Special meeting to decide format for championship
MEATH clubs have been given more time to consider whether to implement a new format for the Meath club football championships following a lengthy discussion at last week’s county board meeting.
A final decision will be taken next Tuesday when a special meeting will be convened to vote on the issue.
At the outset of the meeting newly elected county chairman Peter O’Halloran told delegates that some clubs were uncertain of proposed changes and urged delegates to take the information back to their clubs for discussion before any decisions are made.
Before the discussion began the chairman outlined the enormous task facing the county in getting their club fixtures completed due to changes on the county calendar.
Conor O’Donoghue (Dunboyne) spoke on the competition restructure proposal put forward jointly by the Dunboyne and St Brigid’s clubs.
He outlined the proposal that would have 16 teams in the senior and intermediate championship and 19 teams in the junior championship. There would also be a new reserve championship and a new District championship with junior and intermediate amalgamations.
Reserve teams would also be allowed play in the A Leagues.
Michael Heery (St Brigid’s) also urged clubs to back the new proposals and said the new district championship would give players an opportunity to play at a higher level and that could only benefit county teams. He said the merits of the proposals would far outweigh any problems that might arise.
Former county star Colm O’Rourke said he had 45 years experience of club football in the county and he expressed doubts that reducing the number of teams in the different grades would improve the standard.
‘It’s a myth and it would be wrong to reduce the number of games that club players get,’ the Simonstown manager said.
O’Rourke said that there was some merit in having regional teams in championships.
Nobber delegate Larry McEntee and Malachy Plunkett (Carnaross) supported the views expressed by O’Rourke. McEntee said it would destroy some rural clubs if they were getting fewer championship games. He said that during the month of April two club championship games should be played.
Pat Smyth (O’Mahony’s) said the CCC should insist on two rounds of club championship being played in the month of April and not be bullied by county managers.
Paddy Ward (Dunshaughlin) backed the new proposals, stating the county needed to get back its competitive nature and that clubs get too many chances to win championships.