Countdown underway to start of National Leagues

For tickets to the National Football/Hurling League games, see: dublingaa.tickets.ie

The countdown is on to the start of the 2017 Allianz Football League, which begins the weekend after next and continues until the finals weekend on April 8/9, by which time 116 games across the four Divisions will have been played.

There’s a change this year to the format in the Allianz Football League Division 1 which no longer has semi-finals. Instead the top two counties after the group games are completed will qualify for the final, as happened for four seasons (2008-11), prior to the reintroduction of the semi-finals in 2012.

All-Ireland champions, Dublin have been the dominant force in the Allianz Football League Division 1 in recent years, winning the title for the past four seasons (a feat not previously achieved since Kerry in 1971-74) and will be attempting to become the first county since Mayo in the 1930s to win the five-in-a-row.

With Dublin winning in 2013-16 and Cork securing a treble in 2010-12, it means two counties have won the last seven titles between them. Cork are not in contention for this year’s Allianz Football League Division 1 title, having been relegated at the end of last year’s campaign.

Dublin’s first outing in the defence of their title will be against promoted Cavan in Kingspan Breffni Park on Sunday week. Cavan will be joined by three other Ulster counties (Donegal, Monaghan, Tyrone), giving the province the highest representation.

Connacht are double-handed (Mayo, Roscommon) while Dublin and Kerry will be the respective representatives from Leinster and Munster.

Ulster will also have the most representatives in the Allianz Football League Division 2, where Down, Derry and Fermanagh will fly the northern flag. Leinster (Meath, Kildare) and Munster (Cork, Clare) will have two each while Galway will be Connacht’s representatives.

Leinster (Laois, Louth, Longford and Offaly) will have four representatives in Allianz Football League Division 3 which will also feature two from Ulster (Antrim, Armagh) as well as one each from Connacht (Sligo) and Munster (Tipperary).

Carlow, Wexford, Westmeath and Wicklow will fly the Leinster flag in the Allianz Football League Division 4 along with as two from Munster (Limerick, Waterford), plus Leitrim and London.

This first round full fixture list is as follows:

Football League Division 1

Feb 4 - Saturday: (7.0): Mayo v Monaghan, Elverys MacHale Park.

Feb 5 - Sunday (2.0): Cavan v Dublin, Kingspan Breffni Park; Donegal v Kerry, Letterkenny; Tyrone v Roscommon, Omagh.

Football League Division 2

Feb 4 - Saturday (7.0): Down v Fermanagh, Pairc Ui Esler, Newry.

Feb 5 - Sunday (2.0): Galway v Cork, Pearse Stadium; Derry v Clare, Celtic Park; Meath v Kildare, Pairc Tailteann.

Football League Division 3

Feb 4 - Saturday (7.0): Laois v Louth, O’Moore Park.

Feb 5 - Sunday (2.0): Tipperary v Antrim, Clonmel; Sligo v Armagh, Markievicz Park; Longford v Offaly, Glennon Brothers Pearse Park.

Football League Division 4 

Feb 5 - Sunday (2.0 unless stated): Waterford v London, Lemybrien,

(1.0) Westmeath v Carlow, TEG Cusack Park; Wicklow v Leitrim, Aughrim; Wexford v Limerick, Innovate Wexford Park.

FOOTBALL LEAGUE 2017: DATES TO REMEMBER

Feb 4/5: Round 1

Feb 11/12: Round 2

Feb 25/26: Round 3

Mar 4/5: Round 4

Mar 18/19: Round 5

Mar 25/26: Round 6

Apr 2: Round 7

Apr 8: Div 3 & 4 Finals

Apr 9: Div 1 &2 Finals

FOOTBALL LEAGUE: WHAT HAPPENED IN 2016

Div 1: Winners: Dublin; Runners-up: Kerry; Relegated: Cork, Down

Div 2: Promoted: Tyrone, Cavan; Relegated: Armagh, Laois

Div 3: Promoted: Clare, Kildare; Relegated: Limerick, Westmeath

Div 4: Promoted: Louth, Antrim

FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION ONE ROLL OF HONOUR

19 – Kerry (1928-29-31-32-59-61-63-69-71-72-73-74-77-82-84-97-2004-2006-2009)

12 – Dublin (1953-55-58-76-78-87-91-93-2013-14-15 -16)

11 –Mayo (1934-35-36-37-38-39-41-49-54-70-2001)

8 – Cork (1952-56-80-89-99-2010-2011-2012)

7 – Meath (1933-46-51-75-88-90-94)

6 – Derry (1947-92-95-96-2000-2008)

4 – Down (1960-62-68-83)

4 – Galway (1940-57-65-81)

3 – New York (1950-64-67)

2 – Laois (1927-86)

2 – Tyrone (2002-2003)

1 – Armagh (2005)

1 – Cavan (1948)

1 – Longford (1966)

1 – Monaghan (1985)

1 – Offaly (1998)

1 – Roscommon (1979)

1 – Donegal (2007)