NACB Roundup Conventioneers to consider new proposals

By Eamonn Kelly

The North American County Board of the GAA is holding its annual convention at the Downtown Holiday Inn in Buffalo this weekend, Nov. 10-12.

As many as 70 clubs from 10 divisions around the country are expected to be represented at the meetings, which will elect officers for the 2001 playing season and vote on motions that have been submitted by various clubs.

It promises to be an exciting convention, given that 19 motions are down for decision, and to add to the excitement 27 names have been submitted by the clubs for various positions on the board, five of which are nominated for the top job of chairman.

As anticipated, the vast majority of the motions on the agenda pertain to rules that govern the playing of summer sanction players from Ireland. For example, the Philadelphia Tyrone football club is recommending that the deadline for registering sanction players from Ireland be changed from July 20 to June 20. The Tyrone club also wants to change Rule 7 "B", which allows three summer visitor players on the field at one time to seven players on the field at one time.

Other football clubs such as Philadelphia Young Irelands and Chicago Wolfe Tones have submitted motions requesting a rule change that would allow five sanction players on the field at the same time. Similar motions have been submitted by women’s football clubs.

A motion that will certainly generate considerable debate was submitted by the Donegal club in Philadelphia. It recommends that any sanctioned players from Ireland registered before April 30 be deemed green card "home based" players.

A motion submitted by the Detroit St. Anne’s women’s football club suggest that any team that wins the national junior division for two consecutive years must move up to senior ranks.

Surprisingly, few motions requesting changes to the annual playoffs structure were submitted. The most significant came from the Chicago St. Brendan’s club, which recommends that quarterfinal games be played before the Labor Day weekend.

Philadelphia Young Irelands is requesting that Philadelphia be the host city for the 2002 national playoffs, while the Northeast Divisional Board has submitted a motion to host the playoffs in 2002 and 2004.

Nominations

The following nominations have been submitted for convention:

Honorary President – Martin Keane, Mike Scanlon, Tom McNally, Peter McDermott;

Chairman – Sean Gannon, Danny O’Donnell, Tommy Dolan, Hugh Duggan;

Vice-Chairman – Tommy Dolan, Hugh Duggan, Pat Bligh;

Secretary – Celia Lynn-Hawkins, John Keane, Bridie Joyce;

Treasurer – Michael O’Connor, Tom Purvis, John Keane;

Registrar – Chris Knightly, Hugh Duggan, Beth Costello;

Public Relations Officer – Eamonn Kelly, Kieran Conway;

Youth Officer – John O’Flynn, Tim Flanagan, Joe Begley, Jimmy Grealish.