Two Tier 2 football options on the agenda

TWO options for a Tier 2 football championship will be considered by Central Council on Saturday week.

Counties were yesterday circulated with the Central Competitions Control Committee’s assessments, which will form the basis of the discussion on whether to introduce a secondary competition.

Option 1 allows Division 3 and 4 counties, which are beaten in their provincial championships, to compete in the All-Ireland qualifiers as usual. However, if they are beaten in Rounds 1 or 2, they will enter a Tier 2 championship.

Option 2 would see all 16 Division 3 and 4 counties (except in cases where, as happened this year with Fermanagh and Laois, they reached provincial finals) go straight to a Tier 2 championship.

CCCC favour the first option, on the basis that it would allow counties two chances in the All-Ireland series (provincial and qualifiers) while also having another target to aim at.

Under Option 1, the counties in a Tier 2 championship this year would have been as follows: Westmeath, Offaly, Sligo, Derry, Longford, Wexford, Limerick, Waterford, London, Wicklow, Antrim, Carlow.

The final would have been played on the weekend of the All-Ireland semi-finals.

CCCC does not favour playing a Tier 2 final on same day as the AllIreland final, as has been mooted by some counties who are in favour of a secondary championship. CCCC contend that it would be counter-productive not to complete Tier 2 earlier, as delaying it until All-Ireland final day would interfere with club activity in the competing counties.