www.uibhfhaili.com

"There will be 16 teams involved in the more clearcut knockout football championship draw: Louth, Wicklow, Longford, Offaly, Westmeath, Meath, Carlow, Fermanagh, Down, Antrim, Monaghan, London, Sligo, Tipperary, Waterford and Donegal or Armagh.

The 'weaker' counties, who have been allocated 'home status,' are Sligo, Wicklow, Carlow, Louth, Longford, Waterford, Tipperary, Antrim and Monaghan. " - This is take from Unison.ie today.

Now would somebody please in the namajaysus tell me how some of these counties keep ending up "designated" since my understanding is that it's based on the last five years. Monaghan have just won a division 2 title, and have won a championship game here and there, feck all less than we have. Sligo have been division one for years, including this year, and reached a connacht final a lot more recently than we reached a Leinster final - lost an All Ireland quarter Final to the eventual winners after a replay only three years ago!!!!

Seeing as our trend is to get a tricky fixture away from home, would somebody please tell me when do Offaly finally get this "designated" status for a change. It's a strange thing to want, but I'm sick of getting done by the backdoor.

I believe the criteria was something along the lines that you were designated as a weak county if you hadn't won a provincial title in the previous ten years and hadn't competed in Division 1. Taking this into account Sligo and Longford have played Div 1 but havn't won a provincial whereas Offaly have won the Leinster in 97. Monaghan will be "undesignated" next year.

We'd beat any of those weak counties!

We'd be good enough all right, but whether we would in our current frame of mind away from home is another matter.

So if I'm to get this straight - you have to have both won a provincial and played in Division one in order to not be designated - or is it just the provincial thing only? Because I can't understand Sligo being designated. But then if Sligo are designated why are Fermanagh and Down not?

why are Fermanagh and Down not?

Probably because there are no real rules, they just make it up as they go along. The whole idea should be scrapped and all games played at neutral venues unless both counties agree otherwise.

BareBiffo has it there, the rules if there is any are not clear. Sligo and Monaghan are the only real threats in this group.
I'd be more worried about getting an away draw to Donegal. I presume if 2 "designated" counties are drawn together that the first out of the hat gets home advantage, same as if 2 "undesignated" counties are drawn together? So the rule might only apply in a few cases depending on the draw.