1. Overview:
Currently, there are 65 teams eligible to compete across three tiers in Cork football with 30 in senior, 14 in premier intermediate and 21 in intermediate. The current league and championship structure have led to numerous un-competitive matches, fixture congestion and uncertainty, falling attendances at games due to their unattractive nature, declining numbers playing football in the county as well as unfulfilled/meaningless league and championship encounters throughout the year.
This culmination of all of this has impacted greatly on the competitiveness of the Cork inter-county football set-up. I have looked at one proposal of how this could be solved commencing from 2019 with significant planning required from the end of the current campaigns to influence badly needed change.
A lot has been spoken about other issues relating to football in teh county but I am just going to focus on the current league and championship structures.
A lot has been spoken about other issues relating to football in teh county but I am just going to focus on the current league and championship structures.
2. The aim of Proposal:
I have created a proposal keeping the following 5 aims in mind throughout:
1) A County Championship where there is an approx. 16 teams in each grade to improve the competitiveness of the grade and in turn, increase the attractiveness of the competition;
2) Certainty around championship and league fixtures for all players;
3) A competitive and meaningful league and championship campaigns all the way to completion for both inter-county and non-inter-county players;
4) A window for a Round Robin championship format in late spring/early summer with a competitive knockout competition for all clubs/players post All-Ireland series; and
5) The introduction of countywide Premier-Junior competition administered by the county board.
3. The Pillars for Restructuring:
The following 4 pillars are the building blocks to the achieving the aims of this proposal. Launching straight into a restructure, without providing clubs/colleges/divisions with the appropriate opportunity to play for their grading and status, would be wholly unfair.
Therefore the changes I am proposing take place over the 2019 league and championship season.
I. County Championship 2019
- Minor, but necessary, changes required to the 2019 senior football championship. These changes should focus on fixture certainty, ensuring proper planning and games played in the late spring / early summer and should ensure that they allow inter-county players an opportunity to get 2 competitive championship games in before the commencement of the inter-county championship.
- Lengthily delays between rounds are unavoidable under the current structure but more needs to be done to provide certainty to all concerned re timing of fixtures/rounds.
- Promotion and relegation for the 2020 championship to be determined from final positions in the county league program for 2019. See pillar 2 for more details.
II. County League 2019
- Seven county leagues to be created in 2019, based on the grade that you finish up in at the end of the 2018 championship program.
- The league would be split up as follows:
o Senior – 3 county leagues - 1A (10 club teams), 1B (10 club teams) & 1C (10 divisions/colleges);
o Senior – 3 county leagues - 1A (10 club teams), 1B (10 club teams) & 1C (10 divisions/colleges);
o Premier Intermediate – 2 county leagues - 2A (7 teams) & 2B (7 teams)
o Intermediate – 2 county leagues - 3A (11 teams) & 3B (10 teams)
- It should be noted that Division 1C (Colleges and divisions) would be played on Wednesday evenings during the spring of 2019. The top 2 colleges/divisions would make it into the 2019 senior county championship and represent the colleges and divisions rather than the current knock out format.
- The finishing position will be crucial to your clubs grading for the 2020 championship and will provide an additional incentive to win each encounter - an incentive that perhaps wained for many clubs under the current structure.
III. County Championship 2020
Senior:
- The top 13 teams from 1A and 1B of the 2019 league campaign as well as the top 2 from 1C would make up 15 of the 16 teams in the hat at the start of the 2020 senior county championship. The final place would go to the winner of the 2019 premier intermediate championship.
- One team will be relegated at the end of the campaign.
Premier Intermediate:
- The bottom 6 teams from 1A and 1B as well as the top 9 teams from 2A and 2B would make up 15 of the 16 teams in the hat for the start of the 2020 premier intermediate championship. The final place would go to the winner of the 2019 intermediate championship.
- One team will be relegated and one team will be promoted at the end of the campaign.
Intermediate:
- The bottom 4 teams from 2A and 2B as well as the top 11 teams from 3A and 3B would make up 15 of the 16 teams in the hat for the start of the 2020 intermediate championship. The final place would go to the winner of the 2019 Junior A county championship.
- One team will be relegated and one team will be promoted at the end of the campaign.
Premier Junior:
- The remaining 8-10 intermediate teams combined with the winning club from the 7 junior A divisional winners (excl. county winners) would comprise the 16-18 teams that would in the hat for the start of the 2020 Premier Junior championship.
- One team will be relegated and one team will be promoted at the end of the campaign.
Other Points on new 2020 championship format:
- Each grade to be split into 4 Groups of 4 teams with initial round robin games to be played in April – June 2020.
- Top 2 teams from each Group go to a QF which will start 2 weeks after completion of the All Ireland football championship (providing fixture certainty to all players/management and supporters) .
- The bottom 2 teams in each group will fight it out until one remaining team is left who will be relegated to the next grade.
IV. County Leagues 2020
- There would be 6 County league divisions for club teams in 2020.
- Division 6 would in the winners of the 8 junior A divisional titles together with the poorest performing intermediate clubs from the 2019 league campaign.
- Promotion and relegation of three teams would commence from this year with the top 2 fighting it out in the league finals.
- The colleges/divisions would have their own divisional structure as set out in pillar 2 and would continue to provide 2 teams to the senior football championship.
4. Conclusion
The above proposal should deliver the following for players, management and supporters:
- Increased attractiveness of fixtures;
- Competitive fixtures all year around;
- Certainty for players/management and supporters;
- Scope for additional competitive game time for inter-county players at all grades;
- Opportunity for inter-county management to follow the form of players through competitive club matches;
2019 – Championship break-down
|
Club teams
|
Colleges/ Divisions
|
2018 Total
|
Proposed 2010 Total
|
Senior
|
20
|
10
|
30
|
16
|
Premier Intermediate
|
14
|
0
|
14
|
16
|
Intermediate
|
21
|
0
|
21
|
16
|
Premier Junior
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
17
|
Total
|
55
|
10
|
65
|
65
|
ENDS
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