Big changes to Kerry football championship proposed by review committee

A general view of Fitzgerald Stadium. Picture: INPHO/Bryan Keane

The Chairman of the Kerry Senior County and Club Football Championship and District Championship Review 2021 presented his report to delegates at last night’s Committee meeting, but the far-reaching recommendations will not be debated until next month.

Terence Houlihan's recommendations on the SFC outlined by the Review Committee is to change the format of county championship change to four groups of four with a preliminary round required when necessary to get from 17 teams down to 16.

The preliminary round game will be determined as per current guidelines where the bottom two teams over a five-year period will play-off.

The top two in each group will qualify for quarter-finals. The quarter-final draw will see a group winner play a second-place team with no repeat pairing from group stages permitted. The semi-finals will be an open draw.

It is also recommended that if the following are relegated out of the county championship they would play with the following district/group team:

- Dr Crokes and Legion - East Kerry.

- Austin Stacks and Kerins O’Rahilly’s - St Brendan’s.

- Dingle - West Kerry.

- Spa - East Kerry.

- Templenoe and Kenmare Shamrocks - Kenmare District.

- Any club who is promoted to senior and lose their senior status will revert to the district group team which they left.

It is eventually hoped that the Kerry SFC will consist of 10 clubs and six divisional sides but that is not envisaged to happen for some time.

There is no proposed change to the Club Championship except that it may be better to finish the club championships before the senior championship starts.

The proposals will be debated at the February 21 county board meeting.

County Secretary Peter Twiss said that the CCC would be able to go along with the recommendation of the Review Committee “to include four groups of four with format same as Club Championships as per recommendation from the Football Championship Review. Players from Tuosist and Kilgarvan may seek permission from the CCC to play with a Group Team in SFC.

"While this involves that same number of rounds (6) as previous years, it should be noted that this format entails a greater number of games being played in an already very compact games programme,” remarked Mr Twiss.

The fixtures calendar will be circulated to clubs this week but some of the hurling clubs are happy that the SHC will be finished in July.

Meanwhile, Paudie O’Connor (Kilmoyley) was ratified as the Kerry senior hurling captain and Joseph O’Connor (Austin Stacks) was ratified as the Kerry senior football captain.