Walsh backs Championship shake-up

Galway football manager Kevin Walsh supports the introduction of a two-tier championship structure so every team "has the opportunity to win the Sam Maguire."

Walsh wants an 'A' and 'B' Championship during the summer, with the top 16 counties in the 'A' Championship, and the weaker 16 counties in the 'B' Championship. The provincial championships would be a separate competition played earlier in the summer.

Each championship would have four pools of four teams, with the bottom side in each 'A' Championship pool relegated each year.

"Key to the system working would be a guarantee that the winner of the 'B' championship gets to play in the All-Ireland quarter-final," he said.

"That ensures everyone has the opportunity to win the Sam Maguire. For me that's a no-brainer."

Galway face Roscommon in Sunday's Connacht SFC final at Pearse Stadium, seeking back-to-back Nestor Cups after Mayo's five-in-a-row run between 2011 and 2015.

But Walsh warns the Galway fans not to start dreaming of a first All-Ireland since 2001 just yet, even though the county are on an upward curve following their promotion to Division 1 in April.

"That's what people want in Galway. The tradition is there — nine All-Irelands — but there isn't 40 All- Irelands," the Killanin man said. 

"It's a case of getting them to that point again.

"We haven't played Division 1 football yet, so we have a long way to go. Going back a few years ago we were staring at Division 3, so there's improvements there. 

"It doesn't mean we are the be-all and end-all, we are not going to claim that.

"We have Roscommon to try to look after and they are a Division 1 side from the last two years. That's somewhere we haven't been, so it’s going to be a huge test and the only thing that matters."

Image: Inpho/Mike Shaughnessy

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