Dessie Farrell: Football championship ‘lagging way behind’ hurling counterpart

Gaelic Players Association chief Dessie Farrell has offered a damning assessment of the football championship, claiming it’s ‘lagging way behind’ hurling because of the restrictive provincial structures.

The players representative tapped into the prevailing displeasure with the provincial model since last weekend’s lopsided results in Leinster and Munster, one of which was Dublin’s 27-point demolition of Longford.

Farrell claimed that while hurling is “in a really strong place at the minute”, the football championship set-up as it stands is a “huge restriction” to properly developing the game.

He said he was encouraged by a recent Central Council discussion where change was openly considered. But he outlined how a reluctance to alter the provincial competitions continues to be a significant obstacle to overcome.

The GPA will shortly bring forward their own proposal for change to Central Council and Farrell spoke passionately about the need for overhaul.

“I just firmly believe the championship structure needs to change,” he said. “It’s our premier competition and I don’t think we’re maximising the potential within it.

“Hurling is in a really strong place at the minute, football is lagging way behind. There are a combination of things at play, the tactical evolution of the game is problematic to some degree but definitely the competition structures themselves are a huge restriction to where the game of football and the championship could be at.

“It’s long overdue that a serious debate takes place. I sat on Central Council last Saturday week. It came up for discussion and it was just an initial discussion but it was encouraging to hear the views of some of the members of Central Council in relation to the prospect of change.”

Of the four provincial football championships, Ulster is the only one which is truly competitive and has several potential winners each year. As a result, Ulster counties may not be as open to ripping up the present provincial model as others.

“My personal view is that any changes that come about that still retain the provincial structure are only moving the deck chairs around,” continued Farrell.

“It’s time to grab the nettle and make a serious change and we’re going to canvas our players in relation to this. We’ll be doing that within the next fortnight. There’s definitely an appetite for change.

“We’re going to bring forward a particular model that we’ve been working on ourselves and run that by our own membership first and as I indicated at Central Council the last day, we’re going to bring a proposal to Central Council then in the course of the next few weeks or months, depending on the timing of Central Council meetings, to attempt to initiate some sort of a debate.

“Definitely we want to put forward the players’ perspective of what change is feasible and what they would like to see happen on the ground.”

Asked if players such as those who suffered heavy provincial championship defeats last weekend may ultimately grow disillusioned with the game, Farrell said they are certainly keen for change.

“Well, there would be a sense amongst the hurling community that the hurling championship is fine but there’s definitely a strong sense amongst the football county players that it needs to change.

“What that change looks like does vary depending on what county you play for, your level of ambition and what you can realistically expect to achieve and accomplish. But overwhelmingly there’s a sense of change.”

Farrell also spoke strongly about the need to eliminate sledging and verbal abuse from the game. The 1995 All-Ireland medallist suggested that sledging has replaced the punches and digs that used to be traded but which have been eliminated from the modern game. “There was always a bit of mouthing if you like but not to the extent it is going on at the minute. In certain situations, it seems to be quite deliberate and it doesn’t necessarily seem to be top-of-the-head stuff.

“Some players, it would appear, are actually thinking about this and what they are going to say and how they are going to say it. Having been involved in the game as a player and now coaching, I just detest the fact that some players would be subjected to this type of abuse.”

• Dessie Farrell was speaking at the launch of the Gaelic Players Association’s link up with Childhood Cancer Foundation.