Gallagher calls for change ahead of Congress

Donegal 1992 All-Ireland winner Matt Gallagher is hoping the GAA will show courage and opt for change and opt for Proposal B - the League/Championship format - ahead of Saturday’s big vote at Congress.

It will take a 60 per cent vote to succeed and that 10 percent over the halfway mark might just put it out of the reach of some reformers in the GAA. And while Gallagher is supporting Proposal B it is not without its flaws but he believes that the GAA should give it a try and see how or if it works.

Proposal B would see the Sam Maguire race being contested on a league basis with eight teams qualifying for the quarter-finals while there would be a second tier competition for the Tailteann Cup.

“A weakness of Proposal B is that you could have up to 19 teams not playing in the All-Ireland Senior Championship,” he said. “Something has to change. Proposal B is being driven by the players, managers and the GPA.

“Tradition is a huge thing in the GAA and the Ulster final and the Connacht final are still big days. The Leinster final has been diluted by Dublin’s dominance and Kerry and Cork are still the big two in Munster although that has changed a bit in recent years.

“Those big finals and their link with the championship will be taken out of the equation and it will not be the same for the provinces as they will be a pre-season competition which will not go down well for obvious reasons”.

“But maybe we should try B for a few seasons to see how it works.”

Gallagher believes that Proposal B can benefit the so-called weaker counties, many of whom have struggled to make an indent in the championship in recent years.

“We have changed a lot of rules and some of the smaller counties like Louth, Leitrim and my mother’s own county of Sligo may take this as a progression,” he said. “If you look at Ladies Football and the club championship in many counties, it is a league based championship.

“Maybe we should be looking at a three-tier of senior intermediate and junior down the line. But the gap between the bigger teams and the rest is just getting bigger and bigger every year and you see the Dubs, Donegal, Mayo, Tyrone and even Cork are very professional in their outlook and preparation.

“We should give Proposal B a try as you have counties like Derry, Meath Down and Kildare who have been very good and if they won a really competitive All-Ireland Tailteann Cup they would take great confidence going into the All-Ireland championship the next year.

“Of course, we have the backdoor and teams have won the All-Ireland that way, sometimes there are too many games, up to four or five games and when you get to the quarter-finals you get tired.

“You saw it with Waterford who just had too many games and they just ran out of steam on the crucial day.

“That is a difficulty. With Proposal B you will know who you are playing and there is no uncertainty. And club players have also benefited from the split season and they know when they are not playing and that is all the club player wants and they make up 98 per cent of the players.

“I would be in favour of Proposal B and give it a three-year trial and see how it goes and then review it. There will be difficulties and obstacles and counties that want it and counties that don’t want it.

“Those 19 counties who are not qualifying for the All-Ireland SFC will have had a series of games against counties of a similar standard and is that not great preparation for going into the Tailteann Cup instead of getting one or two hammerings?

“It used to be only the League, but Proposal B would mean that teams were putting their best foot forward.

“And it will be better for the fans when Donegal play Kerry, Dublin or Tyrone and every game is vital for knock out purposes. Every game will be competitive. Some people don’t like change but, in this instance, I think change is necessary”.