Tailteann Cup 2023

Brussels Sprout

It's pretty telling that there doesn't seem to be a thread for this even though it started 3 weeks ago. Here are the standings heading into the final group games this weekend:

The structure is near identical to the All Ireland apart from the fact that only 3 of the 4 3rd place finishers will qualify for the Prelim-Q-final. That's because New York were given a bye to that round.

The fixtures this weekend are as follows:

Brussels Sprout

Tipperary are currently beating Waterford but looking at the other groups and fixtures it seems quite likely that, even if they win, they won't progress. That's because they'll probably be the worst ranked of the 3rd placed teams. That Muster win in 2020 seems like a long time ago.

dxhound2005

Two results so far, wins for Meath and Tipp. The draw for the preliminary quarter finals will be on the radio on Sunday.

https://www.rte.ie/sport/football/2023/0602/1387156-rte-radio-1-to-broadcast-tailteann-cup-draw/

Jock_Ewing

Christ Laois can only draw with London. Billy Sheehan has to go.

Most of those players played in a Leinster final in 2018 and were in division 2 in 2020.

London are the bottom team in division 4. Laois are a weak team but they shouldn't be struggling to draw with bottom of division 4.

We'd have a decent tradition in football Leinster finals in the 80s, 90s, 00s, 10s. This is farcical stuff.

Brussels Sprout

Wow! I must admit I stopped checking the score in that Laois match when I saw they were 5pts up halfway through the second half. Mad that they were 2 pts down going into injury time. That late equaliser means they'll still qualify ahead of Tipp, on points difference.

Brussels Sprout

Wicklow are on track for a surprise win against Limerick. However, since they've already lost to both Longford and Carlow I believe they will still finish bottom of the group on head to head record against either of teams should they lose later. For the same reasons I think Limerick will win the group regardless of whether they are beaten or not (perhaps that guarantee fed into their performance today).

Brussels Sprout

Groups Winners --> Quarter-finals (+ next week-end off)

Cavan, Meath, Limerick & Antrim

Group Runners Up --> Home Advantage in the Preliminary Quarter-finals

Offaly, Down, Carlow & Fermanagh

Third Place teams --> Playing Away in the Preliminary Quarter-finals

Laois, Longford & Wexford (+ New York)

Eliminated Teams

Tipperary, London, Waterford, Wicklow & Leitrim

MacDanger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120677007#Comment_120677007

Hard too see any of the 3rd placed teams turning over a 2nd placed team, Longford most likely I'd say

dxhound2005

Down have home advantage over Longford.

Tailteann Cup preliminary quarter-finals

Offaly v Wexford

Fermanagh v Laois

Down v Longford

Carlow v New York

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120677184#Comment_120677184

Do we know who the winners play ?

Cavan_King

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120677298#Comment_120677298

That draw is next weekend. The winners of next weekends games are away to Cavan, Meath, Limerick & Antrim.

28064212

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120677298#Comment_120677298

Not possible to do the quarter-final draw before the preliminary round is complete, as you can't have repeat pairings from the group stages in the quarters.

Well, technically you could, but you'd need to needlessly rule out potential matches e.g. Cavan can't be paired with Offaly, so you'd have to unnecessarily eliminate the possibility of Cavan meeting Wexford

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120677460#Comment_120677460

Draws are more fun anyway. And it's about the only way old Kodak film boxes get a use these days.

Brussels Sprout

Another 4 teams will be eliminated later today

legendary.xix

Knockout all the way now in the Tailteann. All teams have had 3 group games to date and at least 1 provincial game. There can be very little complaints.

Musicrules

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120697979#Comment_120697979

There has been no buy in to the Tailteann cup. Crowds have been horrendous, the standard has been very poor and a lot of the players have shown no real interest in it. Yes, we will see crowds grow bigger and players show more interest come semi final and finals but that's the same for pre season competitions.

There seems to be a drive to paint this as a massive success when the reality is that the majority of counties involved don't want to be in this competition and have shown little interest in it.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120698159#Comment_120698159

We didn't see any real player drop off so I would say teams have bought into it. Most of these teams or maybe all would be out of Sam by now and never had a hope anyway.

Honestly any fan of these teams with the exception of Meath is an idiot if they think a 32 county Sam is the better option. Football needs to wake up and stop pretending it's not as closed a shop as other sports.

Anyway Offaly, Down, Carlow and Fermanagh today.

Musicrules

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120698189#Comment_120698189

I don't think players are allowed to sign for clubs in America while involved with their counties so I don't think there was ever any danger of players dropping off but the actual interest in being in this competition is lacking from many. They don't want to be in it, they want to be in the real championship and it shows. The abysmal attendances shows that many supporters have little interest also.

When you look at the counties in it, only a handful have not been competitive in the recent past. Trying to turn football into a closed shop like we bemoan about hurling is a really backwards step.

Brussels Sprout

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120698249#Comment_120698249

The setup is entirely different to Hurling though. Unlike in hurling, every season there is a reset and then even the very worst county has a shot of playing in the All-Ireland that year. There is literally nothing stopping them apart from not actually being good enough. If they're playing in a lower league and they're unable to reach a provincial final then they would have gotten knocked out in the All-Ireland qualifiers anyway - and probably thumped at that.

I think, much like with the All-Ireland, having so many teams progress from the group stage is a mistake. It devalues the group games. I'd be interested to see what sort of crowds turn out next week at the Quarter-final stage. Those will have all of the group winners playing at home so there may be more of an interest with teams who think they might actually win the competition.

Brussels Sprout

Looks like a respectable turnout at the Carlow game. Home crowd probably anticipating a big win:

Brussels Sprout

Wexford 7 points up against Offaly now with 15mins left.

If Offaly go out then that means that 3 of the 4 semi-finalists from last year won't be there this year (since Sligo & Westmeath are playing AI this year)

Musicrules

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120698553#Comment_120698553

It's different than the hurling set up for now! That's the important point, completions like this and giving teams less an opportunity at the top level will not improve standards in these counties and eventually they won't be given any chance in the real championship. Just like in hurling. There are already noises about trying to put a third tier in. We're well on the way to making Gaelic football a closed shop just like hurling, all the while ignoring the major issues causing this.

blowitupref

Result a mini surprise, Offaly 2-14 Wexford 1-22. 2nd Offaly goal in the 6th minute of added time.

Half time in Cullen Park, could New York pull off their 2nd win this year? Carlow 0-6 New York 0-8

Coillte_Bhoy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120698159#Comment_120698159

A lot of generalizations there, of course the standard isnt great what did you expect, same for crowds? How do you know whether players or particular counties have really bought into it or not? Seems to me like you didnt agree with this competiton form the start. I can't understand people begrudging weaker county teams extra games in the summer with a real chance to win something.

bucketybuck

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120698566#Comment_120698566

Thats a big crowd? If you said that was a club game I'd believe you, played in front of a stand like that many times.

castletownman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120698661#Comment_120698661

Great display from Wexford. Play a brand of football you'd actually want to watch. Their entire tally of 1-22 came from play too- I don't remember that happening too often at intercounty level.

legendary.xix

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120698625#Comment_120698625

Counties seemed happy to win their groups last weekend. Most are on board. Hurling is over tiered alright. They have 4 lower groups of 6 when 3 lower groups of 8 with top 4 into semi-finals can be the way forward.

Great result for Wexford. They were in a tough group with Fermanagh and Antrim.

NewbridgeIR

Great win for us against Offaly.

Nice to see some hope after an indifferent league.

The glory days of 2005-2011 seem a long time away but we are moving in right direction

bucketybuck

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120698693#Comment_120698693

I am curious what "on board" even means?

They are fulfilling their fixtures and like any competitive sports people even trying to win the games. It says very little about how they feel about the wider picture.

Musicrules

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120698674#Comment_120698674

I'm not begrudging anybody, in fact it's the opposite. These counties deserve better than this. Like you're doing, they're been spoken down to and told this is good for you. No player trains for the Tailteann Cup, they trained for their Provincial and All Ireland championships. The poor standard is down to the lack of interest and same with the crowds. Look at Offaly. Beat Meath and drew with Louth in the championship. Look at their Tailteann Cup results.

castletownman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120698748#Comment_120698748

Well I would know a good few of the Wexford players, and would be involved in the game within the club scene, and the general consensus is that its great to have games with a realistic chance of winning and with a tangible route to glory.

Yes some counties probably don't take it seriously, but they might have ideas above their station.