A New Hope - GAA 2020

[Diable Rouge]

Following the retirement of Jim Gavin, inter-county football squads have renewed hope of All-Ireland glory, but the GAA season has been brought forward due to two rather controversial changes. The first sees the All-Ireland club finals being moved from St Patrick's Day to mid-January, so the football and hurling semis are being held this weekend.

Meanwhile, the football championship has been rejigged once more, with an All-Ireland B competition introduced, and both being linked to the National League. The 16 counties playing in Divisions Three and Four in 2021 will be consigned to the second cup, so if Clare, for instance, are relegated to Division Three, they will suffer that fate, but if Cork are promoted to Division Two, they are guaranteed a place in the qualifiers.

[elguapo4]

Damn you Diable, you got in before me,so I can't use my GAVIN GAVIN GONE, GAA 2020 title, being Irish, I might start a breakaway thread and snipe at your one.!
Seriously, I think moving the club finals is another example of Central Council's lack of interest in the club scene, (another typically Irish thing), but hats off to Kilcoo of Co Down, who beat Dublin's Ballyboden in the Semi final today, they'll have it all to do to beat Galway's Corofin, who beat Nemo Rangers of Cork to keep up their chase for three in a row.

I'm in two minds about the divide in the Championship. Firstly, I think every county is equal and should have equal representation, on the other hand, does it profit the likes of Waterford or Wicklow to get a hiding every year. One thing it will do is make division 2 and 3 very interesting this year, it's not good enough to just coast along any more.

[Diable Rouge]

Tremendous hurling semis today - in the first, Ballyhale defeated Slaughtneil by 2-24 to 2-19, but the scoreline does little justice to the gallant losers, who led for long spells, and only trailed by two points until an injury-time goal. In the second game, Borrisoleigh of Tipperary always had enough in reserve against St Thomas of Galway, but only really pulled away by seven points in the closing stages.

[elguapo4]

Dublin footballers lose their first competitive game of the season, away to Longford by a point, 1.13 to 3.06 in the pre season O' Byrne Cup semi final. To put it in context, this was a Dublin side that didn't have a single player with Championship experience. Still, a win is a win, and Longford will be looking forward to a race chance to pick up some silverware.

[Diable Rouge]

A few pre-season finals to report on - after Limerick shocked Cork to win the McGrath Cup (Munster football) last week, Galway defeated Roscommon to lift Connacht's FBD League, Tyrone defeated Monaghan in the McKenna Cup final, and Longford win the O'Byrne Cup against Offaly for a first trophy in 20 years.

In the All-Ireland club finals, Ballyhale defeated Borrisoleigh to retain the Tommy Moore Cup, but Kilcoo lead a turgid football final against Corofin by 0-3 to 0-2 at the break, with the leaders employing a 15-man blanket defence.

[Diable Rouge]

The football descended into farce - with Corofin leading 0-7 to 0-6, Kilcoo won a free, brought forward for dissent, and levelled the game. Both sides had a man sent off, and Corofin also received a black card 10 minutes into injury-time.

[elguapo4]

Corofin ran away with it in extra time, I still say the final should be on St Patrick's day.

[Diable Rouge]

With the National Leagues back this weekend, time to start the divisional previews.

Division Four:

Antrim
Carlow
Limerick
London
Sligo
Waterford
Wexford
Wicklow

Unlike previous years, no obvious "big beasts" that have tumbled down the divisions, so more or less a lottery.

Promoted: Sligo, Limerick.
Bottom: London

Division Three:

Cork
Derry
Down
Leitrim
Longford
Louth
Offaly
Tipperary

As mentioned in the OP, a battle to ensure places in the qualifiers will make this division particularly spicy, with inter-Ulster rivalry likely to feature strongly in the promotion race.

Promoted: Cork, Down
Relegated: Longford, Offaly.

[elguapo4]

First game on Saturday and our season tickets haven't arrived yet, ffs GAA.

[Diable Rouge]

Division Two:

Armagh
Cavan
Clare
Fermanagh
Kildare
Laois
Roscommon
Westmeath

As mentioned, the two relegated sides here drop into the All-Ireland B, so no effort will be spared - hard to call the promotion places. Westmeath have either been promoted or relegated every season since 2015!

Promoted: Roscommon, Kildare
Relegated: Clare, Westmeath

Division One:

Donegal
Dublin
Galway
Kerry
Mayo
Meath
Monaghan
Tyrone

Even Dublin and Kerry will largely use the league for experimentation, though the latter will have fewer club absentees this year. Meath could well struggle in competition with the elite.

Final: Kerry, Dublin
Relegated: Meath, Monaghan

[elguapo4]

Here's my tuppence worth;

Final Kerry, Galway

Relegated Meath, Monaghan

Division 2

Promoted Roscommon. Kildare

Relegated Laois, Fermanagh

Division 3

Cork ( though We can always dream) , Down or Derry

Relegated Louth, Leitrim

Division 4

Promoted Sligo, Wexford

Last place Waterford

[Diable Rouge]

Fair to say Kerry are putting out a strong team tomorrow:

https://twitter.com/Kerry_Official/status/1220798899159433217

[Diable Rouge]

The Hurling League also begins today:

Division 2A:

Antrim
Kerry
Mayo
Meath
Offaly
Wicklow

A tight battle for promotion to Division One, but probably an Antrim v Offaly final, with Mayo relegated.

In the revamped Division One, the top team in each section makes the semis, second and third play in quarter-finals, and the bottom sides meet in a relegation play-off:

Division 1A:

Cork
Galway
Limerick
Tipperary
Waterford
Westmeath

The Midlanders are the undoubted whipping-boys, but toss of a coin stuff for the other placings - I'll go Cork, Galway, Tipp.

Division 1B:

Carlow
Clare
Dublin
Kilkenny
Laois
Wexford

Kilkenny should win the group, followed by Wexford and Clare, and Carlow bottom.

[Diable Rouge]

On a (literally) parochial note, my second cousin has just won an All-Ireland junior club title with the local team - friendly rivals of my original parish, but all's fair outside the county bounds.

[Diable Rouge]

Extremely lively clash in Croke Park - draw probably a fair result, and the first half was excellent, just a pity that it all went scrappy in the final 10 minutes. The Clifford-Fenton rivalry looks set to define the summer, and James O'Donoghue was razor-sharp now that he is finally injury-free.

[elguapo4]

Fair assessment, plenty of niggle going on and some stupid fouls given away, these two are still the ones to beat, great crowd and atmosphere too.

[Diable Rouge]

Looks like Division One will be cut-throat, with Donegal and Mayo also drawing. In Division Two, Armagh, surprisingly, hammered Cavan, while in Division Three, Cork predictably saw off Offaly, but Leitrim did well to draw with Derry. Limerick and Carlow prevailed against Waterford and Wicklow respectively in Division Four.

In the hurling, Limerick came back from nine points down to beat Tipp, while Wexford saw off Laois comfortably.

[Diable Rouge]

https://twitter.com/kberginsports/status/1225796371023892480

[Gangster Octopus]

Okay, I was told that a black card is an enforced substitution. Is it?

[Diable Rouge]

New rule this year, used to mean a straight swap, but now a 10-minute sin bin a la rugby.

[Diable Rouge]

https://twitter.com/monaghangaa/status/1226228846313250818

[Gangster Octopus]

Ta. That's what I was watching.

[Diable Rouge]

Ah, the old GAA tradition of creative timekeeping to force a draw lives on!

[elguapo4]

The old tradition of Monaghan being 10 points ahead,then dicking around taking all day over kick outs, substitutions and 65s, and generally pissing off the ref so he correctly added three minutes to the existing 6 already announced lives on as well!

[elguapo4]

Watching the highlights of Kerry v Tyrone, it looks like Tyrone sent a sub on with the sole intention of getting David Clifford sent off. Disgraceful if deliberate and poor refereeing.