Michael Quinlivan: B championship would be ‘catastrophic’ for Tipperary

Michael Quinlivan says it would be “catastrophic” for Tipperary football were the senior team consigned to a “B” championship next season.

Congress votes at the end of the month on Central Council’s proposal to introduce a second-tier competition for 2016 comprising the eight lowest teams at the end of the next year’s competition, which would include the two relegated Division 3 counties. On behalf of the GPA, Quinlivan last November presented their rejected All-Ireland football championship proposal to the GAA. However, GAA chiefs decided only a model that retained the provincial championships, incorporated a second tier championship and would not impact further on club fixtures, would be considered.

As the GPA recommended an increase of championship games from 61 to 116, and recommended no “B” competition, it was disregarded.

Quinlivan accepts the GPA’s plans to more than double the amount of SFC matches was always going to be a difficult sell, but he had hoped the strong points of the players’ system would be added to those of other proposals to form an all-encompassing restructure.

The prospect of a second tier competition doesn’t entice him and he feels it would demoralise players in developing football counties.

“A couple of years ago, a lot of people were saying we were on the verge of a breakthrough. To be thinking about that (‘B’ championship), it would be catastrophic. It would be hard to motivate yourself to go and play in a ‘B’ championship, that’s the way I would look at it. I think you’d find a lot of players would play the first round and then just go, ‘not for me’. I think you could find a lot more people could be heading to America for the summers and that sort of thing.

“It could be very difficult if you’re playing in Division 4, putting in three nights a week training, knowing that if you lose one game, that’s it, you’re gone into a second competition. Nobody wants to play in a second competition. I think the GPA were very adamant; when they canvassed all the players, that none of the players wanted a ‘B’ competition. So it will be interesting to see what happens in Congress at the end of the month.”

GAA director general Páraic Duffy last week wrote in his annual report he hopes debate about the make-up of the All-Ireland SFC will be parked after Congress. Quinlivan doesn’t believe it’s going to go away any time soon, though.

“The problem is, if nothing is done, the same situation exists and there’s always going to be talk about it.” He accepts a democratic decision was taken but had hoped the players’ opinion would be taken into account more than it was. Sometimes change is slow and it might take another couple of years before radical change is brought in, which is disappointing if you’re playing at the time. But if you can leave a legacy, you know, ‘we changed the championship to what it is now’. Everyone is scared of change until change comes about.”