CCC agree to examine Junior ‘B’ football guideline

The Competitions Control Committee (CCC) will seek to find a compromise on all senior clubs being forced to name 20 players who cannot play in the Junior ‘B’ football competition.

It comes after a strong objection from St Malachy’s delegate Seamus Cassidy, who argued the move would benefit no one. At last Wednesday’s County Committee meeting in the Mullingar Park Hotel, he was informed that there were 13 walkovers in the Junior ‘B’ competition last year and CCC Secretary Keith Quinn said senior clubs should look to the Junior 1 or Junior 2 championship with their second team. It would give better quality games at a better time of the season, he felt.

Chairman Frank Mescall said senior clubs playing in the Junior ‘B’ with players who had experienced football at a higher level is not in keeping with the spirit of the competition. The proposed guideline is aimed at giving weaker teams a fairer chance of winning the competition. Intermediate clubs entering the Junior ‘B' must name 15 players, while junior clubs taking part in the competition have to name 12.

“Naming 20 players would be impossible for us,” said Mr Cassidy, whose club is aligned to the Castletown Geoghegan hurlers. “It is of no benefit to us,” he remarked.

The chairman, while noting the delegate’s disapproval, said all clubs have to be considered, not just St Malachy’s. The Junior ‘B’ was not designed for very strong teams, he remarked. “I feel for your predicament, but we have to look at the overall picture,” he added.

Mr Cassidy felt the Junior ‘B’ was a good competition for providing football for those unable to make the first team and insisted clubs who are too strong should be removed from it.

As a compromise, Milltownpass delegate Shane Donoghue felt naming of players should be linked to the total number of adult teams a club has. Senior clubs with three adult teams should not be in the Junior ‘B’ competition, he felt, pointing out that it was not a level playing pitch.

Castledaly’s Eugene Costello also queried the naming of 20 players for Junior ‘B’ and asked if games in that competition could be moved from the Tuesday after the senior or intermediate championship to give players more rest time. It was pointed out that moving it would have implications for hurling clubs. Patrick Doherty, Head of Operations, said the intermediate and senior championships must be given the priority. The Junior ‘B’ is for players who are not playing championship football.

“That’s fine if you have the numbers; where do you think the players are coming from?,” asked Seamus Cassidy.

The chairman said U20 championships have to be considered also in the fixtures programme.

With 18 clubs in the Junior ‘B’ competition, seven of which have three adult teams, it was agreed that the CCC would consider the compromise put forward for Shane Donoghue and look at the naming of players again.