Mayo GAA told of impact new league format may have on smaller clubs

THE Mayo GAA County Board will have to go back to the drawing board in an effort to produce an agreed format for the 2024 county football leagues.

A new league format had been thrashed out with club delegates at a previous board meeting and was to come before last week’s meeting for endorsement.

However, a vote to ratify the new proposals was defeated in favour of a counter proposal to allow more time to discuss the implications the new format could have for some clubs, Kiltimagh indicating that the new system would have a devastating impact on their club, while other small clubs would suffer under the proposed new format too.

The newly proposed league for 2024 would see a Division 1 made up of two groups of 20 teams (10 in each). The Competitions Control Committee (CCC) would not be relegating anyone from this year’s Division 1, while four teams would be brought up from Division 2 to make up the 20.

Kiltimagh delegate Seamus Corry said his club is in a very difficult situation and heurged that the new format be discussed further as he felt some clubs may not be aware of the negative impact it may have on smaller clubs if it is adopted. Said Seamus: “As people only know too well, we (Kiltimagh) were hammered in every game in Division 1 of the league and also beaten, pretty heavily, in our championship matches.

“Under this new format we will find ourselves playing Division 1 football again next season, which makes a mockery of the league in 2023. This will only result in league that will be non-competitive.

“Our biggest achievement was being able to field a team but many of our players were Leaving Cert students while others were older players who have passed their sell-by date, and I’m not sure we will even have many, if any, of these players next season.”

Mr. Corry said there were merits in some aspects of the new format but he felt more time should be given to allow for more discussion on the implications it would have on Kiltimagh and other small clubs. His fear was that it will not just impact Kiltimagh, but other smaller clubs will struggle next season and the knock-on effect of that would be serious for clubs who found themselves struggling to be competitive.

“There is no rush,” said Mr. Corry. “Let's think about it. I think if it goes ahead as proposed, it will destroy some of the smaller clubs like mine.”

He accepted the structure of the new league format had been discussed but as far as he was aware – and he was at the meeting – there had been no discussion on the possible implications in terms of promotion and demotion.

He felt a lot of clubs may not be fully aware of the impact the proposed new league format could have on them and he urged it be put on hold.

Former Mayo GAA County Board chairman and current Central Council delegate Paddy McNicholas also urged caution, and suggested that more time should be allowed to discuss what effect the new league format would have on the standard of football at club level, particularly in relation to competitiveness.

Said Paddy: “We want to get it right this time and I suggest we wait to get it right. There is no mad rush. We need to do this thing right.”

He added: “We need a league that is competitive, and our leagues in recent years have not been as competitive as they might be – and I think that lack of competitiveness is one of the reasons why Mayo clubs have not been as successful as they used to be in the Connacht senior club championship in recent years.”

He added: “Let us go back and start as it was last year and plan for a proper league for 2025 based on the 2024 results.”

Con Moynihan, chairman of the CCC, said the proposed new format had been discussed and sent out to clubs two months ago, and as far as he and the board was concerned the new format was now on the agenda for ratification. A number of delegates said clubs had been given ample time to discuss the new league changes and it was time to make a call on it.

That proposal was put to the floor, as was the counter-proposal that any decision be adjourned to the next meeting ahead of a full discussion on the matter.

There was a strong show of hands on the counter-proposal, which will give clubs another opportunity to discuss the matter before it comes before the next monthly meeting of the board.