Club Championships 2017

What are peoples predictions?

This is how I see it:

SFC:
Winners: Sarsfields
Dark Horses: JTB
Relegated : Eadestown

IFC:
Winners: Raheens
Dark Horses: Clogherinkoe
Relegated: Castlemitchell

JFC:
Winners: Ballymore Eustace
Dark Horses: Rathcoffey

SFC:
Winners: Celbridge
Dark Horses: Confey
Relegated: Allenwood

IFC:
Winners: Two Mile House
Dark Horses: St. Kevin's
Relegated: Kilcullen

JFC:
Winners: Ballymore
Dark Horses: Rheban

Any dates for the 1st round

Bit early days for that!!
hulk celbridge won't win it with out paddy brophy.

SFC:
Winners: Moorefield
Dark Horses: Naas
Relegated : Eadestown

IFC:
Winners: Raheens
Dark Horses: Rathangan
Relegated: Castlemitchell

JFC:
Winners: Ballymore
Dark Horses: Rheban

I see tmh pulled out of the kehoe cup and are replaced by some wicklow team.
Too early for my normally useless predictions.

Now that the Kildare footballs leagues and been reduced in numbers ( i.e. only 12 teams in Div.1 etc ) I thought that maybe the pre season cup competitions would be pushed back a bit from middle of February towards middle of March ( better pitches etc ) and that the league fixtures would be easier arranged and published in advance so as to let players know the schedule for the early part of the year.

Looking at the Kildare Gaa website the pre season cups are starting at the same time as previously and while the 11 rounds of the league are published there are only dates and times confirmed for round 1.

My question is, why bother with these changes if nothing has really changed and was the change intended to support the club players or the county panel again.  

Make no mistake about it, these changes were brought in to accommodate the various county panels. It benefits clubs in no way whatsoever.

Less games, more training, just what every club player wanted.

Totally Agree Tiabi.  Club player shafted again.  I am beginning to see why the CPA was formed. Although I think it is a massive task they are taking on and not sure if the normal player has the fight in them.  They just get sick of the  GAA and walk away.

What im told after the 11 games are played the top 6 will playoff for the top two league positions and the bottom 6 playoff for relegation so its more or less the same number of games as last year just a new format

steviegenius wrote:

What im told after the 11 games are played the top 6 will playoff for the top two league positions and the bottom 6 playoff for relegation so its more or less the same number of games as last year just a new format

That won't be too bad, it would certainly give the edge to the top 6 before re-commencing the championship.

I hope this isn't the case, was hoping they would use the additional time to give 2/3 free weeks to allow players to book holidays during the summer.

Does anyone actually know the exact structure of the new league format ?.

the changes to the league format were long overdue. having divisions with 16 teams simply makes no sense. there is often a big difference in quality between the teams at the top and the teams at the bottom. reducing the size of the divisions will mean more competitive games acorss the board and less dead rubber games come the end of the year. well done to the county board on this one.

I agree.. but still don't know the exact format ?.

I see league fixtures up for div 1. But can't find the other division's.. Maybe I'm blind.

SeamusMurphy wrote:

I agree.. but still don't know the exact format ?.

I see league fixtures up for div 1. But can't find the other division's.. Maybe I'm blind.

all league fixtures are published

bigball wrote:

the changes to the league format were long overdue. having divisions with 16 teams simply makes no sense. there is often a big difference in quality between the teams at the top and the teams at the bottom. reducing the size of the divisions will mean more competitive games acorss the board and less dead rubber games come the end of the year. well done to the county board on this one.

There's a difference in quality between the top and bottom teams in every sport, it's the nature of it. I don't remember too many hammerings being dished out last year in the league.

If they actually released county players to play in these leagues it would improve it no end. We had a situation last year whereby our county seniors and minors were picking and choosing what games they wanted to play. That has a knock-on affect on the quality on show. The county board can prick about with restructures all they like but it won't improve the overall strength of club football in Kildare. They're deluding themselves if they think otherwise.

fone wrote:

SeamusMurphy wrote:

I agree.. but still don't know the exact format ?.

I see league fixtures up for div 1. But can't find the other division's.. Maybe I'm blind.

all league fixtures are published

On the kildare gaa website ?.

Agree Tiabi. Unless teh club scene improves Kildare are going nowhere. The standard of club football is terrible. County lads need to play the league games. They can train with Kildare if they want but let them play the league games as much as possible.

Since Micko took over Kildare in the 1990s the Co players played less and less with there clubs and its still happening today with the exception of a couple successful years this has led to the deterioration of the club scene it didnt work back then and its not working now. The Co managers have way to much power and i know for a fact that they tell the players not to play for the club when they are supposed to. I said a couple of years ago on here that the club scene is dying as we have to compete with soccer rugby etc they are losing players left right & center.