I'd like to congratulate Dublin on a great league campaign!

The semi-finals and finals are nonsense. Championship is the time for that stuff. The teams top after regular league phase should be league champions and that should be the end of it. For a bit of knock-out drama to whet our appetite for the impending championship, 2nd bottom could take on 2nd top of the division below in relegation play-offs.

It is a good move that the league semi-finals are being scrapped from next year onwards. In a slight contradiction to above, Allianz have been great sponsors for the league. If it's value for them to retain the Division 1 final for promotional reasons, I wouldn't hold that against them. I would scrap the finals in the lower divisions however. Replace them with relegation play-offs between 2nd bottom and 2nd top of the division below. The Division 1 play-off could be the curtain raiser for the Division 1 final. The hurling league could do something similar.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 7842 - 10/04/2016 11:16:24    1843854

Either keep them all or lose them all. Enough of this fecking elitism within our games!

Offside_Rule (Antrim) - Posts: 4058 - 10/04/2016 11:27:16    1843856

Legend the league finals are great way for counties that normally dont get a game in Croke park to play in HQ. In two weeks ourselves and Antrim play in Croke Park and Kildare play Clare after us. Clare and Antrim don't get too many days out for the footballers in Croke Park. This is the way I would love the leagues to be structured.

Keep the same format with four divisions with eight teams in each league. Split the leagues in to A and B with four teams in each section. Each team would play each other twice home and away giving every county six games each.

In Division one the top two in each section would qualify for the semi finals. Winner of 1A v Runner up 1B and Winner of 1B v Runner up 1A. The winners meet in the Division one final to be crowned league champs. The bottom team in each section is relegated. The second bottom in each section meet each other in a relegation play off with the loser demoted to Division two.

In Division two and three the top team in each section are promoted and meet each other in the final and play each other for the right to be league champs. The second team in each section play each other in a promotion play off with the winner going up. The bottom team in each section are relegated. The second bottom team in each section play each other in a relegation play off with the loser going down.

In Division four the top teams in each section would be promoted and meet each other in the Division four final. The second team would play each other with the winner going up.

Each county would have the same amount of home and away games and there is everything to be played in each section.

OLLIE (Louth) - Posts: 12224 - 10/04/2016 11:51:08    1843863

End lower division finals?
I'd like to congratulate Dublin on a great league campaign!
The semi-finals and finals are nonsense. Championship is the time for that stuff. The teams top after regular league phase should be league champions and that should be the end of it. For a bit of knock-out drama to whet our appetite for the impending championship, 2nd bottom could take on 2nd top of the division below in relegation play-offs.
It is a good move that the league semi-finals are being scrapped from next year onwards. In a slight contradiction to above, Allianz have been great sponsors for the league. If it's value for them to retain the Division 1 final for promotional reasons, I wouldn't hold that against them. I would scrap the finals in the lower divisions however. Replace them with relegation play-offs between 2nd bottom and 2nd top of the division below. The Division 1 play-off could be the curtain raiser for the Division 1 final. The hurling league could do something similar
legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts:4632 - 10/04/2016 11:16:24I don't see any issue with a league having playoffs to determine the winner at the end. If a team who finishes top especially in a competition where you only play teams once cant beat the teams again then why should they have to get the title. When the league isn't home and away in the round robin stage then playoffs are fine. league semi finals lessen the potential for lots of dead rubbers.

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 10/04/2016 15:04:49    1843898

Let them eat cake. Even better put Antrim and Louth to work in the Croke Park kitchens to sweat and slave over the Hors d'oeuvres, Fois Gras and Aberdeen Angus steaks for Dublin and Kerry.

Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9702 - 10/04/2016 15:13:33    1843902

If you're working in the kitchens Ulsterman after this season that leaves me selling the Big Issue outside Croker in the rain!

MedwayIrish (Wexford) - Posts: 2324 - 10/04/2016 15:34:08    1843908

Playoff between 2nd top and 2nd bottom is a rubbish idea. Top 2 promoted, bottom 2 relegated. End of.

icehonesty (Wexford) - Posts: 2550 - 10/04/2016 15:34:43    1843910

the semi finals in division one turns the division into a bit of a farce really. What it says is, you can disregard your first few league games as long as you do well enough to get 4th place and then you can aim to peak from then on. Its not really in the spirit of a league format if you get a second chance for inconsistency.

SaffronDon (Antrim) - Posts: 2385 - 10/04/2016 15:45:57    1843916

Legend the league finals are great way for counties that normally dont get a game in Croke park to play in HQ. In two weeks ourselves and Antrim play in Croke Park and Kildare play Clare after us. Clare and Antrim don't get too many days out for the footballers in Croke Park. This is the way I would love the leagues to be structured.

OLLIE (Louth) - Posts:8958 - 10/04/2016 11:51:08

I accept that. I listen to people!

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 7842 - 10/04/2016 15:49:07    1843917

Why is there a need for a final in 2,3 and 4 when both participants are promoted anyway?

RoyalBadger (Meath) - Posts: 571 - 11/04/2016 09:04:41    1844137

totally disagree scrap the semis yes, for the four teams in div 3/4 finals it is their only chance of winning anything and getting to play in croke park for non leinster counties like antrim and clare is just rewards for good league campaigns, I would like to see an incentive to win for the next year introduced ie the team that wins is guaranteed 4 home games next year

coopersleftfoot (Kerry) - Posts: 91 - 11/04/2016 11:21:34    1844196

Great to see Louth and Antrim in Croker weekend after next. Big day out for them both and their players and fans. Would hate that to be removed from the game.

CmonAymonow (Laois) - Posts: 160 - 11/04/2016 12:46:31    1844247

I am looking forward to the Div 4 final and hopefully see Louth lift some silverware in Croke Park. Louth have a great record in league finals. They have won Div 2 in 2000 and 2006 and in 2011 they won Div 3.

OLLIE (Louth) - Posts: 12224 - 11/04/2016 14:12:03    1844301

Its kind of a strange one. The league is great until this stage. The good thing about the four teams in semi finals is on the last day usually nearly every team has something to play for. That won't always happen with only top two

Ulster teams are the problem. One eye is immediately on the Ulster championship once whatever status is achieved. The league finals are a bonus and sometimes a hindrance to preparing for championship. Thats the problem right there. How do you fix that? Move championship back and leave April, May and early June for club championship?

As for the final. Think it will be a great game. Last chance for Kerry and Dublin to play a high level game until they meet in August in All Ireland semi finals however will we see some shadow boxing with sides holding back tactics.

Our sport really is terrible for cute hoorism. You'd swear tactics were like Poker.

I'd be happy for league to grow in stature as its actually the best competition for parity of matches but not easily achieved

shaggykev (Donegal) - Posts: 189 - 11/04/2016 15:28:22    1844334

We're just glad we aren't playing Sligo Ollie!!

bumpernut (Antrim) - Posts: 1852 - 11/04/2016 15:31:12    1844337

As I've posted on another thread, the only issue I have with these finals, is fixing them for Croke park. That aside, I don't see the problem with lower division finals. It offers a chance for ourselves and Antrim to play off for a trophy, and offers an extra game before the championship starts.

PK57 (Louth) - Posts: 1653 - 11/04/2016 16:27:55    1844369

is croke park that big of a thrill for these smaller counties? louth and antrim will throw in on saturday on front of about 6,000 fans if were lucky, id say be more like 4,000. if this game was played in newry im sure it could easily get 6-7,000 and a much better atmosphere, i really dont see the attraction of croke park. id love if meath played leinster semi finals away from croke park, id take portlaoise vss kildare any day of the week. can you imagine the atmosphere in portlaise for meath v kildare in a linster semi final with a capacity 25,000 inside? it would be as close as we will get to the games in 1997. i remeber meath v laois in tullamore in 2010, brilliant atmosphere on a scorcher of an evening.

i have one solution that wil bring in excess of 10,000 fans to all the div 2,3 and 4 finals. Have just one team go up and one team down in div 1,2 and 3.
The team that finishs top gets home advantage for a winner takes all promotion final. look at the crowd and atmosphere in Breffni Park las sunday?

this is what would happen in every division, these games would be bigger than any all ireland qualifier, they would be close to a provoncial championship game

dickie10 (UK) - Posts: 687 - 12/04/2016 10:40:10    1844549

Dickie u would have a smaller crowd in Newry then croker. I am sure both sets of players would sooner play in croker. It would be ridelous if cavan had to play cork to get promoted the playoffs are bad enough in hurling

ros1 (Roscommon) - Posts: 1211 - 12/04/2016 11:43:48    1844604

its a day out in croke for the supporters as much as the team, so of course moving it to a smaller ground would have an impact on numbers attending.
We all know the atmosphere would be better in smaller grounds but that's not what its about is it?
Antrim footballers have maybe played in Croke about 5 or 6 times in around 15 years if theyre lucky, with the last time being about 5 or 6 years ago, that's what its really all about!

bumpernut (Antrim) - Posts: 1852 - 12/04/2016 12:51:21    1844668