Div 4 teams may be excluded from All-Ireland SFC this year

A proposal for an All-Ireland SFC B competition for Congress discussion ratifed at GAA Central Council meeting today at Croke Park which, if successful, will see teams that are in the NFL Div 4 at the end of the current campaign (that would included the two relegated teams from Div 3) excluded from the All-Ireland SFC qualifiers.

The proposal reads:

(1) All counties will take part in their respective Provincial Championships.

(2) The teams that are placed in Div 4 at the conclusion of the National Football League will play in their Provincial Championship only. They will also participate in an All-Ireland Senior ‘B’ Football Championship, which will be played on a straight knock-out basis. The winners of the All-Ireland ‘B’ Football Championship will be guaranteed a place in the following year’s All-Ireland Football Qualifier.

(3) The winners of the Provincial Championships will progress directly to the All-Ireland Quarter-finals. The losers of the Provincial Finals will play in Round Three of the All-Ireland Football Qualifiers.

(4) The 16 teams who do not reach the Provincial Final and who are not eligible for the All-Ireland B championship will play in Round One of the All-Ireland Qualifiers. This will be an open draw.

(5) The eight winners of Round One of the All-Ireland Qualifier will play in Round Two.

(6) In Round Three of the All-Ireland Qualifier, the four winners from Round Two will play the four Provincial Final losers.

(7) In the All-Ireland Football Quarter-finals the four Provincial Final winners will play the Round Three winners.

(8) In Rounds One and Two of the All-Ireland Qualifier, where teams from Div 2, Div 3, or Div 4 are drawn against a team from a higher division, the team from the lower Division will automatically have home advantage.

NOTES

(1) In the event of this proposal being accepted, ways of making the All-Ireland Senior B Championship attractive to participating can be considered.

(2) If the winners of the All-Ireland ‘B’ Football Championship do not win promotion from Division Four in the National Football League of the following year, they will be replaced in the All-Ireland ‘B’ Championship by the lowest placed Division Three team (other than the two relegated teams) at the end of that year’s National Football League that has not reached its Provincial Finals.

(3) Where a team(s) from Division Four reaches its Provincial Final, the lowest placed team at the conclusion of the National Football League in Division Three (team that finishes sixth or fifth) that has been eliminated from the Provincial Championship, will play in the All-Ireland ‘B’ Football Championship to ensure a complement of eight teams.

A number of counties will also submit other motions to Congress relating to proposed structural changes to the senior football Championships.

 

COMMENT

Part of proposal 8 seems to be contradictory - maybe I am reading it wrong? Conall Collier.