1990–91 National Football League (Ireland)


The 1990–91 National Football League, known for sponsorship reasons as the Royal Liver Assurance National Football League, was the 60th staging of the National Football League (NFL), an annual Gaelic football tournament for the Gaelic Athletic Association county teams of Ireland.

1990–91 National Football League
League details
DatesOctober 1990 – 5 May 1991
League champions
WinnersDublin (7th win)
CaptainTommy Carr
ManagerPaddy Cullen
League runners-up
Runners-upKildare
ManagerMick O'Dwyer

Dublin defeated Kildare in the final.[1][2][3]

Format

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1990-91 was the final season of this league structure. The league was re-formatted for 1991-92.[4]

Divisions

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  • 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

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

Points awarded

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

Titles

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

Knockout stage qualifiers

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  • Division One: first 4 teams
  • Division Two: first 2 teams
  • Division Three (North): first team
  • Division Three (South): first team

Knockout phase structure

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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

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Owing to the re-structure of the league, promotion and relegation did not take place in the same manner as it did under the same structure in other years.

  • Division One: No relegation. All 8 teams placed in Division One of the 1991–92 NFL.
  • Division Two: top 7 teams placed in Division One of the 1991–92 NFL. Bottom team placed in Division Two of the 1991–92 NFL.
  • Division Three (North): group winners promoted to Division One of the 1991–92 NFL. Group runners up play-off for the third promotion slot from Division Three to Division One of the 1991–92 NFL. Remaining teams in the group placed in Division Two of the 1991–92 NFL.
  • Division Three (South): group winners promoted to Division One of the 1991–92 NFL. Group runners up play-off for the third promotion slot from Division Three to Division One of the 1991–92 NFL. Remaining teams in the group placed in Division Two of the 1991–92 NFL.

Separation of teams on equal points

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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 Phase Tables and Results

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Division One

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Team Pld W D L Pts Status
  Dublin 7 5 1 1 11 Advance to quarter-finals; placed in Division One of the 1991–92 NFL
  Donegal 7 4 1 2 10
  Kerry 7 4 0 3 8
  Roscommon 7 4 0 3 8
  Armagh 7 3 1 3 7 Placed in Division One of the 1991–92 NFL
  Meath 7 2 2 3 6
  Down 7 1 2 4 4
  Cork 7 1 1 5 3

[5]

Division Two

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Division Two play-offs

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31 March 1991 For 2nd Place Kildare 3-11 — 2-8 Leitrim Navan[6]

Table

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Team Pld W D L Pts Status
  Tyrone 7 5 1 1 11 Advance to quarter-finals; placed in Division One of the 1991–92 NFL
  Kildare 7 5 0 2 10
  Leitrim 7 5 0 2 10 Placed in Division One of the 1991–92 NFL
  Derry 7 4 1 2 9
  Mayo 7 3 2 2 8
  Longford 7 1 1 5 3
  Antrim 7 1 1 5 3
  Cavan 7 1 0 6 2 Placed in Division Two of the 1991–92 NFL

Division Three

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Division Three promotion play-off

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31 March 1991 Galway 1-13 — 0-10 Wexford Navan[7]

Division Three (North) table

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Team Pld W D L Pts Status
  Offaly 7 7 0 0 14 Advance to quarter-finals; placed in Division One of the 1991–92 NFL
  Galway 7 5 1 1 11 Placed in Division One of the 1991–92 NFL
  Louth 7 4 0 3 8 Placed in Division Two of the 1991–92 NFL
  Laois 7 3 0 4 6
  Fermanagh 7 3 0 4 6
  Monaghan 7 3 0 4 6
  Westmeath 7 1 1 5 3
  Sligo 7 1 0 6 2

Division Three (South) table

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Team Pld W D L Pts Status
  Wicklow 7 6 1 0 13 Advance to quarter-finals; placed in Division One of the 1991–92 NFL
  Wexford 7 5 0 2 10 Placed in Division Two of the 1991–92 NFL
  Tipperary 7 4 0 3 8
  Limerick 7 4 0 3 8
  Carlow 7 3 0 4 6
  Waterford 7 3 0 4 6
  Clare 7 2 1 4 5
  Kilkenny 7 0 0 7 0

Knockout stages

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Quarter-finals

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Dublin2-10 – 0-11Wicklow

Donegal1-16 – 0-16Offaly
Attendance: 5,000

Kildare1-7 – 0-9Kerry

Roscommon1-9 – 0-11Tyrone
Attendance: 5,000

Semi-finals

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Dublin1-18 – 0-11Roscommon

Kildare0-14 – 1-10Donegal

Final

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Dublin1-9 – 0-10Kildare
Attendance: 50,000
Referee: Damian Campbell Tempo Maguires County Fermanagh

References

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  1. ^ "GAA Final Teams". Archived from the original on 17 July 2015. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
  2. ^ GAA Archive 1991[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ Photos of final
  4. ^ "New League system to get the boot", Irish Independent, 23 January 1992, p. 16
  5. ^ "Tables", Irish Press, 11/03/1991, p. 62
  6. ^ "Results", Irish Press, 1 April 1991, p. 14
  7. ^ "Galway win dull encounter", Irish Press, 1 April 1991, p. 53
  8. ^ "Dubs stroll through Garden", Irish Independent, 15 April 1991, p. 26
  9. ^ "Roscommon make Tyrone pay heavy price for squandermania", Irish Independent, 15 April 1991, p. 26
  10. ^ "Terrace Talk :: Kerry Football :: 1991 League".
  11. ^ "Roscommon make Tyrone pay heavy price for squandermania", Irish Independent, 15 April 1991, p. 26
  12. ^ "Cullen's deadly destroyers", Irish Independent, 22 April 1991, p. 25
  13. ^ "Micko's men march on", Irish Independent, 22 April 1991, p. 25