Overhaul of club scene long overdue

Without wanting to come across all Troy McClure, my name is John Hayes and you might remember me from my time with the Cork senior football panel between 2005 and 2011.

I was fortunate enough to win a few medals and trophies in my time with Cork but often, particularly in the latter years, as a bit-part player with what is one of the strongest Cork panels of this or any other era. I left the panel last year due to frustration at my limited role and lack of opportunities.

But that is enough about that. This is not a kiss and tell about the current ins and outs of the inter-county scene. There are more than enough sages musing on mass defences and the over-reliance on the fist-pass.

This is about the frustrations of a club player. When I left the Cork panel I did not do so with the intention of retiring. I wanted to go back to where it all begins for every GAA player, to my club. I was looking forward to rediscovering the simple buzz of playing regular football. I knew exactly what I was letting myself in for and the present club championship structure in Cork, and every other county in Ireland, is far from satisfactory. The reality is worse than I knew.

At my core I am a sports nut. Give me a ball and I am happy.

Competitive field sports are my drug. It gives me no pleasure to admit that Gaelic football is not giving me my fix.

Everyone in the GAA knows the championship is where it’s at. Though the much-maligned Kelleher Shield League has improved in recent years with the amalgamation of the senior and intermediate grades — meaning failure to fulfil fixtures and hurling-centric clubs fielding weakened teams are less of a problem. But it is still the secondary competition and the games scarcely register on the public conscience.

I can say this with conviction as my club, Carbery Rangers, have won two of the last three titles. Satisfying, yes, but our defeats in recent county semi-finals are of most prescience in the Cork football landscape.

So let’s look at how things are for a club footballer as it stands. Training for us began in January. We train collectively twice a week and struggle through pre-season tournaments that are to be endured and not enjoyed. Gym sessions are the individual’s responsibility but twice a week is expected.

The Kelleher Shield begins in late February and we step up to three times a week as we begin the countdown to championship in early May. That is four months of preparation, and some panels will do more, before the main event even kicks off.

Herein lies the rub in our particular structure in Cork. Victory in the first round ensures progression to the fourth round and a likely three-month, or longer, sabbatical from championship fare, while the vanquished are afforded two further opportunities to reach the same stage.

This presents a dilemma for players and management of first round winners alike. If you are victorious, do you ease back and risk losing peak fitness, or continue training as before and risk mental and physical fatigue?

It is not possible to train a team correctly without knowing when you are going to play again. There is a significant school of thought that there are benefits now to losing your opening game.

In fact, when the real action begins at the last 16 stage in July, August or God knows when, after seven to nine months’ preparation and three rounds of championship fare, only two clubs will have been eliminated.

Make of that what you will. With this system a team may play as little as two games in the championship proper. Good players will never develop to their potential if they are not fortunate enough to play in a team that regularly reaches the latter stages of the championship.

Young players are leaving for J1 adventures in America (often missing no big games in the process) and older players struggle to find the motivation to balance work, family and training without the carrot of regular, top-quality games. Extensive travel incurred by many for training sessions only adds to the sense of disillusionment.

So far this year I would estimate our senior squad has trained up to 60 times, playing one championship game. Including our seven completed league matches, the training to games ratio is still somewhere in the region of 7.5:1.

Soccer and rugby, though popular, do not hold pride of place in the hearts of the Irish people. The GAA is top dog in terms of playing numbers, facilities, audience and history. They are unique and brilliant games. Unfortunately the playing experience is not in keeping with the pride and passion we hold for our games, parishes and counties.

There is simply not enough exposure to high-quality, important games for those who make the GAA our number one choice.

Playing soccer with Rockmount FC in Cork over the winter I got a perspective from the other end of the spectrum. The Munster Senior League offers a high standard in terms of the facilities and players, a number of whom will have professional or semi-professional experience either in the League of Ireland or possibly in the lower leagues in England. These players live on a diet of regular games, likely around 25 to 30 at least in a defined season running from September to May.

Training is once or twice a week and is primarily with the ball. There is nothing to compare with some of the gut-busters us GAA heads endure. The ratio of training to games is somewhere around 3:1, maybe less. Though the physical demands of GAA are greater and such an intense game-load is not feasible, the imbalance between the sports is something that needs to be addressed.

When I began writing this piece Carbery Rangers were training with a view to playing our next round last weekend, yet knowing the possibility of postponement was strong in light of Cork’s involvement in the All-Ireland quarter-final on the August Bank Holiday weekend.

Last week we received confirmation that our second outing in this year’s championship would not be played for at least a further three weeks, with provisional dates set for August 10 and 11.

The games have been deferred because Conor Counihan wants to have three weeks at least to prepare for the quarter-final. It is not beyond reason to suggest a similar request will be issued should Cork advance to the semi-finals, the first of which throws in on August 26, two weeks after our newly scheduled fixtures.

Having been involved in the set-up previously I can understand the manager’s desire. Playing club championship two weeks before a big game leaves a maximum of one week’s full training.

Few would argue this is adequate preparation for the latter stages of the All-Ireland series. The pressures of inter-county management guarantee the man in charge will seek to have maximum access to his full squad for as long as possible and it is similarly understandable that the top brass should accede to the request.

The problem, I would argue, lies in the flawed structures at both inter-county and club level, presenting county boards, county managers and clubs with such an unsatisfactory scenario.

To put it bluntly; the whole thing is up in a heap.

So what can be done? Messers John Fogarty and Terry Reilly of this parish have blogged recently about restructuring the inter-county scene. Terry succinctly illustrates many of the problems to which I refer, pointing out how “the grassroots section is under severe pressure”. His proposal is one I have long pondered, scrapping the provincial championships and introducing a Heineken Cup style format for inter-county championship.

John Fogarty argues for retention of the provinces albeit with dramatic re-alignment. To me it is an appealing proposal also and is as good as any I have heard.

His proposal in brief is this:

* The 32 counties be divided into four groups of eight largely based on current provincial boundaries (New York and London play preliminary qualifiers).

* Each division is separated randomly into two groups of four with each team facing the other three teams once (48 games).

* The winners of each group face each other in divisional finals (four games).

* The four divisional winners progress to All-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals (two games) with the two winners qualifying for the All-Ireland semi-finals (two games).

* The eight second-placed divisional group teams go into a draw (four games) with the four winners facing the four divisional final runners-up (four games).

* The four victors are drawn to face each other (two games), the two qualifiers facing the preliminary semi-final losers (two games) to see who fills the remaining two spots in the All-Ireland semi-finals.

The major benefit from a club championship perspective to either proposal is having defined fixtures in a defined season, allowing club fixtures to be set around these. Similar systems would be welcome for club players seeking guaranteed games and clarity on fixtures. There are systems in place in Mayo football and Clare hurling, at least that I am aware of from speaking with work colleagues, along these lines.

Seeding for the knockout stages and relegation play-offs for bottom teams can ensure every group stage has meaning and having pure knockout games in the later stages will please traditionalists.

As an aside, I would also advocate the introduction of home and away fixtures in the league formats at every level. Having big championship games in the local pitch would be a great way of promoting our games for young people and encourage big crowds and fervent atmospheres to return. Towns and businesses would benefit from the influx of visitors.

At inter-county level, ticket and accommodation schemes could be used to attract punters. Less fashionable counties would relish taking on the big boys on home turf, as witnessed by Kerry’s travails in Mullingar.

There are myriad benefits to the possible restructuring. Wearing my club player hat again for a minute, we as players would all appreciate the simple respect of knowing when, and how often, we are likely to play.

The big white elephant in the room for the GAA are the leagues.

They are overly long, mildly interesting at best and take up too much room on the GAA calendar. Personally, no tears would be shed if I never saw another football league game.

Cork football fans have shown what they think of the competition by consistently staying away despite their team’s success. The championship then begins with a whimper in May.

With the introduction of a league-based championship, I would love to see the championship started in a blaze of glory on St Patrick’s Day every year (a new system and a longer championship season should allow the All-Ireland club championships be finished in the same calendar year).

I could go on ad nauseam (I fear I already have!) but I don’t proclaim to be the man with all the answers. Dick Clerkin and Donal Óg Cusack have mentioned recently that they are part of a GPA review group tasked with evaluating the championships and they have more time and brain-power than I to find solutions.

My motivation for writing this piece is merely to ignite the debate.

We want to represent our clubs and our counties on the GAA fields. At the moment club championships and players are being done a disservice across the country.

They deserve more respect. The potential for our games at all levels is not being achieved.

It is an oft-repeated mantra, but the time for progress is overdue.

The question is; will it ever come?