Changes have to be made in Munster Football Championships.

(Picture of Limerick V Cork this weekend with an empty terrace at the Gaelic Grounds in the back ground).

Kerry and Cork advancing to the semi finals of this year’s Munster Senior Football Championship at the weekend. What might be somewhat surprising however was the final result in both games.

As a Supporter of all Waterford G.A.A. teams, I have to admit, having seen the way that Kerry easily disposed of the challenge of Tipperary in Killarney on Sunday afternoon, I fear the writing could be on the wall for the Déise County this weekend.

Clare has the great Mick O’Dwyer in charge of them. Any place he has gone to manage he has brought them success. However, if he was to pull off a win in this weekends game against Cork, it surely would have to rank up there, and maybe above his managing of the great Kerry team of the late 70’s and early 80’s to four All-Ireland’s in a row and coming within a whiskers length of winning what would be a historic first five in a row.

Cork put 3-17 past Limerick at the Gaelic Grounds, conceding just eight points, while Kerry put 2-19 past a Tipperary side that finished the game with fourteen players and conceded eight points just like Cork.

While little on a given day separates Waterford, Clare, Tipperary and Limerick when it comes to football, it could be argued and accepted by most that of the four sides, Tipperary and Limerick are ever so slightly ahead of the other two.

With Tipperary and Limerick having put in disappointing performances this week and if as some would suggest that they are slightly better than Waterford and Clare, you would have to fear for the two sides entering the championship this weekend without a championship game at their backs.

It may not go down well with some, but the question must be asked, is now the right time to make changes to the way the Munster Championship is run off?

There will be some that will argue that to improve standards you have to play the best, but in playing the best and running the risk of suffering heavy defeats like what Tipperary and Limerick suffered this past weekend, are you really doing anything to help improve the standards of football in the weaker counties.

County Board’s and Provincial Divisional officers have to ask questions and to come up with the right answers.

Is now for example the time to introduce a Munster ‘B’ Championship when it comes to football, at all levels within the province?

Could a round robin competition be organised where Waterford, Tipperary, Limerick and Clare play each other in a league with the top two teams after three rounds of games are played advancing to join Kerry and Cork in the semi finals which would have an open draw to see who will play who.

Maybe it is time to re-introduce the Tommy Murphy Cup. It had its knockers. But the cup had its advantages.

Run between 2004 and 2008 inclusive, with the final played in August or early September each year, would the players from Clare, Tipperary, Louth, Wicklow or Antrim who won the competition, give back their medals if as some suggests the competition has or had no value.

The same could be asked of the players of Sligo, Wexford, Leitrim, Antrim or Wicklow that played in loosing finals. I am sure that all would agree it was a terrific chance for them to play at G.A.A. head quarters, especially the players from Sligo, Leitrim and Antrim as the Wexford and Wicklow players would every so often get to play a Leinster Championship game at the venue.

If the Munster Council was to introduce a ‘B’ Competition in Football, (I and many others I am sure would be surprized if they did), then they should also look to where games are staged.

While the Munster Council would decide which team is at home and which is away, with the fixtures reversed every second year, it is up to each county board to decide where games will be played and they will get the go ahead from Munster Council chiefs provided the ground nominated to play the game is up to the required standards.

However, they should try and discourage counties from playing at major stadiums. For such a game to be played at stadiums like Semple Stadium or the Gaelic Grounds would create an atmosphere like attending a Nun’s Wake.

Games ideally would be played at smaller ground’s, ones that hold a capacity in or around 10,000 people or less, (Cusack Park, Fraher Field, Clonmel, Kilmallock) where potentially, if the price structures are right, a good atmosphere could be created.

This weekend gone, without having the exact figures at my finger tips, its possibly fair to say that they generated a combined attendance at grounds that between then hold in or around 93,000.

Why is this? I am sure many did not show up because they felt the results were going to be a fore-gone conclusion.

Another reason could well be the price structures that the Munster Council use. To many in these financially tough times, €20 for general admission to a game or €15 as a concession is too much for most.

When working out whether people are going to go to Munster and All-Ireland Championship games, there is more to think about than the price of entry.

The cost of petrol or diesel will come into the equation.  So to will the cost of feeding yourself and who ever travels with you if the game is an away one and involves considerable driving time.

So too has to be thought of is the fact that the majority of the support for the G.A.A. comes from rural areas (I better run for cover now), and many of these supporters are involved in the farming community and it may have to be worked out is it worth getting in a relief milker’s for the day etc.

Changes have to be made in one shape or another. If they are not, then we are going to see weekends like the one we just had, low attendances and heavy defeats handed out.