ULSTER GAA secretary Brian McAvoy predicts that next season’s Ulster Championship will deliver even more excitement after a host of new rules intended to incentivise the positive and eliminate the negatives of Gaelic Football came into being last weekend.
McAvoy was at Croke Park as Special Congress voted resoundingly in favour of the Football Review Committee’s proposals. He said the plain sailing of all 18 motions was due to the efforts FRC committee members had made to get their message out to county boards and club delegates.
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“The FRC put the work in – that was very clear and because of that there were very few questions from the floor,” said McAvoy.
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“They had gone out and done a widespread consultation – they went to every county committee prior to the Special Congress.
“They did their homework, they put the effort in and got the results and we’ll see what happens in the trial over next season.
“It’ll be interesting to see how it goes. There will be some teething problems, there will be some things that take a bit of getting used to but I think players will adjust. Players are capable and clever and I think they’ll be ok.”
The Kerry delegate at the Special Congress grabbed the attention of delegates when he said that Gaelic Football “was dying” in the Kingdom. However, the game remains extremely popular in Ulster and McAvoy is confident that will continue.
“Our gates have held up well,” he said.
“But we’ve seen Michael Murphy come out of retirement, Conor McManus is staying another year too apparently so it’s great. I think the Ulster Championship will be as exciting as ever, we have Armagh as All-Ireland champions, Donegal as defending Ulster champions…
“It’s all to play for and I think the new rules will bring in more excitement.
“I think they’ll be good at club level too. Once it settles down and we get into the business-end of the season we’ll have many more good championship games.”
