Time for Louth to rediscover their love for the Qualifiers

LOUTH football appears to have fallen out of love with the All-Ireland Qualifiers.

To be fair, it has always been a bit of an unrequited love for socalled weaker counties, as they toil manfully to rack up a few wins, only to be swatted aside by one of the big guns when the action really hots up.

So it’s not all that surprising that the appetite for the backdoor system has waned, particularly on the back of demoralising provincial defeats.

In the early days of the ‘secondsystem, Louth regularly extended their summer into the middle and end of July, but in recent years it has been all over by the end of June.

The Wee County has won just 10 of its 27 qualifiers to date, but eight of those victories came in the first seven seasons.

In the early days they beat the likes of Tipp, Offaly, Monaghan, Cavan, Limerick, Waterford, Roscommon and Kildare.

They won back-to-back games in ‘01 and ‘05, took eventual All-Ireland champs Tyrone to extra-time and a replay in ‘06 and even reached the last 12 under Eamon McEneaney a year later, before suffering a narrow defeat to Cork in Portlaoise.

Ironically, that glorious summer adventure proved to be the beginning of the end for the Reds in terms of the Qualifiers.

Over the following nine campaigns, they have managed just two wins, over Antrim in 2013 and Leitrim in 2016, which was Colin Kelly’s first year at the helm.

Between 2008 and 2012, the county didn’t manage a single qualifier victory.

Lady Luck hasn’t always been smiling come draw time, but by-and-large Louth have proved easy pickings, suffering defeats to Tipperary twice, Tyrone twice, Dublin, Meath, Derry and Westmeath.

But while weaker counties must feel like they are banging their heads against a brick wall at times in the Qualifiers, the notion that players would be better off going back to their clubs after the provincial championships have ended is hard to fathom.

The National League has experienced something of a renaissance in recent seasons, primarily because it offers teams outside of the elite the chance to compete at the top level.

In recent times Cavan, Westmeath, Roscommon and Down have benefited, and while they often return to their true ‘level’ fairly quickly, the experience must be invaluable, particularly for young squads.

Louth has put an awful lot of effort into winning successive promotions and, while they would probably be ill-equipped for Division 1, reaching the top tier will be the ultimate target next spring.

So should the All-Ireland Qualifiers be viewed any differently?

True, the cream generally rises back to the top, but the Qualifiers also provide weaker counties with extra games, invaluable championship experience and invariably a chance to test themselves against stronger opposition.

A couple of wins, even against ‘lower tier’ sides could do wonders for morale and get supporters interested and even dreaming again - that’s certainly not something that can be said about the Natioanl League, if attendances at Louth’s Division 3 and 4 finals over the last two years are anything to go by.

Some supporters may not want to admit it, but ultimately, a meaningful ‘B’ grade with 16 or more teams, offering promotion to the ‘A’ grade is probably the only way forward, but in the meantime, the back door is the only show in town for weaker counties.

It’s high time Louth rekindled their relationship and, who knows, maybe in even fall in love al over again!