Football

Expanded Ulster minor calendar further complicates U17 v U18 debate

Tyrone are expected to follow suit with Armagh's decision last night and return to U18 for club games this year. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin
Tyrone are expected to follow suit with Armagh's decision last night and return to U18 for club games this year. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin Tyrone are expected to follow suit with Armagh's decision last night and return to U18 for club games this year. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin

AN expanded Ulster U17 inter-county calendar is among the complications making life difficult for counties as they discuss a potential return to U18 for minor club games.

While the majority of counties across Ireland, including all nine in Ulster, appear likely to return to U18 from 2024 onwards, the timing of Central Council’s decision to move the goalposts has also created uncertainty over this year.

Clubs in Tyrone will meet tonight and are expected to return to U18 for this year’s competitions unless clubs decide to do a u-turn.

While many counties are preparing to hold a vote on whether to return minor to U18 or remain at U17, Tyrone clubs had already indicated last year that they wished to return to U18 and that they would continue to push for ‘decoupling’ at 17.

It's understood that some clubs in Tyrone have already been altering their plans in recent days to move from U17 to U18.

‘Decoupling’ refers to the age at which players are eligible for adult games, which is currently 18, meaning that underage and adult fixtures are currently completely separate.

Armagh last night voted in favour of returning to U18 with immediate effect, while Antrim’s clubs decided to stay with U17 for this year and revert to U18 next year.

In Fermanagh, a decision was also made to defer from changing in 2023. They will stay at U17 for this season, with the feeling being that it was too late in the year and clubs were already well underway with plans for U17 competitions.

Down will meet with their clubs on Wednesday night to make a decision.

Clubs in Derry were due to meet with the county executive on Tuesday night to discuss Congress motions but that was cancelled over the weekend, with clubs told instead to contact the county board if they had any queries over a motion.

There has been no formal discussion around a potential change back this year, despite pressure from some clubs.

“Fair play to Armagh. I hope the other counties will follow suit over the next few days. If not, there will be a serious drop out by 17 yr olds who are neither physically nor mentally capable of playing adult football,” said former Derry and Ballinderry coach Adrian McGuckin on Twitter.

Derry’s county executive is among a list of sponsors of a motion that will go before Congress next weekend that seeks to make permanent a return to U18 for minors, with final-year minors eligible for adult.

Clubs in Tyrone, Down, Kilkenny, Waterford and Tipperary are all attached to the same motion, which is one of nine motions regarding age grades on the agenda.

Cavan’s next county board meeting is not until February 20, which is after the GAA’s Annual Congress, meaning it appears likely they will also defer a change until next year unless a push comes from clubs.

Donegal have a county committee meeting tonight, having held fixture forums with the clubs in recent days. Concerns exist there over the GAA’s 60-hour recommendation, that would encourage counties to leave at least 60 hours between adult and minor games if players were involved in both.

In terms of this year’s club fixtures, the window is tightened by the counties having voted to implement a group stage in the Ulster inter-county minor championship.

They were then angered when Ulster Council decided to remove the minor league from the calendar as a result.

A majority of counties returned to Ulster Council and asked for the league to be reinstated, which was agreed to.

So from February 25 until the championship quarter-final on May 13, the nine counties will be tied up with rolling inter-county games.

With the Ulster final on May 27, All-Ireland quarter-finals on June 10 and the final on July 8, space in the calendar for U17 competitions has been drastically reduced.

A Central Council meeting last weekend agreed on a new policy that will allow counties to make their own decision on returning to U18 as well as allowing 18-year-olds to play adult games from March 1 in any given year.

Two weeks ahead of the GAA’s Annual Congress, where the issue was expected to dominate debate, it appeared to be a major breakthrough for clubs and counties that had pushed for a return to U18.