There is plenty of intrigue and a few surprises in the new Church & General National Football League structure which was announced yesterday. After much speculation it was confirmed that the league will be made up with four sections; consisting of Divisions 1A, 1B, 2A and 2B.
The counties in each division were established on the basis of results from last season's league and has created some enticing meetings for some and less inspiring for others. The 32 counties and London have been divided into Division 1A, 1B and 2B, each comprising of eight teams, and 2A, consisting of nine.
Newly crowned All-Ireland champions Galway have been drawn against Connacht rivals Leitrim in the first round of matches which begin on Sunday, November 1st. That Division 1A game takes place in Carrick-on-Shannon in a re-run of the Connacht semi-final which Galway won 1-16 to 0-5. The poor performance of Leitrim that day was a big blow to manager Peter McGinnity, yet should provide a healthy incentive to make up for the disappointment.
Defending league champions Offaly begin their campaign in Tullamore against Cork while in Division 1B, beaten All-Ireland finalists Kildare are also at home to Down in their opening fixture at Newbridge. Ulster champions Derry will travel to Mayo for their first game in Division 1B.
Kerry, who won the league title in 1997 but had a disappointing run last season, find themselves in Division 2A and confront a series of less-spectacular clashes with teams like Kilkenny, Louth, Westmeath and London. The Munster champions start off with a reasonable challenge in Roscommon, the team that came closest to beating Galway in this year's championship, but also face long-distance trips to Antrim and Wicklow.
Manager Paidi O Se was not concerned with Kerry's rather unappetising fixtures for the coming months although he was still unclear how much emphasis he will place on this league campaign. "There is no such thing as an easy game in county football anymore," said O Se. "We are down in Division Two but will be taking each game as it comes and play it by ear in terms of progression."
The Kerry manager will resume responsibilities following a three week break with a meeting on Sunday evening to select the initial county panel. O Se will sit down with his selectors after the county final and with only one county player, Seamas Moynihan, called up for the International Rules series with Australia, he shouldn't have too many distractions for players when the new panel is named.
Despite some lesser challenges, Kerry can't afford too many slip ups as only the winning team in Division Two will qualify for the quarter-finals next spring. The top three teams from divisions 1A and 1B are each guaranteed a quarterfinal place and Kerry's hopes of reaching that stage will take a good effort, especially in their first game against Roscommon. Either way, last year's All-Ireland champions will struggle to maximise gate receipts in the coming months and if they fail to make the quarter-finals, the county board income is bound to suffer.
There will be four league games before the Christmas break - two additional November dates on Sunday the 15th and 29th as well as December 6th. Even though it's just one month before the league begins, only the first round games were available from Croke Park yesterday but the additional fixtures are expected shortly.
As before, the question remains as to the priority many counties put on the league. Donegal have already seen regulars Tony Boyle Barry McGowan pass up on county duty in favour of a break and manager Declan Bonner has been forced to bring nine new players into the panel. Others, such as Sligo, put up great efforts last year, including victories over Kerry and Dublin and a draw with champions Offaly, yet find themselves placed below each of them in Division 2B. The demolition of the Canal End terraces at Croke Park which began this week means that the area will not be open for the League final next April. Phase two of the redevelopment of the stadium is not due for completion until March 2000, although it is hoped that the lower deck and premium level will be in use by July of next year for the major championship matches. When finished, the second new stand will hold 21,000 spectators, almost double the previous capacity of the area.
There have been few managerial adjustments following the conclusion of the football championship. Derry have still to confirm a replacement for Brian Mullins who stepped down soon after the defeat by Galway in the semi-final and a decision on the new appointment is expected early next week. The other recent change has seen former Kerry footballer JJ Barrett take over the ropes at Wexford following the switch by Cyril Hughes to Carlow. Champions Galway will have the services of John O'Mahoney for at least another two years.
Meanwhile, the teams for this Saturday's fundraising International Rules challenge between Ulster/Galway and the Rest of Ireland include 13 players that contested last Sunday's All-Ireland final. All proceeds go to the Omagh Victims' Fund with a throw-in time of 3.00 p.m. at Omagh's Healy Park. The game will also serve as the final trial for the Irish selection which face Australia in Croke Park on October 11th and 18th.
The six Galway players are Gary Fahy, Sean de Paor, Thomas Mannion, Kevin Walsh, Michael Donnellan and Jarlath Fallon while the seven from Kildare are Glen Ryan, Eddie McCormack, Niall Buckley, Anthony Rainbow, Dermot Earley, Declan Kerrigan and John Finn.
