The thrill of the football league, traditionally reaching fever-pitch at the weekend, failed to reach expected heights this time around. We have grown used to watching tighter matches and fluctuating results, with teams climbing and falling in standings, often at the whim of an injury time ball kick. The exhilaration of these ups and downs typically outshone the grand finals themselves.
The finals this year were, conversely, the most muted in recent history. The contenders for the Division One final were deduced quite early, and barring any outrageous outcomes, a Derry-Dublin final seemed inevitable — so much so, Kerry, the first backup should anything fall out of place, had already arranged a training session in Portugal during the final week.
Looking across the various divisions, none of the teams in the top three moved past the one just above or below them in the table. As for Division Four, although Leitrim technically rose from fourth to second, they began the final weekend on equal points with second and third place, Wexford and Longford, who were to face each other.
This is a stark difference from 2017, when Kerry leapt from sixth to second place and went on to beat Dublin in the finals. Or those numerous instances when Monaghan dodged relegation at the eleventh hour. Or when Cork, one amongst four teams on six points, found itself relegated due to scoring difference, while one of the remaining teams, Donegal, made it to the semi-finals.
You can’t help it if not enough teams are in the running on the last day. It’s impossible to predict outcomes and the way a league, or for that matter, a championship, is going to transpire, especially with the randomness of the draw.
The CCCC, for example, which is in charge of scheduling league fixtures, thought they would highlight Division Two by organizing all its fixtures on Saturday evening at the start of the last weekend. Their idea was to provide the competition with a bit of spotlight through live TV broadcasts, ensuring it wouldn’t be overshadowed by the Division One itinerary.
And what was the result? The division became the least suspenseful of all, with its top two teams, Donegal and Armagh, guaranteed promotions even before the final series of matches were played. The same happened with one relegation spot, already awarded to a defeated Kildare.
The league’s general anticlimax has been unfortunately timed and faces numerous criticisms due to the tightly packed scheduling and the imminent championship. This was evidenced by the uncertainty surrounding the league finals for a prolonged period. The official list of fixtures for the four divisional matches, stated that they would occur on the weekend of the 30th and 31st of March.
This has now been clarified and the first and second finals will take place on Sunday, while the others are slated for Saturday. The intention here was to optimise the schedule to allow for an extra day’s rest for those who are participating in the championship the following week.
Astoundingly, with eight provincial championship matches involving 16 counties lined up, only Leitrim (playing Sligo) and Westmeath (playing Wicklow) will be playing the following weekend. Both will receive an eight-day break before the match, although this means four straight weeks of matches.
Despite this not being ideal, it’s worth noting that this time last year, two of the three teams in a similar situation, namely, Sligo and Wicklow, scored victories in the first championship following the Division Four finals. However, most interest was on Mayo, the league winner, who were given a reality check by Roscommon a week later.
Croke Park administrators maintain that they’re grappling with a narrow window for organising the league while attempting to avoid adverse weather that could disrupt fixtures. Assigning divisional titles to the table-toppers seems like an obvious way to save a week, but there’s limited county support to abolish the finals.
The rationale behind this makes sense mostly for the lower half of the league as they’re significantly impacted. Rarely getting to play important matches at Croke Park, this provides them with the opportunity. As articulated by Longford manager Paddy Christie to Malachy Clerkin, it’s clear how valuable this opportunity is to teams like Longford, Tipperary, Carlow, or Wexford, who would eagerly grab a chance for their place in a league final at Croke Park.
The past weekend has further solidified the importance of the finals in the weekend football league. If titles were casually given to the leading county in every division, there emerges a risk of premature conclusions.
Undoubtedly, the general consensus deems that the exceptional teams see significant benefit in proceeding to and acquiring league finals. Currently, Dublin and Derry stand out as formidable teams, both having ample time to gear up for the championship ahead.
Derry’s manager, Mickey Harte, vociferously disagreed with the suggestion of eliminating league finals, labelling it as outrageous. He pointed to the excitement of the finals at Croke Park, mentioning the thrill of victory or defeat and the overall significance of the day. He saw no major issue with an additional week of football if it were to postpone the championship and voiced his perplexity regarding the proposal.
Despite all criticism, the football league’s popularity continues to rise, evidenced by the gate receipts of the last two years which totalled €4.8 million and €3.6 million respectively, a considerable increase from the roughly €2 million generated in the pre-pandemic leagues of 2018 and 2019.
This season is, refreshingly, projected to conclude on a high-note rather than petering out.