The poor standard of Ulster football

[screenexile]

Yeah the 8 groups of 4 teams won't work either Bogball. There is too much of a Gulf in Standards between the 32 teams and it's just not fair on other teams to get a tanking every year. We need a system like the Club Structure. Junior, Intermediate and Senior, with a relegation system in place (Much like the Hurling system, which has its flaws but is fundamentally a fairer system). You can't have Sligo/London in a group with Kerry it just doesn't make sense.

Maybe have the provincial Championships with everyone involved and then go into the 3 tier All Ireland Championship structure. The winners of the Junior go into the Intermediate at semi final stage say, and the winners of the intermediate do the same for Senior Championship. It gives all teams a realistic chance of Silverware and also has the romance of the current structure whereby a supposed minnow has a chance at the big prize.

I haven't put a lot of thought into logistics or anything but I just think that weaker teams need something realistic to build towards and we are currently not offering anything (Tommy Murphy is cancelled . Why would a young lad from Carlow or Leitrim want to play for their county with no realistic chance of winning anything when they can head off to America or concentrate on winning their club championship. Club football in Carlow is supposed to be strong yet their County Team are awful, same with Antrim. Something needs to be done anyway!

[RadioGAAGAA]

ok - say in late May, Galway, Armagh, Kildare and Limerick are drawn in one group... Armagh v Galway in Clones, Armagh v Kildare in Navan and Armagh vs Limerich in Mullingar,,, could go to the last day in July to see who would be the top 2... good crowds etc

Good crowds etc?

Have you not seen the qualifiers lately? (sub 30,000 at a triple header in Croke - there was more than that for just Down v Armagh in the 2nd round of the Ulster Championship!)


Contrast that with the crowds at the provincial matches and you'll see its a no-brainer - keep the provincial championships.



I think far too many are clamouring for change, when change is not really required. Give it a few years and it'll right itself - it always has.

[Hurler on the Bitch]

How long has it taken Munster football championship to 'right itself'? That championship is a no brainer! Compared to the hurling it's an embarrassment.. Ulster has become boring with the Armagh Tyrone monopoly ... Bit of seeding might help a new league format... but surely it would be better than having Antrim knocked out of the Ulster on 17th May and no game until 17th July ... Bit of imagination would be helpful...

[DUBSFORSAM1]

As are Ulster matches AZ - but due to no small part of a certail Kerry pundit - we are puke football!! Croke is an amazing pitch - bigger than all the others which leads to more kicks and open play - Ulster football suffers because of the media and because we have the audicity of trying to win the ultimate prize!

Arthur - So why can't Ulster teams try to win the ultimate prize by playing open attacking football or are they just not capable of it??? Yes in 02/03/05 there were good Ulster teams but since then they have come nowhere near to winning anything....and yet in 02 Armagh were lucky to win the first day against Dublin and in 05 Tyrone were lucky the first day against Dublin so even when they had their best teams of all time Dublin were very close to beating them...

On what basis will it be Armagh/Tyrone putting the challenge to them??

What a silly question. Are you saying that Armagh (if we get to meet ye) and Tyrone won't put up a challenge?

The query was in relation to the statement that "Dublin are playing well but team that will challenge Kerry will be Armagh or Tyrone" - ie already ruling Dublin out of getting to the final...

[corn02]

As are Ulster matches AZ - but due to no small part of a certail Kerry pundit - we are puke football!! Croke is an amazing pitch - bigger than all the others which leads to more kicks and open play - Ulster football suffers because of the media and because we have the audicity of trying to win the ultimate prize!

Arthur - So why can't Ulster teams try to win the ultimate prize by playing open attacking football or are they just not capable of it??? Yes in 02/03/05 there were good Ulster teams but since then they have come nowhere near to winning anything....and yet in 02 Armagh were lucky to win the first day against Dublin and in 05 Tyrone were lucky the first day against Dublin so even when they had their best teams of all time Dublin were very close to beating them...

On what basis will it be Armagh/Tyrone putting the challenge to them??

Ehhhh? Can you explain why Armagh were lucky in 02?