Derry Intermediate Football Championship
| Derry Intermediate Football Championship | |
|---|---|
| Irish | Craobh Idirmheánach Peile Dhoire |
| Founded | 1971 |
| Trophy | Sheridan, Bateson and Lee Cup[1] |
| Most titles | Craigbane (7 titles) |
| Sponsors | M&L Contracts |
The Derry Intermediate Football Championship (currently also known for sponsorship reasons as the M&L Contracts Derry Intermediate Football Championship) is an annual competition between the mid-tier Gaelic football clubs affiliated to Derry GAA.
Format
The competition traditionally took the structure of an open-draw knock-out.
In 2007 and 2008, the championship was altered to include a round robin, group structure with the 16 teams divided into four groups. Each club in a group played each other once with the top two in each group advancing to the quarter-finals. From the quarter-finals onwards the competition took the format of a knock-out.
The format was changed once again for the 2009 Championship.[2] The Derry Competitions Control Committee accepted a proposal to scrap the group stage and introduce a "backdoor" system.[2] The 16 clubs play in the first round. In the second round the eight first round winners are drawn against each other, with the four winners going into bowl A for the quarter-finals.[2] The eight first round losers are also drawn against each other and the four winners advance to the quarter-finals (in bowl B).[2] Teams in bowl A are drawn out against teams from bowl B to make up the quarter-final draw.[2] Thereafter the competition is an open-draw knock-out.[2]
Qualification for subsequent competitions
Ulster Intermediate Club Football Championship
The Derry IFC winner qualifies for the Ulster Intermediate Club Football Championship. It is the only team from the county to qualify for this competition. The Derry IFC winner may enter the Ulster Intermediate Club Football Championship at either the preliminary round or the quarter-final stage.
All-Ireland Intermediate Club Football Championship
The Derry IFC winners — by winning the Ulster Intermediate Club Football Championship — may qualify for the All-Ireland Intermediate Club Football Championship, at which it would enter at the semi-final stage, providing it hasn't been drawn to face the British champions in the quarter-finals.
Trophy
The trophy awarded to the Derry IFC winning team is named after John Bateson (aged 19), James Sheridan (20) and Martin Lee (18), all members of the South Derry Brigade of the Provisional Irish Republican Army who died in an explosion in Magherafelt on 18 December 1971.[3] All three men came from Ballymaguigan and played for the St Trea's GFC Ballymaguigan.
Finals by year
- The 2004 final was not played, Foreglen were awarded the title.
References
- ^ "Latest Club News". Official St. Trea's GFC Ballymaguigan website. 11 October 2008. Archived from the original on 16 October 2008. Retrieved 30 October 2008.
- ^ a b c d e f "New championships format". The Irish News. 6 February 2009. p. 49.
- ^ Corry, Eoghan (1993). Oakboys - Derry's Football Dream Come True. Dublin, Ireland: Torc Books Ltd. p. 5. ISBN 1-898142-10-6.
- ^ "Intermediate Football Archive - Championship Winners". Official Derry GAA website. Retrieved 5 March 2009.
External links
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- Intermediate Gaelic football county championships