Is it time to not have a League Final?

From the Bunker · April 26, 2009, 11:14:31 PM

Judging by the small attendances and pedestrian feel to the two top Division Finals, is it time to just give the top team in each division the Trophies when topping the Division, after all it is called the league. So why does it not do what it says on the can?

ziggysego · April 26, 2009, 11:31:17 PM

I always thought that the team which tops the league would be awarded the League title.

TacadoirArdMhacha · April 26, 2009, 11:50:20 PM

Tradition dictates that we award trophies after finals though. If we are to retain the finals though I think the team that finishes first in the division should be at home in the final.

From the Bunker · April 27, 2009, 10:04:37 AM

Tradition also ment that in the Championship when you lost you were out!
Tradition said that Galway was in Connacht in Hurling.
Tradition said that Antrim were in Ulster.
Tradition said that no foreign games would be played in Croke Park.
Tradition said that Ulster Finals were in Ulster......
and so on........

My point is that tradition can easily change.

drici · April 27, 2009, 10:14:24 AM

If the Finals are done away with then four helicopters would do the job if the last matches were all played on the same day(unless a County were so far ahead in their League that they couldn't be caught).

Or two different days and then only two helicopters.

IolarCoisCuain · April 27, 2009, 10:26:06 AM

Fifteen years ago they had an eight-team playoff at the end of the league - four teams from Division 1, two from Division 2 and one each from Div 3 and 4, or something like that. It made for some interesting games, and the notion that a team from a lower Division would be automatically outmatched by a Division 1 outfit is a doubtful one. Laois won the League from Division 3 in 1986, and this is Gaelic football, after all. Why don't they bring that back? Certainly no point in having teams waltzing around an empty Croker as happened yesterday.

Bogball XV · April 27, 2009, 10:38:20 AM

Quote from: IolarCoisCuain on April 27, 2009, 10:26:06 AM
Fifteen years ago they had an eight-team playoff at the end of the league - four teams from Division 1, two from Division 2 and one each from Div 3 and 4, or something like that. It made for some interesting games, and the notion that a team from a lower Division would be automatically outmatched by a Division 1 outfit is a doubtful one. Laois won the League from Division 3 in 1986, and this is Gaelic football, after all. Why don't they bring that back? Certainly no point in having teams waltzing around an empty Croker as happened yesterday.

yeah, but croker was still empty most of the time for the finals, from memory Tyrone v Derry 1992 had just over 20,000 at it, same with Derry v Offaly in 1998.

Quote from: drici on April 27, 2009, 10:14:24 AM
If the Finals are done away with then four helicopters would do the job if the last matches were all played on the same day(unless a County were so far ahead in their League that they couldn't be caught).

Or two different days and then only two helicopters.

Four days and one helicopter?

mountainboii · April 27, 2009, 10:38:59 AM

Quote from: IolarCoisCuain on April 27, 2009, 10:26:06 AM
Fifteen years ago they had an eight-team playoff at the end of the league - four teams from Division 1, two from Division 2 and one each from Div 3 and 4, or something like that. It made for some interesting games, and the notion that a team from a lower Division would be automatically outmatched by a Division 1 outfit is a doubtful one. Laois won the League from Division 3 in 1986, and this is Gaelic football, after all. Why don't they bring that back? Certainly no point in having teams waltzing around an empty Croker as happened yesterday.

There wouldn't be room in the schedule now for 3 knock out games after the league stages.

I honestly don't think you can do anything to rejuvenate league finals because of the simple fact that very few, if any, counties are actually that bothered if they win or not. It becomes a vicious circle with supporters realising that players aren't bother and subsequently not showing up, then players becoming even less bothered as they play in front of smaller and smaller crowds.

drici · April 27, 2009, 10:48:50 AM

Quote from: Bogball XV on April 27, 2009, 10:38:20 AM

Four days and one helicopter?

Or if it is tight in a Division, then someone like Oraisteach seeing as he won the Spreads competition could nominate who he reckons are most likely to win the Division and the real League Trophy for that Division could be brought to that ground with a chocolate copy Trophy realistically covered in silver paper so it looks more or less the same being brought to the alternate venue not chosen by Oraisteach.
The fake trophy could be presented to the winners in the event of an unexpected result or if things went as predicted given to the TG4 Laoch na hImeartha for the game or just broken up like an Easter egg and shared amongst the players.

From the Bunker · April 27, 2009, 11:40:20 AM

4 Helicopters would probably cost less than a 3/4 empty Croke Park

Bogball XV · April 27, 2009, 01:23:22 PM

Quote from: drici on April 27, 2009, 10:48:50 AM
Quote from: Bogball XV on April 27, 2009, 10:38:20 AM

Four days and one helicopter?

Or if it is tight in a Division, then someone like Oraisteach seeing as he won the Spreads competition could nominate who he reckons are most likely to win the Division and the real League Trophy for that Division could be brought to that ground with a chocolate copy Trophy realistically covered in silver paper so it looks more or less the same being brought to the alternate venue not chosen by Oraisteach.
The fake trophy could be presented to the winners in the event of an unexpected result or if things went as predicted given to the TG4 Laoch na hImeartha for the game or just broken up like an Easter egg and shared amongst the players.

Maybe, though if we played it over the easter weekend, div 4 games on good friday, div 3 on holy saturday, div 2 on easter sunday and div 1 on easter monday we could fit the four rounds into the calendar over one weekend. We could still have the chocolate trophies though as they'd add to the atmosphere, especially for the kids, mightn't be appropriate to have one for the good friday final games though.
It would also make it easy for sportswriters to come up with headlines, they'd be able to throw in 'great friday for sligo' Kerry rise to the easter challenge, etc etc....

rrhf · April 27, 2009, 02:19:32 PM

I think that the league needs to be looked at. If teams arent bothered if they win or not then why should the supporters. Clever calculated thought needed. Why not play the league and championship through each other and within a 5 month closed season a la rugby soccor et all.

orangeman · April 27, 2009, 02:23:37 PM

Quote from: rrhf on April 27, 2009, 02:19:32 PM
I think that the league needs to be looked at. If teams arent bothered if they win or not then why should the supporters. Clever calculated thought needed. Why not play the league and championship through each other and within a 5 month closed season a la rugby soccor et all.

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There might be something in that alright.

Zulu · April 27, 2009, 03:38:23 PM

Having a direct connection between the league and the championship has to be the way forward IMO, it is madness have a situation where the opening league game gets 80,000 and the division 1 final comes to a conclusion in front of 10,000 with nobody really bothered about who won it.

rrhf · April 27, 2009, 03:45:15 PM

Are we beoming event junkies rather than fans

or are we dancer?