Allianz Football League Division 2: More than half as competitive as the real Ulster championship

Twice the fun, twice the carnage.

In the English football league system many consider the Championship the toughest of all tiers… you could make the same argument about Division 2 of the Allianz Football League.

It truly is a snakepit.

Frustrated fallen giants mingle with upwardly mobile pretenders and impatient permanent residents in a desperate battle to reach the top table.

It makes for fascinating and highly entertaining fare. For we neutrals at least.

Last season two points separated table toppers Down and fourth-placed Galway. The introduction of four Ulster heavyweights – Tyrone and Derry from Division 1, plus Armagh and Fermanagh from Division 3 – is not likely to make matters any less competitive.

With more than half the Ulster Championship present, expect plenty of fiercely-contested derbies and a few tough away trips for Galway, Meath and Laois.

Armagh

Manager: Kieran McGeeney.

Captain: Ciarán McKeever.

Who’s new: Ruairí Grugan, Shea Heffron, Ruairí McCaughley, Joe Feeney, Niall Grimley, Joe McElroy, Jemar Hall.

Who’s gone: Jamie Clarke (travelling), Finnian Moriarty, Caolan Rafferty (emigrated), Stephen Harold.

Fixtures: Meath (a), Laois (h), Fermanagh (h), Cavan (a), Galway (h), Tyrone (a), Derry (h)

Prospects: The prospect of being without their Crossmaglen contingent until St Patrick’s Day is nothing strange for Armagh, but loss of Clarke and Rafferty makes back-to-back promotions look like an ask.

Odds on promotion: 7/2.

Preferred Championship structure: On the centenary of the 1916 Rising Armagh would benefit from a return to the All-Ireland championship of that era, when each county was represented by their club champion. Who are the dominant club in Armagh these past two decades?

Cavan

Manager: Terry Hyland.

Captain: Gearoid McKiernan.

Who’s new: Eugene Keating, Seanie Johnston, David Givney, Enda Henry.

Who’s gone: Martin Dunne.

Fixtures: Tyrone (a, Derry (h), Meath (a), Armagh (h), Fermanagh (a), Laois (h), Galway (h).

Odds on promotion: 7/2.

Prospects: Lost as many games as they won last year but the returns of Johnston and Keating, coupled with some encouraging pre-season performances, have hopes high in the Breaffy County.

Preferred Championship structure: The former kingpins of Ulster football are now almost 20 years without a provincial crown. How about seeding the Ulster championship according to titles won? Cavan (37) versus Fermanagh (0) in first round proper?

Derry

Manager: Damian Barton

Captain: TBC

Who’s new: Conor Kearns, Shane Heavron, Ryan Bell, Gareth McKinless, Joe Morgan, Christopher Bradley, Ryan Ferris, Conor Murphy, Shane McGahon, Ciaron O’Boyle, Gerard O’Kane

Who’s gone: Fergal Doherty, Eoin Bradley, Kevin Johnston.

Fixtures: Fermanagh (h), Cavan (a), Galway (h), Tyrone (a), Laois (a), Meath (h), Armagh (a).

Prospects: It’s a strange year when there isn’t optimism in Derry but the McKenna Cup – never the most reliable of barometers – would suggest Barton could return the 2008 champions to the top table.

Odds on promotion: 13/8.

Preferred Championship structure: All Championship games to be played in Celtic Park. Not just Derry matches, ALL championship matches. Sell Croker to the UFC.

Fermanagh

Manager: Pete McGrath.

Captain: Eoin Donnelly.

Who’s new: Ryan Hanna, Finbarr Gillen, Cian McManus, Paddy McGovern, Stephen McGullion, Kane Connor, Pat Cadden, Daniel Tague, Conor McAuley.

Who’s gone: Lee Cullen.

Fixtures: Derry (a), Meath (h), Armagh (a), Laois (h), Cavan (h), Galway (a), Tyrone (h)

Prospects: Their amazing 2015 ended with a moral eight-point defeat to Dublin in the All-Ireland quarter-finals. Lots of fresh blood drafted in but the second tier is a tough division in which to flourish.

Odds on promotion: 13/2.

Preferred Championship structure: Sean Quigley represents Fermanagh in one-on-one tug-of-war battles.

Galway

Manager: Kevin Walsh

Captain: Garry O’Donnell

Who’s new: Derek Coyne, Eoin Kerin, Johnny Heaney, Tom Dolan, David Wynne, Enda Tierney, Eamonn Brannigan, Paul Mannion, Rory Greene

Who’s gone: Micheál Lundy, Johnny Duane, Peadar O Gríofa.

Fixtures: Laois (a), Tyrone (h), Derry (a), Meath (h), Armagh (a), Fermanagh (h), Cavan (a).

Prospects: A slow start did for the Tribesmen’s hopes of promotion last year but you could make the argument that this young group could benefit from steering clear of the top flight for the sake of their development.

Odds on promotion: 7/4.

Preferred Championship structure: Any change at all, just make it drastic. Back in 2002 the Tribesmen became the first ‘back door champions’ but they have not got within an ass’s roar since. Shake it up.

Laois

Manager: Mick Lillis.

Captain: TBC

Who’s new: Nigel Murphy, Trevor Collins, Sean Moore, Paul Callinane, Kieran Lillis.

Who’s gone: Peter O’Leary, Padraig McMahon, Billy Sheehan, Conor Meredith, James Finn.

Fixtures: Galway (h), Armagh (a), Tyrone (h), Fermanagh (a), Derry (h), Cavan (a), Meath (h)

Prospects: New manager, lots of new faces and hopes of a new dawn – 2015 was a tough year for the O’Moore men and treading water might be the best they can hope for this spring.

Odds: 13/2.

Preferred Championship structure: Another team suffering under the Dublin jackboot of oppression in Leinster. Centrally located and with good transport links, Laois could move to Munster or Connacht. 

Meath

Manager: Mick O’Dowd.

Captain: Donal Keoghan.

Who’s new: Darragh Smyth, Cathal Finn, James O’Reilly, Cillian O’Sullivan, Alan Douglas, Ruairí Ó Coileain.

Who’s gone: Kevin Reilly, Stephen Bray, Conor Gillespie, David Bray, Damien Carroll, Shane O’Rourke, Bryan Menton, Mark O’Sullivan.

Fixtures: Armagh (h), Fermanagh (a), Cavan (h), Galway (a), Tyrone (h), Derry (a), Laois (a).

Prospects: Last year a promising league campaign was succeeded by a horrible Championship, so forgive the Royals if they don’t put too much stock in O’Byrne silver. A lot of experience was lost over the winter.

Odds on promotion: 3/1.

Preferred Championship structure: Forget splitting Dublin in two. No, the way to fix Leinster is bring a motion before Congress that forces any Dub with a relative living in Meath to play for the Royals. Integration will be tough but the trophies will help.

Tyrone

Manager: Mickey Harte.

Captain: Sean Cavanagh.

Who’s new:  Padraig Hampsey, Hugh Pat McGeary, Kieran McGeary, Jonathan Monroe, David Mulgrew, Niall Sludden.

Who’s gone: Patrick Quinn, Danny McBride, Peter Hughes.

Fixtures: Cavan (h), Galway (a), Laois (a), Derry (h), Meath (a), Armagh (h), Fermanagh (a).

Prospects: Their previous, two-year absence from top table ended with seven wins from seven in 2012. That might be a big ask but Harte’s early-season endeavours must make the Red Hand favourites to gain promotion.

Odds on promotion: 1/2.

Preferred Championship structure: Don’t touch it. They like tradition in Tyrone and they like the fact they were a penalty claim away from an All-Ireland final last year.

Opening fixtures: Derry v Fermanagh; Meath v Armagh; Tyrone v Cavan; Laois v Galway

The FootballJOE quiz: Were you paying attention? – episode 10