Senior footballers begin defence of League title

The long wait is over and the big action returns to 16 venues around the country next weekend with the start of the 2016 Allianz Football League. The entire Allianz League programme will feature 118 games between next weekend and finals weekend on April 23/24.

This season marks a special milestone as Allianz and the GAA recently announced a five-year extension of their sponsorship of the competition, taking them up to the end of the 2020 season, by which time they will have completed 28 years of support.

The highlight of the opening round is a repeat of last year’s All-Ireland final between Dublin and Kerry, which will be played in Croke Park on Saturday at 7pm. It’s sure to attract a very big crowd as League and All Ireland champions, Dublin begin their attempt to win the Division 1 title for a fourth successive year, the game is preceded by the Walsh Cup final meeting of Dublin and Wexford (5.0).

Kerry beat Dublin by two points in last year’s corresponding Allianz League clash but Jim Gavin’s men went on to take the title before adding the All-Ireland crown in September when they beat the Kingdom in a dramatic final.

Cork, runners-up to Dublin last year, have topped the Division 1 table for each of the last two seasons and will begin their latest campaign at home to Mayo, who are bidding to win the Allianz League title for the first time in 15 years.

Division 1 newcomers, Down and Roscommon both have home assignments in their first games in the premier section (v Donegal and Monaghan respectively).

Ulster have five of the eight Division 2 teams, which means there will be quite a lot of provincial derbies, with two on Sunday’s schedule (Derry v Fermanagh and Tyrone v Cavan). Meath, Laois and Galway complete the group, with the latter two due to meet in O’Moore Park on Sunday. Meath will be at home to newly-promoted Armagh.

This weekend’s full fixture list is as follows:

Allianz Football League Division 1

Saturday (7.0): Dublin v Kerry, Croke Park; Down v Donegal, Newry;

Sunday (2.0): Cork v Mayo, Pairc Ui Rinn; Roscommon v Monaghan, Dr. Hyde Park.

Allianz Football League Division 2

Sunday (2.0): Derry v Fermanagh, Celtic Park; Meath v Armagh, Navan; Tyrone v Cavan, Omagh; Laois v Galway, Portlaoise.

Allianz Football League Division 3

Sunday (2.0): Clare v Sligo, Milltown Malbay; Limerick v Tipperary, Gaelic Grounds; Offaly v Longford, Tullamore; Westmeath v Kildare, Mullingar.

Allianz Football League Division 4

Sunday(2.0): Carlow v Antrim, Netwatch Cullen Park; Wexford v Leitrim, Innovate Wexford Park; Wicklow v Waterford, Aughrim; Louth v London, Drogheda (1.0)

ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUES 2016: DATES TO REMEMBER

Saturday/Sunday Jan 30/31; Round 1

Feb 6/7: Round 2

Feb 27/28: Round 3

Mar 5/6: Round 4

Mar 12/13: Round 5

Mar 26/27: Round 6

April 3: Round 7

Apr 10: Div 1 semi-finals

Apr 23: Div 3 & 4 finals

Apr 24: Div 1 & 2 finals

ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE: WHAT HAPPENED IN 2015

Div 1: Winners: Dublin; Runners-up: Cork; Relegated: Derry, Tyrone

Div 2: Promoted: Down, Roscommon; Relegated: Kildare, Westmeath

Div 3: Promoted: Armagh, Fermanagh; Relegated: Louth, Wexford

Div 4: Promoted: Longford, Offaly

ALLIANZ 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)

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

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

7 – Meath (1933-46-51-75-88-90-94)

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

6 – Derry (1947-92-95-96-2000-2008)

4 – Down (1960-62-68-83)

4 – Galway (1940-57-65-81)

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)