Baldy_locks
New Member
Long post here, so please bear with me.
As has been discussed in many counties over the years, why don't we adopt the Kerry system of 'regional' teams for a county championship? Individual clubs would still compete in their club championships, but a new system would mean that every player in the county could aspire to competing for the county championship every year.
Let's look at how this might look in Armagh (I'll be using the 2022 leagues to illustrate the point).
First of all, we'd have 8 'Senior' clubs - These 8 would compete in the senior 'county' championship against 'regional' teams as well as competing in the senior 'club' championship too. The winner of the 'county' championship would represent us in Ulster , unless a regional team wins it. If that was the cse then the winner of the senior club championship would go forward into Ulster.
Below Senior we'd then have intermediate, Junior A, B, C, D. This would increase our competitiveness at Ulster club level also.
The leagues and 'club' championships would look like this;
SENIOR
Crossmaglen
Clann Eireann
Dromintee
Killeavy
Armagh Harps
Maghery
Madden
Granemore
INTERMEDIATE
Ballymacnab
Cullyhanna
Silverbridge
Mullabawn
Pearse Og
Sarsfields
Clan na Gael
Grange
JUNIOR A
Shane O'Neill's
Carrickcruppen
Tullysaran
St Peter's
St Paul's
Wolfe Tones
Annaghmore
Whitecross
JUNIOR B
Belleek
Culloville
Ballyhegan
Clonmore
Tir na nog
Forkhill
Collegeland
Keady
Cross II
JUNIOR C
Derrynoose
Middletown
Eire Og
Newtownhamilton
Dorsey
Lissummon
Junior D
Killeavy II
Corrinshego
An Port Mor
O'Hanlon's
Clady
Mullabrack
Beyond this we'd then have our 'county' championship.
REGIONS - COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP (clubs in BLOCK CAPITALS would compete on their own in the county championship unless relegated - when relegated they'd join their regional side the following season - for example, Dromintee next year would fall back into their regional side, Ballymacnab would be going up to competing on their own)
1. SOUTH ARMAGH EAST (cruppen, shanes, corrinshego, whitecross, lissummon, o'hanlons, belleek) KILLEAVY, DROMINTEE
2. SOUTH ARMAGH WEST (Newtownhamilton, Dorsey, Silverbridge, Cullyhanna, Cullaville, Mullabawn, Forkhill) CROSSMAGLEN
3. MID ARMAGH WEST (Clady, Ballymacnab, Keady, Derrynoose, Middletown) MADDEN, GRANEMORE
4. MID ARMAGH CENTRAL (Pearse Og, An Port Mor, Tullysaran, Grange, Mullabrack) HARPS
5. NORTH ARMAGH COUNTRY (Annaghmore, Clonmore, Collegeland, Wolfe Tones, Sarsfields, Ballyhegan) MAGHERY
6. NORTH ARMAGH TOWN (St Peter's, St Paul's, Clan na Gael, Tir na nog, Eire Og) CLANN EIREANN
This is just a rough example of how it might work, I'm sure there are better minds than mine who could refine this even further. Thoughts?
As has been discussed in many counties over the years, why don't we adopt the Kerry system of 'regional' teams for a county championship? Individual clubs would still compete in their club championships, but a new system would mean that every player in the county could aspire to competing for the county championship every year.
Let's look at how this might look in Armagh (I'll be using the 2022 leagues to illustrate the point).
First of all, we'd have 8 'Senior' clubs - These 8 would compete in the senior 'county' championship against 'regional' teams as well as competing in the senior 'club' championship too. The winner of the 'county' championship would represent us in Ulster , unless a regional team wins it. If that was the cse then the winner of the senior club championship would go forward into Ulster.
Below Senior we'd then have intermediate, Junior A, B, C, D. This would increase our competitiveness at Ulster club level also.
The leagues and 'club' championships would look like this;
SENIOR
Crossmaglen
Clann Eireann
Dromintee
Killeavy
Armagh Harps
Maghery
Madden
Granemore
INTERMEDIATE
Ballymacnab
Cullyhanna
Silverbridge
Mullabawn
Pearse Og
Sarsfields
Clan na Gael
Grange
JUNIOR A
Shane O'Neill's
Carrickcruppen
Tullysaran
St Peter's
St Paul's
Wolfe Tones
Annaghmore
Whitecross
JUNIOR B
Belleek
Culloville
Ballyhegan
Clonmore
Tir na nog
Forkhill
Collegeland
Keady
Cross II
JUNIOR C
Derrynoose
Middletown
Eire Og
Newtownhamilton
Dorsey
Lissummon
Junior D
Killeavy II
Corrinshego
An Port Mor
O'Hanlon's
Clady
Mullabrack
Beyond this we'd then have our 'county' championship.
REGIONS - COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP (clubs in BLOCK CAPITALS would compete on their own in the county championship unless relegated - when relegated they'd join their regional side the following season - for example, Dromintee next year would fall back into their regional side, Ballymacnab would be going up to competing on their own)
1. SOUTH ARMAGH EAST (cruppen, shanes, corrinshego, whitecross, lissummon, o'hanlons, belleek) KILLEAVY, DROMINTEE
2. SOUTH ARMAGH WEST (Newtownhamilton, Dorsey, Silverbridge, Cullyhanna, Cullaville, Mullabawn, Forkhill) CROSSMAGLEN
3. MID ARMAGH WEST (Clady, Ballymacnab, Keady, Derrynoose, Middletown) MADDEN, GRANEMORE
4. MID ARMAGH CENTRAL (Pearse Og, An Port Mor, Tullysaran, Grange, Mullabrack) HARPS
5. NORTH ARMAGH COUNTRY (Annaghmore, Clonmore, Collegeland, Wolfe Tones, Sarsfields, Ballyhegan) MAGHERY
6. NORTH ARMAGH TOWN (St Peter's, St Paul's, Clan na Gael, Tir na nog, Eire Og) CLANN EIREANN
This is just a rough example of how it might work, I'm sure there are better minds than mine who could refine this even further. Thoughts?