Phew I see we managed to avoid the big guns.

sponger (Wicklow) - Posts: 2897 - 08/06/2015 14:00:48    1734088

3 strong ulster teams in one draw, cavan and some weak teams in the other draw
a tad strange
then the cavan man draws out cavan v london
can ayone explain the design of the draw that just happened and why all 16 teams werent lumped in together

AnBuachaillGlas (Fermanagh) - Posts: 287 - 08/06/2015 14:02:10    1734089

what's the bets that Kildare get Laois in the second round of the qualifiers. then that would be 3 times they would have played each other.

amazing to think that Galway started off their Connacht Championship on 3rd May, yet Sligo wont enter the fray until 20th June.
a full 7 weeks later. and the Connacht final will ne 19th July. 11 weeks to run off a championship comprising 6 games.

s goldrick (Cavan) - Posts: 5518 - 08/06/2015 14:08:08    1734093

Longford are in the easy side of the draw, so clear path to Final! The sooner they get rid of this farce of a 'competition' for the weaker counties & bring in a proper Junior & Senior champship the better, cause all this serves to do is discourage the weaker counties' children from even bothering to play GAA or take it seriously. Result: Weaker counties get weaker & also less effort from parents & children to get involved at inter county competitive level.

GAA is not looking after player welfare at all in current structure & as a result, GAA will be the big loser in the long run. Politics of power hungry provincial councils are shooting GAA in the foot & its a great pity, cuase weaker counties would love the chance to play at their own level & qualify for senior level if they are good enough. Bigger gate receipts, better games, feel good factor etc etc etc etc

But what do I know. I wouldn't know the complexities of what that would involve to put this in place. And sure every county deserves to have their chance at Provincial or All Ireland success. Sure didn't Longford win it in 1968?...............................

arjuna (Longford) - Posts: 88 - 08/06/2015 14:26:27    1734110

s goldrick
County: Cavan
Posts: 3494
I agree. The amount of time it takes is completely unnecessary. Since we have so few counties in our province there is less games. I think game should be played twice (home and away) and the winner is decided by the aggregate score like in the Champions League...

mayo_hurler (Mayo) - Posts: 113 - 08/06/2015 15:34:58    1734161

Its usually round 2 of the back door that the ulster teams start to meet and beat each other, it is down to the law of averages more than anything. I would truly dread if we lost to armagh. I would put my house on the losers of armagh and donegal being put up against tyrone. We see too much of each other every year.

Donegalman (None) - Posts: 3830 - 08/06/2015 16:29:34    1734198

AnBuachaillGlas
County: Fermanagh
Posts: 42

1734089
3 strong ulster teams in one draw, cavan and some weak teams in the other draw
a tad strange
then the cavan man draws out cavan v london
can ayone explain the design of the draw that just happened and why all 16 teams werent lumped in together


it was split to avoid teams having a 6 day turn-around after losing a provincial game. People had complained for years about it until it was changed last year. Now that the luck of the draw has been unfair to some teams, they are complaining again.
Do you think Cavan folk enjoy paying for a flight to London?? ;)

cavanman47 (Cavan) - Posts: 5017 - 08/06/2015 16:31:21    1734200

Donegalman - Tyrone aren't through yet....they have never beaten Limerick in the championship before....

county man (Limerick) - Posts: 1102 - 08/06/2015 21:27:37    1734365

cavanman47 for me the biggest issue is that while they might have managed to do away with the 6 day turnaround for some teams but in the process left it that come quarter final stage all qualifier teams are on a one week turnaround while the provincial winners have had longer to prepare. Essentially all qualifier teams are disadvantaged at this stage.

Naysayer (Antrim) - Posts: 2071 - 09/06/2015 08:03:17    1734382

MourneArmy
County: Down
Posts: 1638
__________________________
Down on the road yet again, what is that all about MourneArmy, unbelievable, especially when you think of the Dublin scenario?

brendtheredhand (Tyrone) - Posts: 10897 - 09/06/2015 08:05:44    1734383

county man
County: Limerick
Posts: 811

1734365 Donegalman - Tyrone aren't through yet....they have never beaten Limerick in the championship before....
_______________________
You can be sure of one thing, Tyrone will not be taking the challenge of Limerick lightly and don't be fooled by so-called home advantage, Healy park is not exactly a fortress these days. Tyrone need to hit the ground running if they are to get the supporters behind them from the start and get some momentum going through the winding road that is the qualifiers. Would love it of we are still involved come August but theres a long way to go yet.

brendtheredhand (Tyrone) - Posts: 10897 - 09/06/2015 08:37:43    1734392

09/06/2015 08:05:44
brendtheredhand
County: Tyrone
Posts: 10298

1734383
MourneArmy
County: Down
Posts: 1638
__________________________
Down on the road yet again, what is that all about MourneArmy, unbelievable, especially when you think of the Dublin scenario?

To be fair, we got two home draws in the Qualifiers last season and it didn't do us much good with Kildare beating us handy enough in the 2nd round. But it just seems the majority of the championship we spend traveling up and down Ireland. I don't mind so much in the qualifiers, because I accept it's a second chance and we should just be happy for it. It bugs me in the Ulster championship much more because home advantage makes a big difference.

I actually think we play better away from home for some reason. Perhaps it's the knowing you have to up your game to beat any team on the road. Looking forward to a possible trip to Wexford Park, a ground I've never been to.

MourneArmy (Down) - Posts: 1787 - 09/06/2015 10:46:48    1734491

Its the 4th year in a row we have been drawn away in our first Qualifier match (and if Kildare win the replay it will be the 4th year away to a County beginning with L)

2015: Away (Laois or Kildare)
2014: Away (Limerick)
2013: Away (Louth)
2012: Away (London)

And actually just looking at all the games played in this period (or to be played this year) and out of the 6 fixtures only 1 was at home - Galway in 2012.

Offside_Rule (Antrim) - Posts: 4058 - 09/06/2015 11:52:12    1734542

Correct Offside_Rule - I actually thought that there was something in the past that ensured if you did not have a home fixture one day out you had it the next - cannot remember the specifics - also have to remember that we have been away in our Ulster Championship games this past 2 yrs and 4 of the last 5 :(

Naysayer (Antrim) - Posts: 2071 - 09/06/2015 11:59:33    1734548

Jaysus, when you look at all our Championship games (Ulster and Qualifiers) since 2012 we have played 11 games of which only two were in Casement. 1 of these was a neutral venue as the Ulster Semi but all others were away:

Played: 11
Home: 2
Away: 8
Neutral: 1

Offside_Rule (Antrim) - Posts: 4058 - 09/06/2015 12:23:08    1734562

Offside-Rule, I find that strange a I too thought that if you played away last year you got a home game this year, unless your opponent also played away last year.
Cavan came out of the hat first this year, yet we are away as We had a home tie last year and London were away. That's fair enough. it would be interesting to find out if Laois or Kildare were drawn home or away last year. (perhaps neither of them were in round one).

s goldrick (Cavan) - Posts: 5518 - 09/06/2015 12:37:56    1734576

sponger
County: Wicklow
Posts: 2497

1734088


Phew I see we managed to avoid the big guns.

Ha ! Ha! , youse will just have to beat Meath so. probably have a better chance there, they are missing alot of quality players.

s goldrick (Cavan) - Posts: 5518 - 09/06/2015 12:40:27    1734580

To be fair lads Casement is a in a state of disrepair atm!!!

bumpernut (Antrim) - Posts: 1852 - 09/06/2015 12:42:59    1734582

We'll take them to the Glens bumper. :-)

Offside_Rule (Antrim) - Posts: 4058 - 09/06/2015 12:50:31    1734588

It just goes to show how ridiculous the championship structure is. Three counties in Leinster could possibly play two matches in 13 days and be out of the championship. Namely Meath, Wicklow and Wexford.

hurlorhurley (Wexford) - Posts: 1660 - 09/06/2015 13:28:18    1734619