Mayo delegates will be voting against championship change
Mayo GAA delegates will not be voting for changes to the All-Ireland senior football championship structures at Special Congress this weekend.
A one-line statement from the organisation was issued today. It reads as follows: “Clubs in Mayo have mandated the Officers of the Board attending Special Congress to vote against motions 18 and 19.”
The Special Congress of the GAA is taking place in Croke Park tomorrow (Saturday), with 10 motions up for consideration.
The main one concerns revamping the senior inter-county football championship, with two proposals up for consideration.
In Proposal A, the league would remain a spring competition and the championship would be run on the basis of four provincial conferences consisting of eight teams each. Top teams from each group would subsequently contest the provincial final, with the second and third teams across the eight groups playing each other over two knockout rounds. The four surviving teams would then play the losing provincial finalists, with the winners advancing to the All-Ireland quarterfinals. The bottom team in each group would compete in the Tailteann Cup on a knockout basis.
Proposal B is the one gaining more traction. This would see the provincial championships take place in February and March with no link whatsoever to the All-Ireland series. The All-Ireland series itself would be played on the current Allianz League format between April and June, after which the top five teams from Division 1 along with the top three from Division 2 as well as the table toppers of Division 3 and 4 all advancing to the knockout stages in the bid to win Sam. The five from Division 1 and the winners of Division 2 would get a bye to the quarterfinals, with the remaining four teams playing off to decide the two remaining berths.
The second based team in Division 3 would get a bye to the quarterfinals of the Tailteann Cup, with the remaining 13 teams plus New York now competing in this competition as well.
A proposal must get 60% of the votes cast to become the new template for championship over a three-year trial basis. If neither proposal gets this, the championship will revert to the format that has been the norm since 2000.
This year and last, with Covid-19 impacting sport, the championships reverted to a straight knockout format, with Mayo emerging as Connacht champions both years and going on to reach the 2020 and 2021 All-Ireland finals.
The GPA, with former Mayo player Tom Parsons as CEO, recently backed Proposal B, saying it would 'breathe life into Gaelic football'.
Outlining the GPA position, Parsons said: “Games develop players, especially in the spring and summer months, and a minimum of seven championship games against sides of a similar level would be significant.
“We have 80% of our membership in favour of Proposal B, 90% of our GPA representatives and captains support the series. The Tailteann Cup also has huge support from our membership.
“It will allow teams to develop and play at their own level. The potential for brutal mismatches is lessened. This is about fairness.”
Meanwhile, writing in The Connaught Telegraph, former Mayo and Donegal player Martin Carney said: “Proposal A, while far from perfect, is something I am inclined to prefer instead of Proposal B. Without going into detail, I am yet to be convinced that Proposal B offers the panacea that many suggest. However, if I was a betting man I would put my money on the status quo prevailing as neither A nor B will get the necessary 60% vote required.”