The 2024 All Ireland Senior Football Championship (Sam Maguire Cup)

Covid meant no attendances at matches in 2020, and the AI Final being played in December. The Final was played in the traditional September in 2021, but there were only 41,500 in Croke Park, and restricted attendances during that year. 2022 was a transitional year into the current format. And attendances could have been boosted by people wanting to see live football again.

"(2022) This year, the championship split into a two-tier system for the first time, with the Tailteann Cup being the second-tier competition for those teams that did not qualify for the tier 1 Sam Maguire Cup competition. To qualify for the Sam Maguire competition, a county team needed to (a) reach their provincial final or (b) finish in Division 1 or 2 (after promotion and relegation were determined in the 2022 National Football League). This system was planned to only be used for the 2022 season, with it moving to exactly sixteen teams continuing in the Sam Maguire competition from 2023 onwards."

2023 is the only direct comparison we have with 2024 to judge attendances. The GAA are able to run many games with few spectators e.g. camogie. I don't think they will be in any way spooked by sparse attendances at some football games.

There may not be any dead rubbers in round 3 but at what cost? There was little or no jeopardy in the first two rounds of games and crowds reflected that.

A seeded straight knockout last 16 would be miles better than the current format. 2 weeks between every round of games so all teams get a fair crack.

We haven't had that since the year 2000. There was real jeopardy in the provinces with no fallback for beaten teams. And then just four teams left at the business end. Everything since is just trying to give more games to losers. And the good teams have to play losers to make it into a competition. Galway were beaten in the Connacht semi final in 2001, but then went on to win the All Ireland. Who would ever have dreamt of that. Or two Munster teams playing in an Ireland Final, or two Ulster teams.

The Qualifiers, the Super 8's, and the Tommy Murphy Cup have been tried since to square the impossible circle. They would have lasted if people were happy, but they are never happy. The League continued on its merry way with no input into the Championship until 2022. That is some advance in thinking, especially as it enables the Tailteann Cup now. At present there is too much short term thinking in reaction to some results and some attendances.

I don't think the majority of players,supporters,pundits,tv companies.....basically anybody is happy with the current system.

If you are happy with it the way it is now then savour it.Itll run next year in the same format and after that will be changed.

All that survey seems to show is that players are in favour of the split season i.e. finishing the championship earlier than it was for decades. It doesnt reflect whether players perfer the current format or an alternative.

The system of top teams in a league division that I proposed is quite different to what is in place now and it hasn't been tried. Replacing the provincials with it at the height of summer would go well beyond tinkering.

The provincial championships in round robin format could go before league, with provincial winners guaranteed a place in the All-Ireland. The league could follow. The All-Ireland 12 then would be league top 7, 4 provincial winners and previous year's Tailteann winner. Top 4 from league direct to quarter-finals. Next best 4 versus the lower 4 in preliminary quarter-finals. The preliminary quarter-finals can have random draw for home advantage. Top 4 versus preliminary quarter-final winners in the quarter-finals. Top 2 seeds versus lower 2 in the semi-finals.

For me I think we shouldn't have group formats at all, knock out qualifiers was far better but we have group format and the change will likely be another group format and IMO dead rubbers is the worst thing about any championship format.

As it stands a provincial winner has two break before the group stage that type of schedule keeps them ticking over. The suggestion is for the provincial winner to avoid the group stage and I'm not sure where 4 to 5 weeks wait will leave a team for All Ireland Quarter final.

Dublin and Tyrone had a suggestion many years ago that the provincial winners should meet in a Champions Round. The Champions Round winners into semi-finals and the Champions Round losers playing two qualifiers in the quarter-finals.

The GAA's original preferred plan was for the current Seeds 3 to play Seeds 4 in Round 1. Round 2 then was supposed to be provincial runners-up versus Round 1 winners, Round 2 winners then going to the quarter-finals. The Tailteann then was supposed to have a double elimination format, guaranteeing Tailteann counties at least two games, i.e. Round 2 would have a winners round and losers round.

100%, it has become a lot more expensive going to matches, esp when you know that it's not do or die

Just on the tickets for the Mayo Dublin game. I could be mistaken, but I think I heard before that if people were to buy the “deal” where you buy tickets for €50 for the three group matches, that if buying the juvenile tickets for the €5, the juveniles had to go on the terrace (standing). Maybe I picked that up wrong.

I didn’t buy the €50 ticket, but I bought tickets there on ticketmaster for the Mayo Dublin match in Roscommon. I also got 2 juvenile tickets for the €5 each.

It didn’t mention anything about any restriction on the juvenile tickets in terms of not being able to go into the stand. It just said “unreserved”. We intend to go in fairly early (maybe 45 mins before throw in), and get seats on the stand side. Doesn’t matter if we are covered by the stand or not, just as long as the kids can see – they won’t be able to see the match if standing in the terraces as they are too young.

I guess my point is – is there a distinction on where the juveniles can go at the match between those that purchased the 3 match bundle, as opposed to buying the tickets now (where there doesn’t seem to be a restriction on where juveniles can go).

Its general admission for all tickets so you can get into the stand until they deem it full.

Old school style!

Great. Thanks.

The lose two games and your out would be an improvement on the current setup.

Round 1A: Seeds 1 at home v Seeds 4

Round 1B: Seeds 2 at home v Seed 3

Round 2A: 1A winners v 1B winners, random draw for home advantage.

Round 2B: 1A losers v 1B losers, random draw for home advantage.

Preliminary Quarter-finals: Round 2A losers at home v Round 2B winners.

Quarter-finals: 2A winners v Pre-QF winners in Croke Park.

This format allows a week off after the league finals. Round 2A winners can have the advantage of a weekend off before the quarter-finals. The 2A losers and 2B winners would be playing for three weekends in a row between Round 2A or 2B, the Pre-QF and QF.

Derry or Westmeath and Roscommon or Cavan will qualify for the knockout stages despite losing three games.

Also Meath if they beat Monaghan will progress with three losses. It's a great format where no county is definitely eliminated going into the final round. Hardly much better than losing three, other teams will progress losing two. Mayo and Armagh if the Seedings hold up, and Louth will be one loss and one draw. The Donegal group is open to all possibilities except Cork getting eliminated (I think).

Last year three of the four third placed teams won their Preliminary QF's. It would be a shame to deny that chance to this years underperformers to date. Maybe Derry will wake up, or even Meath. And hope springs eternal in Roscommon, despite not winning an AI since 1944.

The main problem the current championship structure has, is a marketing issue. People think the All Ireland Championship started in the beginning of April, when the truth is that the provincial championships are not part of the All Ireland series anymore. No team has lost 3 matches. We are currently in the group phase which is designed to determine the fixtures and seedings for the knockout stage. The jeopardy is in trying to stay alive for the lowest ranked teams, and for the top teams, it's about trying to secure a favorable path through the knockout phase i.e. if Donegal fail to top their group, they will have to play 3 games on back to back weeks and are unlikely to avoid both Kerry and Dublin in the quarter final.