Clubs to consider getting controversial Offaly football championship format overturned

CLUBS are to consider pursuing an avenue to overturn the controversial new format for the Offaly Senior, Senior “B”, Intermediate and Junior Football Championships.

There was consternation among the wider public when a new system was adopted late last year where every team qualifies out of their group for the quarter-finals of the championships.

The football championships consist of groups of four and the new format was proposed by the Competitions Control Committee to provide an extra game for all clubs. It means that a club can win a championship after losing all their group games while a club could win all their group games and still be relegated.

In previous years, the top team in each of the two groups qualified for the semi-finals with two and three criss crossing in two quarter-finals and the bottom two teams meeting in a relegation play off.

The new format came in for widespread criticism as it effectively makes the group games dead rubbers, removes a lot of the competition from the early games and gives clubs a lot of leeway, knowing that they can’t bow out of the championship.

  Durrow’s Tony Hensey and Ferbane’s Brian Flynn both spoke against the format at a meeting of the County Board on Tuesday evening.

After a brief discussion, secretary Colm Cummins told delegates that they could get the format overturned by proposing a motion for the next County Board meeting. It would then require a three fifths majority and a deviation would have to be obtained from Central Council to allow the change take place. He said there would be no guarantee this would be allowed but the option was there.

Tony Hensey said his club would consider this and it is now possible that clubs will put a motion forward.

Tony Hensey had initially complained about clubs not getting sufficient notice about the proposed change but this was refuted by Colm Cummins who said that the outcome may not have been to everyone’s liking but procedurally, they were 100% correct. He stated that under their championship regulations, the formats for 2024 had to be approved at the November meeting and clubs had been given five days notice of the proposed changes and options.

Mr Hensey said their players and members were concerned at the format at their AGM, particularly the possibility that a club could win all their group games and still be relegated.

Brian Flynn said Ferbane members were also against the system at their AGM, pointing out that they were creating four extra games but making 12 of them meaningless. His club wanted the format revised and said they were in favour of five team groups but in the meantime, they wanted the old format.

Chairman Michael Duignan said everyone was in favour of five team groups at the previous meeting but they needed change in the inter-county fixtures programme to facilitate this and have discussed this with Leinster Council. He stated that the format had been approved and they should give it a go. He said that he didn’t mind what format they adopted.