1980–81 National Football League (Ireland)

1980–81 National Football League
League details
Dates October 1980 – 10 May 1981
League champions
Winners Galway (3rd win)
Captain Barry Brennan
League runners-up
Runners-up Roscommon
Captain Danny 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

Division One Play-Offs

Tables

Team Pld W D L Pts Notes
Kerry 751111Qualified for Knockout Stages
Roscommon 742110
Dublin 74129
Armagh 74129
Cork 73228
Offaly 72236
Down 71153Relegated to Division Two of the 1981–82 NFL
Kildare 70070

[9]

Division Two

Division Two Regulation Games

Tables

Team Pld W D L Pts Notes
Galway 752012Promoted to Division Two of the 1981–82 NFL and qualified for Knockout Stages
Mayo 734010
Tyrone 73228
Derry 73137
Meath 73137
Monaghan 72145
Laois 72054Relegated to Division Three of the 1981–82 NFL
Antrim 71153

[11]

Division Three

Team Pld W D L Pts Notes
Fermanagh 761013Promoted to Division Two of the 1981–82 NFL and Qualified for Knockout Stages
Cavan 750210Promoted to Division Two of the 1981–82 NFL
Donegal 73228
Louth 73137
Wexford 73046
Tipperary 73046
Sligo 72054Relegated to Division Three of the 1981–82 NFL
Clare 71062

[12]

Division Four

Team Pld W D L Pts Notes
Wicklow 770014Promoted to Division Three of the 1981–82 NFL and Qualified for Knockout Stages
Westmeath 760112Promoted to Division Three of the 1981–82 NFL
Longford 74129
Waterford 73137
Leitrim 72145
Limerick 72145
Carlow 72054
Kilkenny 70070

[13]

Knockout stage

Preliminary Quarter-Finals

Armagh 2-11 – 1-10 Wicklow

Quarter-Finals

Mayo 1-11 – 1-10 Dublin
Galway 1-11 – 2-3 Armagh

Semi-Finals

Galway 0-10 – 0-8 Kerry
Roscommon 1-11 – 1-6 Mayo

Final

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

References

  1. ↑ GAA Final Teams
  2. ↑ Terrace Talk 1981
  3. ↑ GAA Archive 1981
  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
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