Lively debates expected at first meeting of 1993

MOTIONS that were not eligible for discussion at the 1992 County Convention were expected to be debated at the first county board meeting of 1993, according to an article in the Wicklow People of Friday, January 22.

The debates were expected to be ‘lively’ and two Rathnew motions concerning the completion of all competitions in the one year were anticipated to inspire ‘heavy debate’.

‘Indeed, the opening shots of this debate were fired at the convention when delegates repeatedly described it as a shame and a disgrace that the 1991 Hill-Opel league had still to be completed as they entered 1993,’ read the article by Mark Kennedy.

‘The frustration and anger of clubs will be equally apparent over the fact that once again the U21 football championship was not even started in 1992, let alone being finished in the same year.

‘On the opposite side of the coin, the Fixtures Committee hinted at convention of a crackdown of clubs in 1993 with Activities Committee secretary Michael Sargent claiming that in the past clubs have been spoon fed and the committee had been too soft on too many occasions.

‘In between the divergent views of club delegates and Fixtures Committee officials, there is plenty of room for a hard hitting debate on fixtures, which could make the meeting a lot more interesting and lively than the annual policy-setting convention itself.

‘Sparks amongst the clubs, between the sparsely populated West District and the soccer-hit clubs of the east coast, are sure to fly over another Rathnew motion calling for separate club and group championships at Minor and under-21 levels.

‘Similar motions have been debated by the Co. Committee on a number of occasions in the past and each time the urban-rural and east-west divide surfaced in a biting debate amongst the club delegates.

‘Group teams from the sparsely populated rural area of West Wicklow have been more successful in Minor and U21 over the years, much to the annoyance and chagrin of the big towns and population centres of the east coast, which enters club teams even though they have to contend with stiff competition for players from soccer and rugby.

‘St Patrick’s of Wicklow are seeking to have dual clubs given at least two weeks between football and hurling fixtures, while Annacurra want starting dates for these championships to be fixed and adhered to.

‘Enniskerry want championships to commence with Senior before Intermediate and so on down the line to Junior B.

‘If Annacurra have their way with another motion there will be no evening games in the county leagues after September 1, while Arklow Geraldines are seeking the introduction of a county-wide Division 4, taking the top three teams from each district and the remainder to make up Division 4,’ it read.