[ad_1]
Most county presidents are in favor of the inter-county season being played before the club season in 2021, with the leagues and All-Ireland expected to run from late February to mid-July.
The GAA held a conference call with county heads today as they approach completion of the structures for the 2021 season.
Two comprehensive plans were presented to the meeting. One draft showed the schedule to play between counties first, while the other focused on what a club system would like first.
Playing the season between counties before club action was the overwhelming preferred position of the meeting, as understood by RTÉ Sport.
Concerns were raised during the conference call that counties could meet the financial demands of playing between counties first, but these were offset by concerns about leaving club players inactive so early in the year if the club went first.
With the prevailing sense from presidents that the inter-county season should start first, the process of establishing the 2021 system is potentially nearing completion.
The GAA Management Committee will meet tomorrow, while the Central Council will meet again next week to further discuss the matter.
The outcome of today’s conference call will surely be considered closely and a final decision is expected next week in the 2021 roster.
If management and the Central Council also agree that the county should come first, the 2021 season is likely to resume the weekend of February 27-28, with the Allianz Leagues celebrating.
This would allow the U-20 series to potentially start three weeks later.
This squad would see the Allianz Football League final played on April 3/4 with the Allianz Hurling League final a week later.
If the proposal given to the presidents today is approved at a higher level, there could be a rapid move to championship action with the provincial inter-county series beginning April 17/18.
This would mean that the all-Ireland soccer final could be played on July 17/18, closing the inter-county championship series a week after the hurling final.
The way would then be paved for an immediate focus on club championships with counties hoping to start their national championship games the following week.
From 16/17 October onward, the provincial club series could begin, playing through to the semi-finals for clubs across Ireland, which could be set for mid-December.
However, if the GAA finally decides to go to the club first next season, the clubs would return to full contact training in late February and play through the week the Allianz Leagues would start.
Ireland’s club finals would be played on 14/15 August.
The inter-county season would begin on July 31 and conclude in late December.
The final outcome of today’s meeting shows strong support from county heads for a county-first process in 2021. It remains to be seen now whether the Administration and Central Council will also agree.
Listen to the RTÉ GAA Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
We need your consent to upload this content from comcast-playerWe use comcast-player to manage additional content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Review your data and accept it to load the content.Manage preferences
[ad_2]