GAA to review qualifier format

GAA officials are to review the qualifier format in the hurling and football championships which has proven so controversial in recent weeks.

Games Administration Committee chairman Tony O'Keeffe yesterday acknowledged there are inequalities in the present system, whereby not all teams are forced to play six days after losing in their provincial championship.

But O'Keeffe stressed the GAC are 'tied' into a fixtures schedule adopted towards the end of last year.

The issue was discussed by the GAC at their meeting on Monday, when it met to arrange venues and fixtures for the second round football qualifier games next weekend.

"It's something we are definitely going to look at, as part of the review of the year. There seems to be an inordinate gap between some of the rounds,'' he admitted.

The timing of Clare's match against Galway last Saturday, six days after the Banner's Munster SHC semi-final defeat to Cork was discussed.

O'Keeffe said the game had to be played so promptly as they had to allow for the possibility of the Westerners playing a second game had they lost.

He added that this was one of the conditions agreed when the experimental system in hurling was expanded last year.

Whatever decision the GAA takes , it cannot revert to the straight knockout system which operated up to 1996, according to GPA chief executive Dessie Farrell.

Farrell described any return to the old structure as a 'non-runner' and said most players would prefer an enhanced structure that would guarantee teams more than two games.

Offaly hurling coach Mike McNamara voiced his criticism after the qualifier win over Dublin on Sunday (a week after their Leinster SHC defeat to Wexford) when he said that the GAC could not "stick down" the same fixture list every year "and keep their heads in the sand".

The evening before, after Meath footballers were surprisingly beaten by Kildare in the Leinster semi-final, Sean Boylan aired his concern about the team having to play again within a week.

Farrell said similar problems were encountered by teams last year, and a viable solution had not been found.

"After suffering a psychological blow as well as the physical and mental stress of having played the week before it can be very challenging to have to tog out six days later again," he said.

While Derry officials have complained about their game with Dublin being deferred for a further week feeling it will be to Dublin's advantage O'Keeffe said the GAC had no choice but to take that decision.

Critics of the current system should appreciate the problems encountered in the provincial finals being played on different dates and the added difficulties for Munster and Leinster organising football and hurling championships simultaneously.

"There are inequalities there. But, whether we will be able to solve them is another matter,'' he added.

Meanwhile, Farrell expressed the hope that the championship process can be enhanced "to another level".

"We're in serious competition from other codes and we should do all that we can to 'catapult' our games onto a platform that is readily available on a weekly basis to the majority in this country.

"You'd like to do that in conjunction with the club system that's in place, so whatever you would do at inter-county level wouldn't have a detrimental effect on club games and on club players.

"I definitely think that harmony can be reached accommodating both.''

One of the suggestions put forward by Farrell is the running of the championships in a league structure. "From the players' perspective it would be very heartening," he said.