Pandemic set in motion a revolution – Leinster GAA chief Reynolds
THE coronavirus pandemic has revolutionised thinking within the GAA and fast-tracked some longer-term benefits, including the introduction of a club and county split season, according to Leinster Council CEO Michael Reynolds.
In his annual secretary’s report, Reynolds focuses on the myriad challenges encountered by the GAA through a turbulent 2020 – but also on how this public health crisis has accelerated many changes, potentially for the better.
He cites how Covid-19 has “fasttracked thinking on the concept of the split season” while he lauds the introduction of winner-on-the-day for all inter-county championship matches last year, intimating that this should be extended to all future knockout games with the exception of All-Ireland finals.
“Out of adversity comes opportunities,” Reynolds writes. “As a result of the pandemic, initiatives were adopted to assist in the playing of our games efficiently within the windows of opportunity.
“Over the past few years fixture certainty became the buzzword. A number of initiatives were put in place to assist in providing fixture certainty and to provide the opportunity of having more games,” he adds, citing various developments around master fixture plans, age bands, decoupling U-17 from adult, introducing extra-time on the first day in knockout competition and finishing on the day.
“All of the above are positives in our quest for fixture certainty – a certainty that is of absolute benefit to our players and they deserve that certainty.”
Reflecting on how Croke Park’s Management Committee was given the flexibility to adapt championship structures in the midst of a pandemic, the Leinster chief writes: “To the credit of clubs and counties there was a total acceptance of the emergency powers implemented by Coiste Bainistí. An opportunity was grasped – all knockout games finish on the day.
“In normal circumstances it would have been difficult to have such a revolution accepted, and it is a revolution. Ultimately, fixture certainty and replays are incompatible.”
Reynolds goes on to state that the split season is “part of the revolution. It was on the agenda with the possibility of making it to Congress. It will definitely now make Congress with at least a one-year trial run – 2020-2021.
“With a positive reaction to date, the split season concept is accepted as a done deal. The club is fundamental to our association.
The corollary is to ensure that adult teams (in particular) remain in their respective championships as late into the summer as is practical.”
Reynolds avoids the debate about the collapse of the Leinster SFC as a viable competition, other than to state how “Dublin continue to dominate” and how “sadly for the Royals, the final was one-sided”.
“To be honest, other than the Dublin games, the rest of the championship was evenly contested with one exception,” he points out, while on the subject of the champions’ All-Ireland stranglehold, he concludes: “Dublin comfortably made it six in a row – they continue to set very high standards.”