1990–91 National Football League (Ireland)

1990–91 National Football League
League details
Dates	October 1990 – 5 May 1991
League champions
Winners	Dublin (7th win)
Captain	Tommy Carr
Manager	Paddy Cullen
League runners-up
Runners-up	Kildare
Manager	Mick O'Dwyer
	← 1989–90 1991–92 →

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.

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

Format

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

Divisions

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

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

Points awarded

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

Titles

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

Knockout stage qualifiers

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

Knockout phase structure

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

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

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

Division One

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

Division Two play-offs

31 March 1991 For 2nd Place

Kildare

3-11 — 2-8

Leitrim

Navan^[6]

Table

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

Division Three promotion play-off

31 March 1991

Galway

1-13 — 0-10

Wexford

Navan^[7]

Division Three (North) table

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

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

Quarter-finals

14 April 1991

Dublin	2-10 – 0-11	Wicklow

Croke Park, Dublin^[8]

14 April 1991

Donegal	1-16 – 0-16	Offaly

Breffni Park, Cavan^[9]

Attendance: 5,000

14 April 1991

Kildare	1-7 – 0-9	Kerry

Croke Park, Dublin^[10]

14 April 1991

Roscommon	1-9 – 0-11	Tyrone

Breffni Park, Cavan^[11]

Attendance: 5,000

Semi-finals

21 April 1991

Dublin	1-18 – 0-11	Roscommon

Croke Park, Dublin^[12]

21 April 1991

Kildare	0-14 – 1-10	Donegal

Croke Park, Dublin^[13]

Final

5 May 1991
Final

Dublin	1-9 – 0-10	Kildare

Croke Park, Dublin

Attendance: 50,000

Referee: Damian Campbell Tempo Maguires County Fermanagh

References

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

[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

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