Club players need clarity now on the quarter-final issue

CLUB G.A.A. players need more clarification around the county hurling and football championships. A meeting of the County Board on Wednesday night failed to bring the information which players needed, with particular regard to the actual format of the championship, along with the timeframe being allotted to the running off of games.

While the championship will comprise four groups of three teams each, clubs are still not clear as to what format the knockout stages will take.

While the new format is the way forward, clubs and players are still left in mid-air as to whether or not quarter-finals will be included.

Many club delegates were anxious for this to happen. It would add a further two weekends for games, going along with the three-week span being allotted to both hurling and football, but the indecision is allowed to continue.

No decision has been taken on quarter-finals and, at the time of writing five days later, clubs were still to be informed if the qualification of two teams from each group rather than one will form part of the championship package.

The top table informed delegates they are awaiting receipt of a full inter-county fixtures calendar from Croke Park before arriving at dates which in turn will determine whether or not quarter-finals will be included.

But the viewpoint is that the clubs and players need clarity right now. They need leadership, given that many counties have already decided on their respective formats, working on the basis that inter-county sides will return to training on September 14, with games activity at that level commencing on October 17.

With the G.A.A. strictly abiding by HSE guidelines, it’s of crucial importance that all players and team personnel adhere strictly to these in relation to social distancing, and other aspects of the current Covid-19 pandemic.

Team managers, backroom personnel and players at all levels have not only a duty of care to each other, but also to the wider community around them. This makes it all the more important for County Board to offer clubs a clear roadmap for the county championships.

Group structures are known, but what is of real importance is: will one or two teams advance out of the respective four three-team groups? That’s crucial for both clubs and players to know.

It has been decided that there will be no relegation from this year’s championships. This in turn will lead to 13 teams in the 2021 Senior championships, when in all probability two teams will be relegated to Intermediate to regain the status quo of twelve teams.

No G.A.A. training and matches means the loss of a vital social hub for so many, with all club and county grounds remaining closed until Monday, June 29. But despite this, clubs have still found a way to gather, some in their club grounds, more on green spaces. Others are enjoying the freshness of the seaside air, with training taking place on spacious ground under the coastal hills in many locations.

Sport is a hugely important part of modern society, extending from the massive numbers who play and watch sports to the major financial impact it has on the economy.

The very notion that pitches and clubs remain closed is a burning issue at the moment, but the G.A.A. are strictly adhering to the guidelines even if it also means the loss of a place to gather that dominates so much of daily life.

Everyone needs to take personal responsibility now to do whatever they can to protect people, which makes it all the more alarming that many clubs are standing back and allowing squad training

This is all without insurance cover, because at the start of this pandemic it was put on hold by Croke Park, with continued warnings right up to the present day that clubs and players are not currently insured.

Yes, there may be a craving to get back to competitive activity, but this is where the county needs leadership.

A decision should be forthcoming immediately regarding the quarter-final issue. The playing off of championships within a threeweek timeframe is contrary to player welfare, while clubs should be offered a stern warning regarding training in the absence of insurance cover.

Everyone must sign up to their personal responsibilities. Definitive decisions are now needed.