed: “It’s fair to say there will be a dilution of coaching and games funding for at least one county and the overwhelming majority will see a significant increase.”

Seeing as Dublin picked up almost 20% of the total games development funding for counties last year (€745,278) and the next best were Antrim with €199.437, it could hardly be anybody else.

The news that they are to receive such a major cut isn’t being celebrated by those who have criticised their support. It’s not that they don’t want to kick Dublin when they’re down but when the senior footballers are struggling as they are currently, it doesn’t exactly fit the narrative that they receive too much cash.

Most certainly, the GAA’s games development funding mechanism needed an overhaul — that the organisation allowed Dublin to retain the majority of the €1m from Sport Ireland long after it was no longer ringfenced for the capital stuck out like a sore thumb.

But as Dublin stare relegation from Division 1 in the face having lost four straight games, their insistence even in their pomp that their success wouldn’t last forever sounds pretty accurate.