Back to the Future - Straight knockout the way forward

[Cunny Funt]

Maybe it was nostalgia, but despite the surrealness of watching an Ulster championship in front of an empty stadium in early November, it struck me that the do or die nature of championship football is what we have been missing this few years. 

The qualifiers were great for the first few years, until the realisation that what all it has done has made the rich richer by giving them a second bite of the cherry if they get a tough draw or knocked out in a shock result.  When the qualifiers started, it gave the minnows the chance to go on a run and build momentum through the backdoor.  It was great to see Sligo, Wexford, Fermanagh and Longford do this in the early days.  However, the greatest long term beneficiaries have been the stronger counties in my view.

Time to scrap the backdoor and the shite that is the Super 8s.  Go back to knock out football when it is all on the day and teams can dare to dream a bit more; rather than "if we catch Dublin cold, they will still probably win the All Ireland through the backdoor".

If more games are needed, play them in the league where teams are evenly matched, by playing three divisions of 10 or 11 teams or play home and away in the league.

Thoughts!

Backdoor needs adjusting. Other than HQ looking for more gate receipt money a group format for the last 8 of the championship made no sense hopefully that is scrapped sooner rather than later.

[larryin89]

Knockout will never return. Too much money involved.

Correct.✅
Lock the thread.

Incorrect. For the foreseeable there won’t be any crowds which definitely includes next year at this stage . You’d worry the county game might even stop completely for a couple of years as you’d have to wonder how long is it sustainable with little to no crowds .

[Lazer]

The knockout adds so much excitement.

Keep it!

In almost every other sport there is a league and a knock out competition.

The knockout has the ability to give shock results and have really intensive games. The league gives teams a chance to play more games.

Some of the games this weekend have been brilliant to watch.

[An Watcher]

Agree with this if they abandon the provincial championships. The days of Dublin n Kerry sauntering through their provincial championships have to come to an end

[dublin7]

Agree with this if they abandon the provincial championships. The days of Dublin n Kerry sauntering through their provincial championships have to come to an end

+1

You can't keep the provincial championships and have the championship on a knock out basis. No incentive for players from Munster/Leinster outside of Kerry, Cork & Dublin to sacrifice 6 months training just to get hammered and knocked out after maybe one game

[Angelo]

Knockout won't be there is the provincial system as it's too imbalanced.

Donegal and Tyrone facing off what is in effect a R32 game while Galway just have to beat a Div 4 team to play a de facto AI QF.

The Championship this year, to have any credibility needed to be open draw.

[Armagh18]

Agree with this if they abandon the provincial championships. The days of Dublin n Kerry sauntering through their provincial championships have to come to an end

+1

You can't keep the provincial championships and have the championship on a knock out basis. No incentive for players from Munster/Leinster outside of Kerry, Cork & Dublin to sacrifice 6 months training just to get hammered and knocked out after maybe one game

I see what you’re saying but look at the 3 games in Ulster over the weekend. Absolutely  unreal and went down to the wire. Maybe throw Dublin and Kerry into their own competition out of the road.

[BennyCake]

Donegal Tyrone was great value. Either could have won, and you knew it was do or die. None of this “ach sure we can regroup through the back door” bollocks.

The championship needs to be a 32 county open draw, where you have potentially Kerry having to go to Ballybofey, or Dublin to Castlebar. One bad performance, a fluke goal, and you’re out. Bye bye.

Yes, the cream will usually rise to the top, but you are going to get shocks, big guns exiting early, but that’s what it’s all about. Kerry Dublin Mayo getting to AI finals year after year is boring as shit.

Throwing teams in a Tier 2 championship will do feck all for anyone. A good run for a Longford, Carlow, Sligo etc will do more for participation in those counties than any amount of coaching or funding or a dozen Tier 2 titles.

[Rossfan]

Agree with this if they abandon the provincial championships. The days of Dublin n Kerry sauntering through their provincial championships have to come to an end

+1

You can't keep the provincial championships and have the championship on a knock out basis. No incentive for players from Munster/Leinster outside of Kerry, Cork & Dublin to sacrifice 6 months training just to get hammered and knocked out after maybe one game

+1 it is it +2.
Basing who can play in a National Championship solely on 4 unequal in size and standards is madness.
Anyway aren't there a number of SFC proposals by the Fixtyres Review Committee to go to County Boards for consideration.
It will be 2022 at the earliest before we'll have a full season again.
Next year will see truncated League and Championship again as there is unlikely to be any County activity before 1st March.

[themac_23]

Do away with the pre season tournaments, play the provincial championships before the leagues. do away with league semi/ finals and play first round of a 32 team knock out the week after the leagues finish, means teams will still be fit and flying and only asking players who got a bad draw to give it possibly 1 more week before heading back to their clubs or heading off for america for the summer.

[Orior]

Donegal Tyrone was great value. Either could have won, and you knew it was do or die. None of this “ach sure we can regroup through the back door” bollocks.

The championship needs to be a 32 county open draw, where you have potentially Kerry having to go to Ballybofey, or Dublin to Castlebar. One bad performance, a fluke goal, and you’re out. Bye bye.

Yes, the cream will usually rise to the top, but you are going to get shocks, big guns exiting early, but that’s what it’s all about. Kerry Dublin Mayo getting to AI finals year after year is boring as shit.

Throwing teams in a Tier 2 championship will do feck all for anyone. A good run for a Longford, Carlow, Sligo etc will do more for participation in those counties than any amount of coaching or funding or a dozen Tier 2 titles.

Agree that it needs to be all 32 and an open draw. You might also need a preliminary round for New York, London and Warwickshire. And punish Kilkenny if they don't field a team.

[Eire90]

Would a small county rather get to play in a all Ireland quarter final which is possible with a favorable draw in an open all ireland or win a 2nd tier championship.

[APM]

Donegal Tyrone was great value. Either could have won, and you knew it was do or die. None of this “ach sure we can regroup through the back door” bollocks.

The championship needs to be a 32 county open draw, where you have potentially Kerry having to go to Ballybofey, or Dublin to Castlebar. One bad performance, a fluke goal, and you’re out. Bye bye.

Yes, the cream will usually rise to the top, but you are going to get shocks, big guns exiting early, but that’s what it’s all about. Kerry Dublin Mayo getting to AI finals year after year is boring as shit.

Throwing teams in a Tier 2 championship will do feck all for anyone. A good run for a Longford, Carlow, Sligo etc will do more for participation in those counties than any amount of coaching or funding or a dozen Tier 2 titles.

Agree that it needs to be all 32 and an open draw. You might also need a preliminary round for New York, London and Warwickshire. And punish Kilkenny if they don't field a team.

If you got a 32 county open draw there would be buyer's remorse.  No different to the super 8s anti-climax, predictable and all as it was.

Yes, you might get Donegal and Kerry in the first round and you might get a big crowd and a great atmosphere on the May Bank Holiday.  On the other hand you might get Meath and Limerick in the Gaelic Grounds and no-one there.  Can you tell me that this is a better alternative to Meath and Westmeath or Louth. 

Division 1 Tyrone might have to go down to Division 3 Tipperary and will beat them handy in front of an empty stadium. But Div 1 Tyrone v Div 3 Derry / Fermanagh - that's a different beast entirely. 

[Taylor]

Lads - it will never happen unfortunately.

The GAA have a cash cow (when crowds are allowed in) with the qualifiers and Super 8's.

Straight KO wont replace that so it wont even be on the table for discussions

[Rossfan]

"Straight KO" so beloved by 6 Co folk (who ironically suffer the most from it) is definitely NOT on any official table.