PLEA FOR CLUB QUARTER-FINALS
County Board urged to ensure eight teams advance
WEXFORD G.A.A. officials have been urged to include quarter-finals in their revised club championship structure, after some key decisions were made at a County Board meeting held via videoconference on Wednesday.
As expected, the suggested format of four groups of three teams in both codes was approved, with round one of the hurling competitions set to commence on Friday, July 31.
In a major break with tradition, those championships will be played to a conclusion, with the football competitions not getting under way until after hurling semi-finals have been played.
It means that, for the first time in living memory, the familiar pattern of a hurling week followed by a football week, and then back to hurling and so forth, has been dispensed with at adult level.
While several potential dates have been bandied about since the meeting, the official news to emerge from the County Board is that those details will not be decided until the revised national master fixture plan for the inter-county scene has been received.
Four venues have been earmarked for the staging of matches: Chadwicks Wexford Park, O’Kennedy Park in New Ross, along with Bellefield and St. Patrick’s Park in Enniscorthy.
The imposition of relegation had been taken off the table before Wednesday’s meeting, and it means that there will be promotion only in 2020 competitions, and no demotion.
That, in itself, will create problems in 2021 in the form of some 13-team grades, and the need to break away from the tried and trusted two groups of six formula to two fours and one five.
However, it was generally accepted that – given the exceptional circumstances – it was a case of doing whatever it takes in order to rid clubs of the threat of relegation in the current campaign.
The biggest bone of contention since the meeting was held surrounds the announcement, as per the Board’s official Twitter feed, that it is ‘hoped’ that quarter-finals will be included in all competitions.
The fact that this is only an aspiration, rather than a guarantee, has been greeted with dismay in some quarters, given that a club losing its first championship game could be immediately out of contention in a group of three format.
When the G.A.A. at national level revealed its phased approach to a return to action, a window spanning eleven weekends – from July 31 to October 11 – was provided for club activity before the commencement of the inter-county calendar on October 17.
This led many clubs to believe that the optimum use would be made of the allocated time to cater for as comprehensive a club programme as possible in the trying circumstances.
However, while no official dates have been disclosed, and the issue of quarter-finals remains unresolved, it does appear that the County Board is considering a condensed diary of domestic fare.
Concern was voiced to me on Friday by Aidan O’Brien, the former Wexford Senior football boss who is currently working with manager Dessie Doyle as the Adamstown coach in both codes.
The Westmeath native was keen to stress that he was not out to have a go in his comments. ‘Plenty of people are looking to use this as a stick to beat the County Board with, but I’m not in that camp,’ he maintained.
To his credit, O’Brien is happy to be quoted on his personal opinion, unlike some of the hysterical reaction from assorted nameless contributors on social media.
‘I don’t see the motives for proposing such a structure,’ O’Brien said.
‘I wonder why they appear so anxious to get the club wrapped up quicker than is necessary?
‘The Croke Park roadmap very explicitly stated there will be adult club games between July 31 and October 11, involving county players, so I’m asking why don’t the County Board want to make the absolute most of that window and use it to its maximum value?
‘All players are club players and, after the events of the last few months, why not strive to put on the best possible show for them, rather than running it off in a shorter timeframe?
‘I would have thought the priority in the circumstances would be to ensure as many games as possible for all club players,’ O’Brien said.
‘In the current climate, huge questions have been asked of everybody in society. The G.A.A. have really come out very positively from the whole period, helping their communities in various capacities.
‘Great things have been done at a local club community level, and all of these people now deserve to have a proper championship experience, the fullest and most rewarding it can be,’ he added.
‘Obviously compromises have to be made, and I accept that, but there is a need to make full use of ten weeks for club activity, they should all be used.’
O’Brien said he didn’t have a difficulty with groups of three, so long as two teams apiece advance to quarter-finals, rather than just one going into a semi-final.
‘Having quarter-finals ensures two-thirds of clubs will get at least another game, as opposed to one-third if it’s just semi-finals. And without quarter-finals, certain games will be of no consequence.
‘I’m not beating a revolutionary drum here, I’m looking at the situation in the calm light of day,’ O’Brien pointed out.
One of the key men behind the outstanding record of Good Counsel College (New Ross) in Gaelic games, he also queried the decision to dispense with the week-on, week-off format whereby games switched from hurling to football and back again.
‘What’s the purpose of that? I don’t think it’s the right approach to take,’ he said.
O’Brien felt that the first five to six weekends should be used for playing both codes alternatively, and then the full range of remaining time available in September and October could be occupied with the knockout matches.
‘In the latter stages there would only be a small volume of teams left, and the majority of inter-county players would be freed up by then.’
On that point, O’Brien posed one final question: ‘Given that club training can resume from June 29, and inter-county training can only return on September 14, will all players be with their clubs and nowhere else between those dates, as outlined in the official roadmap?
‘I have been an inter-county manager too, and I’d like to think the current Wexford managers would support club hurling and football, and give it as much scope as possible,’ O’Brien said.
‘I’m trying to approach this from a non-emotive position. My final plea to the County Board is, don’t try to curtail the clubs further by shoehorning the championships into a reduced period of time.’
THE OUTCOME of Wednesday’s County Board meeting means that both Senior championships will be played on a four groups of three basis for the first time since 1991.
It’s 29 years since the last use of a system that ended with Duffry Rovers extending their run to a magnificent seven titles on the trot, while Buffers Alley claimed the second-last of their dozen outright victories.
With two teams per group advancing to open draw quarter-finals, and the bottom side destined for a relegation play-off, every game had meaning in 1991.
However, while the use of scoring difference in the event of equal points is commonplace nowadays, that wasn’t the case at the time, and it led to a messy football championship in particular.
In three of the four groups, all of the teams were on two points apiece after their two matches.
The only exception was in Group 4, where Sarsfields were first to qualify on three points, and Clongeen joined them on that figure after a winner-takes-all clash with St. Anne’s.
In the other three groups, play-offs were needed to determine the two qualifiers. It was based on the luck of the draw, with two teams drawn out of a hat to meet first, and the third side getting a bye.
The winner of the first game advanced to the quarter-finals, while the loser had a second chance. However, the team in receipt of that bye only had one opportunity to make the knockout stages.
As it transpired, Glynn-Barntown lost their first play-off to HWH-Bunclody, but then redeemed themselves against neighbours Taghmon-Camross and went on to contest a third successive final against the unbeatable Duffry Rovers – the best club football team I have ever seen in Wexford.
However, the other teams defeated in phase one of the play-offs – St. Martin’s and Gusserane – also lost their second ties and ended up in a relegation scrap.
The men in maroon were eventually demoted to Intermediate, even though they were the only team to have lowered the Duffry’s colours earlier in the campaign.
By way of contrast, the Senior hurling championship was a little more straightforward, although a couple of play-offs were still required.
In all four of the groups, one team had reached the quarter-finals after the first two rounds, meaning that the last match was a do-or-die affair across the board.
St. Martin’s, Cloughbawn and Rathnure had all won twice, while Buffers Alley were also through on three points after a win over Oulart-The Ballagh and a draw with Faythe Harriers.
The town team then joined them on the same tally with a last-round success to advance, only to falter when the sides met again in the county final in early October.
In two of the other three groups, the last match resulted in a draw, meaning play-offs were needed as – similar to the football – scoring difference wasn’t in use.
Ferns St. Aidan’s were initially held by Crossabeg-Ballymurn, but tightened up considerably in defence to advance at the second attempt, while Duffry Rovers had five points to spare after an initial share of the spoils with Rapparees.
SENIOR HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP 1991
GROUP ONE
June 1, Wexford Park: St. Martin’s 2-14, Glynn-Barntown 4-5 July 7, Monamolin: St. Martin’s 4-6, Naomh Eanna 0-13
July 21, Bellefield: Glynn-Barntown 2-17, Naomh Eanna 2-12
GROUP TWO
June 2, Wexford Park: Cloughbawn 3-10, Crossabeg-Ballymurn 1-11
July 7, Wexford Park: Cloughbawn 2-17, Ferns St. Aidan’s 1-12
July 28, Bellefield: Ferns St. Aidan’s 3-10, Crossabeg-Ballymurn 5-4
GROUP THREE
June 1, New Ross: Rathnure 4-8, Rapparees 3-5
July 7, New Ross: Rathnure 0-9, Duffry Rovers 1-3
August 11, New Ross: Duffry Rovers 1-13, Rapparees 0-16
GROUP FOUR
June 1, Gorey: Buffers Alley 3-14, Oulart-The Ballagh 2-9
July 6, Bellefield: Buffers Alley 2-10, Faythe Harriers 1-13
July 21, Bellefield: Faythe Harriers 4-14, Oulart-The Ballagh 2-17
PLAY-OFFS
August 11, Bellefield: Ferns St. Aidan’s 4-10, Crossabeg-Ballymurn 1-8
August 17, New Ross: Duffry Rovers 3-16, Rapparees 2-14
QUARTER-FINALS
August 18, Monamolin: Glynn-Barntown 2-11, Ferns St. Aidan’s 1-8
August 18, Wexford Park: Cloughbawn 2-12, St. Martin’s 1-7
August 18, Wexford Park: Buffers Alley 4-20, Rathnure 2-5
August 25, New Ross: Faythe Harriers 3-9, Duffry Rovers 2-10
SEMI-FINALS
September 29, Wexford Park: Buffers Alley 2-17, Glynn-Barntown 1-7
September 29, Wexford Park: Faythe Harriers 1-12, Cloughbawn 1-7
FINAL
October 6, Wexford Park: Buffers Alley 2-10, Faythe Harriers 1-7
RELEGATION
October 5, Bellefield: Oulart-The Ballagh 2-9, Crossabeg-Ballymurn 1-12
October 12, Bellefield: Oulart-The Ballagh 2-14, Crossabeg-Balymurn 2-7
October 12, Ferns: Rapparees 3-13, Naomh Eanna 1-7
November 30, Blackwater: Crossabeg-Ballymurn 2-17, Naomh Eanna 2-8
SENIOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP 1991
GROUP ONE
April 21, Bellefield: Taghmon-Camross 0-11, Glynn-Barntown 0-7 June 22, Bellefield: HWH-Bunclody 4-3, Taghmon-Camross 0-5 July 13, New Ross: Glynn-Barntown 0-8, HWH-Bunclody 0-5
GROUP TWO
April 20, New Ross: Gusserane 1-6, Starlights 0-5
July 14, Wexford Park: Buffers Alley 0-12, Gusserane 1-7
July 27, Wexford Park: Starlights 2-9, Buffers Alley 1-5
GROUP THREE
April 21, Bellefield: Duffry Rovers 1-10, Castletown 1-8
July 14, New Ross: St. Martin’s 1-7, Duffry Rovers 0-7
July 21, Monamolin: Castletown 1-9, St. Martin’s 0-11
GROUP FOUR
April 21, Piercestown: Sarsfields 1-10, St. Anne’s 2-6
June 1, New Ross: Sarsfields 0-7, Clongeen 1-4
July 27, Wexford Park: Clongeen 2-10, St. Anne’s 0-3
PLAY-OFFS
July 27, Bellefield: HWH-Bunclody 0-11, Glynn-Barntown 0-6
August 2, Monamolin: Castletown 1-8, St. Martin’s 1-6
August 25, Wexford Park: Starlights 0-9, Gusserane 0-6
August 25, Wexford Park: Glynn-Barntown 2-8, Taghmon-Camross 1-4
August 31, New Ross: Duffry Rovers 4-8, St. Martin’s 1-8
August 31, Bellefield: Buffers Alley 1-7, Gusserane 1-7
September 8, Wexford Park: Buffers Alley 2-13, Gusserane 1-11
QUARTER-FINALS
August 31, Bellefield: Glynn-Barntown 0-11, Castletown 0-9
August 31, Monamolin: Sarsfields 1-7, Starlights 0-10
September 8, Bellefield: Duffry Rovers 2-9, HWH-Bunclody 1-2
September 14, Wexford Park: Clongeen 0-10, Buffers Alley 0-8
September 14, Monamolin: Sarsfields 3-7, Starlights 0-4
SEMI-FINALS
September 22, Bellefield: Duffry Rovers 1-10, Sarsfields 1-7
September 22, Bellefield: Glynn-Barntown 0-10, Clongeen 2-4
October 5, Bellefield: Glynn-Barntown 0-7, Clongeen 0-4
FINAL
October 13, Wexford Park: Duffry Rovers 2-6, Glynn-Barntown 0-5
RELEGATION
September 28, New Ross: Gusserane 0-10, St. Martin’s 0-4
October 26, Grantstown: St. Anne’s 1-11, Taghmon-Camross 1-5
November 30, Hollymount: Taghmon-Camross 1-10, St. Martin’s 1-6