Live

Highlights on Off The Ball

02:00 PM-06:00 PM

Highlights on Off The Ball
Advertisement
Football

GAA Special Congress rejects chance to revamp All-Ireland football championship

Proposal B, which had the backing of a majority of the Gaelic Players Association needed 60% of the vote to be passed, however, it only received 50.6%.



GAA Special Congress rejects c...
Football

GAA Special Congress rejects chance to revamp All-Ireland football championship

GAA Special Congress has rejected the chance to revamp the All-Ireland championship as both Proposal A and Proposal B fell flat at Croke Park on Saturday.

Proposal B, which had the backing of a majority of the Gaelic Players Association needed 60% of the vote to be passed, however, it only received 50.6%. If passed, Proposal B would have seen the football championship revert to a league-based format. It had the backing of GAA president Larry McCarthy, as well as former president John Horan.

85 of the delegates present voted for Proposal B with 83 delegates voting against the motion.

Proposal A, which would see the format change to four provincial groups of 8 was widely rejected with 90% of delegates voting against this motion.

This means that the football championship will revert to the format last seen in 2017, whereby there will be a qualifier system with the Tailteann Cup added. There will be two rounds of qualifiers rather than four.

The weeks preceding the vote saw many differing opinions. GPA CEO Tom Parsons had argued that Proposal B benefitted the players as it offered the chance for every inter-county side to play more competitive games.

"This guarantees seven competitive championship games in the Spring or Summer for all teams," Parsons said earlier this month.

"Games develop teams. Games develop players. So development is really important.

"Competitive balance with that as well. If you're playing games, you need to be playing against teams at your own levels.

"It's fair. Fairness is really important because we want to end these brutal mismatches we're getting at the height of the summer."

Offaly GAA chairperson, Michale Duignan had argued for Proposal B earlier on in the day, imploring the GAA to embrace the changes that were put forward in that motion.

"Players throughout Ireland are crying out for change," Duignan said.

They are putting in huge time and sacrifices to play one or two championship matches in a year which is not satisfactory.

"If we do not pass this motion today I'd have serious concerns many of our own footballers will walk away from the inter-county game.

"It is time for a change. Today is the start of that change. We have to be brave and I think we have to be revolutionary."

For more GAA news and reaction to the Special Congress vote follow the Off The Ball social channels.

Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!

Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.


Read more about

All-Ireland Football Championship Championship Championship Football Croke Park Football GAA Larry McCarthy