GAA top brass have come out in favour of Proposal B, in a huge boost to the motion’s chances of passing at Saturday’s GAA Special Congress in Croke Park.
The radical plan would see seismic change in Gaelic football with the League flipping to the summer as the All-Ireland Championship, with the provincials moving to a Spring slot.
Proposal B has the backing of the GPA.
And it gained serious momentum in recent days with counties including Meath, Cork, Tipperary, Clare, Longford, Down, Louth and Kildare coming out in favour of it.
But, the backing of GAA President Larry McCarthy and Director General Tom Ryan has given the motion a serious chance of gaining the 60 percent vote it requires to come in for next season.
An alternative proposal, which would see counties move provinces to make up four equal groups of eight for next year’s Championship will be considered first at Saturday's Congress.
If this fails, delegates will then vote on ‘Proposal B,’ and if this is shot down the 2021 Championship will revert to the old qualifier system with no Super 8s.
Speaking at a press conference at Croke Park on Wednesday, McCarthy gave the motion his backing: “I said at Congress (last February) that I thought we should be bold in terms of considering this report," he said.
“I repeated those sentiments last Saturday week on Raidio na Gaeltachta and that hasn't changed. So I would like to see us being bold in terms of our adoption of this report.
“Do I have a preference? Yes, I think I would like to see Proposal B implemented.”
Ryan was then asked if he had a preferred plan: “We looked at that strategy exercise last Saturday," he said.
“We're in the throes of coming up with a new strategic plan for the next five years and we did a survey of the membership and of interested parties around the country - even non-members.
“One of the things that came to light was there is an appetite for change, specifically in terms of the Football Championship.
“Now it's a survey question so one person's definition of change might differ for another's but there is a considerable appetite and momentum towards change.
“So I'd certainly like to see the two motions given every chance.
"Both are under the auspices of Central Council so the uachtaran (McCarthy) and myself are not really going to get into the merits or demerits of one over the other.
“But from a purely personal perspective, I think if you're looking at what you'd like to see the characteristics of a football Championship having;
"Two of the things to my mind would be teams playing at their own level and you have a finite number of games - a definite start and end.
“And teams that get to the same stage of a competition have played the same number of matches. And (Proposal) B does that. So for that reason, I think motion 19 is the one I'd like to see.”
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