Below is the proposals which have been brought forward by the CCC which are being proposed for a trial period of the 2008 & 2009 seasons.

These will be discussed at the county board meeting on the 19th April and a decision will be taken on the night as the finishing positions of the 2007 leagues will have impact on the league and championship which clubs participate in 2008.

FIXTURE PROPOSALS FOR 2008 AND 2009

The Competitions Control Committee make the following proposals in relation to adult football in Down in the years 2008 and 2009. The proposals outlined below are for this two year trial period.

In essence league finishing position will determine grade of Championship. It is proposed that for 2008 and 2009 there will be three league divisions comprising 16 teams in Divisions One and Two and twelve teams in Division Three.

There will be 16 teams in the Senior and Intermediate Championships and 12 teams in the Junior Championship.

Initial stages of Championships will be organised on a round robin basis.

No change to the status quo is recommended to Premier Reserve and Reserve Football and to Adult Hurling.

Where the word ‘ranking’ is used in this document it refers to that allocated by CCC to each team at the start of each year for the duration of the trial period and which will be based on the finishing league position of the previous year. Clubs will be advised of their ranking for the following year at the end of competition year.

Score difference shall not be used at any stage to determine any league finishing position which has a bearing on the latter stages of that year’s League or the following years league and/or Championship

In order to commence the trial in 2008, the following will apply to the leagues in 2007.

2007

Leagues

No relegation from Division One. Top Four to continue in existing format.

The top four teams in Division Two will be promoted to Division One. Play-offs will proceed to determine league finishing position only.

There is no relegation from Division Two.

The top seven teams from Division Three be promoted to Division Two. There will be no play-offs in this Division

Bottom five teams in Division Three will remain in that division.

The winners of Division Four, after the play-offs, will be promoted to Division Two for 2008.

The remaining seven teams in Division Four will be promoted to Division Three for 2008.

Championships

No change to the status quo

2008

Leagues

Division One

16 Teams with one round of fixtures

Where a team in 2008 has 7 home and 8 away fixtures, as far as is practicably possible in 2009 they will have 8 home and 7 away.

In play-offs teams finishing in positions 1 and 2 will automatically qualify for league semi-final.

Teams finishing in positions 3-6 will play-off (3 v6; 4 v 5) with the winners qualifying for the semi-final. Teams finishing in positions 1 and 2 cannot meet each other in semi-final.

There will be no automatic relegation. The bottom four teams will play-off on a round robin basis with the two lowest placed teams from this series of games being relegated. Score difference will not be used as a factor to determine relegation. If necessary, additional game(s) will be played.

Division Two

16 Teams with one round of fixtures

Where a team in 2008 has 7 home and 8 away fixtures, as far as is practicably possible in 2009 they will have 8 home and 7 away.

In play-offs teams finishing in positions 1 and 2 will automatically qualify for league semi-final.

Teams finishing in positions 3-6 will play-off (3 v6; 4 v 5) with the winners qualifying for the semi-final. Teams finishing in positions 1 and 2 cannot meet each other in semi-final.

Both teams who reach the league final will be promoted to Division One for the following season.

Division Three

Twelve team, with league run on a two round basis.

The top four teams will play-off (1 v 4; 2 v 3) with the winners contesting a league final. Both semi-final winners will be promoted.

There is no relegation

CHAMPIONSHIPS

SENIOR

16 teams which will be made up of teams in Division One

Exceptions – (1) Where the Intermediate Championship winners of the previous year are not in Division One, they will compete in the Senior Championship and the lowest eligible ranking team (probably that which is ranked 16^th) will play in the Intermediate Championship.

(2) Where the Senior Championship winners of the previous year are not in Division One they will play in the Senior Championship and the lowest eligible ranked team will play in the Intermediate Championship.

(3) Where both (1) and “2) above apply the two lowest ranked teams will play in the Intermediate Championship

The 16 teams will be divided up into four groups of four teams each. Each group will include two teams from the top eight ranked teams and two teams from the lowest eight ranking teams.

The top two teams from each group qualify for the quarter-finals which will be organised on an open draw.

All games in the Senior Championship will be played at neutral venues

All games in the Senior Championship during the round robin stages will be single billing games. Gates for these games will be allocated as follows;

HOST CLUB 10%

COMPETING CLUBS 20% EACH

COUNTY BOARD 50%

INTERMEDIATE

16 teams which will be made up of teams in Division Two

Exceptions – (1) Where the Junior Championship winners of the previous year are not in Division Two, they will compete in the Intermediate Championship and the lowest eligible ranking team (probably that which is ranked 32nd) will play in the Junior Championship.

(2) Where the Intermediate champions of the previous year are in Division Two, they will compete in the Senior Championship and their place in the Intermediate Championship will be taken by the lowest eligible ranked team from Division One.

The 16 teams will be divided up into four groups of four teams each. Each group will include two teams from the top eight ranked teams in the competition and two teams from the lowest eight ranking teams.

The top two teams from each group qualify for the quarter-finals which will be organised on an open draw.

All games in the Intermediate Championship will be played at neutral venues. Games may be played as a single or double bill (which may include an Intermediate/Junior double bill).

Where the game is played as a single bill the gate will be divided as follows;

HOST CLUB 10%

COMPETING CLUBS 20% EACH

COUNTY BOARD 50%

Where games are played as a double bill the gate will be allocated as follows;

HOST CLUB 10%

COMPETING TEAMS 10%

COUNTY BOARD 50%

JUNIOR

12 teams which are made up of teams in Division Three

Exception – Where the Junior Championship winners of the previous year are in Division Three, they will play in the Intermediate Championship and their place in the Junior Championship will be taken by the lowest eligible ranked team from Division Two.

The 12 teams will be divided up into four groups of three teams with the top two teams in each group qualifying for the quarter-finals.

Each group will comprise of two teams from the top eight ranked teams in the competition and one team from the bottom four ranking teams in the competition.

Quarter-finals will be organised on an open draw basis.

All games in the Junior Championship will be played at neutral venues. Games may be played as a single or double bill (which may include an Intermediate/Junior double bill).

Where the game is played as a single bill the gate will be divided as follows;

HOST CLUB 10%

COMPETING CLUBS 20% EACH

COUNTY BOARD 50%

Where games are played as a double bill the gate will be allocated as follows;

HOST CLUB 10%

COMPETING TEAMS 10%

COUNTY BOARD 50%

2009

Leagues and Championships for 2009 will be organised on the same basis as 2008.

The County Committee to decide in the autumn of 2009 on the way forward after this trial period.