Preferred system for All Ireland Football championship

[dec]

1) Current Backdoor system
What we've had since 2001

2) Old Provincial/sudden death
What we had until 2000

3) Champions League/World Cup
Some form of groups followed by knock-out

4) Open Draw
No Provincial championships, just all names in a hat.


I know there are variations I have left out, but I think this covers all the main options that get discussed.

[Farrandeelin]

4. Like the FA Cup in England, no backdoor either.

[muppet]

3)

Two leagues Connacht/Ulster & Leinster/Munster

Top 2 Ulster teams play Ulster Final
Top 2 Connacht teams play Connacht Final
Top 2 Leinster teams play Leinster Final
Top 2 Munster teams play Munster Final

Then 2 semi finals and the All-Ireland Final.

Advantages:

Each team guaranteed a minimum number of Championship games each year;
Provincial rivalries maintained to a large extent;
Traditional provincial finals retained;
Traditional knock-out system to find a winner;
Games could be run over a fixed period where each county would know the weekends required and thus could schedule club fixtures with better planning;
This would please sponsors, TV companies & the money men;

Disadvantages;

A team could finish a season not making the knock-out stages but still ahead of a team that makes say a Connacht Final;
Relegation & Promotion to a 2nd tier would be necessary;
This would please the sponsors, TV companies and the money men

[Caid]

Poll on RTE
Are you in favour of an open draw to decide pairings in the Football and Hurling Championships?

Results

Yes 71% (5,852 votes)
No 13% (1,054 votes)
Leave well enough alone! 16% (1,338 votes)
Total Votes: 8,244

[SLIGONIAN]

3)

Two leagues Connacht/Ulster & Leinster/Munster

Top 2 Ulster teams play Ulster Final
Top 2 Connacht teams play Connacht Final
Top 2 Leinster teams play Leinster Final
Top 2 Munster teams play Munster Final

Then 2 semi finals and the All-Ireland Final.

Advantages:

Each team guaranteed a minimum number of Championship games each year;
Provincial rivalries maintained to a large extent;
Traditional provincial finals retained;
Traditional knock-out system to find a winner;
Games could be run over a fixed period where each county would know the weekends required and thus could schedule club fixtures with better planning;
This would please sponsors, TV companies & the money men;

Disadvantages;

A team could finish a season not making the knock-out stages but still ahead of a team that makes say a Connacht Final;
Relegation & Promotion to a 2nd tier would be necessary;
This would please the sponsors, TV companies and the money men

Your a genuis

[Caid]

3)

Two leagues Connacht/Ulster & Leinster/Munster

Top 2 Ulster teams play Ulster Final
Top 2 Connacht teams play Connacht Final
Top 2 Leinster teams play Leinster Final
Top 2 Munster teams play Munster Final

Then 2 semi finals and the All-Ireland Final.

Advantages:

Each team guaranteed a minimum number of Championship games each year;
Provincial rivalries maintained to a large extent;
Traditional provincial finals retained;
Traditional knock-out system to find a winner;
Games could be run over a fixed period where each county would know the weekends required and thus could schedule club fixtures with better planning;
This would please sponsors, TV companies & the money men;

Disadvantages;

A team could finish a season not making the knock-out stages but still ahead of a team that makes say a Connacht Final;
Relegation & Promotion to a 2nd tier would be necessary;
This would please the sponsors, TV companies and the money men

Your a genuis

League based format means "weaker" counties will never win a provincial....therefore this would not be voted through

[down6061689194]

3)

Two leagues Connacht/Ulster & Leinster/Munster

Top 2 Ulster teams play Ulster Final
Top 2 Connacht teams play Connacht Final
Top 2 Leinster teams play Leinster Final
Top 2 Munster teams play Munster Final

Then 2 semi finals and the All-Ireland Final.

Advantages:

Each team guaranteed a minimum number of Championship games each year;
Provincial rivalries maintained to a large extent;
Traditional provincial finals retained;
Traditional knock-out system to find a winner;
Games could be run over a fixed period where each county would know the weekends required and thus could schedule club fixtures with better planning;
This would please sponsors, TV companies & the money men;

Disadvantages;

A team could finish a season not making the knock-out stages but still ahead of a team that makes say a Connacht Final;
Relegation & Promotion to a 2nd tier would be necessary;
This would please the sponsors, TV companies and the money men

Your a genuis

League based format means "weaker" counties will never win a provincial....therefore this would not be voted through

Players would gain more experience allowing them to become a better all round county and not a one hit wonder ie West Meath, Fermanagh (finalists) Down (finalists) and I imagine the same of Longford and Antrim next year.

[Caid]

3)

Two leagues Connacht/Ulster & Leinster/Munster

Top 2 Ulster teams play Ulster Final
Top 2 Connacht teams play Connacht Final
Top 2 Leinster teams play Leinster Final
Top 2 Munster teams play Munster Final

Then 2 semi finals and the All-Ireland Final.

Advantages:

Each team guaranteed a minimum number of Championship games each year;
Provincial rivalries maintained to a large extent;
Traditional provincial finals retained;
Traditional knock-out system to find a winner;
Games could be run over a fixed period where each county would know the weekends required and thus could schedule club fixtures with better planning;
This would please sponsors, TV companies & the money men;

Disadvantages;

A team could finish a season not making the knock-out stages but still ahead of a team that makes say a Connacht Final;
Relegation & Promotion to a 2nd tier would be necessary;
This would please the sponsors, TV companies and the money men

Your a genuis

League based format means "weaker" counties will never win a provincial....therefore this would not be voted through

Players would gain more experience allowing them to become a better all round county and not a one hit wonder ie West Meath, Fermanagh (finalists) Down (finalists) and I imagine the same of Longford and Antrim next year.

Would the teams not be more likely to slip backwards? In a knockout format where Fermanagh are playing Derry for instance it would be easier for the players to get motivated than in a league situation where they may have already lost four games.  I guess it depends how the league was structured. I guess in Ulster you could have two leagues - one with four teams and one with five teams with the winner of each league going to the final or the top two going to a semi.  That may be better than having each team play 8 games (as on an 8 game format you would expect Tyrone to come out on top more often than not)

[down6061689194]

Not so sure. When you consider the rollercoaster of results up norf there could be surprises. After beating Galway Limerick and Laois away I'd b confident Down could do well. Financial incentives could be offered due to the increased number of televised fixtures.Therefore it matters untill the end.

[Farrandeelin]

And then what about the clubs some may ask? Good idea in theory though muppet, but how would you get relegation and it wouldn't be fair on those who are relegated then would it?

[Sionnach]

And then what about the clubs some may ask? Good idea in theory though muppet, but how would you get relegation and it wouldn't be fair on those who are relegated then would it?

The clubs would be pretty happy under muppet's system with the two conferences replacing the NFL and all but  3 rounds of knockout. Much better situation from a fixtures point of view.

As for relegation, the reality is there are some teams at the bottom of the pile who would be better off if put together to form a second tier. The Carlow manager for instance was saying that it was a problem for his team this year that they had nothing they could realistically aim to win.

[Sionnach]

3)

Two leagues Connacht/Ulster & Leinster/Munster

Top 2 Ulster teams play Ulster Final
Top 2 Connacht teams play Connacht Final
Top 2 Leinster teams play Leinster Final
Top 2 Munster teams play Munster Final

Then 2 semi finals and the All-Ireland Final.

Advantages:

Each team guaranteed a minimum number of Championship games each year;
Provincial rivalries maintained to a large extent;
Traditional provincial finals retained;
Traditional knock-out system to find a winner;
Games could be run over a fixed period where each county would know the weekends required and thus could schedule club fixtures with better planning;
This would please sponsors, TV companies & the money men;

Disadvantages;

A team could finish a season not making the knock-out stages but still ahead of a team that makes say a Connacht Final;
Relegation & Promotion to a 2nd tier would be necessary;
This would please the sponsors, TV companies and the money men

There'd be little enough variety and certain problems of the current structure would be considerably worsened. In particular Galway/Mayo and Kerry/Cork would cruise through the league stage and meet for the provincial title and semi-final spot just about every year with the remaining counties of those provinces never getting a look in.

[ha ha derry]

Keep provincial championships and All Ireland series.
Do away with backdoor system.
First round only of provincial championship to be home and away.

[Rossfan]

And bring back the sideline throws, 21 a side and the side point posts.

[ha ha derry]

If that gets the sh*t teams out quicker Rossfan i,m all for it