The 1971–72 National Football League was the 41st staging of the National Football League (NFL), an annual Gaelic football tournament for the Gaelic Athletic Association county teams of Ireland .
Kerry beat Mayo in the final for the second year in a row.[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
Format [ ] Divisions [ ] Division One: 16 teams. Split into two groups of 8.
Division Two: 16 teams. Split into two groups of 8. Round-Robin Format [ ] Each team played every other team in its division (or group where the division is split) once, either home or away.
Points awarded [ ] 2 points were awarded for a win and 1 for a draw.
Titles [ ] Knockout stage structure [ ] In the Semi-Finals, the match-ups were as follows:
Quarter-final 1 : First-placed team in Division One (A) v Second-placed team in Division One (B)Quarter-final 2 : Second-placed team in Division One (A) v First-placed team in Division One (B)The final match-up is: Winner Semi-final 1 v Winner Semi-final 2.
Separation of teams on equal points [ ] In the event that teams finish on equal points, then teams were separated according to points average(goals scored divided by goals conceded).[6]
Division One [ ] Tables [ ]
Group A [ ]
Team
Pld
W
D
L
F
A
Aver
Pts
Notes
Offaly
7
7
0
0
116
65
1.785
14 Qualify for Knockout Stage
Kerry
7
5
0
2
114
80
1.425
10
Dublin
7
3
2
2
82
73
1.123
8
Cork
7
3
1
3
73
74
0.986
7
Galway
7
2
2
3
91
80
1.138
6
Kildare
7
2
1
4
85
107
0.794
5
Waterford
7
1
2
4
51
95
0.537
4 Relegated to Division Two of the 1972–73 NFL
Tipperary
7
1
0
6
59
97
0.608
2
Group B [ ]
Team
Pld
W
D
L
F
A
Aver
Pts
Notes
Derry
7
7
0
0
108
53
2.038
14 Qualify for Knockout Stage
Mayo
7
5
0
2
87
83
1.048
10
Sligo
7
4
0
3
75
79
0.949
8
Laois
7
3
1
3
78
83
0.940
7
Meath
7
3
0
4
80
83
0.964
6
Fermanagh
7
2
1
4
88
96
0.917
5
Antrim
7
2
0
5
74
93
0.796
4 Relegated to Division Two of the 1972–73 NFL
Down
7
1
0
6
71
91
0.780
2
Division two [ ] Tables [ ] Group A [ ]
Team
Pld
W
D
L
F
A
Aver
Pts
Notes
Longford
7
7
0
0
106
58
1.828
14 Qualify for Knockout Stage; promoted to Division One of the 1972–73 NFL
Roscommon
7
6
0
1
123
52
2.365
12
Carlow
7
4
0
3
99
84
1.179
8
Clare
7
3
1
3
70
81
0.864
7
Limerick
7
3
0
4
84
96
0.875
6
Wexford
7
2
1
4
83
93
0.892
5
Wicklow
7
1
0
6
65
104
0.625
2
Kilkenny
7
1
0
6
68
130
0.523
2
Group B Table [ ]
Team
Pld
W
D
L
F
A
Aver
Pts
Notes
Cavan
7
6
0
1
97
47
2.064
12 Qualify for Knockout Stage; promoted to Division One of the 1972–73 NFL
Westmeath
7
5
0
2
109
81
1.346
10
Monaghan
7
4
2
1
76
60
1.267
10
Tyrone
7
4
0
3
60
61
0.984
8
Louth
7
3
1
3
76
75
1.013
7
Armagh
7
2
0
5
72
89
0.809
4
Donegal
7
1
1
5
64
99
0.646
3
Leitrim
7
1
0
6
73
115
0.635
2
Knockout stage [ ] Division One [ ] Kerry v Mayo 14 May 1972 Final Kerry 2-11 — 1-9 Mayo Croke Park , Dublin Liam Higgins 1-4; Mick Gleeson 1-0; Mick O'Connell 0-3; Donal Kavanagh 0-2; Mick O'Dwyer, Jackie Walsh 0-1 each
W McGee 1-1; T O’Malley, J Corcoran 0-3 each, S Kilbride, J Higgins 0-1 each
Attendance: 32,883[7] [8]
Division two [ ] References [ ]
^ GAA Final Teams ^ Mayo GAA Blog ^ "Terrace Talk" .^ 20.06.1971 NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE FINAL - Irish Photo Archive ^ Irish Photo Archive ^ "Monaghan pipped", Irish Independent, 28/02/1972, p. 13
^ "For The Record, A History of the National Football and Hurling League Finals", Tom Morrison, Collins Press, 2002, ISBN 9781903464151
^ "For The Record, A History of the National Football and Hurling League Finals", Tom Morrison, Collins Press, 2002, ISBN 9781903464151
^ "Second-half goals enough for Roscommon", Irish Independent, 10/04/1972, p. 10
^ "Score margin doesn't flatter Longford", Irish Independent, 17/04/1972, p. 12
^ "Longford's unique success", Irish Press, 01/05/1972, p. 22