National Forum

A Tier 2 Championship For Football - Let's Give It A Go

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Replying To Cuhullain:  "Sweetspot, on behalf of that post of yours I apologise to all Kildare gaels, I am still this side of 30, I live in east Kildare , I don't belong to a senior club, first and foremost I am a hurling man, I had two choices, 1. To declare with Naas, 2. To declare with Sarsfields, I signed up with Sarsfields. I have a junior hurling championship medal which I treasure. I played some hurling with Carlow RTC with some of the greats of modern day hurling, at this stage the Liam McCarthy is far from my mind, you use the word immigrant loosely but unwisely,
I don't post here, mostly because I don't connect with most posts, I am a passionate hurling Kildare man, medals and cups are not important, I feel sorry for some that think otherwise."
That's more than fair and I admire you and wish that I was more enticed to play it myself as a young lad, even though at 23 I can probably still be considered young l'd say. Of course there are exceptions to what I said and a select but passionate group of hurlers all over the county. You have to acknowledge that that's not the norm within this county, though?
I didn't mean to speak on behalf of the county here but merely state my reasons, and reasons I believe to be a common reason that hurling is not as large in the county as it has the potential to be.

Sweetspot (Kildare) - Posts: 323 - 03/05/2019 07:25:55    2181567

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Replying To extranjero:  "If we're going to a 2 tier championship, I feel it's important that it's not a case of lose-a-provincial-game and you're in the other level. Players need to know and be able to plan their forthcoming season. You maybe-mightbe at the top table is nonsense, and as we saw a decade ago, players and fans don't respond well at all to "relegation" mid season. Players/supporters should know in December/January which competition they're playing in that year.
For Example...
If Wexford start the year in Sam Maguire, but narrowly lose the first round in Leinster.... expect an exodus of players taking the summer off to go to the US, etc.
... however....
If Wexford start the year knowing they're in a second tier competition, players and supporters will adapt expectations and be prepared for such a competition."
That is an interesting viewpoint.

An idea I've had that I feel could realistically work was something along the lines of.

March/April Provincial championships, start of club championships can be scheduled around Provincial championship games

Football championship: 2 tiers of 16 split into 8 divisions.

Tier 1 would include 4 Provincial champions, Finalists of Previous season's tier 2 championship plus then teams from the previous season's tier 1.

You would have 12 teams guaranteed to be tier 1. Top 5 from each of the previous season's tier 1 plus the tier 2 finalists.

6th and 7th placed teams from the tier 1 group stage are not guaranteed a spot the following season if a tier 2 team goes on to win their provincial championship the following year.

I thought this to be a decent solution. The main competition was very much like a National League style competition but that Provincial champions were still given a shot at the All Ireland.

I hadn't considered that It would be hard to take for a team to lose out on a tier 1 place they'd thought they'd secured by virtue of a Provincial champion usurping them.

Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4222 - 04/05/2019 13:27:30    2181817

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How about -
Tier 1 (5,5,5); Tier 2 (5,5); Tier 3 (3 v 2,2).
Tiers 1 & 2 = 4 match round robin.
Tier 3 = 4 matches, with 3v4 & pairs head to head.

Tier 1 KO 9+ (3,3,3) & 4 Prov Champs (unchanged, play before/parallel); byes to AI KO QFs, as needed.

Tier 2 KO 12 (3,3) & 6 parachute tier 1 4ths & 5ths.
Rd of 12, rd of 6 (best seed final bye), 1 SF, 1 Final.
Last 6 start tier 1 groups in following year.

Tier 3 KO 8 (best 4 of 7) & 4 tier 2 4ths & 5ths.
Last 4 start tier 2 groups in following year.

Plenty 'ebb & flo' for teams to find own level.
That rd of 12 & tier 3 QFs would be cut throat.
Prefer parachute 5ths only ?

omahant (USA) - Posts: 2584 - 04/05/2019 16:59:13    2181841

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