2020 Derry Senior Football Championship

The 2020 Derry Senior Football Championship was the 97th edition of Derry GAA's premier gaelic football tournament for the top clubs. The sixteen teams who qualified for the 2020 senior championship are explained in the 'Competition Format' section below.

2020 Derry Senior Football Championship
Tournament details
CountyDerry
Year2020
TrophyJohn McLaughlin Cup
Teams16
Defending championsMagherafelt
Other
Websitederrygaa.ie

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all Gaelic Game activity was suspended in March[1]. As a result the 2020 Derry senior championship was changed to an initial group structure where each team played three games before playing at least one game in the final knockout stage[2].

Magherafelt were the defending champions having won their sixth title. They defeated Glen by a solitary point, 0-12 to 0-11, in the final on 20 October 2019 at Celtic Park.

The winners receive the John McLaughlin Cup.

Competition Format

Senior, Intermediate and Junior Championships

Team performances in 2019 in the football league and championships were used to determine which of the three 2020 championships the thirty seven clubs competed in –

  • 2020 Senior Championship (16 teams)
    All twelve 2019 Division 1A teams plus four 2019 Division 1B teams.
    The winners of the 2019 intermediate championship must be included.
  • 2020 Intermediate Championship (12 teams)
    Eight 2019 Division 1B teams plus four 2019 Division 2 teams.
    The winners of the 2019 junior championship must be included.
  • 2020 Junior Championship (9 teams)
    Nine 2019 Division 2 teams.
    Ógra Colmcille opted out in 2019.

Senior Championship Teams in 2019

The restructured adult football leagues in Derry of Division 1A (12 teams), Division 1B (12 teams) and Division 2 (13 teams) were introduced in 2019.[3] Five teams were relegated from the 2018 Division 1 to the new 2019 Division 1B (see section 'Relegations and promotions in 2018' below for details). The 2019 senior championship was competed for by the top fifteen teams in the 2018 Division 1 and Banagher, the winners of the 2018 Division 2. Claudy, who finished 16th in 2018, were relegated to the 2019 intermediate football championship.

2020 Format

The format for this years Derry SFC will involve four groups of four teams, with seedings for the knock out stages determined by the finishing position in the four different groups. Each team will be guaranteed 4 games in the Championship. All 16 teams will qualify for the knock-out stages and the draw will see teams seeded from the group stages. An open draw with 1 v 4 and 2 v 3 with no repeat pairings from the group stages. Game 1 - August 1/2 Game 2 - August 8/9 Game 3 - August 22/23 Knock-out games - September 5/6 • Quarter Finals (Open draw, avoiding repeat pairings if possible) - September 19/20 • Semi Finals (Open draw) - September 26/27 • Final - October 3/4 [4]

Recent history of relegations and promotions

Relegations and promotions in 2019

Senior Championship

All twelve teams in the 2019 Division 1A automatically qualified for the 2020 senior championship. Four 2019 Division 1B teams also qualified for the 2020 senior football championship –

  • Claudy finished 1st in 2019 Division 1B with 19 points.
  • Newbridge finished 2nd in 2019 Division 1B with 17 points.
  • Kilrea finished 3rd in 2019 Division 1B with 14 points.
  • Foreglen won the intermediate championship, defeating Claudy by 0-15 to 0-09. Foreglen took the place in the 2020 senior championship reserved for the 2019 intermediate champions (instead of Greenlough who finished 4th in 2019 Division 1B with 14 points).

League

Two teams were relegated from Division 1A and were replaced by two teams from Division 1B –

  • Dungiven finished 11th in 2019 Division 1A with 3 points. They were relegated but retained the right to play in the 2020 senior football championship.
  • Banagher finished 12th in 2019 Division 1A with 0 points. They were relegated but retained the right to play in the 2020 senior football championship.
  • Claudy finished 1st in 2019 Division 1B with 19 points and were promoted.
  • Newbridge finished 2nd in 2019 Division 1B with 17 points and were promoted.

Senior Championship Group Stage

The draw for the group stage was held on Thursday 25 June 2020.

Group A
Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
1 Bellaghy 2 1 1 0 37 28 +9 3
2 Loup 2 1 1 0 29 28 +1 3
3 Newbridge 2 1 0 1 41 25 +16 2
4 Foreglen 2 0 0 2 24 50 −26 0
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source:

Group B
Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
1 Slaughtneil 2 2 0 0 42 14 +28 4
2 Lavey 2 1 0 1 31 30 +1 2
3 Coleraine 2 1 0 1 24 31 −7 2
4 Kilrea 2 0 0 2 20 42 −22 0
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source:

Group C
Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
1 Glen 2 2 0 0 36 21 +15 4
2 Magherafelt 2 1 0 1 22 17 +5 2
3 Ballinderry 2 1 0 1 28 26 +2 2
4 Banagher 2 0 0 2 25 47 −22 0
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source:

Group D
Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
1 Ballinascreen 2 2 0 0 41 26 +15 4
2 Swatragh 2 1 1 0 35 31 +4 3
3 Claudy 2 0 1 1 22 28 −6 1
4 Dungiven 2 0 0 2 35 48 −13 0
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source:

Senior Championship Full Draw
First Knockout Round Quarter-Finals Semi-Finals Final
 
     
     
       
       
     
     
     
     
     
     
       
       
         
         
 

First Knockout Round

Quarter Finals

Semi Finals
v
v

Final
v

Top Scorer

Championship Completed.

Rank Player Club Group Stage First Round Quarter-Final Semi-Final Final Total
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References
  1. http://derrygaa.ie/derry-gaa-statement-on-covid-19/
  2. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/gaelic-games/53122340
  3. "Derry confirm changes to league and championship structures". Derry Now. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  4. https://www.derrynow.com/news/gaa/553511/derry-ccc-draw-pairings-for-the-2020-club-championships.html
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