Single Tier Championship Restructure

[Armagh18]

I think a lot of your proposal has merit but I'd disagree on seedings. For one thing, if the league and provincial championships aren't linked to your championship then they'll serve little purpose for many counties. This will mean that the vast majority of inter county games are little more than challenge games.

Secondly, we could end up with two semi final hammerings or worse again an All Ireland final hammering. Of course that can, and has, happened but we shouldn't IMO have a competition format for the All Ireland that has little to do with merit. Of the 32 counties competing for the All Ireland we have probably 26 or more that wouldn't be within 8 points of the top teams. We've seen it before, teams who won their province but end up getting hammered in the all Ireland series and the team and county ending the season on a massive downer. It might be great for a Sligo or Clare getting to an All Ireland QF or SF by luck of the draw but if they get beaten by 15 points then I don't think players or fans would take many positives out of it.

Jaysus I’d say a Sligo or Clare man would sell their souls for and AI semi.

[Armagh18]

I love the provincials but fck me how can it be fair that Armagh for example could be unlucky and have to beat Donegal in a prelim, then Monaghan in a qf then Cavan in a sf and Tyrone in a final(even if the lose the final, into round 4 qualifiers) to get to the same stage that Mayo or Kerry can get to by beating Clare or Sligo. Yes before any smart fecker says, its not gonna happen but it theoretically can. That potential run of games to get out of Ulster is fecking tough and in a different scenario could be a potential route to an AIF.

[hardstation]

The only thing about the provincials being the early rounds of the championship, the games are close enough to the counties involved and would attract more supporters as a result. I’m not sure Tipperary away would be an appetising 1st round tie for the supporters of Ulster counties for example.

[Jayop]

A chance to play or watch a game in somewhere like Thurles is a damn nice incentive.

[hardstation]

A chance to play or watch a game in somewhere like Thurles is a damn nice incentive.

I don’t think someone in Tyrone would be as willing to take the family to Thurles for the day as they would Armagh, Clones, Enniskillen, Derry or Newry. Most certainly not for a 1st round game that they would very much expect to win.

[Jayop]

Yeah you're probably right.

[Rossfan]

To move away from the 2nd Tier thread .... it's been voted in and we gave to think of T mac's health....
I saw a report somewhere that the Football Review Committee has gone back to creating 4 artificial 'Provinces" of 8 teams.
This to be done by putting the lowest Ulster League team plus 1 Leinster into "Connacht". Obviously NY get the bullet.
Then they propose putting 2 other Leinster Counties into "Munster".
The "Provincial" Championships to each consist of 2 Groups of 4.

I presume this is the daft proposal put up to fail so they can get some other system through?

[Dinny Breen]

Why would it fail? Traditionalists?

A Connacht province of Mayo, Galway, Roscommon, London, Longford, Leitrim, Sligo and Cavan would be interesting.
Likewise a Munster Province of Kerry, Cork, Clare, Waterford, Tipperary, Limerick, Offaly and Laois.

If Kildare bordered a Munster county I would be delighted to get away from Leinster,

[five points]

Why would it fail? Traditionalists?

A Connacht province of Mayo, Galway, Roscommon, London, Longford, Leitrim, Sligo and Cavan would be interesting.

For Cavan GAA people, it would be shit.

And the proposal is actually to put the lowest League Ulster team, which is perennially Antrim, into Connacht. What on earth would that achieve?

[Captain Obvious]

Why would it fail? Traditionalists?

A Connacht province of Mayo, Galway, Roscommon, London, Longford, Leitrim, Sligo and Cavan would be interesting.

For Cavan GAA people, it would be shit.

And the proposal is actually to put the lowest League Ulster team, which is perennially Antrim, into Connacht. What on earth would that achieve?

For the likes of Antrim, next to nothing. As for Cavan they reached the Ulster final this summer and I'm sure their aim in the years ahead is to win a Ulster senior title.

[Rossfan]

Why would it fail? Traditionalists?

A Connacht province of Mayo, Galway, Roscommon, London, Longford, Leitrim, Sligo and Cavan would be interesting.
Likewise a Munster Province of Kerry, Cork, Clare, Waterford, Tipperary, Limerick, Offaly and Laois.

If Kildare bordered a Munster county I would be delighted to get away from Leinster,

Ah jases Dinny.....
It wouldn't be Connacht, Ulster Leinster  or  Munster then.
Kerry and Cork would still be a shoo in to the last 8/12....
Pure mad stuff.....

[Olly]

Ireland existed before Ulster, Munster, Leinster and the other one. Get rid of them and make new house names like the Harry Potter ones.

[pbat]

Do away with the Provinces 32 teams enter championship for Sam Maguire (Sorry New York). 

8 groups containing a team from All 4 divisions play 3 games, top 2 enter Championship bottom two a Secondary Championship.

Means there is potential for a 3rd or 4th division team making the last 16 for Sam, its not decided on league games played in February gutters.

From last 16 in each championship have it open draw straight knock out.

And move the All Ireland Final back to 3rd Sunday of September.
 

[Armagh18]

Do away with the Provinces 32 teams enter championship for Sam Maguire (Sorry New York). 

8 groups containing a team from All 4 divisions play 3 games, top 2 enter Championship bottom two a Secondary Championship.

Means there is potential for a 3rd or 4th division team making the last 16 for Sam, its not decided on league games played in February gutters.

From last 16 in each championship have it open draw straight knock out.

And move the All Ireland Final back to 3rd Sunday of September.

Only Ulster and to a lesser extent Connacht throw up such good games I’d love to see this happen.