GPA back the 'green' option for championship reform

Gaelic Players Association chief executive officer Tom Parsons. Picture: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

The Gaelic Players Association (GPA) will be backing the Green proposal when discussions on a potential motion on the football championship structure for next month’s GAA Congress take place at GAA Central Council this Saturday, the players' body announced.

A GPA statement said that their CEO Tom Parsons wrote to all county boards informing them of the players’ position.

They added that 70% of squads are in favour of the 'Green' proposal, which would see the retention of the current National League and provincial championships - followed by round-robin groups in the Sam Maguire and Tailteann Cups.

"There is consensus among players that both proposals are a significant improvement to the status quo and this is to be welcomed," the GPA statement said. "Players feel a unified approach for change at the upcoming GAA Congress must be a key priority."

While the last attempt to reform the Senior Football Championship - Proposal B - failed to reach the 60% support needed at Special Congress, this 'green' proposal is gathering support amongst players and administrators.

New Ulster GAA chairman Ciaran McLaughlin and Connacht GAA president John Murphy have both come out in favour of the proposal.

According to the GPA, the green option will help align all stakeholders in the GAA to achieve that change in February’s Congress, while being easy to follow and keeping the status of the provincial championships.

They added that the reward for the Tailteann Cup winners (automatic entry into the following year's Sam Maguire series) is a strong reward to further incentivise a competitive second-tier competition.

The other option, the 'red' proposal would see a round-robin provincial championship in February and March, followed by a league-based championship from April.