Football Championship 2026 (Mod Note in OP)

legendary.xix · 08-05-2026 07:20PM

The view is being put out there... are the provincials getting a bit lost between league and All Ireland championship.. The league and provincials could swap places in the scheduling. All provinces can only produce one winner, regardless of numbers of counties or seeding system used.

The 4 provincial winners at the end of February / early March could join the Tailteann winners as already qualified. Other counties would have a clearer picture then of where they would need to finish in the league in order to qualify for the 11 remaining league qualifier spots.

Round 1 then after the league:

Seeds 1 v Seeds 4

Seeds 2 v Seeds 3

Home advantage by luck of the draw for all rounds before quarter finals.

Dogsdodogsstuff · 08-05-2026 11:30PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124453933#Comment_124453933

Good idea in principle but the end of the provincial tournaments in my eyes , they are barely hanging in as it is, might aswell just scrap them entirely. I know I’m a grumpy irrelevant legacy fan but I’m still finding it hard to really get into what feels like a “get as many games played in as short a time championship”. I don’t like it being done by mid July.

I know why it was done and I accept it seems to be universally preferred by most in the game. But I just feel the tournament doesn’t have the same feel as it used to have and has been greatly devalued as a tournament. I get sports like to move with the times but sometimes it’s worth fighting to keep some traditions.

Id rather provincial winners get QF spot and let the rest battle out in two playoff rounds. Let top 8 not in provincial finals play playoff one and the winners play the 4 runners up of provincial finals for chance to play provincial finalists.

AI doesn’t have to have loads of second chances or more games, make it leaner and give provincial finals more weight.

legendary.xix · 08-05-2026 11:54PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124454502#Comment_124454502

The funny thing is that the provincial finals should be like Round 2A. Winners to quarter finals as you say. Losers to Round 2. The 8 league qualifiers could contest Round 1.

Current schedule: 6 weekends for provincial championships. Round 1, 2 and 3 spread over 5 weekends.

Altered schedule: 7 weekends for provincial championships. Allows 2 weeks between every game. Poor Down only having a week after a heroic effort against Donegal to get ready for tough Armagh.

Altered schedule continued: Rounds 1 and 2 on the weekends leading into the quarter finals. The Tailteann Cup could also go straight knockout.

Spare weekends used to allow sufficient rest to avoid 3 weekends in a row during the league. Players are being flogged by the current schedule. Money the big influence of course in squeezing more games in.

theoneeyedman · 09-05-2026 08:44AM

Can we leave the structures alone for one year, FFS!

legendary.xix · 09-05-2026 08:52AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124454796#Comment_124454796

You think so?!

Down won the 2024 Tailteann. Armagh won the All Ireland. If the provincial championships started the year - Donegal, Louth, Kerry and Galway could have joined Armagh and Down as qualified before the league. There would be 10 clear spots then up for grabs in the league.

Agreed there is too much chopping and changing of the structure but like with the provincial finals overshadowed by the All Ireland draw, there is a disconnect somewhere. Provincials seem a bit lost between league and All Ireland championship.

event · 09-05-2026 11:09AM

I dont understand why people are saying its the end of the provincials. Tell that to us (Louth) last year, tell it to Westmeath this year, tell it to Armagh this year.

The point of the provincials is to win a **** trophy, the actual point football. If Westmeath were to win Leinster, in 10 years time the fans and players will remember that day. They wont care who they got in the next round and whether it made sense.

The_Kew_Tour · 09-05-2026 03:02PM

There should still be some reward for winning it.

Gaa lads really know how to screw over its own games

yabadabado · 09-05-2026 04:59PM

Has it been agreed where the round 2 A and B and round 3 games will be?

is it neutral venues or first drawn gets home advantage?

event · 09-05-2026 05:57PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124455659#Comment_124455659

There is a reward. You get a trophy and some medals

dxhound2005 · 09-05-2026 07:05PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124455904#Comment_124455904

First drawn.

https://www.gaa.ie/article/format-for-2026-all-ireland-sfc-and-tailteann-cup

blowitupref · 10-05-2026 12:52AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124456022#Comment_124456022

There is Trophy and some medals with the likes of the FBD,O Byrne cup and McKenna cup and I'm sure most doesn't want to see the provincial championships to become like those competitions whereby managements are fielding fringe players and small crowds are turning up for the finals

At the moment it's not like that, for example Galway and Roscommon are fielding their strongest available teams and Dr Hyde Park is sold out for the Connacht final

FullBack Jam · 10-05-2026 12:05PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124456022#Comment_124456022

But the provincials used to be a stepping stone to a teams march towards winning the overall All-Ireland. Now, they are essentially being made in to a separate competition altogether.

HBC08 · 10-05-2026 12:22PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124455045#Comment_124455045

There wont be a provincial championship in 10 years.

Rightly or wrongly itll be gone like the Railway cup.

Bass Reeves · 10-05-2026 01:32PM

Flaking day in Killarney as it should be

20260510_133136.jpg

gormdubhgorm · 10-05-2026 01:52PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124457614#Comment_124457614

Problem is Ulster competitive three good sides plus a.n. other possible of shocking one. So that will probably remain in some form.

ShamoBuc · 10-05-2026 01:57PM

From a point down to 6 v 1 up, good start from Cork.

Dogsdodogsstuff · 10-05-2026 02:04PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124455045#Comment_124455045

Probably an unpopular comparison here would be FA cup. The tournament used to be celebrated nearly as much as a league win. The final was a massive day, I remember enjoying watching build up from 12 o clock.

Over the years they’ve devalued it by putting more inportance on what bigger teams want. Less replays, no replays, no champions league spot so finishing 5th in the league is more important then even winning the FA cup.

There’s no more games in provincial championships, less if you consider there’s no roll for replays so we won’t ever see quality games like Dublin v meath saga or repeated provincial finals.

Doing the AI playoff draw before provincial finals devalues them because it’s almost teasing the fact that in scheme of things provincial finals have zero affect on deciding who wins the AI. It’s shameful they didn’t have things setup where we can have full focus on provincials.

In terms of relevance, I think smaller counties absolutely will celebrate provincial wins but like the Fa cup , if the rules are changing to cater for the bigger teams or focus pushed to games outside of provincials, you erode what it used to mean to win it.

If they move to provincials to before league , as somebody suggested , it’s the final nail in its coffin. Imagine 2-3 month gap between provincials and the AI, might aswell be entirely different comps.

As I’ve said , they should add more power to winning provincials. Guaranteed QF and reward of getting to final is only one playoff game to get to QFs. I don’t want the end of provincials, I’m actually arguing the opposite. I’d actually be on for allowing replays and having less playoffs and make AI proper knock out.

robbiezero · 10-05-2026 02:28PM

Nicely poised at half time. Cork probably arent far enough ahead given the breeze.

ShamoBuc · 10-05-2026 02:29PM

Very good performance from Cork to be 3 points up at ht.

Kerry with the breeze will try to make that count. Not conceeding a goal will be huge for both teams.

robbiezero · 10-05-2026 02:29PM

Cork probably cost themselves a point with 10 left in the half. Free in a lovely position at edge of arc, advantage given and they play on and get 1.

irishguitarlad · 10-05-2026 02:49PM

Some goal.

threeball · 10-05-2026 03:00PM

The ref is brutal in this munster final. Has let numerous clears touches on the ground by Kerry go. Completely ignored a breech and kerry benefit in a 2pter. Loads of pull downs by both sides. Standard just is not good enough. Top teams invariably get reffed to a different standard than everyone else.

The_Kew_Tour · 10-05-2026 03:01PM

Cork are rubbish. This is over already.

ShamoBuc · 10-05-2026 03:11PM

Outstanding goal ! A rocket.

French Toast · 10-05-2026 03:12PM

Head down and drive for goal, smashed it past the keeper. Excellent stuff.

threeball · 10-05-2026 03:27PM

So ignore the kerry breach but pull up the Cork one. Can't even pretend to be consistent.

robbiezero · 10-05-2026 03:28PM

Poor 2nd half. Result never in doubt once Clifford got the goal 5 mins in.

That first half from Kerry was excellent. Cork nowhere near replicating that performance against the wind.

munster87 · 10-05-2026 03:29PM

Very disappointing stuff. Really thought Cork would put more pressure on with Kerry so depleted, especially after promotion to division 1.

Hopefully Galway don’t roll over as easily in the next.

Gael85 · 10-05-2026 03:37PM

A good win for Kerry B. Won't be stopped for next couple years at least.

robbiezero · 10-05-2026 04:24PM

Strange defending for the Galway goal. Defender caught way in front and a brilliant ball in, the the other lad went straight back on the line instead of staying with Finnerty and left an easy hand pass and goal.

The first defender had got back goal side so had the goal chance reasonably covered.

Football Championship 2026 (Mod Note in OP)

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