by Paddy Heaney
First Published April 24, 2009
It should be a weekend to celebrate the strength of gaelic football in Ulster, but ultimately the overriding emotions are of resigned frustration.
Yes, it’s fantastic that Derry, Monaghan, Down and Antrim will contest the four divisional football finals, being played on Saturday and Sunday. And, yes, it’s great that six Ulster counties (Derry, Tyrone, Donegal, Monaghan, Armagh and Down) continue to be seeded in the top 16 League placings. It’s also good that there is no longer any Ulster presence in the basement division.
But. But. But. The question must be asked: What will all this progress and promotion count for when the Championship gets underway? How will the advancement of Ulster football be rewarded in the summer?
Consider this distinct possibility. Derry (League seeding: 2nd) will meet Monaghan (9th) on May 24. The following week, Tyrone (5th) will play Armagh (12th).
The losers of both these games will enter the draw for the first round of the Qualifiers.
There’s every chance that Derry could meet Tyrone in the back door and that the campaign of this year’s League finalists or the reigning All-Ireland champions will be over after two swift games.
Yet again, the big glass bowl of the Qualifiers will have gotten rid of an Ulster county and thereby succeeded where southern counties often fail.
The anti-Ulster alliance will offer little sympathy. They’ll scream: “That’s Championship football. It’s the same for everyone, so quit your crying, you loud, mouthy, Nordie whingebags. (And that’s just the measured consensus from chin-stroking members of the southern media).
But this isn’t Nordie moaning. Championship football isn’t the same for everyone. It isn’t a level playing field.
Take the Munster Football Championship where Cork (League seeding: 10th) will meet Waterford (28th). Ooooh! I wonder who’ll win that one?
Here’s a clue. Waterford’s last win over the Rebel footballers was in 1898 – 111 years ago.
If Cork happen to squeeze past the Division Four minnows, they’ll meet Kerry (1st), who, without have played a game, will be sitting in the Munster semi-final.
And here’s the catch. The losers of Cork/Waterford and Kerry will enter the second round of the Qualifiers, therefore missing out on the bearpit of a fight that takes place in the first round of backdoor games.
It stands to reason that the more games a team plays, the more chances they have of losing.
By virtue of their residence in a six-county province, teams from Munster don’t have to play as many games in the Qualifiers as those from Ulster and Leinster.
So we repeat: it isn’t a level playing field.
A similar situation pertains in Connacht. Mayo (League seeding: 4th) will meet New York (rank: bad) in the first round, while Galway (3rd) take on London (32nd). If Mayo sneak past New York, they’ll meet either Division Three’s Roscommon (22nd) or
Division Four’s Leitrim (27th). And if Galway scramble past lowly London, they’ll play Sligo (26th).
Again, it’s pretty much a cakewalk for both Galway and Mayo to the provincial final. And even if they do slip up in the semi-finals, they still enter the Qualifiers at the second round stage.
In contrast, the five losers from Fermanagh v Down, Derry v Monaghan, Tyrone v Armagh, Donegal v Antrim and Fermanagh/Down v Cavan will all be cast into the bowl for the first round draw with every chance that they could meet a not-so-friendly neighbour.
Of course, none of this information is particularly enlightening. We know the Championship isn’t the same for everyone. We know that the big teams from Munster and Connacht have an easier passage to Croke Park.
However, this is not to say that we should meekly accept this situation. It’s time the tribes of Ulster demanded a change which means they aren’t always playing into the breeze and up the hill.
One remedy that should be considered is to use a team’s final position in the League as a seeding system that will be employed in the Qualifier draws. (The team that finishes top of Division One will be first and the teams that’s bottom of Division Four will be 33rd).
For the first round of the Qualifiers, which includes a total of 16 teams, the top eight seeded counties would be drawn against the eight lowest-seeded counties. A seeded draw could also take place for rounds two and three.
The system would have obvious benefits for the strong Ulster counties in Divisions One and Two as it would provide an easier route into the second round of the Qualifiers. This would go some way toward recognising the advantages enjoyed by the big guns in Munster and Connacht.
Secondly, linking the League and Championship would also have benefits for the GAA as it would make the NFL much more
competitive as there would be a greater incentive to finish as high in the table as possible. This format would also increase the likelihood of the country’s best teams reaching the last 12 of the competition, thus providing a fitting climax to the season.
If Ulster counties formed an alliance to push this proposal, there is a decent chance they’d get the necessary support from other counties. Dublin (League seeding: 6th) and Meath (13th), who meet in the first round of the Leinster
Championship, would certainly be sympathetic. Ironically, Kerry, Cork, Mayo and Galway might also favour this system as they too would benefit from a kinder draw once they’ve entered the Qualifiers.
Weaker counties who cry about being treated as cannon fodder could be kindly reminded that they are indeed cannon fodder. They should also be reminded that if it wasn’t for the support they received from the stronger counties, they’d still be in the Tommy Murphy Cup.
Of course, an open draw is the grand solution that will instantly end the advantages enjoyed by Kerry, Cork, Galway and Mayo.
But the Ulster Council will never endorse a format that will force them into extinction.
Given that the Ulster Council will never vote against the very system which is so unfair to its constituents, it should be incumbent on the provincial body to actively seek new measures that will alleviate the handicap facing northern counties in the All-Ireland SFC.
At last week’s Congress, a motion that came from the Ulster Convention seeking the end of the International Rules was
dismissively thrown out of court.
A considerable amount of time and effort would have been required to put that motion onto the floor of Congress. It was always going to be a beaten docket. Yet, this is the nonsense that is occupying the minds of our elected GAA officials.
Maybe at this year’s Ulster Convention, the powers-that-be can come up with an idea that will address the flawed and biased Championship structure that has dogged northern counties.
Mull this over. Would Kerry have won 35 All-Ireland titles if they started out in Ulster ever year? Would Jack O’Connor’s men be the 13/8 favourites for this year’s All-Ireland Championship if they were facing a trip to Clones and a game against Tyrone on May 31?
It’s time to level the playing field.
Yes, it’s fantastic that Derry, Monaghan, Down and Antrim will contest the four divisional football finals, being played on Saturday and Sunday. And, yes, it’s great that six Ulster counties (Derry, Tyrone, Donegal, Monaghan, Armagh and Down) continue to be seeded in the top 16 League placings. It’s also good that there is no longer any Ulster presence in the basement division.
But. But. But. The question must be asked: What will all this progress and promotion count for when the Championship gets underway? How will the advancement of Ulster football be rewarded in the summer?
Consider this distinct possibility. Derry (League seeding: 2nd) will meet Monaghan (9th) on May 24. The following week, Tyrone (5th) will play Armagh (12th).
The losers of both these games will enter the draw for the first round of the Qualifiers.
There’s every chance that Derry could meet Tyrone in the back door and that the campaign of this year’s League finalists or the reigning All-Ireland champions will be over after two swift games.
Yet again, the big glass bowl of the Qualifiers will have gotten rid of an Ulster county and thereby succeeded where southern counties often fail.
The anti-Ulster alliance will offer little sympathy. They’ll scream: “That’s Championship football. It’s the same for everyone, so quit your crying, you loud, mouthy, Nordie whingebags. (And that’s just the measured consensus from chin-stroking members of the southern media).
But this isn’t Nordie moaning. Championship football isn’t the same for everyone. It isn’t a level playing field.
Take the Munster Football Championship where Cork (League seeding: 10th) will meet Waterford (28th). Ooooh! I wonder who’ll win that one?
Here’s a clue. Waterford’s last win over the Rebel footballers was in 1898 – 111 years ago.
If Cork happen to squeeze past the Division Four minnows, they’ll meet Kerry (1st), who, without have played a game, will be sitting in the Munster semi-final.
And here’s the catch. The losers of Cork/Waterford and Kerry will enter the second round of the Qualifiers, therefore missing out on the bearpit of a fight that takes place in the first round of backdoor games.
It stands to reason that the more games a team plays, the more chances they have of losing.
By virtue of their residence in a six-county province, teams from Munster don’t have to play as many games in the Qualifiers as those from Ulster and Leinster.
So we repeat: it isn’t a level playing field.
A similar situation pertains in Connacht. Mayo (League seeding: 4th) will meet New York (rank: bad) in the first round, while Galway (3rd) take on London (32nd). If Mayo sneak past New York, they’ll meet either Division Three’s Roscommon (22nd) or
Division Four’s Leitrim (27th). And if Galway scramble past lowly London, they’ll play Sligo (26th).
Again, it’s pretty much a cakewalk for both Galway and Mayo to the provincial final. And even if they do slip up in the semi-finals, they still enter the Qualifiers at the second round stage.
In contrast, the five losers from Fermanagh v Down, Derry v Monaghan, Tyrone v Armagh, Donegal v Antrim and Fermanagh/Down v Cavan will all be cast into the bowl for the first round draw with every chance that they could meet a not-so-friendly neighbour.
Of course, none of this information is particularly enlightening. We know the Championship isn’t the same for everyone. We know that the big teams from Munster and Connacht have an easier passage to Croke Park.
However, this is not to say that we should meekly accept this situation. It’s time the tribes of Ulster demanded a change which means they aren’t always playing into the breeze and up the hill.
One remedy that should be considered is to use a team’s final position in the League as a seeding system that will be employed in the Qualifier draws. (The team that finishes top of Division One will be first and the teams that’s bottom of Division Four will be 33rd).
For the first round of the Qualifiers, which includes a total of 16 teams, the top eight seeded counties would be drawn against the eight lowest-seeded counties. A seeded draw could also take place for rounds two and three.
The system would have obvious benefits for the strong Ulster counties in Divisions One and Two as it would provide an easier route into the second round of the Qualifiers. This would go some way toward recognising the advantages enjoyed by the big guns in Munster and Connacht.
Secondly, linking the League and Championship would also have benefits for the GAA as it would make the NFL much more
competitive as there would be a greater incentive to finish as high in the table as possible. This format would also increase the likelihood of the country’s best teams reaching the last 12 of the competition, thus providing a fitting climax to the season.
If Ulster counties formed an alliance to push this proposal, there is a decent chance they’d get the necessary support from other counties. Dublin (League seeding: 6th) and Meath (13th), who meet in the first round of the Leinster
Championship, would certainly be sympathetic. Ironically, Kerry, Cork, Mayo and Galway might also favour this system as they too would benefit from a kinder draw once they’ve entered the Qualifiers.
Weaker counties who cry about being treated as cannon fodder could be kindly reminded that they are indeed cannon fodder. They should also be reminded that if it wasn’t for the support they received from the stronger counties, they’d still be in the Tommy Murphy Cup.
Of course, an open draw is the grand solution that will instantly end the advantages enjoyed by Kerry, Cork, Galway and Mayo.
But the Ulster Council will never endorse a format that will force them into extinction.
Given that the Ulster Council will never vote against the very system which is so unfair to its constituents, it should be incumbent on the provincial body to actively seek new measures that will alleviate the handicap facing northern counties in the All-Ireland SFC.
At last week’s Congress, a motion that came from the Ulster Convention seeking the end of the International Rules was
dismissively thrown out of court.
A considerable amount of time and effort would have been required to put that motion onto the floor of Congress. It was always going to be a beaten docket. Yet, this is the nonsense that is occupying the minds of our elected GAA officials.
Maybe at this year’s Ulster Convention, the powers-that-be can come up with an idea that will address the flawed and biased Championship structure that has dogged northern counties.
Mull this over. Would Kerry have won 35 All-Ireland titles if they started out in Ulster ever year? Would Jack O’Connor’s men be the 13/8 favourites for this year’s All-Ireland Championship if they were facing a trip to Clones and a game against Tyrone on May 31?
It’s time to level the playing field.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment