Gaa split season,killing Meath football since 2011

Current Affairs
6035

Why dont they add the round robin to the provinces and then just simply go straight knockout then in the football championship.

16 teams who don’t make provincial semi finals go straight into first round qualifiers - 8 losers into second tier. 8 winners play provincial semi final losers - same again - losers join the others in second tier for that year. 8 winners join the 8 provincial finalists in AI proper.

Straight knockout then in both competitions. All four provinces could be streamed into multiple groups to minimise mismatches. Gives teams more games but adds more knockout element and more opportunities for mid tier counties to get into tier 1 that year rather than having to make provincial finals

2 Likes
6036

The football championship is an absolute abomination no doubt. As @TreatyStones said theres a difference between split season amd structure.

I completely agree with you on the structure of the football championship. The round robin to eliminate 4 teams is ridiculous. Either go top 4 straight to semis or top 2 straight to QF. I perfer the straight tp semi myself

6037

Its going to go like AFL.

3 Divisions of 11 teams playing a 10 round league series between March and June with play offs at the end.

Provincial into Jan/Feb and then.

Hurling will probably go likewise.

Knowing the GAA though they’ll probably let 6 or 8 teams out of 11 go through to the play offs.

6038

https://twitter.com/m_brosnan/status/1777078701366063437?s=46

Last year it felt in the football championship games which should be interesting on paper we’re over due to the scheduling. That’s a terrible sign of a format.

6039

The new league system (2008-) and advanced S and C played a role in this. But the emergence of Jim Gavin in 2013 was a killer too. A great manager but overnight Leinster went from a somewhat competitive province where Dublin would falter and rely on muscle memory to beat teams like Kildare, Wexford and Meath, to a province where nobody could get within double digits of them. It’s noticeable that Wexford, Wicklow, Longford, Meath, Kildare, Laois and Westmeath are considerably weaker now than they were in 2009/10.

You’d fear for Carlow after yesterday. No victory at U21 level since 2012 and shipping a 23 point beating against a Division 4 outfit in championship. Struggling for traction at minor level too. A far cry from that underage team that reached a Leinster minor final in 2007 and took Dublin to extra-time at U21 in 2010. The team that reached the 3rd round of the qualifiers and won a promotion in 2017-18 was basically based off that.

6040

Offaly need to win the Joe McDonagh first for that fixture to become a reality. Although if Wexford had lost to Kilkenny last year then it would’ve been a plum Joe McDonagh Cup game this year. You’d love to see those promising young Offaly hurlers develop into a competitive outfit in the Leinster senior championship. The 2019 Leinster Championship would have been iconic if it had a decent Offaly team in the mix too.

Regarding the football. If you were to make a list of teams who are weaker now than when the football league structure was changed after the 2007 championship then the list would be quite lengthy @Cheasty.

Weaker in 2023 than 2007/08: Wexford, Carlow, Meath, Kildare, Laois, Offaly, Wicklow, Westmeath, Longford, Sligo, Fermanagh, Tyrone, Antrim, Down, Cork, Limerick, Waterford and Tipp.

Almost all of those declining counties would have had some memorable occasions in the years leading up to or around 2008. Whether it be Wicklow reaching the 4th round of the qualifiers in 2009, Sligo narrowly losing an All-Ireland quarter-final replay to eventual champions Armagh in 2002, Wexford reaching a Division 1 League final in 2005 and an All-Ireland semi in 2008 or Laois winning Leinster in 2003. Limerick had Munster titles snatched away from them at the death in 2003, 2004, 2009 and 2010. All of those achievements seem unthinkable now.

Stronger now: Dublin, Derry, Clare, Roscommon and New York.

Par/similar standard: Kerry, Donegal, Cavan, Monaghan, Armagh (decline in comparison to 1999-2006), Mayo, Leitrim, Louth, London, Galway.

1 Like
6041

It makes sense that a lot of counties are weaker because they’re being fed a diet of lower standard football in the League compared to the 2000s, while the stronger counties are being fed a diet of a higher standard of football in the League compared to what they were getting in the 2000s.

1 Like
6042

It’s nearly like they’re playing teams on the same level as them.

6043

If you don’t play against teams that are better than you on a regular basis you will stagnate. The 1A/1B/2A/2B format gave that opportunity to teams, it gave them that grounding of better standard football so that when it came to one off provincial championship ties or qualifiers against better teams they could give it a right good go.

It’s similar to an association football player aspiring to play for Ireland. If they’re in the League of Ireland or League Two in England they aren’t going to be considered. But if they get a move to the Championship or Premier League they will be considered because they’re testing themselves against better opponents consistently. If you’re playing League of Ireland or League Two that jump to international standard is going to be too much.

1 Like
6044

https://twitter.com/SmallerFishGAA/status/1777414132314099817?t=5rfje4q3l0t55V-E9wLSkQ&s=19

Its headbangers like Woolie that have it all destroyed.

6045

Should the GAA look into making Croke park available for Clare v Limerick on the 21st April?

1 Like
6046

I got a few likes for my views here but yet there doesnt seem to be a single pundit on the TSG that ever comes out to bat for the provincals.

1 Like
6047

The Ulster and Leinster Secretaries went on OTB defending them a while back and they were laughed at.

Considered dinosaurs.

OTB and Woolie have so much to answer for.

3 Likes
6048

I could maybe just live with the round robins in the football if was 2 from 4 to qualify rather than 3 from 4

I expect even smaller crowds at the round robin matches in 2024 than 2023

2 Likes
6049

I think the new football championship format is fantastic.

Whatever it is.

6050

Dublin? Be handier than Cark I suppose

1 Like
6051
6052

The Dublin championship going to become the second biggest competition in Ireland.

Transfer after transfer out of rural clubs thanks to the split season.

Gives the dubs a huge chance to develop younger players too in such a competitive club championship.

Meanwhile it’s tumble weed everywhere else.

I see Meath are making up a regional club championship which is interesting.

I wonder will their be a summer league in Dublin and players can come back and play knock out championship with their original clubs maybe?

6053

Like the IPL :rofl:

6054

High profile transfers into Dublin clubs are at an all time low. Fuck all happening compared to the 90s and noughties.

3 Likes