Proposals to boost juvenile GAA fixtures programme

Tipperary GAA Coiste na nOg have issued draft proposals to improve the games programme for juvenile players in the county, among them an all-county aspect at under 15 & 17 level.

By Shane Brophy

The proposals arise from a club survey and consultation with stakeholders, including Tipperary Coaching & Games and Board na nOg. Some of the major findings from the survey were that clubs wanted more games, more games at an appropriate level, plus greater opportunity to play teams from outside their respective divisions.

The majority of clubs expressed satisfaction with the under 13 games programme but sought improvement at under 15 & 17. In that respect, there is a proposal to introduce a new premier ‘A’ grade in the under 15 and 17 grades.

The ‘A’ & ‘B’ grades would still be played in divisions with 6 to 8 teams each the optimum number depending on grading. Where divisions have four or less teams, cross-division leagues to be run to compliment in tandem. The semi-finalists would qualify for a divisional Premier Cup competition as well as the championship semi-finals. The teams beaten before semi-finals qualify for an all-county ‘A1’ & ‘B1’ Cup competitions to be played on a knockout basis.

The ’C’ grade, which has been played on an all-county basis for the last few years, would remain for clubs who cannot field at fifteen aside while the ‘D’ grade would be for clubs 2nd teams, also on an all-county basis. ‘C’ and ‘D’ clubs will also play a Cup completion on knock-out basis.

Other issues raised in the survey involved the length of the under 17 (minor) season with the football championships currently taking place, as well as a desire for the County League to be formalised.

The cross-division leagues have been running for the last couple of years with some success. It is used where two or more divisions can’t guarantee sufficient games in a particular grade, i.e., where there may only have three or four teams graded in a given year.

There is a proposal for an U17 League, similar to the Adult League model with hurling and football alternating every second week, to start in mid-March with the finals to be played before the start of the state exams in June. These groups will be made on all-county basis with the aim of four to five games minimum for all teams in each code.

National GAA policy is that each player should be getting eleven competitive games in each code, and Tipperary are getting close to this in some grades and divisions but not in others.

The proposals will be voted on at the County Juvenile AGM which will take place in the coming weeks.