2007 National Football League (Ireland)

2007 National Football League
League details
Dates 3 February – 29 April 2007
Teams 32
League champions
Winners Donegal (1st win)
Captain Neil Gallagher
Manager Brian McIver
League runners-up
Runners-up Mayo
Captain Kevin O'Neill
Manager John O'Mahony
Other division winners
Division 2 Meath
2006
2008
The Donegal flag displayed on the day the county won the National Football League for the first time

The 2007 National Football League was the Gaelic football league, contested by 32 GAA counties football teams, 31 from Ireland (as Kilkenny don't compete) and London from England.

Due to the extended reshuffling of the structure for the 2008 campaign, survival in Divisions 1A and 1B, was much more precariouswith four relegation places in these divisions, the bottom two teams were relegated to Division 3, and the teams finishing in 5th place and 6th places were relegated to Division 2.

Donegal won the 2007 National Football League by securing the Division One title, a historic achievement and their very first National Football League title. They were unbeaten throughout the competition.[1][2]

Meath won the Division Two title.

The Dublin vs. Tyrone match was the first Gaelic football match held in Croke Park under floodlights.

Format

Division One

The top two teams from both division one A and B go on to qualify for the league semi finals and then the winning team goes on to qualify for the final. The winner of the final game are the football league champions. The bottom two teams in Division one A and B are relegated to Division three of the next format for 2008. The teams who finish in fifth and sixth place in Division A and B are relegated to Division two in the new 2008 format. The teams in first, second, third and fourth position in both Division A and B qualify to play in the new 2008 format in Division One.

Division Two

The top two teams from Division two A and B go on to qualify for the division two semi finals. The winners of the semi final go on to play in the Division two finals and the winner becomes the 2007 Division two champions. The top two teams in Division 2A and 2B go on to play in Division 2 in the 2008 format. The teams that finish in third and fourth position go on to play in Division 3 of the 2008 format and the bottom four teams will play in Division four of the 2008 format.

Scoring Difference

All of the final positions in the league will be determined by each teams scoring, there will be no playoffs in the 2007 National Football League. If two teams finish the league on the same points, the scores are then taken into consideration and the team with the best average go to the higher position. If the teams remain equal after the scores have been averaged out, the result of the game which involved the two teams will be seen as the deciding factor between the teams.

Division One

Division 1A Table

Team Pld W D L F A Diff Pts Notes
Donegal 7 6 1 0 10-79 8-64 +21 13Advance to NFL semi-final
Mayo 7 6 0 1 8-72 5-66 +15 12
Kerry 7 4 1 2 3-786-62 +7 9Remain in Division 1
Tyrone 7 3 1 3 3-68 6-69 –10 7
Dublin 7 3 0 4 6-73 2-66+19 6Relegated to Division 2 of the 2008 NFL
Cork 7 3 0 4 7-614-70 +10 6
Limerick 7 1 1 56-678-73 –12 3Relegated to Division 3 of the 2008 NFL
Fermanagh 7 0 0 7 4-53 8-81 –40 0

Division 1B Table

Team Pld W D L F A Diff Pts Notes
Galway 7 5 0 2 6-68 2-66 +1410Advance to NFL semi-final
Kildare 7 4 2 1 2-77 4-66 +510
Derry 7 4 1 2 6-826-66 +16 9Remain in Division 1
Laois 7 3 3 1 6-79 4-71 +149
Westmeath 7 3 0 4 4-67 6-69–8 6Relegated to Division 2 of the 2008 NFL
Armagh 7 3 0 4 5-622-81 –10 6
Louth 7 2 1 48-777-86 –75Relegated to Division 3 of the 2008 NFL
Down 7 0 1 6 2-73 8-79 –241

Semi-Finals

15 April 2007
Mayo 2-10 1-12 Galway

15 April 2007
Donegal 1-13 1-11 Kildare
Croke Park, Dublin[4]
Attendance: 23,209

Final

22 April 2007
Final
Donegal 0-13 0-10 Mayo

Division Two

Final

29 April 2007
Final
Meath 2-12 0-10 Roscommon
Report

References

  1. "Donegal achieve historic win - First national league title comes to county after victory over Mayo". Donegal Times. 25 April 2007. Archived from the original on 12 April 2015. Retrieved 25 April 2007.
  2. "Donegal win National League title". BBC Sport (BBC). 22 April 2007. Archived from the original on 12 April 2015. Retrieved 22 April 2007.
  3. http://mayogaablog.com/?page_id=388
  4. http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/football/2007/0415/216738-donegal/

External links

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