The 1986–87 National Football League, known for sponsorship reasons as the Ford National Football League, was the 56th staging of the National Football League (NFL), an annual Gaelic football tournament for the Gaelic Athletic Association county teams of Ireland.
| League details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | October 1986 – 26 April 1987 |
| League champions | |
| Winners | Dublin (6th win) |
| Captain | Barney Rock |
| Manager | Gerry McCaul |
| League runners-up | |
| Runners-up | Kerry |
| Captain | Mikey Sheehy |
| Manager | Mick O'Dwyer |
← 1985–86 1987–88 → | |
The quarter-final rounds were notable for the Dublin–Cork tie. After the game ended in a draw, Cork refused to play extra time and Dublin took the field unopposed, Barney Rock scoring a goal into an empty net before the referee awarded them victory (later chosen as one of the Top 20 GAA Moments). The Dubs went on to defeat Kerry in the final.[1][2][3][4]
Format
editDivisions
edit- 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
editEach team played every other team in its division (or group where the division is split) once, either home or away.
Points awarded
edit2 points were awarded for a win and 1 for a draw.
Titles
editTeams in all three divisions competed for the National Football League title.
Knockout stage qualifiers
edit- Division One: top 4 teams
- Division Two: top 2 teams
- Division Three (North): group winners
- Division Three (South): group winners
Knockout phase structure
editIn 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
edit- Division One: bottom 2 teams demoted to Division Two
- Division Two: top 2 teams promoted to Division One. Bottom 2 teams demoted to Division Three.
- Division Three (North): group winners promoted to Division Two.
- Division Three (South): group winners promoted to Division Two.
Separation of teams on equal points
editIn 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
editDivision One
editPlay-Off
edit| 5 April 1987 For 6th Place | Armagh | 2-8 — 0-11 | Roscommon | Breffni Park, Cavan[5] |
Table
edit| Team | Pld | W | D | L | Pts | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Kerry | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 10 | Advance to knockout stage |
| Meath | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 9 | |
 Monaghan | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 9 | |
 Dublin | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 8 | |
 Mayo | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 6 | |
 Armagh | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 5 | |
 Roscommon | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 5 | Relegated to Division Two of the 1987–88 NFL |
 Down | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 4 |
Division Two
edit| Team | Pld | W | D | L | Pts | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Cork | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 12 | Promoted to Division One of the 1987–88 NFL and advance to knockout stage |
| Derry | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 10 | |
| Donegal | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 8 | |
 Kildare | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 8 | |
 Laois | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 6 | |
| Cavan | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 5 | |
| Longford | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 4 | Relegated to Division Three of the 1987–88 NFL |
 Tyrone | 7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 |
Division Three
editDivision Three (North) table
edit| Team | Pld | W | D | L | Pts | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Galway | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 | Promoted to Division Two of the 1987–88 NFL and advance to knockout stage |
 Antrim | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 9 | |
 Offaly | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 7 | |
| Louth | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 7 | |
| Westmeath | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 6 | |
 Sligo | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 5 | |
| Leitrim | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 5 | |
 Fermanagh | 7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 |
Division Three (South) table
edit| Team | Pld | W | D | L | Pts | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Clare | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 12 | Promoted to Division Two of the 1987–88 NFL and advance to knockout stage |
| Tipperary | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 9 | |
| Limerick | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 9 | |
| Waterford | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 7 | |
| Wicklow | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 7 | |
 Wexford | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 7 | |
 Carlow | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 5 | |
 Kilkenny | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
Knockout stages
editQuarter-finals
edit- Cork refused to play extra time and so Dublin were awarded the game.
Semi-finals
editFinal
editReferences
edit- ^ GAA Final Teams Archived 2015-07-17 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Terrace Talk :: Kerry Football :: :: 1987 League :: Final :: Kerry Vs Dublin". www.terracetalk.com.
- ^ "GAA Archive 1987".[permanent dead link]
- ^ "National football League Final 26/4/1987 | Inpho Photography". inpho.ie.
- ^ "Early goals clinch it for Armagh", Irish Independent, 06/04/1987, p. 15
- ^ a b "Your Gaelic Games Scoreboard", Irish Independent, 09/03/1987, p. 10
- ^ "Your Gaelic Games Scoreboard", Irish Independent, 06/04/1987, p. 15
- ^ "Terrace Talk :: Kerry Football :: 1987 League". www.terracetalk.com.
- ^ "Unimpressive Dubs earn tilt at Kerry", Irish Independent, 20/04/1987, p. 10
External links
edit- Cork Head For The Train: Dublin In semi final 1987 RTÉ archive footage of the "farcical end" to the Dublin–Cork semifinal