A TIER 2 football championship has received the green light after getting a huge majority vote at today’s Special Congress in Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
The new plan for a second tier championship involving Division 3 and 4 league teams – unless they qualified for their provincial finals or won the previous year’s competition – received support by 75.5% of county delegates this afternoon.
Motion 1 needed a 60% majority in order to pass.
The new structure will come into play in the All-Ireland SFC next season.
#GAA Special Congress:
— The GAA (@officialgaa) October 19, 2019
Motion One proposing that the All-Ireland SFC adopt a two-tier structure after the provincial championships which would be played as currently
IN FAVOUR 75.5%
AGAINST 24.5%
Motion 2, which was proposed by Tipperary, was voted on first at Special Congress and passed with 87.5% of the vote.
This means that Tier 2 will be determined on the league positions at the end of the 2020 League rather than at the start.
Tracey Kennedy asks that the motions could be deferred until after fixtures review committee put forward their motions. John Horan says Central Council had that option but didn't take it. Says it won't tie the hands of the fixtures review committee #GAA
— John Fogarty (@JohnFogartyIrl) October 19, 2019
Speaking at the Special Congress, former GAA president Seán Kelly expressed his support for the new competition and suggested that RTÉ should broadcast the semi-finals and final.
Nickey Brennan argued that the football and hurling second-tier finals should be curtain-raisers to the All-Ireland SFC and SHC deciders.
Current GAA president John Horan also revealed a text message from RTÉ’s Head of Sport Declan McBennett to a Croke Park staff member which said he was confident the second tier competition would receive live coverage.
A number of county delegates, including Antrim chairman Ciarán McCavana and Carlow chairman Sean Campion voiced their opposition to the introduction of the second-tier championship.
McCavana said their experience of hurling’s second tier competition, the Joe McDonagh Cup, involved promises about marketing ambitions that were not delivered on.
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