Shane Mulligan has added his voice to calls for a two-tier football championship.

The former Longford footballer captained Mullinalaghta to a sensational Leinster club SFC final victory over Kilmacud Crokes before Christmas, but noted how it had taken them many years to reach that level.

His comments come after two options for a proposed second-tier competition were circulated to counties competing in Divisions 3 and 4 of the Allianz League last week.

"I know there are mixed feelings on it if you talk to players from weaker counties but having been through the mill with Longford for 10 years and we would have been one of the smaller counties, one of the weaker counties, some of my best memories would have been some of the most competitive championship games between teams of the same standard," Mulligan told the Irish Independent at the recent launch of the 2019 Beko Club Bua programme.

"We had some great battles with Wexford and Offaly and teams like that. I don't know if there's much to be gained by going out and getting beaten by Dublin by a large score - I think that takes a lot out of it. It's a debate or conversation that can be had and I know there are pros and cons and it's very hard to get everyone singing off the same hymn sheet.

"Taking it back to the club, I would have played a lot of intermediate when our club wasn't strong enough to compete at senior but as the underage came through, we progressed to senior, developed and became competitive in Longford and then in Leinster. I think that's probably where it needs to be at, things have to progress and you need to be at your own level.

"I don't know whether it's helpful to be going out and getting beaten by top teams. It's hard to fill that gulf."

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