Duffy hopeful championship changes will be passed

GAA Director General Páraic Duffy has made it clear the proposed changes to the football championship will go before Congress as planned.

There have been growing calls for the All-Ireland SFC to be restructured in a bid to reduce the inter-county season to allow more time for club championships to be played and under the proposals, the four quarter-finals would be replaced with two groups of four competing in a round robin competition with the four best teams progressing to the semi-finals.

Although the quarter-finals would be scraped, the provincial championships and the qualifier stage would stay the same with replays abolished to ease the pressure on inter-county players.

The proposals would add eight extra games to the All-Ireland but this would be offset by the removal of the Allianz Football League semi-finals.

In a statement on Monday evening, the Club Players Association called on the proposals to be 'parked' until the issue of club fixtures is dealt with.

Duffy believes the proposals will have a positive impact on club fixtures and he is 'hopeful' that delegates will support the changes at GAA Congress at the end of February.

“You can absolutely argue, as is their right, that they (the proposals) don't go far enough but I don't think it's valid to say that the proposal doesn't take on board things like players holidays, closed season, etc. It does take account of those things," Duffy said at the launch of his Annual Report in Croke Park.

"The CPA, (I'm) a little bit surprised by some of the things in it (Monday’s press-release).

“They asked the GAA to fix the fixtures issue for all players, which I thought is what we’re trying to do in terms of the motions going to Congress.

“To say that if the proposals are passed it will be 2019 at the earliest and it needs sorting now? If you want to attempt to sort it now then why would you park it? The two things appear contradictory.

“If Central Council or Coiste Bainistí (management committee) were to park it, which they won’t, then the issue wouldn’t be addressed at all this year.

"In my opinion having extra-time rather than replays is of huge benefit to clubs. Certainly bringing forward the All-Ireland finals is of huge benefit to clubs. So I can't see how they are not supporting those proposals. But that's their right."

He went on: "If we leave the football championship unchanged, we are effectively burying our heads in the sand: the problem of falling appeal will remain, with no obvious alternative that is likely to achieve a consensus, while the unfairness to club players will again have been ignored.

"The task of Congress is to decide what is best for the GAA, but it must do so in the clear understanding that the Association needs an exciting football championship."