Football

Ulster wouldn't stand in way of Championship reform says new CEO McAvoy

Brian McAvoy talks to the Irish News. Picture by Hugh Russell
Brian McAvoy talks to the Irish News. Picture by Hugh Russell Brian McAvoy talks to the Irish News. Picture by Hugh Russell

NEW Ulster Council chief executive Brian McAvoy says that the provincial body would not stand in the way of a move to disband the Ulster football championship in favour of an All-Ireland restructure.

The Burren man took over as Ulster secretary and CEO from his late friend and clubmate Danny Murphy last October, having previously served as Down county secretary and in a number of other GAA roles.

In an exclusive interview with The Irish News, which you can read in full in tomorrow’s edition, McAvoy discusses the ongoing Casement Park project, the future for St Tiernach’s Park in Clones, the standard of coaching in Ulster and how best to help hurling in the province.

The Ulster Championship, along with Munster’s provincial crown in hurling, have long been viewed as the two primary barriers to a wholesale reformation of the All-Ireland series’ in both codes.

While both of those have remained competitive, the other provincial Championships have come under increasing scrutiny over their predictability.

Only Clare, 25 years ago, have won the Munster football title outside Kerry or Cork since 1935, while Dublin’s dominance in Leinster has extended to winning 11 of the last 12 provincial titles.

Mayo’s five-year winning run in Connacht was broken last year by Galway.

The Ulster title has been won by only four counties since 1999, but Armagh (7), Tyrone (6), Donegal (3) and Monaghan (2) have had a relatively even spread of success.

McAvoy feels that the provincial Championships retain a place in the public’s heart and that he doesn’t feel, or envisage, an overwhelming drive for change.

“In terms of the overall Championship structure, the provincial Championships have served us well over many years,” he said.

“If you’re starting with a blank page, you wouldn’t have six in one, nine in another, 12 in another, but we are where we are on that and we’re not going to change provincial boundaries at this stage.

“I think there’s still a place in most peoples’ hearts for the provincial Championships.

“If it was the wish of the clubs and counties to change that, the provincial council would row in behind them.

“Congress is the ultimate decision maker, and provincial council don’t have any votes bar a provincial chair at Congress. But obviously we would have an influential voice, and the voice of the provinces would be taken into account on that.

“If there was a sea change for that, we’d be prepared to listen and we’d go with what we think is for the greater good.

“I’m not aware of a major groundswell of opinion to change the provincial Championships.

“These things come in cycles. Ulster is always very competitive, and Munster hurlers may say that their Championship is equally competitive.

“There’s an affinity to the Ulster Championship, and within Ulster that definitely exists. Maybe that is due to its competitive nature.

“If it were to happen, I don’t think you’d start at senior. You’d start at under-20 or somewhere else, I don’t think you’d run straight in at senior.

“I wouldn’t stand in the way of it but I don’t see it as an issue, I don’t see it as something on the horizon,” said McAvoy.