The matches at Croke Park on Friday and Saturday were supposed to be all about the future of football – but they also made the case for elements of the past to return or be retained.
The trial games deploying the experimental rules drawn up by the Football Review Committee (FRC) involved teams from the four provinces.
Officially Inter-provincials, most observers still called them ‘Railway Cup’ games, harking back to the method of travel largely used by spectators when those competitions were in their heyday.
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Ulster boss Kieran Donnelly was particularly vocal in favour of bringing back the Railway Cup, which hadn’t taken place since 2016.
Hailing from one of the historically less successful counties, he’s well aware of the pride players from such players feel about representing their province. Yet even though who are no stranger to silverware enjoy competing alongside traditional rivals and being part of something bigger, the next best thing to international competition.
I always loved going to Railway Cup games.
Even in the early part of this century when football wasn’t anywhere near as tactical and defensive as it has been in recent years, the Inter-pros still produced some of the best entertainment.
It stands to reason that when you bring together the best (available and willing) players you will see higher levels of skills.
And while the participants were undoubtedly still keen to win, there wasn’t that ‘win at all costs’ mentality associated with inter-county football, that desperate desire to succeed no matter what the style of play.
Yet while the public appetite does not seem to be there in sufficient numbers for the Railway Cup to return, there appears to be wider support for other tournaments not to be consigned to the history books.
All the men in charge of the inter-pros sides argued the case for the various pre-season competitions NOT to be scrapped.
As it stands, though, there’ll be no McKenna Cup in 2025, nor any McGrath or O’Byrne Cups either, nor FBD League.
Motions are going before the forthcoming special congress to overturn that decision and let’s hope one of them succeeds.
Surely the vast majority of counties (perhaps all) would welcome – and benefit from – the pre-season competitions taking place before the League.
Getting to grips with whichever new rules are put in place will take some to get used to (and to get round…).
Given the linkage between League position and potential participation in the Sam Maguire Cup, the League is of increasing importance. Indeed it’s realistically the main event for certain counties, those who know they are not going to win their provincial championship, or are extremely unlikely to do so.
Concerns have been expressed that the new rules will suit the traditionally better teams more than the lesser lights, allowing the former to rack up scores early and run away with results.
The absence of pre-season competitions will also surely contribute to making the strong even stronger and keep the weak weaker.
The better teams already have well established squads with plentiful inter-county experience, overseen by managers who have usually been in place for several seasons.
Their aim in the ‘warm-up’ competitions is to give run-outs to a few fringe players, trying to find maybe three or four new faces to freshen up a squad, maybe one or two to break into the starting side.
Most counties below that level have much more work to do – especially those with new managers.
Player retention is higher with successful sides. Other counties, which don’t hold out much hope of trophies or final appearances, are far more afflicted by player turnover, to the extent that perhaps up to a third of their panel may have no senior inter-county experience.
In those cases, even if the new manager is from the county, or knows it well, he’s still starting from a place behind the big boys.
Some counties are still seeking that main man – notably Derry, but also Leitrim.
Derry are the reigning Division One champions, but whoever eventually takes over from Mickey Harte won’t have much time to get acquainted with the players.
New Tyrone manager Malachy O’Rourke is quite rightly continuing his involvement with Glen as the Maghera men defend their Derry, Ulster, and All-Ireland club football crowns. They’re expected to retain the first of those this weekend, against Newbridge, and you wouldn’t bet much against them making significant progress if they do that.
For all O’Rourke’s undoubted quality, he wouldn’t want to be heading into a Division One campaign against all the top teams without having had some competitive outings with the Red Hands.
Remember that Derry and Tyrone will be coming up against All-Ireland Champions Armagh, Connacht champs and All-Ireland finalists Galway, the champions of Ulster, Leinster, and Munster – Donegal, Dublin, and Kerry – plus Mayo, who have been consistently competitive.
Still, it won’t be disastrous for the eight Division One sides whichever two of them end up being demoted, as Armagh and Donegal demonstrated with their successes after playing in the second tier of the League earlier this year.
The greater jeopardy in the League is for the teams in Divisions Two and Three. Promotion to the top flight brings a shot at ‘Sam’, while staying in Two increases the likelihood of involvement in the main championship, as does promotion from Three. Even those in Division Four are aiming to build towards a better future.
Counties will undoubtedly be playing challenge matches in January anyway, so why not formalise those with the provincial pre-season tournaments?
Not only would the GAA generate some money but the majority of counties would benefit from new managers and new players getting competitive action.
