Football

Sligo's Neil Ewing says radical League shake-up could help balance Championship

Sligo skipper Neil Ewing believes a B Championship is a non-runner
Sligo skipper Neil Ewing believes a B Championship is a non-runner Sligo skipper Neil Ewing believes a B Championship is a non-runner

SLIGO captain Neil Ewing says the creation of a ‘B’ Championship would do more damage to the lower-ranked teams in the country and singularly serve to make the elite counties stronger.

The 27-year-old forward argues the only way to have a more balanced Championship is for the so-called weaker counties to play the stronger counties in a re-jigged National Football League.

Ewing’s radical proposal would undoubtedly weaken the competitive nature of the NFL – but believes it would be a price worth paying in order to raise standards across the Championship.

Ewing insists a glass ceiling has been created by the League structures ever since the GAA decided to have Divisions One to Four.


Involved in the senior set-up since 2008, Ewing says teams like Sligo need to be exposed more often to the bigger teams in order to re-balance the Championship.

“People are talking about Championship structures but the League structures are the problem,” he said. “People say the Leagues are great because the teams of an equal level are playing against each other.

“But I think since the Division One to Division Four came in there’s a situation that has developed that the best five or six teams are constantly Division One and they’re constantly playing against each other and they’re making each other better, whereas the weaker teams are constantly playing each other and they’re probably finding a level that’s below themselves.”

Sligo, a Division Three side, exited this year’s Connacht Championship to last year’s All-Ireland finalists Mayo before moving into the second round of the All-Ireland Qualifiers after beating Antrim.

“It’s very disappointing for ourselves when you only play a Division One team once a year,” Ewing added.

“You learn loads of lessons and the week after that you’re trying to implement all those lessons, but you’ve to wait 12 months… Players go back to their clubs and they come back in and they play a full round of games in the lower League and then they’re thrown back in against a Division One team.

“I remember when there was Division 1A and 1B and there was a more even split of teams. Smaller teams were probably playing bigger teams more often and there were bigger teams coming down to the smaller grounds playing so-called weaker teams.

“We’re in real danger of killing what makes the GAA special which is Championship football. There would maybe be less opposition if the changes were made to the League [rather than the Championship].”

The spectre of a tiered Football Championship has raised its head again after Dublin’s 31-point hammering of Division Four champions Westmeath in Sunday’s Leinster SFC semi-final at Croke Park. 

“The GAA is an amateur organisation in a very small country. We’re about participation – it’s not about an elite and developing the best teams in the country.

“Yes, there are some great games in the League but if we looked at maybe a five-year project rather than a one-year project to sort our Championship, we could get the stronger teams playing the weaker teams on a more regular basis. The weaker teams are going to come up a few levels and the stronger teams may drop a level or two.

“Championship football is a central part of the GAA, which we all love and I think there is a danger of tinkering rather than looking at the real problem, which is the League fixtures.

“If relegation [in the National League] wasn’t such a pressing issue managers could use their squads better and fellas could get a chance and that way everybody’s developing. Everything seems to be about developing this elite. So you go into Championship not having played the bigger teams…”

Sligo re-enter the All-Ireland Qualifier stage this weekend when they take on Meath in Round Two.