How many finals have been played? I'm not talking about the Tommy Murphy Cup, but a competition called Senior B Football championship.

There's a wiki page for the B Hurling, but nothing for football. Does anyone know a good source for these?

Cully (Laois) - Posts: 375 - 19/04/2016 18:29:17    1847358

Jack Mahon wrote a book called 'A History Of Gaelic Football' 16 years ago and he listed the All-Ireland B winners in it, I don't know exactly when it started or ended but this is what he listed:

Fermanagh 1996 & 2000
Leitrim 1990
Clare 1991
Wicklow 1992
Laois 1993
Carlow 1994
Tipperary 1995
Louth 1997
Monaghan 1998
Antrim 1999

Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 19/04/2016 19:36:21    1847378

Thank you. I knew Laois won in 1993, but had no further information. That is excellent.

Cully (Laois) - Posts: 375 - 20/04/2016 09:02:37    1847435

Any idea why it came to an end?

Gleebo (Mayo) - Posts: 2208 - 20/04/2016 10:23:32    1847478

so what was the criteria for entry to this grade. was it based on league position or results in previous years championship. looking at the past winners , they don't strike me as div 4 type teams. is there any info on the format it took or the competing teams ?

s goldrick (Cavan) - Posts: 5518 - 20/04/2016 10:32:06    1847483

Also, the Tommy Murphy Cup came into being 2004-2008. After that, I reckon B football was sneered at.

Cully (Laois) - Posts: 375 - 20/04/2016 11:11:44    1847522

Any idea why it came to an end?

Think it was because we won it. After Antrim won it in 1999 it was decided that was enough of that competition so the following years was going to be the last. Was the same with the Tommy Murphy Cup - after we won it in 2008 they had to scrap it too. Thankfully for the GAA we haven't won Liam or Sam yet though there is talk that the Rose of Tralee is going to be fixed so that the Antrim Rose wins it this year.

Offside_Rule (Antrim) - Posts: 4058 - 20/04/2016 11:20:59    1847529

I vaguely remember us winning it in 1997. I think we played Clare in Ennis, in the final. There was an argument to be made for a competition like that back then, but now a days with the commitment players are putting in, and with other distractions, its difficult to get players to commit to a lesser competition. Not to mention, crowds at most games have lowered massively, so no one is going to attend a B championship game.

PK57 (Louth) - Posts: 1653 - 20/04/2016 11:35:52    1847544

Have crowds lowered at games pk? If anything i would have thought crowds have increased. I'd be interested in looking into it.

gotmilk (Fermanagh) - Posts: 4971 - 20/04/2016 11:42:48    1847553

PK you were only a pup with its tail still growing when Louth beat Clare in 1997. It was in Tuam if my memory serves me right. As far as I know counties could only enter the B Championship if they did not win an All Ireland the previous 30 years.

OLLIE (Louth) - Posts: 12224 - 20/04/2016 16:23:18    1847695

Criteria was very wide so Ollie- the likes of Mayo, Galway, Tyrone, Armagh, Kildare could have joined in at one point.

Gleebo (Mayo) - Posts: 2208 - 20/04/2016 16:51:27    1847708

Gleebo Mayo and Kildare could still enter it if the competition was not scrapped.

OLLIE (Louth) - Posts: 12224 - 20/04/2016 17:14:07    1847714

Which surely shows how pointless the entry criteria were- no county that's challenging for Sam should be participating in secondary competitions.

Gleebo (Mayo) - Posts: 2208 - 21/04/2016 11:52:53    1847899

Ollie, I'm pretty sure we bet Clare in Ballinasloe in 97!!

croker16 (Louth) - Posts: 349 - 21/04/2016 12:26:44    1847921

It was a great oul competition at the time. To enter you had to be a county that never had won the All Ireland or not in the previous fifty years. It went on in the in between Sundays that had no league matches prior to Christmas.

theborderfox (Monaghan) - Posts: 138 - 21/04/2016 13:03:44    1847939

Ollie, I'm pretty sure we bet Clare in Ballinasloe in 97!!

croker16 (Louth) - Posts:218 - 21/04/2016 12:26:44 18

Croker yes you are dead right. My memory is like my better half. It plays up a lot of the time. I was not too far away. It was a strange choice considering Galway is next door to Clare and Louth had to travel across the country. Portlaoise or Tullamore would of been better locations.

OLLIE (Louth) - Posts: 12224 - 21/04/2016 13:09:43    1847943

Yes very strange choice of venue for that game. I wonder what the reason behind that was. Anyways we got the result, more of the same on Saturday would be nice!

croker16 (Louth) - Posts: 349 - 21/04/2016 18:42:09    1848104

Yes very strange choice of venue for that game. I wonder what the reason behind that was. Anyways we got the result, more of the same on Saturday would be nice!

croker16 (Louth) - Posts: 349 - 21/04/2016 18:42:31    1848105

Yes Croker our fantastic Paddy the legend Keenan lifted the Division 3 trophy that night which was Louths last win in Croke Park. Hopefully that will all change come Saturday at 5.30 pm.

OLLIE (Louth) - Posts: 12224 - 21/04/2016 20:46:49    1848134

Did Fermanagh not beat Meath in 2000? I know we bet longford in 1996 after a replay down in Carrick. If memory serves me correctly it was 9-9 the first day out then 12-9 in the replay.
But i was pretty confident it was Meath we beat which would mean the 30 year rule was wrong. Does anyone know???

gotmilk (Fermanagh) - Posts: 4971 - 22/04/2016 12:40:02    1848237