Division 2 2024

[Eire90]

Kerry, Donegal and Mayowestros with their economies, logistics, distances and other disadvantages shouldn't be top football Counties while Kildare and Meath should be.

What do you propose?
Handicap system? Big Counties start games on a minus score, small ones on a plus score?
Set up area teams based on 100k populations? What about the Hurley Counties then?


PS Dreadnought,  the problem is two of the Provincials are non events.

Yes but by same means 2 of them are (and 1 has potential for getting back on track if Leinster teams get their act together). You can seed from them so they still have worth

Connaught championship is not as exciting as people make out either its always going to be swapped between 3 teams 

[Dreadnought]

Obvious tweak is to only allow Provincial CHAMPIONS automatic entry to Sam (also previous year's Sam and Tailteann Champions).
Then go down the League till you get 16.


PS I'm not sure how we'd fix Seafín's problem that only strong teams win Sam.....

When is the last time a BMW county south of  Donegal won Sam ?  Offaly was the last beag bideach county to win Sam and that was over 40 years ago. The GAA isn''t interested in competition like other sports are- 6N, US football, even the EPL. Fans don't seem bothered either. In February everyone thinks it could happen this year.

Dublin and Kerry win over 50% of titles.

It is difficult to free football fans from the chains they revere.

I agree. There needs to be more done. For all the talk of split Championship being great, it actually widens the divide. Lower teams won't get better by only playing each other. gaps widen this way. I believe this started happening when we went the 4 division model in 2008, as it allows the better teams to stay up top, play each other all the time, and then pull the ladder up. it's very hard for teams to break into that and stay there. I think the old A and B model works best. Split Div1 and 2 over 1A and 1B, and same for next down. Promote 4 teams up and down and give actual opportunities for mixing each year. Rework Championship after provincials to include all, and then split it some way halfway through on results so top go to Sam, rest to Tailteann and run them off. We will never progress the game properly with this current model of top teams playing themselves only apart from the rare provincial match

The way the leagues are now is a brilliant system.

If we went back to the the 1A and 1B formats interest levels would greatly reduce. Sure why not just throw everyone into division 1 and call them 1A B C & D.

Derry have shown what can be done with the correct structures in place going from Division 4 to division 1. Louth something similar even Limerick spent a a year in division 2.

Unfortunately there will always be some predominately hurling counties languishing in division 4 but a lot of counties have spent a period in the top 2 divisions since the system has been brought in.

The leagues right now are brilliant for the top teams as they play each other, get all media exposure and highlights and so on. The games are also inequitable. Certain Division 2 and 3 games means more vs Championship because of the format for which championship you go into, while Div1 don't need to worry about that really.

We also have to consider what we want from our Leagues. If it's for the best to become better, to make it harder to bridge gaps, cut off teams adrift at the bottom, then it is doing it's job perfectly. If we want it as our secondary competition, to expose more lower ranked teams to higher ones, to bring the game on and such then we need to adjust it. That is clear. 4 divisions stacked on top of each other don;t work well. We need to expose other teams more. We've not made any adjustments for 17 seasons now, and the gap is only widening. Doing the same things over and over and expecting different results is silly. 16 team Divisions 1 and 2 split into A and B means a good mix of teams and potential to move up and down levels annually and there's jeopardy for all sides

[Dreadnought]

Kerry, Donegal and Mayowestros with their economies, logistics, distances and other disadvantages shouldn't be top football Counties while Kildare and Meath should be.

What do you propose?
Handicap system? Big Counties start games on a minus score, small ones on a plus score?
Set up area teams based on 100k populations? What about the Hurley Counties then?


PS Dreadnought,  the problem is two of the Provincials are non events.

Yes but by same means 2 of them are (and 1 has potential for getting back on track if Leinster teams get their act together). You can seed from them so they still have worth

Connaught championship is not as exciting as people make out either its always going to be swapped between 3 teams 

3 out of them ain't bad. And we've had Sligo win in recent past, and different ones like London even get to finals not long ago. Not perfect, but certainly better than some

[seafoid]

The great strength of the GAA is identity. "They will be rembered by their people". There is nothing like winning the all Ireland because it is geographically rooted . And every summer the GAA season is intoxicating even for counties that never win anything. So it will probably never change. The only way to turn losers into winners under the system is to rewire the psychology.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33Mr5JV49tg&t=420s

[Captain Scarlet]

An article from Pilly Mc and then this from RTÉ on Kildare in the space of a week...

https://www.rte.ie/sport/football/2024/0209/1431485-kildare-failing-to-harness-enormous-potential/

Things are bad at the minute but you'd hope some outside attention might be a reality check. The feckin Armagh game is live on TG4 too, so more national coverage.

We talk a lot of good players, but we don't have enough relaible lads. Can I ask other posters here - your county men stand out for the clubs every week?

[lurganblue]

An article from Pilly Mc and then this from RTÉ on Kildare in the space of a week...

https://www.rte.ie/sport/football/2024/0209/1431485-kildare-failing-to-harness-enormous-potential/

Things are bad at the minute but you'd hope some outside attention might be a reality check. The feckin Armagh game is live on TG4 too, so more national coverage.

We talk a lot of good players, but we don't have enough relaible lads. Can I ask other posters here - your county men stand out for the clubs every week?

Ah yeah. When they actually do get to play for the clubs they usually stand out. 

In Armagh, we havent had a top quality underage county team in quite a few years but we do still seem to develop players through to senior standard.

I think the club championship has became more competitive recently and that intensity has been good for the county IMO. 

[Armagh18]

An article from Pilly Mc and then this from RTÉ on Kildare in the space of a week...

https://www.rte.ie/sport/football/2024/0209/1431485-kildare-failing-to-harness-enormous-potential/

Things are bad at the minute but you'd hope some outside attention might be a reality check. The feckin Armagh game is live on TG4 too, so more national coverage.

We talk a lot of good players, but we don't have enough relaible lads. Can I ask other posters here - your county men stand out for the clubs every week?

Ah yeah. When they actually do get to play for the clubs they usually stand out. 

In Armagh, we havent had a top quality underage county team in quite a few years but we do still seem to develop players through to senior standard.

I think the club championship has became more competitive recently and that intensity has been good for the county IMO. 

Just off the top of my head there in recent years on teams that have won championships or gone far O'Neill and Cian McConville been brilliant for Cross, Soupy for Clanns,Turbo and TK for Clann Eireann  Murnin for St Pauls at intermediate, obviously the 3 Cullyhanna lads this year and going back a couple of years Jemar Hall was key for Forkhill winning a junior.

[illdecide]

Donegal v Fermanagh Home win
Cork v Cavan Draw
Meath v Louth away win
Kildare v Armagh Away win

Some tough games this weekend, based on form my predictions shouldn't be far away but after a few games teams generally realise they have to get their finger out and results can change from previous weeks and form.
Can Meath and Kildare get their finger out?.
Can Cavan and Fermanagh keep up their good start?.
Will Donegal and Armagh pull away from the rest?.

[mup]

An article from Pilly Mc and then this from RTÉ on Kildare in the space of a week...

https://www.rte.ie/sport/football/2024/0209/1431485-kildare-failing-to-harness-enormous-potential/

Things are bad at the minute but you'd hope some outside attention might be a reality check. The feckin Armagh game is live on TG4 too, so more national coverage.

We talk a lot of good players, but we don't have enough relaible lads. Can I ask other posters here - your county men stand out for the clubs every week?

What people don't realise that Dublin have been winning Leinster after Leinster since 2011. That doesn't look like stopping anytime soon. Thats all down to the millions pumped into Dublin GAA by our government and the GAA.

Why would any Kildare footballer be bothered putting an effort into winning a provincial title when the odd are stacked against you?

Its only now we are seeing the result of all that.

[Itchy]

An article from Pilly Mc and then this from RTÉ on Kildare in the space of a week...

https://www.rte.ie/sport/football/2024/0209/1431485-kildare-failing-to-harness-enormous-potential/

Things are bad at the minute but you'd hope some outside attention might be a reality check. The feckin Armagh game is live on TG4 too, so more national coverage.

We talk a lot of good players, but we don't have enough relaible lads. Can I ask other posters here - your county men stand out for the clubs every week?

What people don't realise that Dublin have been winning Leinster after Leinster since 2011. That doesn't look like stopping anytime soon. Thats all down to the millions pumped into Dublin GAA by our government and the GAA.

Why would any Kildare footballer be bothered putting an effort into winning a provincial title when the odd are stacked against you?

Its only now we are seeing the result of all that.

Not all down to it, counties like Kildare and Meath have resources greater than most counties so what's their excuse?

[Captain Scarlet]

I am from Kildare and it's a great thing to say shure lookit - the Dubs! What's the excuse for not being able to beat Fermanagh? Or losing to teams with much fewer resources.

[Cunny Funt]

James Horan in the recent Irish Examiner podcast on recent criticism by Kildare Chairman Mick Gorman.

'I really felt for Glenn Ryan when I read that. To me it is absolute rubbish'

"I'd absolutely told him to go and hop. Without question. How about a chairman, as they do in other counties, sits down and says, 'Glenn, what can we do to support you? How can we work together for the betterment of Kildare GAA. What do you need to move this on.' Imagine that kind of meeting as opposed to a chairman coming out and pointing at Glenn Ryan and the players. That is what I am seeing.

"I accept we don't know everything. But Kildare have good players. They have underage success. Some of the best managers in the country have gone in there. Jack O'Connor, Mick O'Dwyer, Kieran McGeeney, Cian O'Neill, to name a few.

"Something is not right. We've talked about identity, that is not just about players. It's about everything. A county board, structures, a setup. The whole lot needs to be looked at. Is the ground up to standard? Is the investment there? I'd argue the process, the system around it is as important to provide the setup for the players to be the best they can be. If one isn't right, the other won't be right. Those comments were a mess. It is like Roy Keane's famous one. Look at yourself first."

[lurganblue]

I am from Kildare and it's a great thing to say shure lookit - the Dubs! What's the excuse for not being able to beat Fermanagh? Or losing to teams with much fewer resources.

Totally agree. Kildare, Meath etc just seem to have fallen on their own sword.

[mup]

An article from Pilly Mc and then this from RTÉ on Kildare in the space of a week...

https://www.rte.ie/sport/football/2024/0209/1431485-kildare-failing-to-harness-enormous-potential/

Things are bad at the minute but you'd hope some outside attention might be a reality check. The feckin Armagh game is live on TG4 too, so more national coverage.

We talk a lot of good players, but we don't have enough relaible lads. Can I ask other posters here - your county men stand out for the clubs every week?

What people don't realise that Dublin have been winning Leinster after Leinster since 2011. That doesn't look like stopping anytime soon. Thats all down to the millions pumped into Dublin GAA by our government and the GAA.

Why would any Kildare footballer be bothered putting an effort into winning a provincial title when the odd are stacked against you?

Its only now we are seeing the result of all that.

Not all down to it, counties like Kildare and Meath have resources greater than most counties so what's their excuse?

I thought I answered that above. Players don't even have a chance of a provincial title because of the odds being stacked against them. At least in other provinces the playing field is a bit more level.

[mup]

I am from Kildare and it's a great thing to say shure lookit - the Dubs! What's the excuse for not being able to beat Fermanagh? Or losing to teams with much fewer resources.

Well then you should know more than most. The lure of a provincial title is not there.

How come Kildare can beat Dublin regularly at underage level? And explain the drop off when it comes to senior level.