London manager Michael Maher is frustrated by the portrayal of the 2023 Connacht senior football championship draw as akin to a series of unfortunate events for the integrity of the All-Ireland SFC.
London will face Sligo in a Connacht quarter-final next summer, with the winner facing either Leitrim or New York in a semi-final. With Galway, Mayo and Roscommon all on the opposite side of the draw, it means either New York or a team that starts the season in Division 4 of the league are guaranteed a place in the Sam Maguire championship in 2023.
The anomaly has generated huge debate since Saturday’s draw as it has significant repercussions for the Division Three teams whose best pathway of gaining entry to the Sam Maguire was through league promotion.
For instance, Cavan – who will compete in Division Three in 2023 – face a particularly challenging provincial championship route to get to the Ulster final. Mickey Graham’s men will play either Armagh or Antrim in a quarter-final and should they win there then they would meet either Donegal or Down in a semi-final.
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However, Maher has been disappointed by the narrative around the imbalance of the championship draw.
“What I find frustrating is the rhetoric of some reports out there, some people saying it’s very unfortunate for Cavan, they could win Division Three but because of the Connacht situation still end up playing in the Tailteann Cup,” said Maher.
“Well at the same time Cavan are in Division Three for a reason, because they have not performed consistently in the league for a few years they ended up in Division Four. Yes, they won it this year but nobody has a God-given right to be performing in any cup based on history or the prestige of the county.
“And I find it really frustrating as the London manager that the rhetoric on a lot of articles is along the lines of ‘oh, look, Sligo could end up in the Sam Maguire simply by beating London and then either Leitrim or New York.’ Well I’m sorry but we are a county in our own right, as are New York, as are Leitrim, as are Sligo.
“I think people need to take a deep breath and say no team has a God-given right over another to a place in a higher competition. If you find yourself in Division Three or Four, you are there for a reason.
“The way the system is in my opinion, if you perform and get to a Connacht final you have beaten two teams who will be in the Tailteann Cup anyway, so then you probably deserve a crack at being in the Sam Maguire.”
Maher has previously acknowledged the benefits of the Tailteann Cup for teams like London, but he does not see advancing to a Connacht final, and therefore missing out on the second tier competition next year, as reducing the opportunity for sides like London to develop. In fact Maher argues that in the case of London, Leitrim or Sligo making a Connacht final that they would have come through a season in which they played at least seven league games and then two championship matches.
“I’d be very pragmatic about it,” added Maher. “The league is your bread and butter, and my bet would be that the team who have been the most consistent in the league will be the team that gets to the Connacht final. And either way, whichever one of the four teams gets there, they will have come through two tough championship battles and you have to pay respect to that team and say ‘well, good luck, you’ve earned the right to play.’ And if you are in the Tailteann Cup then you are there for a reason.”
