What would you call a second tier Competition?

[AZOffaly]

Big games in summer months? In a division 2 cup? Don't cod yourself. They won't be big games. And they won't have the buzz or sense of progress that playing in the All Ireland brings. I just don't understand the determination to exclude teams like that. Sligo, Armagh would also be excluded this year.

The league is for improving against teams around your standard, or getting slightly better. The Championship is where you prove it and measure progress made.

I would be in favour of league positions having a say in when a team enters the championship, but I wouldn't exclude any team that wants to try and compete.

[Syferus]

Packed Croker my arse. Even when the same teams in the senior are playing in the minor AI final before the senior final something in the range of 70% of them don't start turning up until half way through the first game. Being the warm-up act to the Rolling Stones doesn't make you the Rolling Stones..

[BennyHarp]

Packed Croker my arse. Even when the same teams in the senior are playing in the minor AI final before the senior final something in the range of 70% of them don't start turning up until half way through the first game. Being the warm-up act to the Rolling Stones doesn't make you the Rolling Stones..

Yes and playing one relatively small concert a year when you are likely to embarrass yourself won't turn you into the Rolling Stones either. Plenty of big bands started out as warm up acts. I'd pretty much guarantee that the crowd for AI final day, even if not the main event will be a significantly bigger crowd than any div 3 or 4 team will play in front of that year. But anyway, your not getting my point, it's the process of winning big games in the summer, developing a team, being around and part of a big atmosphere that helps the development in my opinion. Giving teams realistic short and long term goals and realistic progression routes is the key here. But I'm sure, the current system offers all that, I just can't see how!

By the way, and I'll repeat this again, teams do still get the chance to play in the main AI championship via their provincial championship and get that big day or two out against the Kerry's, Corks and Dublins. If they progress in that they will play in the top tier.

[BennyCake]

Should be called after Benny Tierney. Sam, Liam and Benny.

[deiseach]

I've said this a few times too - What problem are we trying to solve.

There is no doubt there are several problems in the GAA, but as far as I can see the only problem that a two tier championship would solve is that the top teams wouldn't be hammering the weaker teams.
BUT, it's not a proper solution, it's only hiding the problem by not allowing the top teams to play the weaker teams.
What we should be aiming to do to stop the top teams hammering the weaker teams is trying to improve the standards in the weaker counties. Having division 3 (or 4) teams continually playing teams at their own level will not improve the standard of those counties.

This. If the goal is making the likes of Waterford into a competitive force, then new formats are rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic. As things stand, we're going to get stuffed in any format.

[From the Bunker]

Senior
Cork, Dublin, Monaghan, Donegal, Mayo, Kerry, Tyrone, Derry, Down, Roscommon, Meath, Galway

Intermediate
Cavan, Laois, Westmeath, Kildare, Fermanagh, Armagh,Tipperary, Clare, Sligo, Limerick, Wexford, Louth

Junior
Longford, Offaly, Antrim, Leitrim, Carlow   , Waterford, Wicklow, London

[lenny]

Senior
Cork, Dublin, Monaghan, Donegal, Mayo, Kerry, Tyrone, Derry, Down, Roscommon, Meath, Galway

Intermediate
Cavan, Laois, Westmeath, Kildare, Fermanagh, Armagh,Tipperary, Clare, Sligo, Limerick, Wexford, Louth

Junior
Longford, Offaly, Antrim, Leitrim, Carlow   , Waterford, Wicklow, London

That would work well. Any one of the teams in junior or intermediate have a realistic chance of winning a championship. At senior probably only 5 or 6 teams could win but any team could have a good run.

[deiseach]

Looks like the League of Ireland with its 12 team top division and eight team secondary competition.

[Esmarelda]

Senior
Cork, Dublin, Monaghan, Donegal, Mayo, Kerry, Tyrone, Derry, Down, Roscommon, Meath, Galway

Intermediate
Cavan, Laois, Westmeath, Kildare, Fermanagh, Armagh,Tipperary, Clare, Sligo, Limerick, Wexford, Louth

Junior
Longford, Offaly, Antrim, Leitrim, Carlow   , Waterford, Wicklow, London

That would work well. Any one of the teams in junior or intermediate have a realistic chance of winning a championship. At senior probably only 5 or 6 teams could win but any team could have a good run.

I didn't think a good run was what people were looking for. I thought it was an ability to win the competition. The winner of Roscommon and Cavan on Saturday will most likely have a good run but have no chance of silverware.

[fearglasmor]

A waste of time.
No amount of tinkering with competition structures will improve the standard of the waterford or carlow or any other county football team. Equality should mean equality of opportunity and nothing else.
The weaker counties should use the league graded to develop their strength and the championship should remain the one shot the glory that it has always been. Hard work at all leveks within a county will bring improvement not competition structures. The fixture schedule is a much bigger issue but its not media sexy enough at this time of year.

[Owenmoresider]

Looks like the League of Ireland with its 12 team top division and eight team secondary competition.

And some are indeed questioning the very point of that second division, and that perhaps a single division might have to be brought back into place...

[twohands!!!]

Well whatever you do I think you definitely don't call it the All-Ireland Junior Championship because that's what the current second tier competition is called. 

Also Kerry beat Cork 1-20 to 0-11 in Cork last night (mentioned the Kerry lads were strong this year a while back)

Play Wexford in the semi.

On the other side of the draw it's Mayo v Kilkenny which is what you would call an interesting looking football semi-final match-up.

[deiseach]

Looks like the League of Ireland with its 12 team top division and eight team secondary competition.

And some are indeed questioning the very point of that second division, and that perhaps a single division might have to be brought back into place...

That would my preference [selfserving] because the Blues are the worst of the worst. Literally. [/selfserving]