THE MOTION TO restructure the All-Ireland SFC was defeated at Special Congress this afternoon, meaning the status quo will remain in place next season.
Motion 19 (Proposal B) received 85 votes in favour and 83 against in the secret ballot, meaning the league-based championship was defeated with a 50.6% majority โ well short of the 60% required.
Motion 18, also known as Proposal A, which proposed to redraw the provincials into four equal conferences, failed to get the required support with 90% of delegates voting against it.
At a robust debate, where 140 delegates were present and 18 attending in an online capacity, there were 12 speakers against the motion with 10 speaking for.
Offaly chairman Michael Duignan voiced his concern that players would walk away from inter-county football if Proposal B wasnโt passed.
โWeโre at a dangerous crossroads if we donโt listen to our players,โ he warned. โPlayers throughout Ireland are crying out for change. We have one of worst training-to-match ratios in world sport.โ
GPA CEO Tom Parsons spoke in favour of the motion, explaining that players told him theyโve been laughed for wearing county tracksuits after heaving beatings, asked him โwhatโs the pointโ of putting in thousands of hours of commitment.
Clare manager Colm Collins, acting as a county delegate, urged delegates to support Motion 19. He referenced the Miltown Massacre (where Kerry hammered his native county by 9-21 to 1-9) and says 42 years later heavy beatings are still going on.
Former GAA president Seรกn Kelly called for it to be implemented for a three year trial and then to be reviewed. Ex-president John Horan, who established the fixtures review task force that come up with the proposal, also spoke in its favour.
However, the was strong opposition in particular from Ulster delegates. Fermanagh, Antrim, Donegal, Derry, Armagh, Mayo, Tyrone, Cavan, Monaghan, Galway and Kerry spoke against the motion.
โAs an organisation weโre too conservative and afraid of change, but Iโd like to make it clear our county isnโt afraid of change provided itโs the right change,โ said Donegal chairman Micheal McGrath. โWe donโt feel enough debate and discussion has taken place.โ
The majority of speakers against the motion noted they were in favour of change. The devaluation of the provincial championships and sixth placed team in Division 1 being knocked out were among the major arguments against it.
โWhat other sport in the world would put the best 8 teams in one groupโฆto ensure some of best teams have no chance of getting there and other weaker teams are guaranteed go through?โ asked Central Council delegate Niall Erskine of Donegal.
The defeat for Proposal B means next seasonโs All-Ireland SFC will go back to the pre-2018 qualifier system, with the Tailteann Cup also introduced.
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FFS
@Derek: why? Ulster is a competitive province, its not our fault the rest of the country is โฆโฆ
Thatโs why ulster voted NO
@Karl Mc Cauley: Itโs a bigger issue than Ulster, donโt worry about it, that was the big picture going over your head.
@Karl Mc Cauley: Ulster love saying no tbf
@Karl Mc Cauley: It wouldnโt affect the Ulster provincial situation one bit. Thats just selfishness towards any kind of improvement for second tier counties in other provinces
@Eoin Roche: Moving the competition to the very start of the season and removing the prize of all-ireland progression would absolutely affect the provincial situation.
The hypocrisy of this narrative is infuriating. โWe havenโt got our house in order so we want you to burn down yours too and weโre gonna call you selfish if you refuseโ.
How about Leinster and Munster reform their competitions if thatโs were the major problem lies.
@ruairi: so how would make Munster more competitive. Perhaps restrict Kerry to 12 players or maybe they canโt go for goals. Lol
@Diarmuid #STAYATHOME: I like it
@Diarmuid #STAYATHOME: they didnโt go for goals in their last match, must have done a dry run that day.
@Derek: thatโs what you get from skanky narrow minded nordies.
@Karl Mc Cauley: would Antrim and fermanagh agree?
@guscorro: Fermanagh were Ulster champions three years ago and Antrim won it in โ09.
@Karl Mc Cauley: Ulster always votes no, bleedin dinasours
@Karl Mc Cauley: so forget actually doing something collective for the game an 80% of the players because we have 25% of the championship structure working โฆ shambles
@ruairi: Fermanagh have never won Ulster and Antrim havenโt won it since 1951!
@Sean Finnegan: my apologies, I am incorrect- meant to say finalists!
Strong support of the motion from Dublin and the same people who complain about us having an unfair advantage have defeated the it. Donโt want to hear any more complaints
@Hugh: 100% shove the complaining now if youโre one of the counties to vote against this motion.
@BMJF: not everyone commenting here had a vote or agreed with their countyโs vote
Dinosaurs !!!
The dinosaurs in the GAA win againโฆ..
@Liam Nolan: win how?
A lot of grey hair in that photo.
@Padraic Burke: and no hair
@Padraic Burke: only the delegates that vote based on how their counties want them to voteโฆ.with the exception of the Kerry bys!!
@Padraic Burke: younger people donโt get involved in the committees etc! If they do they find the meetings bogged down in regulations standing orders rule books..
@Joe Kennedy: how do you know that?
@al: how do I know what? That delegates vote based on what their counties want? Because thatโs the way the system works. And Kerry stated during the week they were leaving it to their delegates to decide for themselves.
Must be one of the most backward organisations in the country, football championship is dying on its feet and instead of some forward thinking and being brave and try something new, the gaa dinosaurs go back 4 years !!!
@Sean Walsh: no point just doing something new for the sake of it.
@Sean Walsh:
In fairness have you seen the state of the FAI?
Myopic as ever. About as progressive as a man in quicksand.
Dinosaurs . Absolute
@Gregory Smyth: Why.
Correct decisionโฆ.
The championship is a knockout competition with provincial finals that every player, member and supporter look forward to seeing their County teams progress through the competition and hoping to see their team in a ultimate finalโฆ This was all about money , nothing to do with improving the sport at all .
@Peadรกr รโCearnachรกin: Actually, this would have achieved competition improvement and additional money generation. Good win for Luddites the country over though!
@Peadรกr รโCearnachรกin: Not to be disrespectful to your views but for most counties they look forward to the league where they can have competitive games against teams of an equal level or standard to them, not the championship where a lot of counties take hammerings against the big counties. How is that fair or going to improve football in Division 3, 4 counties.
@SomeGuy: it would have ruined the Ulster championship.
@Peadรกr รโCearnachรกin: should the same not apply to our Hurlers?
@Peadรกr รโCearnachรกin: Farcical decision whereby the strong prosper and the minnows are left behind. Left behind because they donโt have the playing population to compete with the big boys nothing to do with time spent on the training pitch slogging their guts out. What player wants to give 4 or 5 months training for 1 poxy match. Plenty of county Championship run on a league basis throughout the country.
From what I heard on news last night, 38 of the votes belonged to overseas delegates. How is that possible for a County based system of Championship โ definitely not pro rata & able to skew everything? The Central Council had 50 votes and past Presidents 7 votes so it seems that the Counties were already under represented before any votes were cast. Genuine question- am I wrong?
@Mary Tully: I was definitely surprised by the few number of votes the counties got
Ah well. Thatโs the last we will hear of that Iโm sureโฆ
I got the impression the players wanted this but maybe not / if they did All the players should just go on strike
@BMJF: got that impression too and was fairly sure it would be passed. Enough counties thought it wasnโt of benefit to them and voted against it, which is fair enough. Close enough vote so donโt think itโll be the last of the idea though.
So the majority vote In favour but to heโll with them . A blindman has more vision
@Sean Nihill: had to be a 60% majority. A separate point but I wonder why it has to be 60%?
@Joe Kennedy: exactly. If a permanent change is to be made maybe 60% makes lobbying harder but for a trial then 50.1 should suffice
Ah FFS โ GAA is utterly Bonkers
As a Louth fan this is a disaster for counties like ourselves
Very disappointed with this outcome. I agree the Ulster championship can be good. Elite competitions operate best as a merit based competition imo. Top 16 to compete in AI series and a second championship makes sense to me. Aligning players seasonโs allowing teams to develop year to year. Dublin, mayo/galway and Kerry reaching August with relative ease nearly gaurenteed, the likes of Donegal, Tyrone and Monaghan playing intense championship games in May and July. People will be talking about how good the hurling championship is in comparison to footballโฆ of course it is, teams are playing each other because they merit playing in the Liam McCarthy. Missed opportunity
Another exciting season ahead canโt wait
Very bad decision. Proposal B would have ensured a competitive competition but the Luddite fossils who voted it down cannot see the writing is on the wall for the current format.
Same old turkeys who would like the Ban on foreign games back? Bunch of antedeฤบuvians running the organisation.
Well i hope Fermanagh and Antrim are beat out the gate in next years Ulster Championship..as its them who are the real losers here noting voting for change. The definition of stupidy is doing the same thing and expecting a different out come!!
Championship is a joke and fans are not going anymore. Why would they. Bunch of old cronnies
Bunch of old cavemen.
Maybe should have placated those who value the provincials by adding 3 more games to have 2 semis and a final between the 4 provincial winners, all straight knock out like it used to be. And then presented Plan B purely as a new separate League Championship unlinked to the historically & culturally important Provincial Championship
What counties voted against and why. Obviously very self centred