CAVAN is the latest Ulster county to make draws for its revised 2020 Championships with back-to-back senior football champs Castlerahan starting out against Shercock.
The Breffni County is continuing with the same format as last year, involving 12 teams, with a random draw producing six ties. Each team will then play four matches, after which the top eight will meet in quarter-finals while the bottom three go into a relegation play-off series.
Last year’s beaten finalists, Ramor United, will meet Gowna first up, while promoted Laragh United face Mullahoran, who defeated Shercock in last year’s relegation semi-final.
Donegal’s format is similar, but has 16 teams split into two groups of eight, with each club to play four matches, two home and two away.
After those games the 16 teams will be ranked, with the top eight progressing to quarter-finals and the bottom four into a relegation play-off, with the ultimate losers of that going down to the 2021 Intermediate Football Championship.
The four quarter-final pairings shall be 1st v 8th, 2nd v 7th, 3rd v 6th, and 4th v 5th. Teams 1-4 shall play at home. The winners of each quarter-final will be drawn randomly to decide the semi-final pairings.
The bottom four clubs will play off over two rounds to decide the club to be relegated: 13th v 16th and 14th v 15th, with the losers of those two ties meeting in a play-off.
Derry has drawn out the groups for its senior football and hurling championships with a re-match of last year’s SFC final between champions Magherafelt and near neighbours Glen (Maghera) to take place in Group C, which also includes Ballinderry and Banagher.
Ulster hurling champions Slaughtneil, aiming for a record-extending eighth consecutive county hurling crown, are in the same group (A) as Ballinascreen, Lavey, and city side Na Magha, while last year’s losing finalists Kevin Lynch’s will take on Banagher, Swatragh, and Eoghan Rua (Coleraine).
Down’s round robin senior hurling championship is set to commence on Friday August 7 with the football to throw in six days later, on Thursday August 13.
Ulster football champs Kilcoo have been handed a tasty tie against Mayobridge, with another mouth-watering pairing as last year’s beaten finalists Cumann Pheadair Naofa, Warrenpoint up against 2018 winners Burren.
As in recent years, however, there is a ‘back door’ in Down football, with only those teams which lose their first two matches eliminated immediately.
The Down hurling championships is set to be a four-team round-robin series, giving the big three from the Ards and Bredagh at least six matches each on a home-and-away basis.
Armagh will have a straight knockout senior football championship, with the draw planned to take place on Thursday July 9.
Meanwhile the Tyrone Leagues are set to have no relegation after just over 70 per cent of clubs which replied to a county board survey voted in favour of that option. Of the 44 clubs which responded, only 12 wanted promotion and relegation as normal, with one club remaining neutral on the matter.
Tyrone hopes to make the draw for divisional groups early next week, with each division to be split in two.
Club championship draws so far:
Bathshack Antrim SHC
Group 1: St John’s; Dunloy; McQuillan’s, Ballycastle; and Rossa
Group 2: Loughgiel; Cushendall; Naomh Eanna, Glengormley; St Gall’s
Round One – Sunday August 9
Round Two – Sunday August 16
Round Three – Sunday August 23
Group winners qualify automatically for semi-finals
Quarter-finals – Saturday August 29
Semi-finals – Sunday September 6
Final - Sunday September 13
Northern Switchgear Antrim SFC
Group 1: Kickham’s, Creggan; Casement’s, Portglenone; Ahoghill
Group 2: St John’s; Rossa; Lamh Dhearg
Group 3 (four teams): Cargin; St Brigid’s; St James’s, Aldergrove; Aghagallon
Group 4: St Gall’s; Naomh Eanna; Gort na Mona.
Games on July 26, 29, August 2, 8, 12, 19, and 26
Top two teams in each group qualify for quarter-finals
Quarter-finals – Sunday August 30
Semi-finals – Saturday September 5
Final - Sunday September 20.
Cavan SFC round one draw: Gowna v Ramor United; Kingscourt v Lacken; Crosserlough v Lavey; Killygarry v Cavan Gaels; Castlerahan (holders) v Shercock; Mullahoran v Laragh United.
O’Neill’s Sportswear Derry SFC:
Group A: Foreglen; Bellaghy; Newbridge; Loup
Group B: Kilrea; Coleraine; Slaughtneil; Lavey
Group C: Banagher; Glen; Magherafelt; Ballinderry
Group D: Dungiven, Ballinascreen; Claudy; Swatragh.
Leadon Timberframe Derry SHC:
Group A: Slaughtneil; Ballinascreen; Lavey; Na Magha
Group B: Kevin Lynch’s; Banagher; Swatragh; Eoghan Rua.
Donegal SFC participants: Ardara; Bundoran; Dungloe; Four Masters; Glenfin; Glenswilly; Gweedore; Kilcar; Killybegs; Milford; Naomh Conaill (holders); St Eunan’s; St Michael’s; St Naul’s; Sean MacCumhaill’s; and Termon.
Morgan Fuels Down SFC (ties to be played between Thursday August 13 and Monday 17):
Cumann Pheadair Naofa, Warrenpoint v Burren
Kilcoo v Mayobridge
Ballyholland v Darragh Cross
Glenn v Bryansford
Carryduff v Clonduff
Rostrevor v RGU Downpatrick
Longstone v Loughinisland
Castlewellan v Bredagh
Morgan Fuels Down SHC:
(Venues tbc)
Friday August 7: Portaferry v Ballycran; Ballygalget v Bredagh
Wednesday August 12: Bredagh v Portaferry; Ballycran v Ballygalget
Sunday August 16: Ballycran v Bredagh; Ballygalget v Portaferry
Sunday August 23: Ballycran v Portaferry; Bredagh v Ballygalget
Sunday August 30: Portaferry v Bredagh; Ballygalget v Ballycran
Sunday September 6: Bredagh v Ballycran; Portaferry v Ballygalget
