USFC - 2/6/27 - Derry v Down

[Gabriel]

G Brick every derry person i chatted with during the week plus my friends going to the game all thought Derry would win so it wasnt a surprise. It is sore on Down to be beaten by a team they had just played a month ago, Just ask cork beaten by Kerry in the final after beating them earlier in the yr or Galway and kilkenny in the hurling last year

It's not meeting Derry again that has aggrieved Down fans. If we were knocked out by them later in the year I'd have no complaints. It's the fact that we were drawn to play them in an away tie a month after beating them in an away tie. As far as the match itself is concerned, Derry were by far the better side on the day and deserved to win.

[Real Talk]

The Premier Football Championship in the country always has been a  total unfair set-up ( due mainly to the inequality of numbers and insular mind sets of the Provincial Councils ) now it is even worse with the addition of an even more 'unfair' back door system (as epitomised by the Derry, Down, Fermanagh and Cavan draws).  While on the Hurling front Galway and Antrim are allowed to play in Leinster much to the detriment of an already poor Ulster Hurling Championship. 

So whats the answer (a) an Open draw with London and New York playing in a preliminary round to give 32 teams and the rest is straight forward or create 4 provinces numerically equal (give them new names) and forget about the back door

[rodney trotter]

G Brick every derry person i chatted with during the week plus my friends going to the game all thought Derry would win so it wasnt a surprise. It is sore on Down to be beaten by a team they had just played a month ago, Just ask cork beaten by Kerry in the final after beating them earlier in the yr or Galway and kilkenny in the hurling last year

It's not meeting Derry again that has aggrieved Down fans. If we were knocked out by them later in the year I'd have no complaints. It's the fact that we were drawn to play them in an away tie a month after beating them in an away tie. As far as the match itself is concerned, Derry were by far the better side on the day and deserved to win.

Agree, whatever about meeting again. Down shouldn't have had to travel up to Derry for the second time.

[theticklemister]

G Brick every derry person i chatted with during the week plus my friends going to the game all thought Derry would win so it wasnt a surprise. It is sore on Down to be beaten by a team they had just played a month ago, Just ask cork beaten by Kerry in the final after beating them earlier in the yr or Galway and kilkenny in the hurling last year

It's not meeting Derry again that has aggrieved Down fans. If we were knocked out by them later in the year I'd have no complaints. It's the fact that we were drawn to play them in an away tie a month after beating them in an away tie. As far as the match itself is concerned, Derry were by far the better side on the day and deserved to win.

Agree, whatever about meeting again. Down shouldn't have had to travel up to Derry for the second time.

As Drici has said (probably) "Fcuk the huer bags."

[rodney trotter]

G Brick every derry person i chatted with during the week plus my friends going to the game all thought Derry would win so it wasnt a surprise. It is sore on Down to be beaten by a team they had just played a month ago, Just ask cork beaten by Kerry in the final after beating them earlier in the yr or Galway and kilkenny in the hurling last year

It's not meeting Derry again that has aggrieved Down fans. If we were knocked out by them later in the year I'd have no complaints. It's the fact that we were drawn to play them in an away tie a month after beating them in an away tie. As far as the match itself is concerned, Derry were by far the better side on the day and deserved to win.

Agree, whatever about meeting again. Down shouldn't have had to travel up to Derry for the second time.

As Drici has said (probably) "Fcuk the huer bags."

Tickle you would be moaning I'd imagine if Derry had to travel down to Down twice.
Ye deserved the win by all accounts,

Cavan have Fermanagh again, thank fook it's not back in Brewster.

[omagh_gael]

Would a sensible option not be to allow the team who played 'away' in the provincial championship to have home advantage if they are paired again in the back door.

[supersub]

Sensible option would be to not allow the same draw again.

[J OGorman]

G Brick every derry person i chatted with during the week plus my friends going to the game all thought Derry would win so it wasnt a surprise. It is sore on Down to be beaten by a team they had just played a month ago, Just ask cork beaten by Kerry in the final after beating them earlier in the yr or Galway and kilkenny in the hurling last year

It's not meeting Derry again that has aggrieved Down fans. If we were knocked out by them later in the year I'd have no complaints. It's the fact that we were drawn to play them in an away tie a month after beating them in an away tie. As far as the match itself is concerned, Derry were by far the better side on the day and deserved to win.

Agree, whatever about meeting again. Down shouldn't have had to travel up to Derry for the second time.

Derry had to travel up to Derry again ffs ! I blame Celtic Pk :-)

[theticklemister]

G Brick every derry person i chatted with during the week plus my friends going to the game all thought Derry would win so it wasnt a surprise. It is sore on Down to be beaten by a team they had just played a month ago, Just ask cork beaten by Kerry in the final after beating them earlier in the yr or Galway and kilkenny in the hurling last year

It's not meeting Derry again that has aggrieved Down fans. If we were knocked out by them later in the year I'd have no complaints. It's the fact that we were drawn to play them in an away tie a month after beating them in an away tie. As far as the match itself is concerned, Derry were by far the better side on the day and deserved to win.

Agree, whatever about meeting again. Down shouldn't have had to travel up to Derry for the second time.

Derry had to travel up to Derry again ffs ! I blame Celtic Pk :-)

Haha good wan!

[PAULD123]

The Premier Football Championship in the country always has been a  total unfair set-up ( due mainly to the inequality of numbers and insular mind sets of the Provincial Councils ) now it is even worse with the addition of an even more 'unfair' back door system (as epitomised by the Derry, Down, Fermanagh and Cavan draws).  While on the Hurling front Galway and Antrim are allowed to play in Leinster much to the detriment of an already poor Ulster Hurling Championship. 

So whats the answer (a) an Open draw with London and New York playing in a preliminary round to give 32 teams and the rest is straight forward or create 4 provinces numerically equal (give them new names) and forget about the back door

I hate the idea of losing the provincial championships but increasingly the idea of a totally unified All-Ireland series is the sensible option. So I would propose that the provincial championships and the All-Ireland championship be separated. We play the provincial series off in the space of six weeks as a sort of pre-championship competition. It gives teams a prize to play for and a chance to sharpen up for the real championship.

Then we could use the Champion's League format that is becoming so popular. We use the final placings in the provincial championships to dictate a seeding system and then divide the country into 8 groups of four teams. The teams all play each other twice playing every week. After six games (six weeks) we move to a fortnightly knock out phase. until the final is over.

May to June:                Provincial championship every two weeks (quarter/semi/final)  - Traditional knock out taking 6 weeks
July to mid-August:      Six weeks of champion's league style football
mid-August to final       knock out every two weeks until final on 3rd Sunday (the two-week gap allows for replays)

In this system every team plays at least 7 times which is enough reward for the dedication to training. The provincial championships are preserved but only count to seeding. The playing every week in the group phase is no problem, ask any county footballer they would far rather play than train, and if they aren't playing then they ARE training.

[Real Talk]

The Premier Football Championship in the country always has been a  total unfair set-up ( due mainly to the inequality of numbers and insular mind sets of the Provincial Councils ) now it is even worse with the addition of an even more 'unfair' back door system (as epitomised by the Derry, Down, Fermanagh and Cavan draws).  While on the Hurling front Galway and Antrim are allowed to play in Leinster much to the detriment of an already poor Ulster Hurling Championship. 

So whats the answer (a) an Open draw with London and New York playing in a preliminary round to give 32 teams and the rest is straight forward or create 4 provinces numerically equal (give them new names) and forget about the back door

I hate the idea of losing the provincial championships but increasingly the idea of a totally unified All-Ireland series is the sensible option. So I would propose that the provincial championships and the All-Ireland championship be separated. We play the provincial series off in the space of six weeks as a sort of pre-championship competition. It gives teams a prize to play for and a chance to sharpen up for the real championship.

Then we could use the Champion's League format that is becoming so popular. We use the final placings in the provincial championships to dictate a seeding system and then divide the country into 8 groups of four teams. The teams all play each other twice playing every week. After six games (six weeks) we move to a fortnightly knock out phase. until the final is over.

May to June:                Provincial championship every two weeks (quarter/semi/final)  - Traditional knock out taking 6 weeks
July to mid-August:      Six weeks of champion's league style football
mid-August to final       knock out every two weeks until final on 3rd Sunday (the two-week gap allows for replays)

In this system every team plays at least 7 times which is enough reward for the dedication to training. The provincial championships are preserved but only count to seeding. The playing every week in the group phase is no problem, ask any county footballer they would far rather play than train, and if they aren't playing then they ARE training.

Seems like a fair system but I think it would 'kill off' the current league set up, unless the League could be re-structured to have less travelling and plan it on a more equitable regional basis . County Boards probably want to reduce the players expenses which takes a lot of money.  Maybe you are suggesting no County football until May