English: No need to change format

NICKY ENGLISH has argued there is little wrong with the current Allianz Hurling League format as it once more comes under the microscope.

Next month’s Annual Congress in Mullingar is set to vote on motions to reintroduce semi-finals to Division 1 as well as the possible re-expansion of the top flight from eight to 12 or 14.

English was a member of the hurling development committee which recommended reverting to the four divisional system in 2006 that was eventually introduced three years later.

The former Tipperary star and manager feels that the league has improved since Division 1 become more of a competition played by an elite.

“There is a limited time for the league to be played and the inter-county season is long enough as it is,” remarked English. “Clubs need their time as well so any attempt to expand the league should be done with care.

“The system as it stands is pretty good. It comes a little unstuck towards the latter stages when you might get a dead rubber of a game so it’s in need of a little tweak there. There’s talk of bringing in league semi-finals and that might help but then again I can remember some really poor league semi-finals and that’s not what you want getting closer to the championship.

“We’ve got some good league finals the last few years. The last two between Tipperary and Kilkenny and Galway and Cork have given a good bit of value.”

It has also been mooted the Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC) are considering submitting a motion to Congress calling for the expansion of Division 1 to 12 or 14 teams, split into two groups as was the system between 2002 and 2008.

But English is totally against that idea, pointing out there’s a massive incentive to keep in the top flight for teams and the quality of games in the division in its current form.

“The best teams should be playing in Division 1 as opposed to everyone just playing in it,” insisted the Lattin-Cullen man. “Nobody wants to be relegated from it. There’s a huge determination by counties to stay there.

“It’s damn tough to get into as well. Wexford took two seasons to get back up into it. If Clare go up this year it’ll have taken them two as well.

“Right now is the closest thing to championship hurling. Allowing more counties to play in it would take away from that.”

The current attendance figures in the eight Allianz Division 1 games this year has also been used to beat it with a stick.

However, English doesn’t see any cause for being concerned by the modest numbers attending the matches. “Attendances have been okay,” he said. “I was at the Tipperary-Kilkenny game last month and there was 9,000 there, which wasn’t bad at all.

“People have such choice on TV these days that they have become more choosy about which games they attend. It’s like the Magners League and the Heineken Cup — people spare themselves for the bigger occasions.

“I would need to see the trends but I don’t think attendances have come down by that much this year.”