It strikes me that Leinster teams are being given a massive advantage in the Championship (football).

Due to the inherently weak nature of the province, you have the ridiculous situation where poor sides are able to advance relatively far in the championship.

The problem was illustrated quite starkly for me this year when we saw a technically poor and tactically naive Dublin outfit make it all the way to a semi final.
Of course they were easily found out once they met a proper outfit so justice can be said to be served to some extent.
But what rankles me is that a decent team from one of the 3 "football" provinces was denied their place in a semi by the anachronistic nature of the provincial structure.

This current structure, with it's protectionist stance towards weak Leinster teams is strangling the fair running of the championship and costing real teams a place in the last 4. It was even worse last year, when we had the farcical situation of Dublin actually winning the whole thing due to the handy draw they were given. And if memory serves correct, that wasn't the first time in recent history that such a blight affected our great Championship.

Opinions? Is it time to throw all the Leinster teams into a real province? Maybe a round robin with the winner being given a place in Connaught?

Horse (Laois) - Posts: 1146 - 04/09/2014 15:10:35    1647956

a boy the kid !

Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts: 8166 - 04/09/2014 15:31:51    1647965

H'mm. Interesting idea that round robin. I think though if Dublin had to play Laois in Portlaois for instance they might have been caught out sooner. But of course that idea will never come to fruition.

MaigheoAbu (Mayo) - Posts: 343 - 04/09/2014 15:34:01    1647970

hmmmm, theres definitely something fishy about this thread but I just can't put my finger on it!

brendtheredhand (Tyrone) - Posts: 10897 - 04/09/2014 15:40:15    1647976

Ha ha !! :)

Any Dublin fan on here long enough wont bite at this !!

waynoI (Dublin) - Posts: 13650 - 04/09/2014 15:50:19    1647980

maybe if laois could sort out their own championship it would be a starting point?

lillyboy (Kildare) - Posts: 429 - 04/09/2014 15:57:27    1647986

Zing lilyboy :-)

hurlingdub (Dublin) - Posts: 6978 - 04/09/2014 16:02:58    1647991

Real em in Horse!

Jackeen (Dublin) - Posts: 4097 - 04/09/2014 16:05:19    1647994

Lillyboy,

Apologies, I overlooked Kildares wonderful achievement in winning the NFL 2nd division title a few years ago. While some people say glory cannot be bought, I think the Kildare CB did a fine job of debunking that myth.

"We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars", Oscar Wilde.

Horse (Laois) - Posts: 1146 - 04/09/2014 16:08:37    1647997

Excellent thread and the question of Leinster's weakness as a football province certainly needs to be addressed. Dublin can compete at the highest level due to their inherent advantages of population, financial backing and resources. Now as for the rest I would suggest substantial GAA funding for Leinster counties perhaps beginning with a few million a year for Meath and Kildare would put these counties in the running for honours, and to make the province more competitive an amalgamation of Laois and Offaly would have to be one of the first steps in the process. We could call it County Laffaly perhaps.

bryanadams (Kildare) - Posts: 733 - 04/09/2014 16:11:26    1647999

Don't forgetour glorious recent record in the O'Byrne Cup to go with that Div2 title Horse.

beir_bua (Kildare) - Posts: 746 - 04/09/2014 16:15:37    1648004

big yawn and a stretch ahhh that's better.

superbluedub (Dublin) - Posts: 2837 - 04/09/2014 16:41:01    1648022

bryanadams
County: Kildare
Posts: 561
an amalgamation of Laois and Offaly would have to be one of the first steps in the process. We could call it County Laffaly perhaps.

Bryan,
I did float the idea of a "Greater Laois" here a few years ago. The idea being that lesser counties in the region would be granted "vassal" status and would have the chance to play under the Laois banner. (of course they would cease to be counties in their own right but I cant imagine anyone would be perturbed by that prospect)
I expected people from the counties of Offaly, Kildare, Westmeath and Carlow to jump at the opportunity but so far enthusiasm has been muted.

Horse (Laois) - Posts: 1146 - 04/09/2014 16:51:13    1648027

so dublin beat us all out the gate and instead of taking our beating we think the 'structures should be addressed'- sheffield wednesday fans must hate the 'structures' too, they ain't won the champions league in ages. Something should be done.

switec (Kildare) - Posts: 525 - 04/09/2014 16:53:19    1648028

Wee could put Louth and Meath together. Wee are looking for a home ground and their are looking for an all star midfielder. Problem solved. Call ourselves the Boyne Brigade and wear the colours red and green. It keeps everyone happy.

OLLIE (Louth) - Posts: 12224 - 04/09/2014 17:29:00    1648047

Lads HORSE is not a Laois man as he starts threads to make a joke of Laois- Get back to Offaly or Kildare. We have enough to worry about in Laois without worrying about the structure of the championship.

Ben (None) - Posts: 101 - 04/09/2014 19:03:35    1648101

A man called Horse. He's a right cool dude though.

MaigheoAbu (Mayo) - Posts: 343 - 04/09/2014 19:18:04    1648113

Horse
County: Laois
Posts: 1122

1648027 bryanadams
County: Kildare
Posts: 561
an amalgamation of Laois and Offaly would have to be one of the first steps in the process. We could call it County Laffaly perhaps.

Bryan,
I did float the idea of a "Greater Laois" here a few years ago. The idea being that lesser counties in the region would be granted "vassal" status and would have the chance to play under the Laois banner. (of course they would cease to be counties in their own right but I cant imagine anyone would be perturbed by that prospect)
I expected people from the counties of Offaly, Kildare, Westmeath and Carlow to jump at the opportunity but so far enthusiasm has been muted.

bryanadams (Kildare) - Posts: 733 - 04/09/2014 19:26:11    1648120

Horse
County: Laois
Posts: 1122

1648027 bryanadams
County: Kildare
Posts: 561
an amalgamation of Laois and Offaly would have to be one of the first steps in the process. We could call it County Laffaly perhaps.

Bryan,
I did float the idea of a "Greater Laois" here a few years ago. The idea being that lesser counties in the region would be granted "vassal" status and would have the chance to play under the Laois banner. (of course they would cease to be counties in their own right but I cant imagine anyone would be perturbed by that prospect)
I expected people from the counties of Offaly, Kildare, Westmeath and Carlow to jump at the opportunity but so far enthusiasm has been muted.

I like your thinking Horse, and have to say Greater Laois has a nice ring to it. lol

bryanadams (Kildare) - Posts: 733 - 04/09/2014 19:33:19    1648122

Some notable points being raised here.

I doth protest; something tells me that there is a...."Horse outside".

DL17 (Donegal) - Posts: 86 - 05/09/2014 10:00:49    1648270