THE DONEGAL GAA Secretary, Aideen Gillen has, despite welcoming recent proposals regarding the Championship calendar, expressed concerns over the availability of county players to their clubs.
In her annual report, to be delivered to Sunday’s County Convention, the Dungloe clubwoman says that proposals revealed by the GAA’s Director General, Paraic Duffy, in August, are ‘worth examining’, but says the proposed new format could be to the detriment of the All-County Football Leagues.
Picture caption: Donegal GAA Secretary Aideen Gillen with Martin McAvinney. Picture by Geraldine Diver.
Under the proposals, the quarter-finals would be split into two groups of four and teams play off against each other over three weekends; the All-Ireland semi-finals would be played on the same weekend, while the provincial finals would need to be completed by the first weekend in July.
[adrotate group=”88″]The addition of eight extra games at that stage of the championship season would be an obvious revenue generator but Duffy believes the need to condense the championship season is paramount for club players.
“I agree that club players need a fairer schedule of games,” Donegal secretary Gillen writes in her report.
“The comparison with last year’s Provincial Championship will have Ulster commencing on May 1st and the final scheduled for June 19th –8 weekends. The actual 2016 Championship commenced on 15th May and the final took place on 17th July—10 weekends.
[adrotate group=”53″]“The fact that he asks for extra time to be played is commendable and this will eventually free up weekends.”
However, Ms Gillen does not believe that the proposals will alleviate the issues of availability of county panel members to their clubs.
She says: “The fear I have is that this proposed shorter championship schedule will impact on the availability of the County Panel to playing with their clubs from early February (when the National League commences) until a county exits the All Ireland series ( which for us in Donegal for the past six years has been at the earliest the first weekend of August).
[adrotate group=”46″]“The Ard Stiurthor’s proposals address the local championship in having most county players available to their clubs in early August but a major concern remains with the strength of club teams available to play in our all county leagues during the summer.
“The fear of relegation also haunts all clubs and I can understand their reluctance to play without their best players.
“These are the players that the unsung volunteers of the clubs nourished, coached and trained from an early age to wearing of the county jersey.
“To get our clubs active on a weekly basis during the summer, I feel that we should perhaps let relegation be determined on championship status.”
Tags:In full: Donegal GAA Secretary Aideen Gillen’s annual report
