‘Surprised’ Páraic Duffy takes issue with several elements of CPA statement
Duffy expressed disappointment at the newly-formed organisation’s statement, which was embargoed to be released less than 12 hours before he delivered his annual report at Croke Park yesterday.
He said he had “no idea” if the CPA’s press release was timed to coincide with his media briefing in mind but took exception to several of the arguments made in it.
Furthermore, he said neither the GAA’s management committee nor Central Council would be removing the proposals from the Clár of Congress set to take place on February 25 in Croke Park.
The recommendations will form three motions — transforming the All-Ireland SFC quarter-finals to two round robin round groups of four counties, applying the facility of extra-time to both codes’ championship games apart from provincial and All-Ireland finals and moving the All-Ireland finals to August.
“A little bit surprised by some of the things in it,” he opened about the CPA statement. “They say that ‘if these proposals are passed, there’ll be no change until 2019 at the earliest. By then it could be too late. This needs sorting now’.
“If you want to sort it now, why would you park it? The two things appear a little bit contradictory. ‘Now’ means this year’s Congress. If Central Council or Coiste Bainistí (management committee) were to park it, which they won’t, then the issue wouldn’t be addressed at all this year.”
Duffy had last met the CPA as recently as last Thursday.
“I do find it (the press release) a little strange. I’ve met them three times and at no time did I say to them that I wanted them to support the motion going forward to Congress. I said that was a matter for them to decide, they’re a separate group. I didn’t pressurise them.”
He rubbished the claim that the proposals don’t take into consideration the concerns of club players.
“That’s exactly what they take account of. You can absolutely argue, as is their right, that they don’t go far enough but I don’t think it’s valid to say that the proposal doesn’t take on board things like players holidays, closed season etc.”
Duffy also rejected their suggestion that “the nature of Congress” could militate against the CPA being officially recognised as two counties are proposing in motions.
“There’s no question of procedural interference or impairment. The motions will be on the agenda and will be discussed by Congress. I’m not too sure what they’re thinking at there.”
While he questioned the CPA’s request for a fixtures think-tank to be established, mentioning the GAA’s own central fixtures planning committee of which a CPA executive member is a part of.
“They’ve been doing fantastic work over the past year trying to streamline fixtures, working with counties, working with fixture analysts. They are the fixtures experts.”
Summing up, Duffy called on the CPA to release their own blueprint for how the GAA season might work better. “In fairness to the CPA, I think we need to give them time to come up with their proposals. The only proposal that they’ve put into the public domain so far is that they want the All-Ireland finals played by August 1. They have said they’ll come forward with their own suggestions in time. I look forward to that and I think it’s important that they do that. If they are better proposals out there, we want to hear them.”
t remains to be seen how the GPA will vote on the SFC proposals but new chief executive Dermot Earley last week appeared to indicate they had some reservations about it.
The GPA will be able to table a motion from next year which is likely to be a reformatting of the football championship.
Munster secretary Simon Moroney and Clare coach Dónal Óg Cusack have also queried the impact the recommended SFC would have on hurling.
The CPA mentioned similar concerns in their statement all of which Duffy attempted to address in his report.
“It is very important to emphasise the point that the aim of the Alternative Fixtures Schedule (prepared as an Appendix to the football championship proposal) was simply to demonstrate, for purposes of illustration, one way in which the All-Ireland senior championships can be completed by the end of August so as to achieve a more condensed inter-county programme.
“The motion of the timing of the All-Ireland finals that will go before Congress will ask that both All-Ireland senior finals be played on or before the last Sunday in August, on a date determined by Central Council. It does not specify a particular Sunday, nor the order in which the finals would be played.
“There is absolutely no reason, therefore, why Central Council could not decide to play the hurling final after the football final if it was concerned that there would be too few major hurling games in July or August.
“I would be very concerned if I believed that the football proposal might damage the jewels in the crown that are the provincial and All-Ireland hurling championships.
“But I honestly do not believe that the concern is justified. It is hard to think of a reason why bringing forward the hurling – and football – championships should diminish interest in the hurling championship.”
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