1989–90 National Football League (Ireland)

1989–90 National Football League
League details
Dates October 1989 – 29 April 1990
League champions
Winners Meath (6th win)
Captain Colm O'Rourke
Manager Seán Boylan
League runners-up
Runners-up Down
Captain Paddy O'Rourke

The 1989–90 National Football League, known for sponsorship reasons as the Royal Liver Assurance National Football League, was the 59th staging of the National Football League (NFL), an annual Gaelic football tournament for the Gaelic Athletic Association county teams of Ireland.

The tournament introduced several experimental rules: game divided into four quarters; all kick outs from the hands from within the small rectangle; free kicks from the hands or the ground; all sideline kicks from the hands; teeing up the ball is a foul. Of these rules, only the free kick from hand or ground, and the illegality of teeing up the ball, survive to the modern day.[1] Meath defeated Down in the final.[2][3][4]

Format

Divisions

  • Division One: 8 teams
  • Division Two: 8 teams
  • Division Three: 16 teams. Split into two regional groups of 8 (North and South)

Round-Robin Format

Each team played every other team in its division (or group where the division is split) once, either home or away.

Points awarded

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

Titles

Teams in all three divisions competed for the National Football League title.

Knockout stage qualifiers

  • Division One: top 4 teams
  • Division Two: top 2 teams
  • Division Three (North): group winners
  • Division Three (South): group winners

Knockout phase structure

In the Quarter-Finals, the match-ups were as follows:

  • Quarter-final 1: First-placed team in Division One v First-placed team in Division Three (South)
  • Quarter-final 2: Second-placed team in Division One v First-placed team in Division Three (North)
  • Quarter-final 3: Third-placed team in Division One v Second-placed team in Division Two
  • Quarter-final 4: Fourth-placed team in Division One v First-placed team in Division Two

The semi-final match-ups are:

  • Semi-final 1: Winner Quarter-final 1 v Winner Quarter-final 4
  • Semi-final 2: Winner Quarter-final 2 v Winner Quarter-final 3

The final match-up is: Winner Semi-final 1 v Winner Semi-final 2.

Promotion and Relegation

  • Division One: bottom 2 teams demoted to Division Two
  • Division Two: top 2 teams promoted to Division One. Bottom 3 teams demoted to Division Three.
  • Division Three (North): group winners promoted to Division Two. Group runners up play-off for the third promotion slot from Division Three.
  • Division Three (South): group winners promoted to Division Two. Group runners up play-off for the third promotion slot from Division Three.

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.[5]

League Tables

Division One

Play-Offs

Table

Team Pld W D L Pts Status
Cork 751111Advance to quarter-finals
Down 750210
Donegal 750210
Dublin 74038
Armagh 73228
Kerry 72054
Cavan 71153Relegated to Division Two of the 1990–91 NFL
Derry 71062

[7]

Division Two

Second Place Play-Offs

Table

Team Pld W D L Pts Status
Roscommon 751111Advance to quarter-finals; Promoted to Division One of the 1990–91 NFL
Meath 74038
Tyrone 73228
Antrim 74038
Mayo 74038
Monaghan 72145Relegated to Division Three of the 1990–91 NFL
Louth 72054
Wexford 72054

Division Three

Division Three (North) Play-Offs

Division Three (South) Play-Offs

Division Three Promotion Play-Offs

Division Three (North) Table

Team Pld W D L Pts Status
Longford 752012Advance to quarter-finals; Promoted to Division Two of the 1990–91 NFL
Leitrim 74129Promoted to Division Two of the 1990–91 NFL
Offaly 74129
Galway 74038
Laois 74038
Fermanagh 73046
Sligo 71062
Westmeath 71062

Division Three (South) Table

Team Pld W D L Pts Status
Kildare 760112Advance to quarter-finals; Promoted to Division Two of the 1990–91 NFL
Wicklow 760112
Limerick 750210
Tipperary 74038
Clare 73137
Waterford 71153
Carlow 71062
Kilkenny 71062

Knockout Stages

Quarter-Finals

Cork 4-10 – 5-5 Kildare
Roscommon 2-22 – 3-13 Dublin
Meath 2-12 – 0-13 Donegal
Down 1-21 – 1-5 Longford

Semi-Finals

Meath 0-14 – 0-10 Cork
Down 4-8 – 0-11 Roscommon

Final

Meath 2-7 – 0-11 Down

References

  1. ↑ GAA's previous experimental rules - Irish Independent
  2. ↑ GAA Final Teams Archived 2015-07-17 at the Wayback Machine.
  3. ↑ GAA Archive 1990
  4. ↑ Photos of final
  5. ↑ "Ups and Downs of the League", Irish Independent, 05 March 1990, p. 14
  6. ↑ "Bad-tempered spectacle!", Irish Independent, 12 March 1990, p. 13
  7. ↑ "GAA Results", Irish Independent, 05/03/1990, p. 15
  8. ↑ "Meath are Masters", Irish Press, 12 March 1990, p. 47
  9. ↑ "Tyrone to fore against Antrim", Irish Independent, 12 March 1990, p. 13
  10. ↑ "Meath are ready to bloom again", Irish Independent, 26 March 1990, p. 14
  11. ↑ "Leitrim one-two floors Offaly", Irish Independent, 19 March 1990, p. 11
  12. ↑ "Kildare struggle to end hard Wicklow challenge", Irish Independent, 26 March 1990, p. 14
  13. ↑ "Slick Leitrim back in big time", Irish Press, 16 April 1990, p. 51
  14. ↑ "Two defectors sink Kildare", Irish Independent, 02 April 1990, p. 9
  15. ↑ "Roscommon Roar!", Irish Independent, 02 April 1990, p. 9
  16. ↑ "Beggy goals lift Meath out of gloom", Irish Independent, 02 April 1990, p. 9
  17. ↑ "Longford are Down and out", Irish Independent, 02 April 1990, p. 9
  18. ↑ "Down men are just perfect!", Irish Press, 16 April 1990, p. 49
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