Football

Derry secretary seeks protection for club players

A decade of support: pictured at the recent Derry GAA prize-giving at Tullyglass Hotel, Ballymena are former Derry stars Mickey Lynch (right) and John Joe Kearney. Kearney, assistant manager of Derry and Ulster senior football champions, Slaughtneil, accepts the John McLaughlin Cup on behalf of the Robert Emmet's club from Lynch, co-founder of M&L Contracts, sponsors of the Derry SFC for the past decade.
A decade of support: pictured at the recent Derry GAA prize-giving at Tullyglass Hotel, Ballymena are former Derry stars Mickey Lynch (right) and John Joe Kearney. Kearney, assistant manager of Derry and Ulster senior football champions, Slaughtneil, acce A decade of support: pictured at the recent Derry GAA prize-giving at Tullyglass Hotel, Ballymena are former Derry stars Mickey Lynch (right) and John Joe Kearney. Kearney, assistant manager of Derry and Ulster senior football champions, Slaughtneil, accepts the John McLaughlin Cup on behalf of the Robert Emmet's club from Lynch, co-founder of M&L Contracts, sponsors of the Derry SFC for the past decade.

DERRY secretary Danny Scullion has called for structure to be put in place to ensure 'county players' are able to feature in their club's league games.

In his report to the Oak Leaf county convention, which will take place this Thursday night at Owenbeg, he writes:

"Inter-county managers must bear in mind that inter-county players have a strong desire to play for their clubs and the GAA's proposals of periods when the county player is available to the club must be strictly adhered to.

"We do not wish to put players in difficult positions and where possible the decision should be taken out of the hands of players and a structure found to protect competing interests.

"The protection of the vibrancy of our clubs is of crucial importance and the challenge facing us is to continue to make sure that there is an adequate number of meaningful and well-scheduled games for our clubs at all levels in both football and hurling."

Scullion had voiced concerns about the GAA calendar a year ago, recalling: "In my report to convention last year I warned of the possible scenario that the proposed national fixtures changes, which have now come to pass, would have on our club calendar.

"I wrote: 'Condensing the inter-county season in the manner proposed will help free up more time for county championships. However, we also need to be mindful of our club leagues.

'Under the current proposal we estimate that the number of league games for which county players are unavailable will increase.

'There is an almost inherent acceptance at the heart of the proposal that County players should not play in a majority of club league games. Although this is the case already in many counties, it is not the case in Derry and we believe it is wrong to go down this route'."

The changes brought forward at Congress earlier this year will require alterations to the Derry league system, Scullion says:

"The introduction of a round robin (Super 8s) phase of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the bringing forward of the All-Ireland finals in hurling and football, a condensed Christy Ring series, and the introduction of the summer-based U20 football championship will combine in 2018 in a way that means that changes to our current league structures are inevitable.

"We no longer have the required number of weekends during the months April to July to complete, for example, a 16-team senior league.

"Weekends freed up post-August are of no benefit to counties who wish to see county players take part in a majority of league games, hold a knock-out championship, and also finish league campaigns prior to the championships beginning.

"These three elements were key findings of our games review committee which surveyed all our clubs in detail in 2015. If we wish to preserve these three outcomes, then changes to our current league structures will have to be made."

Scullion also believes that there may be a need for a new grade to bridge the gap between U17 and senior levels or risk losing more players from Gaelic games:

"The change to inter-county under-age grades is now beginning to affect the inter-club game. Brought about in 2016, the change from U21 to U20 and U18 to U17 takes effect at inter-county level in 2018.

"Counties now find themselves in the position of having to adapt to this change without any clear guidance or direction. As such, the Derry Competitions Control Committee have begun a series of consultations with our clubs on the way forward.

"There is great concern over the change to the minor age grade in particular with the gulf from 17 to adult being too wide for most players to make.

"The obvious danger in this scenario is that more young players will be lost from Gaelic games. This is a challenge we must now embrace seriously.

"Having inter-county games at U17 overlapping with inter-club games at U16 and U18 will double the impact on clubs and makes it doubly difficult for our fixture makers to plan a regular series of games for both age groups.

"Alignment is an option, but also not without issue. Do we introduce a new age group U19/U20? And where can this fit into an already congested calendar running alongside reserve competitions?

"Since there is no clear guidance on these issues it is incumbent that we all engage in a constructive debate to find the best solutions possible for the future health of Gaelic games in our county."

* There is no need for a Club Players Association - or the Gaelic Players' Association, according to Derry secretary Danny Scullion: "2017 has seen the introduction of a Club Players' Association (CPA), a move which mirrors the now established Gaelic Players' Association (GPA).

"In Derry we do not believe that we need multiple branches of the same association. Whilst most members are well-meaning with genuine issues I would appeal for any persons interested in the stated areas of fixtures, the club calendar and all aspects of player welfare to come forward and assist Derry GAA in enhancing our games under one umbrella.

"Derry GAA has committees and mechanisms for effecting change which can be utilised to bring about change which is required".