Ulster Senior Football Club Championship 2011

[TacadoirArdMhacha]

Crossmaglen are the best team in Ulster no matter what the standard is in Armagh. Would they not agree however that the poor standard in Armagh is a great benefit to them as most county champions find it very difficult to negotiate ther hazards they meet in their own county.
I noticed that Culloville finished 6th in the Armagh senior league[thye 6th best team in Armagh]. And Craigbane of derry can beat them who are the 15th best team in Derry!

PS. How are Culloville eligible to play in the Ulster Intermediate championship?

This argument has been done to death on here but in remains the case that Crossmaglen have actually found it more difficult to negotiate the hurdles they face in Armagh than the hazards they've faced in Ulster in recent years. This clearly suggests that the standard in Armagh is not poor, but rather that Crossmaglen are simply an exceptional side.

I wouldn't agree at all that this year's league standings are proof that Culloville are the 6th best team in Armagh. Craigbane beat them yes, but I understand that was by a point against 13 men? Culloville play in the intermediate championship for the simple, and obvious, reason that they are an intermediate team by virtue of not having won the intermediate championship until this year.

[armaghniac]

They should be though.

Why, exactly?. In many counties they are not.

[sheamy]

Derry and Armagh have obviously different league / championship set ups. In order to progress from intermediate to senior championship in armagh you have to win the intermediate championship. what league you play in has no bearing on what championship you are in (in theory you could win the Division 1 league but still play junior championship). Culloville had been beaten in 3 intermeadiate finals in the last 4 years before this year.

So are Culloville in senior for good now? Or is there a way back down to the intermediate championship?

[TacadoirArdMhacha]

Derry and Armagh have obviously different league / championship set ups. In order to progress from intermediate to senior championship in armagh you have to win the intermediate championship. what league you play in has no bearing on what championship you are in (in theory you could win the Division 1 league but still play junior championship). Culloville had been beaten in 3 intermeadiate finals in the last 4 years before this year.

So are Culloville in senior for good now? Or is there a way back down to the intermediate championship?

For the foreseeable future though there is no relegation procedure, teams are simply able to elect to move down to the intermediate championship. Perhaps we should consider a rule whereby you can't move down if you have played Division 1 football the previous season as some clubs, and I include my own, could be accused of having been too quick to regrade.

[armaghniac]

So are Culloville in senior for good now? Or is there a way back down to the intermediate championship?

No. They can go back to Intermediate in the future if they are crap in the senior championship.

[Applesisapples]

Crossmaglen are the best team in Ulster no matter what the standard is in Armagh. Would they not agree however that the poor standard in Armagh is a great benefit to them as most county champions find it very difficult to negotiate ther hazards they meet in their own county.
I noticed that Culloville finished 6th in the Armagh senior league[thye 6th best team in Armagh]. And Craigbane of derry can beat them who are the 15th best team in Derry!

PS. How are Culloville eligible to play in the Ulster Intermediate championship?

Culloville's rise has been recent. There wouldn't be much difference in Armagh between Senior and intermediate teams, certainly at the top and bottom of each grouping, for example Sarsfileds won the intermediate last year and are in division 1. The top six teams in Armagh excluding Cross would probably give any team in Ulster their fill with the exceptions of perhaps St Gall's, Ballinderry and Burren. Championship grading in Armagh is decide by the teams although once you win Intermediate then you progress to Senior. Sarsfileds beat Culloville in last years final and they played senior this year and Culloville will do likewise next year.

[Goats Do Shave]

However it may all change from next year on with proposals being taken to the County Convention...

[nrico2006]

Some ball from Clarke for McConville's goal. Clarke is unmarkable - doesn't matter if the ball is in high or low he'll still win it.

Most days maybe. Ballinderry kept him very quiet.

As did Block.

[screenexile]

I don't agree with that system. If you are having an Ulster Intermediate Championship then it should be a level playing field for everyone. Culloville have been plying their trade all year against the likes of Cross, Pearse Og, Dromintee while Craigbane have been playing at a level below.

I think their should be a uniform way of grading Clubs across all counties.

[Goats Do Shave]

Yeah, Derry should change.

[Applesisapples]

I don't agree with that system. If you are having an Ulster Intermediate Championship then it should be a level playing field for everyone. Culloville have been plying their trade all year against the likes of Cross, Pearse Og, Dromintee while Craigbane have been playing at a level below.

I think their should be a uniform way of grading Clubs across all counties.

It's the system in Armagh, you win the Junior youplay Intermediate, you win that you play Senior it's fair.

[HiMucker]

Craigbane won by a point against 13 men. Would doubt they would have won if it was 15/15

That  crowd would never manage to keep 15 men on the field against criagbane or any other good team, so we will never know

[HiMucker]

Just read that all about the grading in Aramgh.  Sounds fair enough if you win the championship you compete at senior the next year.  Tyrone do this aswell, but the team is also promoted to the senior league.  However i think its a bit of a joke that a team in the senior league can compete in the intermediate championship.  How many seasons has culloville been in the top divison?  And am I right in thinking that a team ccould in theory could win the divison one league 10 years on the trot but still be playing in the intermediate championship as they havent won it?  Can the county board veto a teams request to downgrade if they think they are too strong?
The fact that culloville were in four finals in four years tells you that they were consistently at the top of intermediate in aramgh and should have been promoted.

[Smokin Joe]

The fact that culloville were in four finals in four years tells you that they were consistently at the top of intermediate in aramgh and should have been promoted.

....and they will be, now that they have won it.

[HiMucker]

The fact that culloville were in four finals in four years tells you that they were consistently at the top of intermediate in aramgh and should have been promoted.

....and they will be, now that they have won it.

Right smart arse, my point was that their promotion was overdue.  I remember we were beat in the all ireland schools B semi final (2001 i think) by a longford school (can remember their name)by 7 points, but we were well beat from start to finish and had no chance of winning.  They had lost 3 leinster B finals in a row but everyone and their dog new they should have been in the hogan.  They won the all ireland final by 30 odd points!  We actually gave them their closet game that year.  Now schools football it is difficult to sort out these imbalances, but club football it is quite easy.  Top teams go up and bottom teams go down.  I think its quite clear to see thats  the fairest way.