I KNEW an old footballer in Clonakilty whose biggest boast was that he was the youngest player ever to line out with the Clonakilty senior football team.
The team was going to Castletownbere to play Beara in a Kelleher Shield game and they had only 14 players. My friend was only 14 years old but he was dragged along to make up 15. He is now safe in the knowledge that his record will never be broken. In those bygone days there was no limit as to what age you should be when playing adult games.
I, myself, played a county junior football semi-final when I was still an U16 (juvenile) player but a few years later it was decided that no U16s could not play adult grades. This came about to prevent fixture clashes between U16 (Bórd na nÓg) and adult boards. However, there was nothing to prevent minors (17 and 18 year olds) from playing adult grades right up to senior. When the new minor board was set up in Cork in the early 1990s to provide more games for minors, fixture clashes became common between the minor board and the adult boards.
Eventually, Croke Park decided about five years ago that no U17 player could play adult grades. Not surprisingly, there was a hue and cry from small clubs who said they could not field adult teams without U17s but the rule stood. The U18 minor was still playing adult but the next step was taken when it was decided to reduce the minor grade to U17, first at inter-county level and then at club level. Consequently, the U21 grade was reduced to U20 at intercounty but was replaced completely here in Cork at county board level by a new U19 grade. The main reason given for the new U17 grade was to separate completely underage from adult. Here in Cork, Rebel Óg is the board in charge of underage from U17 downwards and now all players are the sole responsibility of that board and cannot play adult grades. This was a huge plus as regards fixture making. No clashes with adult boards.
During the past few seasons there has been growing unease with the new U17 grade, especially at inter-county level, as supporters claim it is not competitive enough and players are too young to be playing in Croke Park before senior All-Ireland finals. At club level, it was felt that players coming out of the new U17 grade were not physically or mentally ready to play adult grades and that the old minor (U18) grade catered much better for that. As a result many players were being lost to the association between the age of 17 and when they were ready to play adult.
This disquiet over the U17 grade was not just in Cork but in most counties and a push began to restore the U18 grade. But in the meantime a new word had entered GAA vocabulary – decoupling. According to the dictionary, decoupling meant ‘separate, disengage, dissociate from something else.’ As words go, it was a good choice for the move in the GAA to completely separate underage players from adult teams, as is presently the case at U17 level.
But now we have a new problem. If the minor age is again raised to U18 and decoupling is maintained, as the powers-that-be seem hell-bent on doing, then U18 players, for the first time ever, will be banned from playing adult grades. Naturally, the hue and cry began again from the smaller clubs. They had managed to get along with the ban on U17s but a ban on U18s would spell the death knell of many small clubs. That was the emotional plea made to the Cork County Board at a special meeting of clubs on Tuesday, 25th, last, to discuss the issues involved. This was the second such meeting held by the board and there was no doubt that while the vast majority of clubs favoured the minor grade returning to U18, there was a split as regards decoupling.
Fifty delegates expressed their views at the meeting and 43 of those favoured U18, with seven opting for U17. So, there is no arguing that clubs want the return of the U18 grade but that will not be decided until Congress next February.
The big debate concerns decoupling. Unfortunately, this argument seemed to develop into small clubs v big clubs, which the county executive certainly didn’t want to see happening. With hardly an exception, all the large club delegates, especially from the city, stated that they would be prepared to accept decoupling if it meant the return of the U18 grade. The small club delegates were well outnumbered but still put a strong case as to how banning U18s would have a devastating effect on their clubs. While some would struggle to field a first team without U18s, many would definitely lose their second teams. This meant older players who played on second or third teams before retiring would be deprived of playing activity. Like every argument, there is for and against decoupling but most delegates agreed that if decoupling of U18s is brought in, as now seems likely, then something will have to be done for smaller clubs who will suffer as a consequence. As was pointed out by board administrator Kevin O’Donovan, ‘We are not in the business of putting any club out of business.’
It also looks likely that Cork will seek derogation from Croke Park, which would mean if U18 decoupling is brought in, Cork would get the power to bring in special solutions that might solve the problem for small clubs.
O’Donovan also suggested that if the U18 grade was reintroduced for 2023 that there would be a moratorium for 2023 so that this season’s U17 players would be allowed to play adult grades.
As it now stands, Cork is strongly in favour of the U18 grade being reintroduced and would vote accordingly at Congress but the situation with decoupling is still uncertain. Congress in February, when the special task force brings in its recommendations and counties will vote on them, will tell all.
