Whats the best format for Championship club and county?

[Rav67]

Given that some club championships have a back door and others have Champions League-style group stages, which of these are better at both club and county level or do you prefer the traditional "one chance and you're out" format?

[Owenmoresider]

Don't like the groups too much, especially not the three-team groups. Knockout is better, but if there was a backdoor it would be grand.

The Donegal system is a good one, the Preliminary/First rounds are played over two legs, home and away, if both sides win one or both are draws, there is a playoff. Knockout then for the last 8.

Alternatively Westmeath had one where there were six first round ties, with the winners and losers going into groups then, and working from there. In any case I hope it changes here soon because the 3-team group is harsh at times, one point settles it in some cases.

[SuperHans]

The old knockout system is definitely a no-no. club players deserve more meaningful games throughout the summer as much as county players. The two legged or backdoor system are good but i think the present format in derry is great. Clubs get at least 3 games,players improve, teams improve and the final game week sees interesting ties with regards who needs x amount of points to qualify.

Take kilrea for example in derry. in a tough group and after 3 games they just about qualified.it created alot of excitement, helped bring on individual players and improved the team as a whole. if groups were seeded it would make it much better

[Homer]

Cavan introduced a new system this year where:

14 teams play each other in the first round the winners of which go through to the quarter-finals.

The losing 7 go into a back door knockout system (quarter-final basis with one team getting a bye to semi-final) where only one team gets back into the championship.

Good system IMO but some flaws such as the team that got a bye in the back-door automatically escaped relegation play-offs.

[magpie seanie]

This crap of eliminating teams from championships on score difference is total rubbish and should never have been introduced. I'm not just saying it cos we suffered due to it this year (only delayed the inevitable for us). It's a wrong way for a team to go out of a championship especially when a side could rack up a good score against a team who are already out.

OMS - its going to be ALL 3 team groups in Sligo from 2008. 4x3 in Senior and Inter. Sent you a pm there as well.

[Bogball XV]

The old knockout system is definitely a no-no. club players deserve more meaningful games throughout the summer as much as county players. The two legged or backdoor system are good but i think the present format in derry is great. Clubs get at least 3 games,players improve, teams improve and the final game week sees interesting ties with regards who needs x amount of points to qualify.

Take kilrea for example in derry. in a tough group and after 3 games they just about qualified.it created alot of excitement, helped bring on individual players and improved the team as a whole. if groups were seeded it would make it much better

I like the Derry format myself, but there has been a lot of debate on the derry thread, many posters have been saying that games have been lacking the intensity.  Re the seeding, I think the Derry groups are seeded, 2 sides from premier league and 2 from div1 in each group?

[screenexile]

No seeding Bogball... Ballinderry, Banagher and Screen all premier sides. It's an open draw again for the QF AFAIK.

I think our system is good. Yes maybe the matches aren't as intense but compared to the previous system the 3 matches per team per section is compensating for 8 first round games. From the QF on I can guarantee that all games will be a hundred miles an hour from now on in. ALthough Ballinderry will still win it at a canter!

[Derry Daisy]

From the QF on I can guarantee that all games will be a hundred miles an hour from now on in. ALthough Ballinderry will still win it at a canter!

For this reason I hate the new system in Derry, all matches in c'ship should be played at this rate not just the QF's.  The atmosphere has been terrible this year whereas previous years it was first class.  Bring back the knock out system please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Rick O Shea]

No seeding Bogball... Ballinderry, Banagher and Screen all premier sides. It's an open draw again for the QF AFAIK.

I think our system is good. Yes maybe the matches aren't as intense but compared to the previous system the 3 matches per team per section is compensating for 8 first round games. From the QF on I can guarantee that all games will be a hundred miles an hour from now on in. ALthough Ballinderry will still win it at a canter!

There was a seeding of sorts!

It was based on last years league positions (16 team top league) before playoffs.  Can't remember what way the leagues finished but i'm sure magherafelt or glen finished above banagher or screen (the 4 teams in the playoffs)

If they always base it on the previous years league there will alway be a group with 3 top division teams and another group with 3 2nd division teams
Edit - unless the team that was promoted is drawn in the same group as the team relegated

[screenexile]

Can't remember what way the leagues finished but i'm sure magherafelt or glen finished above banagher or screen (the 4 teams in the playoffs)

Nah this is the table at the end of last year's season.

Ballinascreen  16    7    6    3   177    198    -21    17
Banagher     16   7   7   2   212   196   16   14
Magherafelt    16   6   8   2   197   213   -16   14
Glen       16   6   9   1   185   206   -21   13

Seems strange then as to what way the seedings were worked out???

[Will Hunting]

I'm pretty sure seeding for the Derry ch'ship draw was based on the top 8 and bottom 8 teams in last year's league (before playoffs). Nearly sure Magherafelt finished in the top 8.

Not surprising that Screenexile is in favour of the Derry system. Screen got beat in two out of their 3 games and are still through!! 

[Rick O Shea]

Nah this is the table at the end of last year's season.

Ballinascreen  16    7    6    3   177    198    -21    17
Banagher     16   7   7   2   212   196   16   14
Magherafelt    16   6   8   2   197   213   -16   14
Glen       16   6   9   1   185   206   -21   13

Seems strange then as to what way the seedings were worked out???

You've actually proved my point screenexile - there were16 teams in the top league last year, therefore only 15 games - as you can see these 4 teams have played 16 games - so banagher must've overtaken glen & magherafelt on points in the play-off game!

[screenexile]

Ah HA! Good work Rick O!

As for you Will... we knew what we were doing all the time ... in fairness though whereas before Screen would have been out first round, we'll have at least 4 games in the championship. With the young team we have at the minute that can only be an advantage.

4 championship matches in 1 year... I think  from 1999 we played 14 games and won 5 with 5 first round exits!!! The new system is a massive improvement as far as I can see.

[westmayo]

I like the championship system they have in Mayo with the four groups, only problem was over the last two years there were 17  senior teams so one group had five teams. They have sorted that this year with two sides dropping out of senior as apposed to one last year and one coming up (That's what I have been told anyway). So it's a neat 16 next year.  Everyone gets at least three championship games, the bottom side in each group go into one off two relegation, finals losers of both make the drop.
They introduced scoring difference this year but failed to see the wisdom of playing all group games at the same time, which worked out ok in the end, but it gave the side playing last an advantage to know what they had to score and win by in order to make the quarter finals or avoid finishing bottom. Same set up for the intermediate championship aswell. It also gives the chance for you to take in a few different games over the weekend, rather than everyone playing at three on a Sunday or on the Saturday evening.

[The Forfeit Point]

im a firm believer that a championship should be straight knock-out, more so at inter-county level (more of a chance for weaker teams to catch strong teams on the hop) in longford theres a back-door system where first and second round losers play each other to get into the Q/finals.