JOE Blake has been beating a drum for a few years now and is hopeful that the powers-that-be will listen to an idea he feels could take the county championships to a whole new level.

The Adrigole clubman is adamant that introducing a home-and-away format for club championship group games would elevate the competitions.

It’s an idea Blake, a former Cork GAA PRO, first floated in 2023 and has consistently put forward since. At the recent county convention, the Beara man again called on the board to seriously consider the proposal, which would see clubs play one group game at home, another away, and the third at a neutral venue. As it stands, all three group games in the county championships are played at neutral venues.

‘I am a member of the Munster Council since 2023, and am part of the Planning and Development Committee. What we were tasked to do was to give out development grants around the province. One of my tasks was to visit clubs and it opened my eyes to see all the fantastic work being done the length and breadth of Cork,’ Blake told this week’s Star Sport Podcast.

‘So back in 2023 I put forward my idea at convention – that round-robin games in the county championship would be home, away and neutral. Your first two games would be played home and away, and the last at a neutral venue.

‘In 2024 Castlehaven brought forward a motion for this to take place, but they were asked to withdraw it on the basis that the CCC would look at it. I understand they did, but decided not to go with it.

‘I raised the idea again at the recent convention.

‘I want to take the county championship to a new level, and this would send our championships out to grounds that have been invested in and maintained. But this is about bringing games to all corners of the county. They do this in Kerry, and it works really well.’

Blake highlights his home club Adrigole, who compete in the county intermediate A football championship. This past season they played their group games in Coachford, Skibbereen and Castlehaven.

‘Our nearest game was an hour away,’ Blake explained, but he wants to see clubs get the chance to host a home championship game – something that would generate huge excitement locally and raise the profile of the competition.

‘This will, for example with football, bring it to all corners of the county,’ he explained.

‘Look at Bantry, they are doing great work on their grounds, yet they only get a championship game if there is a Beara team and a Carbery team, or maybe a West Muskerry team, involved. Bantry has one of the finest facilities in the county but because of their geographical location can’t get a game.

‘Look at Garnish and how far they have to travel to play a game – why can’t they host a game at home? They have invested money to install state-of-the-art floodlights and a walkway, and should be entitled to host games. It’s the same for a lot of clubs.’

Blake feels the idea should be trialled at selected championship grades in football and hurling – senior A or premier intermediate, for example.

‘If it works, you can roll it out the following year. If there are tweaks to be made, you have time to make them,’ he said, while also teasing what fixtures could look like in the 2026 premier football championship if the plan was introduced.

‘In round one, it would be team one plays team two, and team three plays team four. So, for example, we would have Castlehaven at home to Ballincollig, and Knocknagree at home to Clonakilty. Then in the next round it’s Clon home to Castlehaven,  great games,’ he explained.

These home matches would also offer the host club an opportunity to hold a fundraiser on the day – another positive in Blake’s proposal, which already works well across the county bounds in the Kerry club championships.

At the recent convention, chairman Pat Horgan explained that the CCC had examined the proposal but had come out against it for 2026. He added that the CCC could review it again for 2027.