New format for 2014 football championship

[joemamas]

Just saw schedule for 2014, posted below, pretty significant changes, if I am not mistaken, it means that Ulster runner up and Leinster runner up cannot meet Connacht or Munster winners in Q/Final. Similarly, it means that Connacht and Munster runner ups cannot meet Ulster or Leinster winners in Q/Final.

Also significant in my mind, is that four Q/Finals are not on August Bank holiday weekend. That is annoying as I always viewed that weekend as the real beginning of the championship. It was always a great weekend of football.

26 Iúil
GAA Football All Ireland Senior Championship Round 4a
(Connacht finalists v Rd3a Winner; Munster Finalists v Rd 3a Winner)

2/3/4 Lúnasa (Sat/Sun/Mon)
GAA Football All Ireland Senior Championship Round 4a
(Ulster finalists v Rd3b Winner; Leinster Finalists v Rd 3b Winner)
GAA Football All Ireland Senior Championship Quarter Finals
(Connacht v Round 4a Winner, Munster v Round 4a Winner)

9 Lúnasa
GAA Football All Ireland Senior Championship Quarter Finals
(Ulster v Round 4b Winner, Leinster v Round 4b Winner)

[Syferus]

Never got the shite about the championship 'beginning in August'. The heart of the championship lays far away from Dublin.

The schedule just adds some certainty to the qualifiers and that's an excellent change, the trade-off is very much worth it.

[joemamas]

Never got the shite about the championship 'beginning in August'. The heart of the championship lays far away from Dublin.

The schedule just adds some certainty to the qualifiers and that's an excellent change, the trade-off is very much worth it.

Right or wrong, a lot of players, managers and supporters view that weekend as the beginning of the real championship.
In Connacht last year, Mayo played Galway in May, after that it was pretty obvious who the winner was going to be. Munster annual two horse race, Leinster, Dublin have won 8 out of 10. Ulster is competitive no doubt.

First and second rounds in back door rounds are for the most part meaningless.

[Line Ball]

Never got the shite about the championship 'beginning in August'. The heart of the championship lays far away from Dublin.

The schedule just adds some certainty to the qualifiers and that's an excellent change, the trade-off is very much worth it.

Right or wrong, a lot of players, managers and supporters view that weekend as the beginning of the real championship.
In Connacht last year, Mayo played Galway in May, after that it was pretty obvious who the winner was going to be. Munster annual two horse race, Leinster, Dublin have won 8 out of 10. Ulster is competitive no doubt.

First and second rounds in back door rounds are for the most part meaningless.

Where do you get this dung from?

[Rossfan]

Never got the shite about the championship 'beginning in August'. The heart of the championship lays far away from Dublin.

The schedule just adds some certainty to the qualifiers and that's an excellent change, the trade-off is very much worth it.

Right or wrong, a lot of players, managers and supporters view that weekend as the beginning of the real championship.
In Connacht last year, Mayo played Galway in May, after that it was pretty obvious who the winner was going to be. Munster annual two horse race, Leinster, Dublin have won 8 out of 10. Ulster is competitive no doubt.

While there was great excitement in Clones when Monaghan won the Ulster it ( no more than Limerick hurlers) was only a sideshow once the Quarter Finals came round and is probably well forgotten by everyone outside Monaghan ....and Donegal

[Syferus]

Never got the shite about the championship 'beginning in August'. The heart of the championship lays far away from Dublin.

The schedule just adds some certainty to the qualifiers and that's an excellent change, the trade-off is very much worth it.

Right or wrong, a lot of players, managers and supporters view that weekend as the beginning of the real championship.
In Connacht last year, Mayo played Galway in May, after that it was pretty obvious who the winner was going to be. Munster annual two horse race, Leinster, Dublin have won 8 out of 10. Ulster is competitive no doubt.

While there was great excitement in Clones when Monaghan won the Ulster it ( no more than Limerick hurlers) was only a sideshow once the Quarter Finals came round and is probably well forgotten by everyone outside Monaghan ....and Donegal

And in Roscommon apparently.

There's only a select few counties with enough arrogance and success to think the championship begins in August.

[Farrandeelin]

I agree with Syferus on this one. We in Mayo have been lucky to be playing championship football in August the past 3 seasons. Ideally we'd be playing every August, but we all know that things can go wrong for us before August comes around.

[larryin89]

So the Connacht champions still play q/f on the august weekend?

And what on earth are you on about Rossie bucks ? everyone loves the august weekend, sobbin about poor aul little us ,as if it's some sort of arrogance in saying the championship proper starts on aug weekend . Like it or lump it, that's the truth of the matter , there will be a day when Mayo are not regular participants in q/fs but it won't alter my opinion, it will just mean Mayo will no longer be good enough to participate in the championship proper.

[Captain Obvious]

Pre 2001 the real championship didn't start until the All Ireland semi finals?

[larryin89]

Pre 2001 the real championship didn't start until the All Ireland semi finals?

Not really because there was an almighty bite to provincial finals with no backdoor and earlier rounds too.

[Captain Obvious]

Pre 2001 the real championship didn't start until the All Ireland semi finals?

Not really because there was an almighty bite to provincial finals with no backdoor and earlier rounds too.

The Ulster championship hasn't lost much of its bite. Earlier rounds games Derry v Down,Tyrone v Donegal were some of the best games this summer. Munster is unchanged with Cork,Kerry. It seems an unfair balance in Connacht,Leinster with the amount of money Dublin,Mayo are allowed to spend however at least Dublin have won two All Irelands from that money spent.

[larryin89]

Pre 2001 the real championship didn't start until the All Ireland semi finals?

Not really because there was an almighty bite to provincial finals with no backdoor and earlier rounds too.

The Ulster championship hasn't lost much of its bite. Earlier rounds games Derry v Down,Tyrone v Donegal were some of the best games this summer. Munster is unchanged with Cork,Kerry. It seems an unfair balance in Connacht,Leinster with the amount of money Dublin,Mayo are allowed to spend however at least Dublin have won two All Irelands from that money spent.

Are there caps in place elsewhere?

[Captain Obvious]

Pre 2001 the real championship didn't start until the All Ireland semi finals?

Not really because there was an almighty bite to provincial finals with no backdoor and earlier rounds too.

The Ulster championship hasn't lost much of its bite. Earlier rounds games Derry v Down,Tyrone v Donegal were some of the best games this summer. Munster is unchanged with Cork,Kerry. It seems an unfair balance in Connacht,Leinster with the amount of money Dublin,Mayo are allowed to spend however at least Dublin have won two All Irelands from that money spent.

Are there caps in place elsewhere?

Caps should be put on the bigger counties.

Teams such as Sligo,Longford,Leitrim,Louth could only dream of spending what Dublin,Mayo are currently spending.

[larryin89]

Well let them go and raise the money so. If supporters care they'll dig deep.

I'm not 100% but I'm pretty sure club Tyrone thing is an example of supporters putting their money where their mouth is and seeing the rewards for it.

I mean what are ya looking at in lay man terms, 10k supporters to cough up a ton a piece towards training fund. One man job give him 50k, easy peasy lemon squeezy.

[armaghniac]

Reported on the radio there that losers from the preliminary rounds in Leinster/Ulster would go into the Connacht/Munster championships, presumably eliminating one round of qualifers??

A bit unexpected, not sure how it would work.