“Football is becoming an afterthought in the county”
Senior football champions Rathgormack will take on Abbeyside/Ballinacourty, Stradbally and Roanmore in the group stage of the Waterford SFC. Photo: Sean Byrne
A Clashmore/Kinsalebeg proposal to run the club hurling and football championships in parallel was rejected last week despite a passionate plea by former Waterford footballer Kieran Connery. Since 2020, the hurling championships have been staged first before the football throws in. The 2025 SFC started on September 13.
“Football is becoming an afterthought in the county,” Connery told the meeting in Dungarvan.
“We struggle to engage players at that time of year. They are fourteen or fifteen weeks without kicking a ball, conditions are poorer, and the standard is poorer. It’s becoming a vicious cycle. With summer soccer, we’re finding it harder and harder to get players to come back. Doing this will raise interest levels in football. If something doesn’t happen soon, it will be too late.”
He pointed out that the split season was introduced during COVID, and that Waterford are the only county to have stuck with it. In terms of the schedule, he suggested two weeks of hurling, three weeks of football, three weeks of hurling and then run off one championship to its conclusion.
“There are merits to the motion,” Kilrossanty delegate Maurice Dee remarked. “I question the structure.” Paddy Joe Ryan of Fourmilewater felt that clubs have benefited from the split season.
“Roanmore are one club who have really progressed in football.” Other delegates wanted to keep the current calendar due to changes in the hurling championship, with three going down. The motion failed to receive sufficient support.
Noel Reidy (St Saviours) was frustrated by the lack of football fixtures in the city in 2025.
“No senior or Premier Intermediate football game was played in Walsh Park. It’s become a hurling-only venue. No Premier Intermediate football game was played in the city. None.”
County board chairman Neil Moore explained that the surface needed a break. “The pitch was in ribbons after the drought. We had to close the pitch.”
Shamrocks sought to rename the county intermediate football championship as the Premier Junior Football Championship, with the winners competing in the Munster JFC. The motion was put back to the March meeting to give clubs more time to consider it.
Seamie Cleere from Mount Sion lent his support after watching his club compete in Munster in recent years. “You’re getting hidings off Cork teams, you’re getting hidings off Kerry teams. It’s not a level playing field. There is merit in that motion.”
SFC Group A: The Nire, Gaultier, An Rinn, Kilrossanty
SFC Group B: Rathgormack, Abbeyside/Ballinacourty, Roanmore, Stradbally
Premier Intermediate Football Championship Group A: St Saviours, Tramore, Rathgormack, Brickey Rangers
Premier Intermediate Football Championship Group B: Mount Sion, Modeligo, Portlaw, Clashmore/Kinsalebeg
SFC Round 1: An Rinn v The Nire, Roanmore v Rathgormack, Gaultier v Kilrossanty, Abbeyside/Ballinacourty v Stradbally
SFC Round 2: An Rinn v Kilrossanty, Roanmore v Stradbally, The Nire v Gaultier, Rathgormack v Abbeyside/Ballinacourty
SFC Round 3: The Nire v Kilrossanty, Rathgormack v Stradbally, Gaultier v An Rinn, Abbeyside/Ballinacourty v Roanmore
Premier Intermediate Football Championship Round 1: Rathgormack v St Saviours, Portlaw v Mount Sion, Tramore v Brickey Rangers, Modeligo v Clashmore/Kinsalebeg Premier Intermediate Football Championship Round 2: Rathgormack v Brickey Rangers, Portlaw v Clashmore/Kinsalebeg, St Saviours v Tramore, Mount Sion v Modeligo Premier Intermediate Football Championship Round 3: St Saviours v Brickey Rangers, Mount Sion v Clashmore/Kinsalebeg, Tramore v Rathgormack, Modeligo v Portlaw
