All Britain Competition

A Chairde,

As you are no doubt already aware, the 2015 All Britain Competition will be held on the 10^th, 11^th and 12^th of July at Tir Chonaill GAA Grounds, Greenford, London (UB6 0NZ). Below, you will find information relating to the games, and the weekend in general, and we hope this will assist you in planning for your visit to London.

Rules & Regulations

The following are the team sizes, pitch dimensions and playing times for each grade:

·         U18: 7-a-side (Panel of 10), 90m x 50m, 2 x 10 minute halves

·         U16: 11-a-side (Panel of 14), 90m x 50m, 2 x 10 minute halves

·         U14: 11-a-side (Panel of 14), 90m x 50m, 2 x 10 minutes halves

·         U12: 11-a-side (Panel of 14), 90m x 50m, 2 x 10 minute halves

·         U10: 7-a-side (Panel of 10), 60m x 40m (3 equal zone), 3 x 5 minute thirds

·         U8: 7-a-side (Panel of 10), 45m x 40m (3 equal zones), 3 x 5 minute thirds

·         All Finals will be 2 x 10 minute halves

Please also note the following information:

·         The above will be strictly adhered to in all Boys Football competitions, but may be open to small changes in team sizes, upon agreement, in all other competitions, if the need arises.

·         There will be no amalgamations allowed and this policy will be strictly enforced.

·         U8 & U10 Football will be played in line with Go Games regulations, and will be played on Friday 10^th.

·         Ladies Football (all ages) and U12 & U16 Boys Football will be played on Saturday 11^th, and played to a conclusion.

·         U14 & 18 Boys Football and all Hurling & Camogie will be played on Sunday 13^th, and played to a conclusion.

·         On Friday 10^th, pitches will be laid out so that 4 U8 Football games can take place on a standard full-size pitch at one time. The start, breaks and finish of all 4 games will be uniform, and will be signalled by air horn. Any teams not ready to commence their game on time, or going over the allotted half-time break, will lose this time from their game as it’s crucial that we stick rigidly to what will be a tight schedule. The same will apply at U10 Football.

Entries, Registration & Fees

·         The cost of Entry is £50 per team, up to a maximum of £200 per club.

·         In the interest of promoting and developing the games of Hurling, Camogie and Ladies Football, all Entries into these competitions will be free of charge, but must still be made via the official Entry Form and within the stated deadline.

·         The closing date for Entries will be Friday June 26^th. An Entry Form will be sent to all clubs in advance of this date and must be returned, with the relevant fees, as per the details which will appear on the form. NO ENTRIES will be accepted without payment or after this date. This is will be strictly enforced.

·         Registration on Friday will be from 1.30 p.m. to 2.30 p.m. Registration on Saturday and Sunday will be from 9.00 a.m. to 10.00 a.m.

·         A full list of fixtures will be given to all clubs on the day of play, once registrations have been complete.

Start and Finish Times

·         Primary Schools Football will commence at 10:30am and U8 & U10 Football will commence at 3:00pm, both on Friday 10^th.

·         Ladies Football and U12 & U16 Boys Football will commence at 10:30am on Saturday 11^th.

·         Hurling, Camogie and U14 & U18 Boys Football will commence at 10:30am on Sunday 12^th.

·         The finishing times on each day will be determined by the level of Entries. We will endeavour, where possible, to produce the most time efficient fixture list for clubs to allow for minimum waiting times between games. Please ensure that you plan ahead to allow for early registration.

Catering and Facilities

·         Each participating team will be provided with meals for their panel (determined as starting team number + 3 substitutes) plus 2 mentors.

·         Toilet facilities will be provided throughout the grounds.

·         Parking will be available on site. Please advise all of your travelling party to proceed to the main entrance of Tir Chonaill Gaels GAA Grounds (at the end of Berkeley Avenue), from where they will be directed to the relevant parking areas.

·         Hot & Cold Drinks plus refreshments will be available to purchase in the Clubhouse.

·         There will be an Ambulance and Medical Personnel in attendance over the 3 days.

Presentations

·         Trophy presentations will take place immediately after each final, and immediately after the finish of play on Friday and Sunday for all U8 and U10 players.

Marketing & Advertising

·         We will commence weekly articles in The Irish Post from May, and this will continue weekly up to the weekend of the event.

·         Britain GAA Facebook and Twitter pages, and Website, are very active and will be promoting the Competition at every opportunity this year.

Travel

As all grades will be played to a conclusion over a single day, please note that teams reaching the knockout stages may be required to play game late into the evening. Please allow for this eventuality when making your travel arrangements.

I trust that the information provided will make it possible for you to plan ahead for this great festival of Gaelic Games. If there’s anything else you need, please feel free to contact me or any of our other ABC Steering Committee Members.

Is mise le meas,

Lloyd Colfer

Runai, Comairle ABC

Mob: 078 7260073

ABC Steering Committee Contacts

Chairperson: John Gormley, Mob: 079 5764 3614

Secretary, Britain GAA: Brendie Brien, Mob: 079 6199 0888