In recent years, a tiered system in the Football Championship has been discussed and brought to Congress only for the so called ‘weaker counties’.
Seeing how it working in hurling, given Kerry’s position in the second tier Joe McDonagh championship, it begs the question as to why these counties are turning down.
One of these counties is Waterford, who have now finished football for the season after defeat to Limerick on Saturday in the Munster Championship.
Journalist Dermot Keyes of the Waterford News and Star posted this on twitter:
It is beyond ridiculous that all senior football counties play in the Sam Maguire Cup. Why has there been such reluctance to a tiered Championship? What does my county gain or learn from effectively losing 95-98 per cent of their Munster Championship games since, well, forever? Go to Division Three and Four NFL games and you see a decent standard of football from teams who naturally belong in those grades. The back door, with only a handful of exceptions, has done absolutely nothing for less successful counties for 20 years. Last year's Munster and Ulster Champions were historic and fantastic aberrations. If it were to happen again in my lifetime, I'd be amazed. Tiering hurling has been a brilliant innovation. Kerry, Laois and Antrim are clearly improving. Offaly showing signs too Does anyone think Kerry would have built momentum following blow-outs in Munster? They'd have lost quite a few lads to the US if they'd been left in Munster.
Dermot spoke on Terrace Talk this evening:
