1980–81 National Football League (Ireland)

1980–81 National Football League
League details
DatesOctober 1980 – 10 May 1981
League champions
WinnersGalway (3rd win)
CaptainBarry Brennan
League runners-up
Runners-upRoscommon
CaptainDanny Murray


The 1980–81 National Football League was the 50th staging of the National Football League (NFL), an annual Gaelic football tournament for the Gaelic Athletic Association county teams of Ireland.

Galway defeated Roscommon in an all-Connacht final.[1][2][3]

Format

Titles

Teams in all four divisions competed for one league title.

Divisions

  • Division One: 8 teams
  • Division Two: 8 teams
  • Division Three: 8 teams
  • Division Four: 8 teams

Round-robin format

Each team played every other team in its division once, either home or away.

Points awarded

2 points were awarded for a win and 1 for a draw.

Knockout stage qualifiers

  • Division One: top 4 teams [4]
  • Division Two: top 2 teams
  • Division Three: top team
  • Division Four: top team

Knockout phase structure

In the Preliminary quarter-finals, the match-ups were as follows

  • Preliminary Quarter-final 1: Fourth-placed team in Division One v First-placed team in Division Four
  • Preliminary Quarter-final 2: Second-placed team in Division Two v First-placed team in Division Three

In the quarter-finals, the match-ups were as follows

  • Quarter-final 1: Winner Preliminary Quarter-final 1 v First-placed team in Division Two
  • Quarter-final 2: Winner Preliminary Quarter-final 2 v Third-placed team in Division One

The semi-final match-ups are:

  • Semi-final 1: First-placed team in Division One v Winner Quarter-final 1
  • Semi-final 2: Second-placed team in Division One v Winner Quarter-final 2

Separation of teams on equal points

In the event that teams finish on equal points, then a play-off will be used to determine group placings if necessary, i.e. where to decide relegation places or quarter-finalists.

League stage

Division One

Regulation Games

5 October 1980 Round 1 Cork 0-10 — 0-13 Kerry Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Cork[5]
5 October 1980 Round 1 Roscommon 3-14 — 0-8 Kildare Dr. Hyde Park, Roscommon[6]
5 October 1980 Round 1 Armagh 3-10 — 0-9 Offaly Athletic Grounds, Armagh[7]

Division One play-offs

15 March 1981 For 3rd Place Dublin 1-7 — 1-5 Armagh Croke Park, Dublin[8]

Tables

Team Pld W D L Pts Notes
Kerry 7 5 1 1 11 Qualified for Knockout Stages
Roscommon 7 4 2 1 10
Dublin 7 4 1 2 9
Armagh 7 4 1 2 9
Cork 7 3 2 2 8
Offaly 7 2 2 3 6
Down 7 1 1 5 3 Relegated to Division Two of the 1981–82 NFL
Kildare 7 0 0 7 0

[9]

Division Two

Division Two Regulation Games

5 October 1980 Round 1 Derry 2-12 — 2-3 Laois Ballinascreen[10]

Tables

Team Pld W D L Pts Notes
Galway 7 5 2 0 12 Promoted to Division One of the 1981–82 NFL and qualified for Knockout Stages
Mayo 7 3 4 0 10
Tyrone 7 3 2 2 8
Derry 7 3 1 3 7
Meath 7 3 1 3 7
Monaghan 7 2 1 4 5
Laois 7 2 0 5 4 Relegated to Division Three of the 1981–82 NFL
Antrim 7 1 1 5 3

[11]

Division Three

Team Pld W D L Pts Notes
Fermanagh 7 6 1 0 13 Promoted to Division Two of the 1981–82 NFL and Qualified for Knockout Stages
Cavan 7 5 0 2 10 Promoted to Division Two of the 1981–82 NFL
Donegal 7 3 2 2 8
Louth 7 3 1 3 7
Wexford 7 3 0 4 6
Tipperary 7 3 0 4 6
Sligo 7 2 0 5 4 Relegated to Division Four of the 1981–82 NFL
Clare 7 1 0 6 2

[12]

Division Four

Team Pld W D L Pts Notes
Wicklow 7 7 0 0 14 Promoted to Division Three of the 1981–82 NFL and Qualified for Knockout Stages
Westmeath 7 6 0 1 12 Promoted to Division Three of the 1981–82 NFL
Longford 7 4 1 2 9
Waterford 7 3 1 3 7
Leitrim 7 2 1 4 5
Limerick 7 2 1 4 5
Carlow 7 2 0 5 4
Kilkenny 7 0 0 7 0

[13]

Knockout stage

Preliminary quarter-finals

Armagh2-11 – 1-10Wicklow
Mayo2-9 – 0-9Fermanagh

Quarter-finals

Mayo1-11 – 1-10Dublin
Galway1-11 – 2-3Armagh

Semi-finals

Galway0-10 – 0-8Kerry
Roscommon1-11 – 1-6Mayo

Final

Galway1-11 – 1-3Roscommon
Attendance: 22,876[17]
Referee: Paddy Collins (Westmeath) [18]

References

  1. ^ GAA Final Teams
  2. ^ Terrace Talk 1981
  3. ^ GAA Archive 1981[permanent dead link‍]
  4. ^ "League play-offs cause confusion", Cork Examiner, 10 March 1982, p. 15
  5. ^ "GAA Results at a glance", Irish Press, 06/10/1980, p. 13,
  6. ^ "GAA Results at a glance", Irish Press, 06/10/1980, p. 13,
  7. ^ "GAA Results at a glance", Irish Press, 06/10/1980, p. 13,
  8. ^ "GAA in brief", Irish Press, 16/03/1981, p. 14,
  9. ^ "GAA Results in Brief", Irish Independent, 02/03/1981, p. 9
  10. ^ "GAA Results at a glance", Irish Press, 06/10/1980, p. 13,
  11. ^ "GAA Results in Brief", Irish Independent, 02/03/1981, p. 9
  12. ^ "GAA Results in Brief", Irish Independent, 02/03/1981, p. 9
  13. ^ "GAA Results in Brief", Irish Independent, 02/03/1981, p. 9
  14. ^ "Scores at a glance", Irish Press, 23/03/1981, p. 14
  15. ^ "Mayo regain form to edge out Dublin", Irish Independent, 06/04/1981, p. 10
  16. ^ "Galway underline Armagh weakness", Irish Independent, 06/04/1981, p. 10
  17. ^ "For The Record, A History of the National Football and Hurling League Finals", Tom Morrison, Collins Press, 2002, ISBN 9781903464151
  18. ^ "For The Record, A History of the National Football and Hurling League Finals", Tom Morrison, Collins Press, 2002, ISBN 9781903464151