Change from knockout to league recommended

CHANGING the three adult hurling championships in Wicklow from a knockout system to a league format was proposed in th Hurling Commission report released this week in 1990.

‘All adult teams in the county would be divided up into three groups instead of the present four, based on their hurling strength, for championships as well as leagues and promotion and relegation would operate in subsequent years,’ read the article in that week’s Wicklow and Bray People newspapers.

‘The Commission noted that most successful hurling counties played their championships on a semi-league system which had the advantage of providing teams with more games of a highly competitive nature, thus improving standards in the county.

‘The weakness they say in the present knockout system was that a team could reach a county final by winning just two games, while teams defeated in the first round spent most of the summer idle.

‘The same groupings would serve for both championship and league in the initial year and teams must play in the league to be eligible for the championship.

‘With the current league and championship draws made for 1990, the recommendations of the Hurling Commission cannot be put into effect until next year at the earliest.

‘The senior ‘A’ championship consisting of eight teams will be divided into two groups to be played on a league system. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the championship semi-finals of the Billy Byrne Cup.

‘Eight teams will also participate in the senior ‘B’ championship which will run on the same system as the ‘A’ championship.

‘Teams from group C will take part in the Junior chamnpionship which will again be run off on the same system as the other two. Bottom four teams here will play off for the Sally Cup.

‘Suggested groupings by the Commission are:

‘Group A: Avondale, Arklow Rock Parnells, Barndarrig, Carnew, Glenealy, Kilcoole, Kiltegan and St. Pstrick’s.

‘Group B: Aughrim, Avoca, Carnew ‘B’, Hollywood, Newcastle, St. Patrick’s ‘B’, Shillelagh and Valleymount.

‘Group C: Arklow Roc Parnells ‘B’, Aughrim ‘B’, Avondale ‘B’, Barndarrig ‘B’, Bray Emmets, Glenewaly ‘B’, Kilbride-Blessington, Kilcoole ‘B’, and Kiltegan ‘B’.

‘League matches are to be played fortnightly commencing in March and teams conceding two walkovbers will be removed from the league and may not take part in the subsequent championship.

‘The Commission recommends that league games proceed without county players where county games clash with hurling league Sunday, and ask that serious consideration be given to making divisions 2 and 3 thirteen-a-side.

‘In its report the Commission also calls for the setting up of an inter-county club tournament by the Fixtures Committee involving Wicklow’s four senior semi-finalists and four clubs from neighbouring counties.

‘This competition, which could be played in the Autumn, would give Wicklow’s best teams the opportunity of serious competition with outside clubs and help improve standards in the county.

‘Playing the under-21 hurling knockout championship early in the year is also recommended in the Commission report. As well as giving inter-county selectors an opportunity to vet players, it would avoid the summer period when players are either exam-tied or working abroad.’