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Dublin GAA CEO John Costello has endorsed the idea of a split season, saying it makes much more sense for the association to run all county activity in a condensed window before club championships begin.
In his report to the GAA annual Dublin convention next Wednesday, Costello argues that the way forward is county rather than club.
He praised the GAA for the work done during the pandemic, disagreed with the All-Ireland U-20 series schedule, and expressed reservations about the cynicism in the hurling.
But speaking about the split season and how it came about, the Dublin boss acknowledged that the change of administration appears slowly in the GAA.
“If anything,” he wrote. “At times it can be deeply frustrating to see how some competitions have suffered for lack of better programming or more equitable formats, or even just innovative thinking.”
However, Costello also pointed out that in a global catastrophe, all the rules go out the window.
“The GAA’s decision to split the season and also change the season, putting club championships before inter-county resumption, underscores the old adage that in the midst of every crisis there is a great opportunity,” he wrote in his report.
“Running our county championships in the summer and early fall was a boon for club play. Players were able to play in peak condition. Club managers had uninterrupted access to their players and pitchers between counties.
“This was very positive not only for the base club players, but also for the star players.
“Look at the energy that James McCarthy, John Small, Dean Rock, Philly McMahon, Evan Comerford and Paddy Small brought to Ballymun Kickhams’ brilliant campaign, culminating in that final SFC tour de force against then-champion Ballyboden St Enda’s.
“Given the above, you might be surprised to hear me propose that in 2021, the county season should start before our club championships.”
But Costello was quick to add that as normality gradually returns, it should become increasingly apparent that club before county is a quick-fix scenario likely to create multiple problems.
“First of all, a match scheduling headache as the county finals require a very early completion to run from the provincial and all-Ireland club championships, prior to the county season,” he said.
“Club competitions other than championships will inevitably suffer as well. Then consider having inter-county players feel indebted to their club and county management teams before assembling their squads?
“How quickly before the inevitable tug of war occurs? There won’t be a pandemic every year, we hope. Going forward, it makes much more sense to remove all county activity first in a condensed window, ending, say , in mid-July, before the focus shifts to our club championships.
“Let’s not forget that club league matches can still continue in spring and early summer, offering regular exposure to matches for most players. And when it comes to club championships, even starting in summer, there will be a longer window for more benign conditions. “
Costello wrote that the fundamental lesson of 2020 should not be lost: that dividing the season works.
As part of the GAA Fixture Calendar Review Working Group, he said he would defend that position before Congress in February.
“But we can’t ignore another ‘elephant in the room’: unless we come up with a schedule that ensures a much healthier ratio of games to training sessions, we may have parted with the hair, not the seasons,” he warned.
Costello also argued that a direct knockout championship is not a long-term solution for the GAA to ease match congestion.
“Many observers were quick to bow at the altar of a direct playoff championship this year,” he said, referring to Tipperary and Cavan’s success in their provincial championships.
“This euphoric point of view was not limited to supporters of the prime minister or fans of Breffni,” he noted.
“While Tipp and Cavan’s voracious intent can only be hailed, who’s to say they wouldn’t have produced something similar in the Munster / Ulster Finals if a safety net had still been in place for the Playoffs?
“In the cold light of a winter’s day, let’s not forget why we introduced qualifiers in the first place, two decades ago. Inter-county players, especially those from weaker counties, were frustrated to the point of desperation over He was asked to train so hard for months when the only guarantee was a championship match at the end of all his work.
“In such unique circumstances, a direct knockout soccer championship was the best and probably the only solution in 2020. However, it is not the long-term answer.”
In his report, Costello also expressed his solidarity with the county’s under-20 footballers who are very patiently awaiting the final in Ireland.
“There are many people who deserve our sympathy after this cursed year of the coronavirus, mainly those who have suffered the most from the mourning of their loved ones,” says Costello.
“But in a strictly GAA context, the people I feel most sorry for are the U-20 footballers from Dublin and Galway. This year’s ill-fated EirGrid U-20 championship has become the sporting equivalent of Groundhog Day: every morning you wake up only to realize that it is the same day, and tomorrow’s tantalizing finale is as far away as ever.
“We are pleased that the competition is now wrapping up this calendar year, as our U-20s prepare for the All-Ireland final which will be played, as a backdrop, for the absolute final at Croke Park on Saturday 19th December.
The Dublin CEO also examined the status of hurling, noting that at the GAA Annual Congress in Croke Park last February, 82% of delegates voted against a proposal for the introduction of a black / no bin card in hurling.
“The singularly unsuccessful motion advocated a black card rule similar to the one already applied in soccer, designed to address cynical infractions of the game, such as a deliberate jerk, stumble or bodily collision. It has been obvious for some time. time, long before this rebuttal Congress, that a well-intentioned constituency of the launch’s stakeholders – players, managers, officials and supporters – strongly opposes the introduction of the black card, “he said.
“Maybe they see soccer and hurling as two very different games that shouldn’t automatically be viewed through the same prism of the rule book, and they’re right.”
But Costello argued that perhaps some of them also possessed a slightly clouded view of the ancient game: that warrior heroes were incapable of cynicism.
“If that is your belief, you are clearly wrong. Cynicism exists in all team sports; it is more likely to prevail at the elite level as well, unless there are sufficient penalties to make it detrimental to your team’s prospects.” .
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