Moroney says fixture plan will help clubs

The GAA’s fixtures chief Simon Moroney is convinced proposals aimed at streamlining the All-Ireland senior championships will benefit club’s scheduling.

The Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC) chairman has seen the fixture planning committee’s initiatives and believes there is an appetite for change the football championship fixtures arrangement. Central Council are expected to adopt the recommendations next month before they go forward to Congress in Derry next March and introduce them in 2014.

One of the proposals will bring an end to the six-day turnaround for beaten football provincial finalists.

To facilitate this and combat the uneven spread of football championship games across the summer, they propose qualifiers from the same round be played over different weekends as well as quarter-finals. Under the new plans, no county will have to wait more than four weeks to play a qualifier. It will be made possible by an amending the open draw so teams enter the qualifiers on a designated side of the draw.

“The fixture planners have been working to take some of the wrinkles out of the current schedule,” said Moroney. “We have had a number of meetings with the fixture planners and what they are proposing will require a change of rule.

“My personal opinion is the nearer we get to Congress and generally speaking among those will be voting there, the more there is a recognition that some change has to occur to accommodate club fixtures.

“Having seen the proposals, though, I would be very impressed and I believe it will lead to a better fixturing schedule for the GAA.”

Former Munster secretary Moroney regards the recommendations as wholly beneficial to counties’ scheduling of club games.

“When people have certainty about fixtures, they are happier. Say a county, if they went out in the first round of the hurling and football, they’ll know when their next outing will be straight away. There is more predictability for the counties involved. Before the game, a county can plan their club fixtures irrespective of the outcome.

“For clubs, that would be a real plus because there should be an opportunity to play as many championship and league games at a time of year when weather conditions are conducive to better performances.”

To help clubs, there have been calls for the All-Ireland senior championships to be tightened up and the finals brought forward to August. However, Moroney underlines the importance of the marquee deciders being staged in September.

“The promotional value of games in the summer and early autumn shouldn’t be underestimated. The way to go about this for the benefit of the clubs is a harmonisation of club and county games. Once the [inter-county] draws are made, they will give certainty to counties to organise club fixtures.”