Rathnew clear of close rivals in group stages
GROUP 1 GROUP 2
DEFENDING champions Rathnew may well have been the happiest club heading home from the championship draws last Monday night after their Senior side avoided the majority of the big guns after being selected in Group 2 along with Avondale, Kiltegan, Bray Emmets, Éire Óg Greystones, and newly promoted Hollywood.
Harry Murphy will be only too well aware of the dangers posed by all teams in the Senior football championship but to avoid Baltinglass, St Pat’s and Blessington until at least quarter-final stage could be seen as a bonus.
The Village side won’t be thinking that far ahead, however. Before that stage of the championship they will have to negotiate the tricky terrain populated by the improving Avondale who reached last year’s semi-final, a revenge-seeking Kiltegan who Rathnew dismissed last year, the relatively unknown quantity of Bray Emmets, Mick Murray’s Hollywood and the strong Éire Óg Greystones.
Other clashes to get excited about will be the northerly clash of Bray and Éire Óg, the western joust between Kiltegan and Hollywood and all games will likely go down to the wire in the group stages.
It’s Group 1 that’s the guaranteed dogfight. Joining Blessington, Baltinglass and St Pat’s are Annacurra, Newtown, AGB and the newly affiliated Tomacork (Carnew and Coolboy).
With the top team reaching the semi-finals and teams two and three reaching the quarter-finals it’s going to be a race to secure one of those three spots while fourth spot will be precious to the struggling teams as that guarantees championshp safety. Teams five and six will go into the relegation quagmire.
Bridget Kenny, Chairperson of the CCC, listed the teams in Ballinakill at the recent championship draw.
They were: Annacurra, AGB, Avondale, Baltinglass, Blessington, Bray, EO, Hollywood, Kiltegan, Newtown, Rathnew, St Pat’s, Tomacork (Carnew and Coolboy).
Rathnew’s Bobby Dignam questioned what had happened to the plan to have 12 Senior teams in the championship.
“I thought the Senior championship was down to 12 teams. I’m not opposing anyone,” he said.
County Chairman Martin Fitzgerald said that there are 12 Senor clubs but that a group team can apply for affiliation and that it is up the club delegates to accept them or reject them.
Kevin Byrne from Ballymanus added to Bobby Dignam’s rea- soning when he said, “I thought the Senior championship was reduced to 12. How do we stop group teams going in?”
“We decide. You people can accept them or reject them,” added Martin Fitzgerald.
Bobby Dignam pointed out that he wouldn’t be objecting to anyone and that he was simply making a point.
Tomacork’s application was accepted by delegates and a 13-team Senior championship was born.
Format: Two groups, one six and one seven; top team in each group go into the semi-finals, teams two and three go into the quarter-finals, team four are safe and five and six go into relegation.
Bobby Dignam proposed that last year’s county finalists be seeded.
“As this is the first time that we have two sixes, I propose that the two senior finalists be one in group A and one in group B,” he said.
This was accepted.