Ard Comhairle has this morning unanimously
agreed to send forward two separate proposals on the formation of a Tier 2
All-Ireland senior football championship out to the wider membership for
discussion.
A decision on the proposals will be
taken at a Special Congress which will be staged at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on October
19, with a view to implementation in time for the 2020 Championship summer.
Proposal A will feature the
Provincial Championships as present with the current four rounds of All-Ireland
Qualifiers reducing to two rounds and open to teams from Allianz Divisions
1 and 2 and any Allianz Division 3 and 4 teams who qualify for their Provincial
Finals.
The Tier 2 Championship format of
Proposal A is a straight knock out competition for 16 teams from across
Divisions 3 and 4 that do not make their Provincial Finals.
There is the possibility for the
competition to be organised on a geographical basis – northern and southern
conferences for first round ties, quarter-finals and semi-finals to ensure
less travel for teams and supporters, while also retaining local rivalries.
The semi-finals would be the only
senior inter-county GAA events on their respective weekend – barring a major
replay.
Proposal B which has gone forward for
discussion is similar to the above and also features Division 3 and 4 teams
that do not reach a Provincial Final entering a new Tier 2 championship.
A key difference is that in the event
that a Division 3 or 4 team do reach a Provincial Final,
to make up 16 teams in Tier 2 their place in Tier 2 would be taken by the
lowest ranked Division 2 team from that year’s Allianz league.
The format for the Tier 2
Championship in Proposal B features an initial round of games which then
creates a winners’ group and a losers’ group and so offers beaten counties a
way of playing their way back into contention.
Proposal B would be played out on the
following lines:
16 Teams involved
Rd 1: 8 Teams v 8 Teams
Rd 2a: 4 Winners Rd 1 v 4 Winners Rd
1
Rd 2b: 4 Losers Rd 1 v 4 Losers Rd 1
Rd 3: 4 Rd 2b Winners v 4 Rd 2a
Losers
QF: 4 Rd 2a Winners v 4 Rd 3 Winners
Semi-finals & Final
An additional prize for the winner of
the final under both proposals would be a place reserved in the following
year’s All-Ireland Sam Maguire Championship, irrespective of their league
position.
It is also envisaged that both proposals
would have dedicated broadcast coverage and a marketing and promotional
campaign with a dedicated All-Star selection and tour.
The finals under both proposals would
take place at Croke Park.
The proposals will now be sent to
counties for discussion with a final wording on the proposals to be agreed at a
meeting of Ard Comhairle in September.
In another development, Ard Comhairle
also decided to condense the schedule for the AIB All-Ireland club senior
championships and has agreed to move the senior finals next year from March 17
to a new date in January.
In 2020 the senior semi-finals in hurling
and football will be played across the weekend of January 4/5. The AIB
All-Ireland club senior finals in hurling and football will now be played on Sunday,
January 19.
The move is part of an overall
commitment to condense the fixture calendar, create opportunities for club
activity and would also allow counties in the Allianz Leagues to access players
who were previously unavailable because they were playing in All-Ireland senior
club semi-finals and finals.
