1927–28 National Football League (Ireland)

1927–28 National Football League
League details
Dates24 April 1927 – 1928
League champions
WinnersKerry (1st win)
CaptainJoe Barrett
League runners-up
Runners-upKildare
CaptainBill "Squires" Gannon

The 1927–28 National Football League was the 2nd staging of the National Football League, a Gaelic football tournament for the Gaelic Athletic Association county teams of Ireland, held in 1927 and 1928.

The League was won by Kerry.[1][2][3]

Format

There were three divisions – Northern, Southern, and Western. Division winners played off for the NFL title.

The league was not decided by a one-match final. The three division winners played each other in a series of Inter-Divisional tests.[4] As Kerry and Kildare both defeated Mayo, it meant that the Kerry v Kildare tie was a 'de facto' final.

Results

Northern Division

3 April 1927 Round Kildare 3-8 — 1-2 Down
3 April 1927 Round Armagh 0-2 — 0-2 Tyrone
18 September 1927 Round Armagh 2-9 — 0-12 Cavan Athletic Grounds, Armagh,[5]
30 October 1927 Round Down 2-7 — 2-6 Dublin Newry,[6]
13 November 1927 Round 2 Louth 4-4 — 0-2 Dublin Drogheda,[7]
27 November 1927 Round 2 Louth 2-6 — 1-4 Meath Navan,[8]
27 November 1927 Round 2 Monaghan 4-4 — 4-4 Kildare Carrickmacross,[9]
27 November 1927 Round Dublin 3-5 — 0-8 Armagh Croke Park, Dublin,[10]
11 December 1927 Round Louth 7-4 — 2-0 Down Dundalk,[11]
8 January 1928 Round Armagh 3-3 — 2-3 Meath Athletic Grounds, Armagh,[12]

Table

Team Pld W D L Pts Status
Kildare 8 7 1 0 15 Advance to Knockout stage
Louth 8 6 0 2 12
Armagh 7 4 1 2 9
Down 7 3 0 4 8
Cavan 7 3 1 3 7
Meath 7 3 0 4 4
Monaghan 6 1 1 4 3
Dublin 6 1 1 4 3
Tyrone 6 0 1 5 1

Meath beat Down, but forfeited the points for being late on the field[13]

Southern Division

27 February 1927 Round 1 Clare L — W Laois Kilkee
27 February 1927 Round 1 Kerry 2-6 — 0-4 Cork Tralee,[14]
27 February 1927 Round 1 Tipperary 0-3 — 2-4 Kilkenny Carrick-on-Suir,[15]
20 March 1927 Round 2 Wexford 0-4 — 0-4 Kilkenny Barrett Park, New Ross,[16]
20 March 1927 Round 2 Laois 0-1 — 1-6 Kerry Portlaoise,[17]
3 April 1927 Round 3 Wexford 3-4 — 0-0 Cork Wexford Park, Wexford
3 April 1927 Round 3 Kerry 4-0 — 1-5 Clare Austin Stack Park, Tralee
24 April 1927 Round 4 Cork 2-3 — 0-1 Kilkenny Cork Athletic Grounds,[18]
9 October 1927 Wexford 4-2 — 1-4 Clare Enniscorthy,[19]
9 October 1927 Kerry w/o — scr, Tipperary
27 November 1927 Kerry w/o — scr, Kilkenny
5 February 1928 Round 6 Kerry 2-3 — 0-2 Wexford Austin Stack Park, Tralee,[20]
12 February 1928 Round Wexford 1-7 — 1-1 Tipperary Barrett Park, New Ross,[21]

Table

Team Pld W D L Pts Status
Kerry 6 6 0 0 12 Advance to Knockout stage
Laois 6 5 0 1 10
Wexford 6 3 1 2 7
Cork 5 2 0 3 4
Kilkenny 6 1 2 3 4
Clare 6 1 1 4 3
Tipperary 5 0 0 5 0

Laois were awarded the points in respect of their tie with Clare at Kilkee[22]

Western Division

Mayo won, finishing ahead of Sligo, Galway, Roscommon and Leitrim.

24 April 1927 Round 1 Mayo 2-7 — 1-5 Sligo Claremorris,[23]
8 May 1927 Round 2 Mayo 2-5 — 1-6 Roscommon Claremorris,[24]
18 September 1927 Round 2 Mayo 0-9 — 0-8 Leitrim Roscommon,[25]

Inter-divisional tests

Kildare0-8 – 0-5Mayo
Kerry0-6 – 1-1Mayo
Kerry2-4 – 1-6Kildare
Attendance: 12,000
Referee: Tom Shevlin, Roscommon

Table

Team Pld W D L Pts Status
Kerry 2 2 0 0 4 NFL Winners
Kildare 2 1 0 1 2 NFL runners-up
Mayo 2 0 0 2 0

References

  1. ^ [1][permanent dead link‍]
  2. ^ Mayo GAA 1927
  3. ^ Mayo GAA 1928
  4. ^ "Inter-Divisional League Tests",Irish Independent, 23/03/1928, p.13
  5. ^ "National Football League", Irish Independent, 19/09/1927, p. 12,
  6. ^ "A Newry Surprise", Irish Independent, 31 October 1927, p. 12,
  7. ^ "Dublin footballer's big defeat", Irish Independent, 14/11/1927, p. 11,
  8. ^ "Gaelic Games", Meath Chronicle, 3 December 1927, p. 7,
  9. ^ "Gaelic Games", Meath Chronicle, 3 December 1927, p. 7,
  10. ^ "National Football League", The Cork Examiner, 28/11/1927, p. 9,
  11. ^ "Louth's good win at Dundalk", Irish Independent, 12 December 1927, p. 13,
  12. ^ "Junior Champions Still going strong", Irish Independent, 09/01/1928, p. 11,
  13. ^ "National Football League", Irish Independent, 5 December 1927, p. 12
  14. ^ "Kerry's easy win", The Kerryman, 05/03/1927, p. 11,
  15. ^ "National Football League", The Cork Examiner, 28/02/1927, p. 13,
  16. ^ "Surprise for Wexford", Irish Independent, 21/03/1927, p. 9,
  17. ^ "Champions in form", Irish Independent, 21/03/1927, p. 9,
  18. ^ "National Football League", The Cork Examiner, 25/04/1927, p. 11,
  19. ^ "Good game at Enniscorthy", Irish Independent, 10 October 1927, p. 13,
  20. ^ "National Football League", The Kerryman, 11/02/1928, p. 3,
  21. ^ "National Football League", Irish Independent, 13/02/1928, p. 11,
  22. ^ "National Football League", Irish Independent, 5 December 1927, p. 12
  23. ^ "1927".
  24. ^ "1927".
  25. ^ "1927".
  26. ^ "Kerry conquer Kildare", The Kerryman, 05/05/1928, p. 5