THE provincial competitions are no longer useful in their current format.

That was the conclusion that the guests on this week’s episode of Take Your Points reached.

Former Armagh footballer Charlie Vernon joined Ronan Scott to discuss this year’s Ulster Championship as well as discuss the recent news that the GAA are looking to revamp the championship structure.

Vernon told the show that he couldn’t understand why some counties still felt that they wanted to play in the All-Ireland series if they didn’t have a chance of winning. He said: “It is like someone saying that they want to compete in the Olympics. They can compete in the Olympics but first they have to prove that they are good enough to compete.”

Vernon said that he doesn’t want the competition to disappear completely. He said that the competition retains some of the best memories for him and for many people in Ulster, but he felt that there was no point in continuing in any competition that threw up one-sided games.

His sentiments were similar to those of his fellow countyman, Gaelic Life columnist Cahal Carvill. He welcomed any effort to look into a new format for the championship.

As well as any future changes to the championship the men also discussed the current state of play in the Ulster Football championship. They both felt that Tyrone and Donegal would prevail this weekend but they also said that this was the year that the Orchard County had to deliver on their potential.

Watch the show on NVTV this weekend (channel 7 freeview, channel 159).

Or watch now on You Tube below, or listen via Soundcloud (link below).

CHANGING TIMES… Charlie Vernon says changes are needed to the provincial system