It looks as if the Rossies had a far easier time of it in Ruislip yesterday than the Tribesmen had with those other exiles in Gaelic Park a few weeks back. A 0-14 to 0-6 scoreline has the sound of a championship match that never really got out of second gear, though, and the fact that half of that winning tally came from frees scored by Donal Shine (who got another two from play besides) provides further proof that this wasn’t a full-throated championship encounter over in London HA4 yesterday afternoon. The Rossies apparently missed a hatful of other chances as well, shooting ten wides over the course of the afternoon and rattling the goal frame five times to no avail.
Yesterday’s win sees the Sheepstealers advance to the semi-final stage of the Division 4 half of the Connacht championship (it’s not just in relation to ticket prices that the Connacht Council have their heads up their holes) with a place in the last twelve of the All-Ireland now looking like a racing certainty for them. Meanwhile, we’re finally out of the traps this coming Saturday evening down in Markievicz Park and while there’s very little in the way of news to talk about this morning in relation to this one, that won’t, I suspect, continue to be the case as the week progresses.
Lads, while we have a bit of time waiting for the team to be announced I was wondering what ye’re thoughts are on the Championship format as it is (ye can tell I have feck all to do at work today).
Personally I feel the back door has ruined it. The reasons it was brought in were somewhat sound. I agree it is a bit mad to have fellas training for months and then one bad day and its all over. However, the impact of this has been, in my opinion a serious dillution of the championship games to a point where people are now calling into question if the provincial championships should even exist anymore.
There was a time, 10 years ago, when I’d be having butterflies thinking of Sunday and all that it meant. The whole Summer was on the line, now, while of course I want Mayo to win, it wont be the end of thw world if we dont (there I said it).
What I’d like to see if a return to the old days (settle now, let me finish) where you had one chance to win Sam, lose and your out. When you lose you then go into an open draw secondary competition which would be played in parallel to the main championship with the final to be played between the minor and senior games on AIF day. Granted in the beginning there wouldnt be a huge amount of interest, but after a few years you’d start to have a bit of tradition and I think it would work, it’d need time of course. I know this was what the Tommy Murphy was supposed to do, but there were alot of clauses and only teams from certain divisions could go in and all this. I dont beleive it was given enough time but that doesnt detract from some counties winning it. Some Tipp players described winning it as the best day of their lives. anyway, what do ye think of this proposal and do ye have others that might work? Certianly I think the current format is a load of owl bollix. Watching down and donegal yesterday was like watching a North Mayo Junior C match
I think the only alternative to the current system would be to scrap the provincial system as it currently operates and have 8 groups of 4, with the top 16 getting to second-round and then knock-out all the way. Each group would have 1 seeded team based on the previous season results. I cant see it introduced though as would get rid to a certain extent the Mayo-Galway, Kerry-Cork, Dublin-Meath games etc.
The League should be scrapped and replaced with the provincial championships. its muck anyway and at least the provincials would give us the local rivalry.
The GAA would then be free to create a whole new all-ireland championship in any format it likes being free ( so to speak ) of the shackles of the provincials..
Go back to work.
The Spailpin might have a few ideas on this front as well lads
http://spailpin.blogspot.com/2010/05/is-championship-in-danger.html
To say the back door has ruined it is a bit harsh, how much would it hurt to see karl mannion,padraig joyce ,eamon o hara lift the nestor cup in the the connacht final?as much as ever i would guess.Was it fair on the weaker counties getting one proper game a year? Was any mayo fan saying it was a waste in salthill last year?
Anybody know if there will be tickets on sale the day of the match up there?
I agree with you anonymous. Back door has provided loads of entertainment and loads of upsets. Football has improved immensly in some weaker counties becasue of it and overall football has improved. Some good examples are Wicklow Wexford and …Sligo.
Look at the last years backdoor. Kerry were champions last year but our opponents this weekend should have beaten them. Missing that peno was pivotal to Kerry in winning that All Ireland. If Sligo had scored it Kerry would have been out. You can be damn sure Kerry don’t want to lose to Cork this weekend after the luck they had last year.
And look at Sligo in 2002 – beating Tyrone and losing to evenatual champs Armagh after replay.
It hasn’t diminished the provincial finals either. As ye know there are 3 main competitions in Senior GAA football. League, Provincial and All Ireland Series. And everyone wants to win them all. Silverware is silverware after all.
So I’m not unhappy with the backdoor system. A lot more games out there as a result. Looking fw to this weekend and weekends after that as there are going to be big teams in the backdoor one way or another and I expect some v. good games as a result and some serious upsets as well.
think it would be remiss of us here not to mention the tragic and untimely passing of mayo hurlings brightest stars, Adrian Freeman. A devastating loss to his family friends and clubsmates. will be sadly misses in aughamore and tooreen for years to come. may he rest in peace.
Indeed, Patsy, and it’s remiss of me for not having done so already. Words always seem so lame and inadequate in the face of tragic events like this but you’ve put it very well in the sentiments you’ve expressed there. It’s such a desperate, awful loss and a truly horrific burden for his family and friends to bear. RIP.
Can I echo WJs comments re Adrian Freeman. The worst nightmare of any parent. A dheis Dé ar a ainm dilis agus go mbeidh sé in na flaitheas leis anocht.
Adrian was a neighbour and such a loss is hard to bear. Puts a football match in perspective…………..
I am a fan of the back door system but it could do with some changes the principles are right.Provincial football instead of the national league is an interesting idea and some form of open draw seated of course for the all ireland could work, it would be easier for the fans to travel around the country during the summer months. A weekend in Tramore and a championship match sounds good. Any exiles in Dublin looking for good value transport during our long summer campaign(hopefully) let me know , I have an eight seater ready to go
Bill, have you any seat left for saturday? I’m looking to travel back to Dublin saturday too, to catch the last train could be tight, it’s at 7pm so id be interested if available. 086 0340768
Sorry Sean no room this weekend
No bother Bill, thank you for replying. Maybe i’ll be able to leave 5 mins early in order to catch the train if were 8/9 points up at the time, lol.