Allianz Football League 2013

Sport
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The draft fixture list for next year’s Allianz Football League has been released.

All-Ireland champions Donegal will travel to Kildare for their opening game in Division 1 on Sunday, February 3. Jim Gavin’s first game in charge of Dublin will be against Cork the day before, possibly at Croke Park. However, the prospect of another Spring Series involving the Dubs appears limited as their footballers and hurlers are scheduled to be on the same ticket on only Saturday night, March 16, when they will face Tyrone and Limerick respectively.

Eamonn Fitzmaurice’s first game as Kerry manager will be away to beaten All-Ireland finalists Mayo on February 3, while the opening weekend will also feature Laois at home to Armagh and Down at home to Tyrone.

Venues, times and dates for all games are open to change.

ALLIANZ NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 2 (7.0 unless stated)
Div 1: Dublin v Cork.
Div 2: Laois v Armagh.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 3 (2.0 unless stated)
Div 1: Kildare v Donegal, Down v Tyrone, Mayo v Kerry.
Div 2: Galway v Derry, Wexford v Longford, Westmeath v Louth.
Div 3: Antrim v Cavan, Monaghan v Meath, Wicklow v Fermanagh, Roscommon v Sligo.
Div 4: London v Offaly, Clare v Waterford, Limerick v Leitrim, Tipperary v Carlow.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 9 (7.0 unless stated).
Div 1: Cork v Kildare, Kerry v Dublin.
Div 3: Cavan v Monaghan, Fermanagh v Roscommon.
Div 4: Waterford v Tipperary.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 10 (2.0 unless stated)
Div 1: Mayo v Tyrone, Donegal v Down.
Div 2: Longford v Westmeath, Armagh v Wexford, Derry v Laois, Louth v Galway.
Div 3: Sligo v Antrim, Wicklow v Meath.
Div 4: Leitrim v Clare, Carlow v London, Offaly v Limerick.

SATURDAY, MARCH 2 (7.0 unless stated)
Div 1: Dublin v Mayo.
Div 2: Armagh v Longford, Laois v Louth.
Div 3: Meath v Cavan, Antrim v Fermanagh.
Div 4: Waterford v Limerick.

SUNDAY, MARCH 3
(2.0 unless stated)
Div 1: Tyrone v Donegal, Kildare v Kerry, Down v Cork.
Div 2: Wexford v Derry, Galway v Westmeath.
Div 3: Roscommon v Wicklow, Monaghan v Sligo.
Div 4: Offaly v Clare, Carlow v Leitrim, Tipperary v London.

SATURDAY, MARCH 9 (7.0 unless stated).
Div 1: Down v Mayo.
Div 2: Derry v Armagh.
Div 3: Fermanagh v Monaghan.

SUNDAY, MARCH 10 (2.0 unless stated).
Div 1: Donegal v Kerry, Kildare v Dublin, Tyrone v Cork (2.30).
Div 2: Longford v Galway, Louth v Wexford (2.30), Westmeath v Laois (2.30).
Div 3: Sligo v Cavan, Wicklow v Antrim (2.30), Roscommon v Meath (2.30).
Div 4: Clare v Tipperary (1.0), Limerick v Carlow (1.0), London v Waterford, Leitrim v Offaly (2.30).

SATURDAY, MARCH 16 (7.0 unless stated)
Div 1: Mayo v Kildare, Cork v Donegal, Dublin v Tyrone, Kerry v Down.
Div 2: Derry v Longford, Armagh v Louth, Laois v Galway.
Div 3: Monaghan v Wicklow (2.0), Antrim v Roscommon, Cavan v Fermanagh, Meath v Sligo.
Div 4: Leitrim v Waterford (2.0), Clare v London (2.0), Offaly v Carlow (2.0), Limerick v Tipperary.

MONDAY, MARCH 18 (2.0 unless stated).
Div 2: Wexford v Westmeath.

SUNDAY, MARCH 24
Div 1: Dublin v Down, Kerry v Cork, Mayo v Donegal (2.30), Kildare v Tyrone (2.30).
Div 2: Galway v Wexford (1.0), Louth v Derry, Westmeath v Armagh, Longford v Laois (2.30).
Div 3: Antrim v Meath, Fermanagh v Sligo, Wicklow v Cavan (2.30), Roscommon v Monaghan (2.30).
Div 4: Waterford v Offaly (1.0), London v Limerick, Tipperary v Leitrim, Carlow v Clare (2.30).

SUNDAY, APRIL 7 (3.0 unless stated).
Div 1: Down v Kildare, Cork v Mayo, Tyrone v Kerry, Donegal v Dublin.
Div 2: Derry v Westmeath, Louth v Longford, Wexford v Laois, Armagh v Galway.
Div 3: Monaghan v Antrim, Sligo v Wicklow, Meath v Fermanagh, Cavan v Roscommon.
Div 4: Leitrim v London, Clare v Limerick, Carlow v Waterford, Offaly v Tipperary.

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:rolleyes:

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Lovely, should be a bit of bite to that one after the events of earlier this year :guns: :ph34r:

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Dublin to win the league. :slight_smile:

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Kildare’s ‘home’ games in next year’s Allianz Football League could be played outside the county due to Newbridge’s reduced capacity.

Regarded as one of the best supported teams in the country, the Lilywhites are due to host All-Ireland champions Donegal, Kerry, Dublin and Tyrone at St. Conleth’s Park when they make their return to Division 1 next spring, but there is a strong possibility that at least two of those games will be moved to a larger venue in another county.

Newbridge’s reduced 8,000 capacity may not be able to cater for the crowds expected for the league opener against Donegal on February 3 and for the visit of Leinster champions Dublin on March 10. In this year’s championship, Kieran McGeeney’s men had to play their All-Ireland qualifier against Limerick in Portlaoise, despite having being handed home advantage for the fixture.

St Conleth’s Park capacity has been greatly reduced for health and safety reasons, and it remains to be seen what decision the CCCC comes to regarding where Kildare’s ‘home’ matches will be played next spring.

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is dublin cork being played in Croke or Parnell park on the opening night?
it would be a bad move to play it in Croke as a stand alone fixture as Cork will have 0 support present at the game and the stadium will look more empty than usual.
I would have thought this would deffo have been a candidtae for the “spring series” if that idea is still relevant but i think the novelty has well and truly worn off at this stage and it is furthur devalued now dublin are in division 2 ( or 1B :rolleyes: ) of the hurling plaing teams like Carlow and Limerick

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Kilkenny footballer Paul Donnelly has claimed the team wasn’t consulted over the decision to withdraw the county from next year’s Allianz Football League as well as from the Leinster junior and U21 competitions.

Instead, the Cats will play in a new British championship which will be contested by teams from London and other parts of England and Scotland. The championship will be run off on a round-robin basis, with the winners going on to compete in the All-Ireland junior championship.

Donnelly has condemned the move, saying the first he heard of it was through the media.

“I’m disappointed with the way the county board went behind our backs. It’s a step backwards and that’s no disrespect to the British championship. How are we going to improve with a step backwards?” he said in The Irish Examiner.

The 28-year-old expects many players to walk away from the football team, and wonders how Kilkenny will be able to field a team next summer when the local hurling championship is in full swing.

He continued: "If it’s June, most players are already committed to hurling. The way I see it, it’s easy to play hurling for Kilkenny when you’re that good because the motivation each year is to come back and play games because you’re so successful. All the boys that play football take heavy defeats but still come back for more. They’re heroes in my eyes but it would knock your confidence big time.

"I’m in shock. I was talking to a lot of players this morning and a lot of them are not going to commit next year. That might be heat of the moment talk but who’ll even want to play us in challenge games?

“This thing is bad form from the county board, going behind our backs without even talking to us.”

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Did a KK footballer post on here for a few days maybe about 3 years ago?, he left pretty quickly i presume after a few encounters with the more vocal of us, it was pure GAA waffle about “dedication”, “pride”, etc so he set himslelf up badly from the outset.

It would be nice if we could get Paul to contribute on here as well, perhaps he can be made aware we exist…

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Grimley taking no shit early doors in Armagh, good on him, if ever a panel needed a kicking, it was that one

New Armagh football manager Paul Grimley has swept the decks following a clear-out of 14 players from the 2012 squad over the past few weeks.

Among them is Andy Mallon, the former All Star corner-back who has been involved with the county since 2003, when he played in the All-Ireland final against Tyrone.

Billy Joe Padden, who linked up with Armagh after years with Mayo, has also been released, as have long-serving players Malachy Mackin, Michael O’Rourke and Anton Duffy.

Grimley said it was necessary to make such sweeping changes because Armagh have been “drifting for too long”. “Change is needed,” he said.

Grimley has introduced 12 newcomers, including two of the Crossmaglen Rangers All-Ireland club championship-winning side, Paul McKeown and Stephen Finnegan.

It brings to seven the number of Crossmaglen players that are now in the Armagh squad, with Jamie Clarke, Aaron and Tony Kernan, James Morgan and Johnny Hanratty all still involved.

Oisin McConville was critical recently of the low number of Crossmaglen players that had made the Armagh team in recent years.

The promising Rory Grugan is also off the panel but is set to travel in the coming weeks.

Grimley said he has spoken to all the players released and explained the reasons behind his decision.

“Some of the lads gone have been injured in recent seasons, others have lost form,” he said. “In Andy Mallon’s case, he’s living in Dublin now, has a young family and he’s a player we will probably revisit in February or March.”

He warned that further changes can’t be ruled out once the new season gets under way.

“I’ll be willing to cut some of the younger players some slack. It will take time to blood some of them. But the older players won’t have the same time,” he said. “They need to step up.”

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Surprised Malacky Mackin has been dropped.

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That’s Armagh fucked so

Armagh have been dealt a significant blow with the news that star forward Jamie Clarke may be unavailable for them next season.
According to Gaelic Life, the talented Crossmaglen forward is eager to go travelling around the world next year, and has reportedly informed new Armagh manager Paul Grimley of these intentions.
Clarke will definitely stay around until the conclusion of Crossmaglen’s involvement in the Ulster and All-Ireland Club Championships, which could go on as far as March, as the side continue their bid to become the first club to win three All-Ireland club football titles in a row.
After that though, he may depart Ireland for an extended travel break, potentially leaving Grimley and Armagh without one of the most gifted players in the game for 2013.

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Would be a massive, massive blow to Armagh if he left.

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Will probably be spotted sipping tea in Sallinns come April/May.

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Can’t find the official championship thread, but anyway. Does anyone else think Mayo could win the All-Ireland next year?

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I do Dunph and believe they are the best value out there at the moment from a punting point of view

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Yep.

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http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/sport/frc-report-proposes-several-gaelic-football-rule-changes-577364.html

FRC report proposes several Gaelic football rule changes

Monday, December 10, 2012 - 03:31 PM

Players issued with a yellow card should be subject to mandatory substitution for the remainder of the game. After a team has been given three yellow cards, any further yellow card will mean the player going off with no substitution.

terrible idea

The FRC has proposed that all offences currently attracting a 13-metre sanction should attract “a 30-metre sanction” in order to further reduce the player or team penalised seeking to slow down play for tactical reasons which leads to frustration for the other team and often unsightly bunching, shoving and delaying tactics.

agree

The FRC also suggested that, in addition to the existing rules, if the player who commits a foul has the ball he must place the ball on the ground immediately and retreat the required distance. Failure to do so should attract a 30-metre sanction.

agree

The proposals including an “advantage rule”, “the mark” and the option of the "clean pick-up"will make Gaelic football a better spectacle and help to reduce inconsistency in the game.

Yes to an advantage rule similar to association football where the referee has a 3/4 second window to see what develops

No to the mark - slows the game down and leads to less clean catching

No to doing away with the pick-up rule as currently exists

The use of the public clock will be proposed for Croke Park and other major county grounds for inter-county games.

No - I dislike the clock as used in Women’s football

In addition, as the adult club game has an average of just 32 minutes with ball in play and due to the modern fitness levels of club players, there is a proposal to make the adult club game a 70-minute match rather than the current 60 minutes.

Disagree

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http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/sport/frc-report-proposes-several-gaelic-football-rule-changes-577364.html

FRC report proposes several Gaelic football rule changes

Monday, December 10, 2012 - 03:31 PM

Players issued with a yellow card should be subject to mandatory substitution for the remainder of the game. After a team has been given three yellow cards, any further yellow card will mean the player going off with no substitution.

terrible idea

The FRC has proposed that all offences currently attracting a 13-metre sanction should attract “a 30-metre sanction” in order to further reduce the player or team penalised seeking to slow down play for tactical reasons which leads to frustration for the other team and often unsightly bunching, shoving and delaying tactics.

agree

The FRC also suggested that, in addition to the existing rules, if the player who commits a foul has the ball he must place the ball on the ground immediately and retreat the required distance. Failure to do so should attract a 30-metre sanction.

agree

The proposals including an “advantage rule”, “the mark” and the option of the "clean pick-up"will make Gaelic football a better spectacle and help to reduce inconsistency in the game.

Yes to an advantage rule similar to association football where the referee has a 3/4 second window to see what develops

No to the mark - slows the game down and leads to less clean catching

No to doing away with the pick-up rule as currently exists

The use of the public clock will be proposed for Croke Park and other major county grounds for inter-county games.

No - I dislike the clock as used in Women’s football

In addition, as the adult club game has an average of just 32 minutes with ball in play and due to the modern fitness levels of club players, there is a proposal to make the adult club game a 70-minute match rather than the current 60 minutes.

Disagree

19

Allied to losing a player to Leitrim, Kildare footballer James Kavanagh has now withdrawn from the County panel.

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[quote=“myboyblue, post: 717479”]Allied to losing a player to Leitrim, Kildare footballer James Kavanagh has now withdrawn from the County panel.[/quote]I hear hes goin to cavan

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