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Most counties structure their local football championships on a league basis. I'm assuming the primary reason for structuring this way is to give club players more games. There are flaws in any championship format and I agree, the flaw in the current championship structure is peaking at the right time. An Tochar were the best team I saw in the group stages but exited at the quarter final stages while Dunlavin scrapped through the group stages, yet they knocked An Tochar out. Obviously Wicklow, as a county are organising their hurling and football championships at the same time of year and need to take into consideration, dual players who are playing both codes. The other factor at play is - the Leinster club championship begin in November which is too late in my opinion. The knock-on effect for a county board is this - they need to time their own championship to finish about two weeks prior to the start of the Leinster club championship. Wicklow's representatives are in the preliminary round which means they are effectively playing first round. As we witnessed over the weekend, weather can disrupt these plans plus the county board has to allow for a replay should the county final finish level, for example, what happened last year. I think the Leinster Council/GAA should bring the Leinster club championship back to October; this would mean that county boards would need to play their county final in September as was traditional for a county who were knocked out in the intercounty championship previously. The only problem with this is that counties, for example, Dublin who win the All Ireland, the county board have to nominate a club to represent that county as their club championship wouldn't be complete due to a late start.
wicklowsupport (Wicklow) - Posts: 2016 - 21/10/2024 14:42:00 2576179 Link 0 |
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Anyone see the intermediate final? Wasnt a footballing classic but was competitive and compelling. Prediction for the replay? Wicklowmen (Wicklow) - Posts: 11 - 21/10/2024 15:04:31 2576185 Link 0 |
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Agreed, but even with the split season the provincial club championship seems to be starting more or less at the same time, even if there is a lot more time to play off the counties championship with in the counties. Maybe could be a creative draw where if your county teams get to an Ireland final your county champions come in at semi final stage of the provincial, something like that,
Groundskeeper5 (Wicklow) - Posts: 23 - 21/10/2024 15:31:08 2576192 Link 0 |
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Brosnan free at the death - WOW! Great finish to the game, Hollywood losing there keeper near the end cost them through kickouts. They looked to pick up a few heavy knocks during the game, id fancy carnew in the replay didnt think they got out of second gear with silly shots missed too - Was perfect conditions for a match too after all that went on during the weekend.
WicklowB1973 (Wicklow) - Posts: 23 - 21/10/2024 16:38:51 2576215 Link 0 |
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Hearing through the grapevine - If balto and tinahely draw on Saturday at 3pm the replay will be at 1pm on the bank holiday monday as they need to have the game played as first round of leinster against portarlington is on the sunday. Thats not a good look for wicklow football. So much for player welfare and all that. WicklowB1973 (Wicklow) - Posts: 23 - 21/10/2024 16:41:19 2576217 Link 1 |
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I find it hard to understand the 7 week gap from the end of the inter county involvement to the first round of the championship. It doesn't make sense. Leagues a virtually over that stage so the clubs have to go looking for challenge games. Those extra 2 or 3 weeks would make all the difference. I doubt if many counties leave it so late to start their championships.
Freethinker (Wicklow) - Posts: 1243 - 21/10/2024 18:00:24 2576238 Link 0 |
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Yes that is correct. If it's a draw game then they must play again on the Monday. Co. Final should have been last weekend, 2 weeks after the semifinals
kodak13 (Wicklow) - Posts: 75 - 21/10/2024 21:15:06 2576256 Link 0 |
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I think that is the main issue. All Ireland football final is played at end of July/beginning of August depending on how the dates work out. The Leinster club championship shouldn't be scheduled to beginning in October/November. The Leinster club championship should be brought forward to September/October. This is not the county board's fault, it is the Leinster council and the GAA. I can't understand why Wicklow GAA refuse to install floodlights. A number of clubs in the county have floodlights installed but the county final has to be played in Aughrim; why can't they install floodlights and give themselves the option of playing matches on days other than Saturday/Sunday. This would allow them to play group games on dates other than weekends. It is very short sighted in this day and age to not have a floodlight county grounds.
wicklowsupport (Wicklow) - Posts: 2016 - 21/10/2024 22:47:36 2576271 Link 0 |
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These type of scenarios happen thats understandable, so why cant the county board finish the game on the Saturday, im sure 95% of players would agree.. then 6 days rest till the first round of leinster! Very little room to celebrate there
WicklowB1973 (Wicklow) - Posts: 23 - 22/10/2024 16:39:22 2576408 Link 0 |
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Correct me if I'm wrong but I think In the rules of the GAA a co. Final has to go to a second day out
kodak13 (Wicklow) - Posts: 75 - 22/10/2024 19:53:31 2576444 Link 0 |
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This is correct - finals are the only games that go to replays. I think it is confined to All Ireland finals and county finals. It happened recently in Carlow when their county final required a replay. The Westmeath final required a replay and penalties to decide their championship. It is easy to blame the county board in these type of scenarios. Personally, I think the game could've been played last weekend but I am forming this opinion based on where I was on the day; a long way from Aughrim. Equally, the county board would be criticised if the county final was finished 2-3 weeks in advance of county champions playing in Leinster as the excuse would be, they were rusty and had too long of a wait. If the problem arises whereby the game finishes in a draw, I don't see an issue with the game being played again on Monday. I don't feel it is a player welfare matter, after all players are training much more than they are playing these day which is a greater risk to injury and burnout; in my opinion. If you offered either Baltinglass or Tinahely players the option to play a replay two days after a county final at the start of the year; I'd imagine they would have taken it. Equally, maybe the game will be a one-sided affair and there will be no need for a replay in which case there is no problem!!!
wicklowsupport (Wicklow) - Posts: 2016 - 23/10/2024 12:26:09 2576536 Link 0 |
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If it's one sided I presume it will Baltinglass bringing Miley West again.
roseyinthegarden (Wicklow) - Posts: 114 - 23/10/2024 13:03:28 2576544 Link 0 |
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Understandable that et needs to be played - But this is exceptional circumstances where a replay is played two days later followed by a leinster match 6 days later with room to celebrate and enjoy the victory in between... If this county wants to be taken serious then stuff like this needs to stop because its not the first time! Balto and tinahely waiting around 4 weeks for a match to then maybe having two played in three days! WicklowB1973 (Wicklow) - Posts: 23 - 24/10/2024 11:34:38 2576682 Link 0 |
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These wouldn't be rare in our county. Did Pats not have to play a Leinster match within days of winning a few years back ??
Freethinker (Wicklow) - Posts: 1243 - 24/10/2024 12:54:29 2576699 Link 0 |
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If I'm not mistaken the played a county final replay on the Saturday and Leinster on the Sunday. Farcical stuff
Dunlavin4Miley (Wicklow) - Posts: 10 - 24/10/2024 13:14:33 2576703 Link 1 |
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That's the one.
Freethinker (Wicklow) - Posts: 1243 - 24/10/2024 13:20:57 2576705 Link 0 |
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Absolutely comical!
WicklowB1973 (Wicklow) - Posts: 23 - 24/10/2024 13:44:39 2576710 Link 0 |
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I don't fully understand why people are becoming so exercised about a what if scenario that may never happen. If anyone who feels so angry about such a what if problem and are a member of a club - just request your club to put a motion to the county convention in december requesting a two weeks between the county championship finishing and the start of the leinster championship; it can then be debated and voted on by the clubs. I hope for the champions that the game produces a winner on saturday, so that they have time to celebrate and prepare for the club championship the following week. wicklowsupport (Wicklow) - Posts: 2016 - 24/10/2024 22:17:13 2576781 Link 0 |
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That's a great suggestion, but it remains to be seen if it gets a response or falls on deaf ears. Unless we are going to be good enough to contest a Leinster final or get into the last 8, there are many gaps in the footballing calendar internally in the county, even allowing for dual clubs, to play off our championship games in time to give 2 weeks before the Leinster club begins. Possibly the structure of the championship could be looked at. After all, the "winners" of the two senior sections didn't exactly set the world on fire in the knock outs. All food for thought? .
Freethinker (Wicklow) - Posts: 1243 - 25/10/2024 08:34:55 2576804 Link 0 |
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I don't know how many hurling clubs they are in Wicklow; I'd guess 7-8? Wicklow hurlers are normally finished before the footballers in a championship capacity. Some people may not agree but for me the football championship has a greater number of clubs participating in it than its hurling equivalent. On this basis, I'd imagine it is feasible to play the hurling championship and have it complete before the football begins. Of course, the reason this is not done is once again related to the leinster club championship being fixed for Oct-Nov in both hurling and football. If the hurling was played first then hurling clubs would complain that there is too big a gap between a championship finishing and their participation in the provincial championship. I'm a critic of the county board but I have some sympathy for them in the current scenario as they are damned if they do and damned if they don't. The county final should've been played last Sunday which would give the club champions a two-week break to the start of the leinster club championship which is perfect but the final was cancelled due the weather alert. I don't feel that the county champions, recent average performances in the leinster club championship can be blamed on when the county finals is played - it is that our clubs have slipped down the pecking order gradually over the last twenty years.
wicklowsupport (Wicklow) - Posts: 2016 - 25/10/2024 10:11:07 2576821 Link 0 |