Time to see the bigger picture for Club Championships
THE LAST POINT
Far be it for me to tell them what to do but I'm hoping that the clubs of Leitrim vote for the motions that will reduce the number of teams in the Senior & Intermediate championships over the next two years at Thursday's County Board Convention.
To my mind, it is a 'no brainer' that will benefit clubs long term but after chatting with someone who knows the club scene well in the past week, I'm beginning to worry if the motions will receive the necessary backing on Thursday.
According to my confidante, he can't see clubs voting for it, self-interest overcoming the notion of the greater good - he is in favour of it but he can't see his club, and more than a few others, voting for a well thought out motion based on the experience of the past few years.
That's a pity because the club championships have been immeasurably better since they were reduced to ten teams in recent years. Dropping two more at Senior and Intermediate level over the next two seasons will be painful but long term, it will benefit them enormously.
Right now, we have Senior clubs enduring four group games knowing in their heart of hearts that they're destined for a relegation battle - would it not benefit their players if they played in a competition where they were in with a real chance of glory rather than simply battling to survive?
I accept that a club's championship status is something many cherish but anyone I talked to during last Summer agreed wholeheartedly that we have too many clubs in our top two tiers. If that's the case, make sure your club hears your voice because that's the only way change is going to happen otherwise we're destined to repeat the same old cycle year after year!