This article is from page 74 of the 2011-12-13 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 74 JPG
CLUBS playing in C and D grade competitions in 2012 will be able to field with at few as 11 players, it was agreed at the Bord na nÓg Iomaint Convention on Thursday. Teams at C and D grade that haven’t the full complement of players can now play with either 11 or 13 players with the opposition side allowed unlimited substitutions.
The motion, originally forwarded by the top table but taken up by Wolfe Tones after it was revealled that the board are unable to propose motions, to alleviate the player number problem that is increasingly affecting rural clubs was eventually unanimously passed by the delegates after a lengthy debate.
Reservations by Broadford over the ‘lack of structure’ of the motion were counteracted by Chairman Martin Reynolds who admitted that the board would be ‘dependent on the honesty of clubs’ in order for the motion not to be abused and that it was designed to stop walkovers and allow all sides to have ‘meaningful matches’ regardless of their numbers. Treasurer Joe O’Donnell backed up his fellow officer by stating that the motion was ‘a genuine effort to keep clubs going at every level.’
Clooney/Quin’s proposal to bring forward their Under 13 Hurling tournament and incorporate the fixtures in the Master Fixtures booklet was granted by the convention.
The competition, which is in its 13th year in 2012, has taken on a new lease of life since the Under 12 grade was changed to a non competitive format and now hosts over 30 teams who play a total of 55 matches in five weeks.
Finally, Newmarket-on-Fergus’ motion to allow all quarter-finals be played on a home or away basis was defeated by 19 to 16 in the only vote of the evening. The Blues took on the motion after Bord na nÓg were not allowed to propose their own motion to the floor.