Worst team to win the All-Ireland?

[Jinxy]

Has there been a team that won an All-Ireland out of the blue - no form before or after? Can't think of one.

Maybe Meath came out of nowhere in 1996 but they did achieve more success after that. Down were a point or two away fom being one hit wonders in 2010. Other than that, it seems that most AI champions carry a bit of form.

A lot of people expected Carlow to beat us in the first round.

[seafoid]

Shane,Down lost the AIF in 2010.

Their feat in getting to the AIF that year doesn't even compare with Armagh reaching the 1977 Final from nowhere.

tony

The only time Ulster or Connacht teams reached an AIF post Galway early 70s pre Down 91 was in the 3 yearly dunces semifinal between the Connacht and Ulster champions.

Armagh were Ulster winners in 77 and they played Roscommon and one of the teams were entitled to an AIF place.  Had Armagh won Ulster in 75 they would have been tanked at the SF stage by either Kerry or Dublin.

There was nothing miraculous about 77.

Down 91 was the match that changed the dynamics. It was Down who broke the mould . Again.

 

[brokencrossbar1]

Shane,Down lost the AIF in 2010.

Their feat in getting to the AIF that year doesn't even compare with Armagh reaching the 1977 Final from nowhere.

tony

The only time Ulster or Connacht teams reached an AIF post Galway early 70s pre Down 91 was in the 3 yearly dunces semifinal between the Connacht and Ulster champions.

Armagh were Ulster winners in 77 and they played Roscommon and one of the teams were entitled to an AIF place.  Had Armagh won Ulster in 75 they would have been tanked at the SF stage by either Kerry or Dublin.

There was nothing miraculous about 77.

Down 91 was the match that changed the dynamics. It was Down who broke the mould . Again.

[seafoid]

Shane,Down lost the AIF in 2010.

Their feat in getting to the AIF that year doesn't even compare with Armagh reaching the 1977 Final from nowhere.

tony

The only time Ulster or Connacht teams reached an AIF post Galway early 70s pre Down 91 was in the 3 yearly dunces semifinal between the Connacht and Ulster champions.

Armagh were Ulster winners in 77 and they played Roscommon and one of the teams were entitled to an AIF place.  Had Armagh won Ulster in 75 they would have been tanked at the SF stage by either Kerry or Dublin.

There was nothing miraculous about 77.

Down 91 was the match that changed the dynamics. It was Down who broke the mould . Again.

BTW none of those teams ever won the all Ireland.

[Over the Bar]

I don't think Armagh were the worst team to win one but it was certainly the spawniest. Beating. Sligo in a replay by two points, Dublin by one point and Kerry by a point in the final, who missed half a dozen simple scores in the last 10 mins at could have won by double figures.

[ONeill]

That is true though - you knew that playing the boys from the West allowed the chance of a big day out in September.

Tyrone v Galway in 86
Tyrone v Mayo in 89 (still sticks in the throat)
Tyrone v Galway in 95

[seafoid]

That is true though - you knew that playing the boys from the West allowed the chance of a big day out in September.

Tyrone v Galway in 86
Tyrone v Mayo in 89 (still sticks in the throat)
Tyrone v Galway in 95

Mayo in 96 were the first team from Connacht to break the spell.
Thankfully things have improved since then. 

[LilySavage]

Think that Kerrys route to Sam in 1997 was Tipp, Clare, Cavan and Mayo

[J70]

how do i know McGee a better full back than M Gallagher, A Molloy a better midfielder than the current pair, from my time watching Donegal football, was in croke park final day watching donegal wway back in 1992, have seen plenty of them since. Try and combine the best players out of both teams, alot more would be from 92.K Cassidy your best defender not even on the county team, that in itsself is a bad call giving the donegal bench is not overly strong

Too subjective a debate to be of much interest to me personally. Different eras, different expectations in terms of roles, different styles of play, different levels of fitness. The likes of Michael Murphy and Martin McHugh and men like that aside, how does one objectively compare players and teams who never directly faced one another?

Lacey's far and away our best defender BTW. He might not play that role anymore, but you would be hard pushed to find a better man marker. Cassidy is a top player though and we could definitely use him.

[rrhf]

That is true though - you knew that playing the boys from the West allowed the chance of a big day out in September.
Tyrone v Mayo in 89 (still sticks in the throat)

In 89 ye were offered a lift and didnt go.  Twas the Ballycastle woman that was stuck on yer throat..

[seafoid]

Has there been a team that won an All-Ireland out of the blue - no form before or after? Can't think of one.

Maybe Meath came out of nowhere in 1996 but they did achieve more success after that. Down were a point or two away fom being one hit wonders in 2010. Other than that, it seems that most AI champions carry a bit of form.

A lot of people expected Carlow to beat us in the first round.

The Dubs were knackered after 95. A bit like those fish that impregnate the female and then die. They were trying for about 4 years. I thought Charlie Redmond would never get that medal. 

[Syferus]

That Armagh team were far form one hit wonders. Everyone here still talks about the AISFs we had with Armagh in that era. 1977 may have been an opening bell but they showed themselves to be a quality team afterwards.

Joe Kernan, in his book, reckons that Kerry were a bit shit in 1980, and that Roscommon, or Armagh had they not blown it in the semi final, had them for the taking in the final if they'd shown a bit more belief. He could be talking shite for all I know, but it was interesting that he seemed to have more regrets about that year than the year they lost the final.

We went 1-2 to no score up on them and still lost - Kerry only ended up with 1-9 so we were almost halfway home after 10 minutes.

It took Dermot Earley 20 years before he could bare to watch the tape of the match because he felt he let everyone down. As if the big man could ever let anyone down, but the sentiment has always been that they were far from invincible that year. If we'd won the semi in 1977 or lost in 1980 and Armagh played in the final the extra experience of the big day would probably have been enough to see either over the line.

The drive for five should have been driven into a ditch long before Seamus Darby got his shot.

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

That is true though - you knew that playing the boys from the West allowed the chance of a big day out in September.
Tyrone v Mayo in 89 (still sticks in the throat)

In 89 ye were offered a lift and didnt go.  Twas the Ballycastle woman that was stuck on yer throat..

The arrogance of the Tyrone fans before the 1989 semi-final was astounding. That was a good Mayo team and they accounted well for themselves in the Final V Cork. They had already played very hard fought matches 2 v Galway and 2 v Roscommon in the Connacht Championship that year.

[rrhf]

Aye but we had the prince ye boy ye.  As for the AI final ye should have bate Cork.

[ONeill]

That is true though - you knew that playing the boys from the West allowed the chance of a big day out in September.
Tyrone v Mayo in 89 (still sticks in the throat)

In 89 ye were offered a lift and didnt go.  Twas the Ballycastle woman that was stuck on yer throat..

Was she not Downpatrick direction. I remember you saying you'd eat your jersey if we didn't bate Mayo. We were quite cocky to be honest. The hammering of Donegal in the final created monsters in us.