Poacher calls for three-tier county structure

By Michael McMullan

NEW Leitrim manager Steven Poacher is calling for a three-tier approach to the inter-county senior football season, including a knock-out Sam Maguire race.

The Down native, a columnist in Gaelic Life, hailed the National Leagues for producing well-balanced games with counties competing at the same level.

As it stands, the four groups of eight structure leaves promotion and relegation often not confirmed until the last weekend.

“Our National League is brilliant but the championship should be the championship,” Poacher said. “It should be a knockout championship with all 32 or 33 teams in a hat, pulled out in the open draw.”

Poacher paints the picture of Dublin heading to Omagh in the opening round with everything on the line.

“Imagine Leitrim at home to Down in Carrick-on-Shannon and the buzz for these teams,” he added.

There is a chance of a shock on any given day with an underdog hitting the right pitch and taking out a bigger gun. It would be all or nothing, replacing the shadowboxing of the group stages.

“It’s nearly harder to get knocked out than to qualify, I think that’s the problem with the game,” Poacher said.

He offers the momentum Cavan built in 2020 when the Covid-19 lockdown forced the GAA to press pause on any form of second chances. It was the same year Tipperary beat Cork to land the Munster title.

Below the top-flight, Poacher suggests adding a third championship tier to go alongside the Tailteann Cup.

In his proposal, he’d change the league to three divisions. Teams in Division Two would compete for the Tailteann Cup with Division Three counties – similar to hurling – having their own championship tier.”

He also clarified that the Sam Maguire race would include every team in the country, in a similar format to the FA Cup where every team has a chance to progress.

A preliminary round could be factored in to accommodate New York with the same team unable to play them two years in a row.

“To go from the National League and then into another league for a championship doesn’t make sense,” he added.

“That’s where I feel it’s going wrong. Teams are playing each other in the league and then they’re playing each other in the championship round-robin.”

With a win or bust championship structure, Poacher’s suggestion of marginally bigger leagues would top up the number of games, with counties operating at their own level.

“I’d love to see a top four and a bottom four with 10 or 11 teams in each division,” he offered.

The top four and bottom four would qualify for title and relegation semi-finals. With the teams missing out possibly in limbo until the final round, dead-rubber games would be at a minimum.

In the case of Division Three, promotion would be decided between the top six teams. First and second place would ensure a semi-final spot with the next four teams playing off to join them.

“It means you get competitive games in a league, then you then get a play-off system,” Poacher summed up.

“You still have your Sam Maguire with everybody in it and a further two championships for teams in the bottom two divisions.

“For me, it’s a much better way of running our games,” he said. “Your championship is your open draw where you get a cut at the big boy on the big day. I think it would be exciting.

“Imagine those (league) play-off games, they’d be super intense with everything at stake.

“Like the play-offs in England, you could squeeze into sixth place in Division Three and perceivably beat the team that finished top of the league in a one-off match.”