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No Back Door In Football...Fair?

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I don't think its fair. Most who know my posts know I do advocate for return to old knockout championship from time to time but I watched Sligo, Waterford, Carlow, Clare and Wicklow among others knocked out and gone last week and more gone this weekend...does the football championship have to be played off so quickly???..I think its very harsh considering hurling has a second chance...it should be the same for both games whatever is in place..

Fairplayalways (Offaly) - Posts: 1034 - 05/07/2021 00:25:14    2356338

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I'm not sure of the reasoning behind it but suspect it is because there are a lot more teams competing in the Football than the hurling championship

Hence, you could say football is being punished because it is more popular.

I know they were very caught for time last year completing championships but this year I thought they would have had enough time to complete both with back door routes.

TippRed (Tipperary) - Posts: 42 - 06/07/2021 13:52:39    2356951

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What is the point in giving those teams mentioned above ( and more to come ) another thrashing… I'd say most if not all their players are glad to be finished with it… Also a total waste of already stretched county board finances….!!

ForeverBlue2 (Cavan) - Posts: 1891 - 06/07/2021 14:05:52    2356955

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Replying To ForeverBlue2:  "What is the point in giving those teams mentioned above ( and more to come ) another thrashing… I'd say most if not all their players are glad to be finished with it… Also a total waste of already stretched county board finances….!!"
no back door if you lose you are gone right and proper

mickcunningham (Westmeath) - Posts: 1799 - 06/07/2021 14:31:02    2356973

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Replying To Fairplayalways:  "I don't think its fair. Most who know my posts know I do advocate for return to old knockout championship from time to time but I watched Sligo, Waterford, Carlow, Clare and Wicklow among others knocked out and gone last week and more gone this weekend...does the football championship have to be played off so quickly???..I think its very harsh considering hurling has a second chance...it should be the same for both games whatever is in place.."
Their players on Carlow and Laois who yet to play last year club championship semi final and finals think that more important to them then backdoor system

Cloon12 (Kildare) - Posts: 53 - 06/07/2021 14:31:59    2356975

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Replying To TippRed:  "I'm not sure of the reasoning behind it but suspect it is because there are a lot more teams competing in the Football than the hurling championship

Hence, you could say football is being punished because it is more popular.

I know they were very caught for time last year completing championships but this year I thought they would have had enough time to complete both with back door routes."
There are too many football teams playing for the all ireland. Counties are playing yes but not competing in reality and they can't even get relegated nothing to really play for. At least in hurling nearly all the teams have a chance at beating each other and the likes of laois and Antrim have to fight for relegation so it is very competitive at both ends . Football needs a second and third decision in the all Ireland series.

ecad123 (Galway) - Posts: 272 - 06/07/2021 14:50:32    2356983

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Id have preferred to see the qualifiers back this year but I'll happily let it slide for the year that's in it. Our footballers will have achieved their objectives of playing in Division 3 next year which is the platform we need to improve. A seasoned and focused Armagh was always going to be too much too soon for us but a run in the qualifiers would've been a better way to end the season than Sunday's result.

Hopefully back to normal next year, minus those dreadful super 8s though.

SaffronDon (Antrim) - Posts: 2385 - 06/07/2021 14:57:39    2356990

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Replying To ForeverBlue2:  "What is the point in giving those teams mentioned above ( and more to come ) another thrashing… I'd say most if not all their players are glad to be finished with it… Also a total waste of already stretched county board finances….!!"
Ya! What is the point in those teams competing at all. Do a Kilkenny on it and pull out completely. Save the money for hurling. Deny the many fine footballers in the weaker counties to participate and save the game for the elites. Don't give them anymore competition that might improve them. Is that what you are suggesting ? Maybe you are on to something. Spilt up the organization completely into two and kill off football in some counties and hurling in others.

Canuck (Waterford) - Posts: 2655 - 06/07/2021 15:42:51    2357011

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Replying To ForeverBlue2:  "What is the point in giving those teams mentioned above ( and more to come ) another thrashing… I'd say most if not all their players are glad to be finished with it… Also a total waste of already stretched county board finances….!!"
Ya! What is the point in those teams competing at all. Do a Kilkenny on it and pull out completely. Save the money for hurling. Deny the many fine footballers in the weaker counties to participate and save the game for the elites. Don't give them anymore competition that might improve them. Is that what you are suggesting ? Maybe you are on to something. Spilt up the organization completely into two and kill off football in some counties and hurling in others.

Canuck (Waterford) - Posts: 2655 - 06/07/2021 15:58:22    2357025

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Replying To Fairplayalways:  "I don't think its fair. Most who know my posts know I do advocate for return to old knockout championship from time to time but I watched Sligo, Waterford, Carlow, Clare and Wicklow among others knocked out and gone last week and more gone this weekend...does the football championship have to be played off so quickly???..I think its very harsh considering hurling has a second chance...it should be the same for both games whatever is in place.."
Fair? Definitely not. Necessary? Probably.

Greengrass (Louth) - Posts: 6031 - 06/07/2021 16:00:06    2357026

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Replying To Fairplayalways:  "I don't think its fair. Most who know my posts know I do advocate for return to old knockout championship from time to time but I watched Sligo, Waterford, Carlow, Clare and Wicklow among others knocked out and gone last week and more gone this weekend...does the football championship have to be played off so quickly???..I think its very harsh considering hurling has a second chance...it should be the same for both games whatever is in place.."
The back door system was an amateur fix to an amateur sporting problem . My first post here a lot of years ago was canvasing on how to get rid of the back door, I will admit though if I was from a stronger county I think it may suit me better If there was a back door. last year for example would Tipperary have won a Munster title, or would Cavan have won an ulster title if there was a back door system.? So the fairest way is to keep it shut permanently, reinvent and restructure what we have,

supersub15 (Carlow) - Posts: 2907 - 06/07/2021 16:54:18    2357050

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Replying To Greengrass:  "Fair? Definitely not. Necessary? Probably."
Its not necessary. Just play more games on some weekends and then get more games on other weekends and you still will have plenty of game time for clubs.
Its ridiculous to have counties playing so many of their games every year in January/February and March

KillingFields (Limerick) - Posts: 3494 - 06/07/2021 17:37:44    2357062

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Replying To supersub15:  "The back door system was an amateur fix to an amateur sporting problem . My first post here a lot of years ago was canvasing on how to get rid of the back door, I will admit though if I was from a stronger county I think it may suit me better If there was a back door. last year for example would Tipperary have won a Munster title, or would Cavan have won an ulster title if there was a back door system.? So the fairest way is to keep it shut permanently, reinvent and restructure what we have,"
Why wouldn't they have won those titles? Backdoor kicks in after the Provincials, if anything teams were more incentivised than usual to win their province.

Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4201 - 06/07/2021 18:19:34    2357072

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Replying To KillingFields:  "Its not necessary. Just play more games on some weekends and then get more games on other weekends and you still will have plenty of game time for clubs.
Its ridiculous to have counties playing so many of their games every year in January/February and March"
In both codes make the All-Ireland championships open drawn or something like that. Maybe two conferences. .Not province structured. Scarp the leagues and play the provincial championship first. There would be some thing at stake. I believe a Munster, Leinster Connaught and Ulster will have prestige and would not die off like the railway cups. Who knows?

Canuck (Waterford) - Posts: 2655 - 06/07/2021 19:19:27    2357097

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Replying To KillingFields:  "Its not necessary. Just play more games on some weekends and then get more games on other weekends and you still will have plenty of game time for clubs.
Its ridiculous to have counties playing so many of their games every year in January/February and March"
I agree with your point about playing a lot of inter county games early in a normal year. "Play more games on some weekends and then get more games on other weekends" isn't the greatest plan ever conceived. Time constraints imposed by a pandemic would require a more intelligent plan.

Greengrass (Louth) - Posts: 6031 - 06/07/2021 20:21:23    2357117

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Replying To ForeverBlue2:  "What is the point in giving those teams mentioned above ( and more to come ) another thrashing… I'd say most if not all their players are glad to be finished with it… Also a total waste of already stretched county board finances….!!"
a scurrilous thing to say and them players giving so much of their time...

Fairplayalways (Offaly) - Posts: 1034 - 06/07/2021 23:21:43    2357200

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Replying To Fairplayalways:  "a scurrilous thing to say and them players giving so much of their time..."
Well said.

Greengrass (Louth) - Posts: 6031 - 07/07/2021 11:41:53    2357312

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I'll never for the life of me understand football's reluctance with tiered competitions. Where's the enjoyment from getting hammered in the current set up?
There's been some super scenes in Croke Park the last number of years in the tiered hurling competitions.

Bon (Kildare) - Posts: 1898 - 07/07/2021 13:17:03    2357355

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Replying To Canuck:  "In both codes make the All-Ireland championships open drawn or something like that. Maybe two conferences. .Not province structured. Scarp the leagues and play the provincial championship first. There would be some thing at stake. I believe a Munster, Leinster Connaught and Ulster will have prestige and would not die off like the railway cups. Who knows?"
I disagree about scrapping the leagues and playing provincial championships first.
scrap warm up competitions. start league slightly later but spread it out through year far more and play provincial and all ireland championships in between rounds of the league. have specific weekends where clubs have championship games where counties have to release players otherwise they are docked points/thrown out of the inter county championships.

i dont see the point in playing off all competitions to a conclusion before another starts up
soccer with the league and then champions league/europa league and the fa cup and league cup all interspaced between the premiership works real well and international games as well. that should be what GAA does.

KillingFields (Limerick) - Posts: 3494 - 07/07/2021 13:58:27    2357374

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the Tailteann was supposed to be in force this year. i think it is being played next year so that so be an improvement. it should appease those that say there is no point in letting the weaker teams compete in the qualifiers. the all-ireland has been won via the back door on a few occasions so that proves that stronger teams can avail of it.
on the other hand there is a hell of a lot more excitement with a straight knockout and the clubs get their players back much quicker.

s goldrick (Cavan) - Posts: 5518 - 07/07/2021 14:45:57    2357401

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