2021 Derry Senior Football Championship

2021 Derry Senior Football Championship

Tournament details
County	Derry
Year	2021
Trophy	John McLaughlin Cup
Teams	16
Defending champions	Slaughtneil
Winners
Champions	Glen (1st win)
Manager	Malachy O'Rourke
Captain	Conor Carville
Runners-up
Runners-up	Slaughtneil
Manager	Paul Bradley
Promotion/Relegation
Promoted team(s)	Steelstown
Relegated team(s)	Foreglen
Other
Top Scorer	Shane McGuigan
Website	derrygaa.ie
← 2020  →

The 2021 Derry Senior Football Championship was the 98th edition of Derry GAA's premier gaelic football tournament for the top clubs. The sixteen teams who qualified for the 2021 senior championship (12 Division 1A teams and four Division 1B teams) are explained in the 'Competition Format' section below.

The 2020 Derry senior championship format was changed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Teams competed in an initial group stage where each team played three games before playing at least one game in the first knockout stage.^[1] The 2021 Championship followed a similar format.

Relegation playoffs were introduced in 2021. Newbridge lost their relegation quarter final against Claudy by 0-13 to 0-12 and were relegated to Division 1B for 2022. Banagher won their quarter final against Dungiven by 1-09 to 0-09 and were promoted to Division 1A for 2022.

Glen beat the defending champions Slaughtneil by 1-13 to 0-07 at Celtic Park, Derry to win a their first senior championship.^[2]

The winners receive the John McLaughlin Cup.

Competition Format[]

Senior Championships

2020 Format

Initially the sixteen teams were drawn into four groups of four teams. Each team were guaranteed three group games and at least one knockout game. All sixteen teams qualified for the knock-out stages. In the first round draw the teams were seeded from the group stage with the group winners playing the teams who finished fourth and the group runner-ups playing the teams who finished third. The quarter final draw was open but subject to the restriction that repeat pairings be avoided if possible. The semi final draw was open.^[3]

2021 Format

In the leagues, Division 1a and 1b teams played 11 league games and Division 2 teams played13 league games. With the new condensed intercounty season coming into effect, club league games played without county players until their involvement with the respective intercounty competitions comes to an end. The team finishing top of the league at the end of 11/13 games won their respective league.

Due to the move towards the split season model, which has been adopted by GAA nationally, 2021 will see club leagues decoupled from Championship, with matters of promotion and relegation decided via the championship competitions. 2021 Championship groups are based on 2020 Championship placings. Each group will contain one semi-finalist, one beaten quarter-finalist and two beaten last 16 teams.^[4]

	Team
1	Semi-Finalist
2	Beaten QF
3	Beaten Last 16
1	Beaten Last 16

Each team will be guaranteed three group games and at least one knockout game. The games will be played on a group basis (Home, Away & Neutral fixture). If any club cannot field the game will be forfeited. All sixteen teams qualify for the knock-out stages. In the first knockout round draw the teams were seeded from the group stage with the group winners playing the teams who finished fourth and the group runner-ups playing the teams who finished third. The quarter final draw was subject to the restriction that repeat pairings be avoided if possible.

The teams progress in this years championship will be used to determine their 2022 league placings. Once the groups games have been played and the last 16 knock out round is complete, the winning teams will continue to the quarter finals and the losing teams will progress to therelegation quarter finals. The losers of the relegation final will also be relegated from the 2022 SFC at the expense of the 2021 IFC.

2022

Division 1A in 2022 will made up of 8 SFC Quarter Final teams plus the 4 winners of the SFC Relegation Quarter Finals. The loser

Recent history of relegations and promotions[]

Relegations and promotions in 2021[]

All promotions in 2021 were decided by performances in the senior championship and the relegation playoffs.

Senior Championship

• Foreglen conceded before the relegation semi final playoffs and were automatically relegated to the 2022 intermediate championship, thus making the relegation semi finals and final unnecessary.
• Steelstown beat Greenlough by 0-09 0-08 in the intermediate championship final. Steelstown replaced Foreglen in the 2022 senior championship.

Divisions 1A & 1B

• Banagher beat Dungiven by 1-09 to 0-09 in a relegation quarter final playoff. Banagher were promoted to Division 1A. Dungiven remained in Division 1B.
• Claudy beat Newbridge by 0-13 to 0-12 in a relegation quarter final playoff. Claudy remained in Division 1A. Newbridge were relegated to Division 1B.

Relegations and promotions in 2020[]

There were no promotions or relegations from the senior championship or leagues in 2020 due to the public health measures introduced to combat COVID-19.

Relegations and promotions in 2019[]

Senior Championship

All twelve teams in the 2019 Division 1A automatically qualified for the 2020 senior championship. Four 2019 Division 1B teams also qualified for the 2020 senior football championship –

• Claudy finished 1st in 2019 Division 1B with 19 points.
• Newbridge finished 2nd in 2019 Division 1B with 17 points.
• Kilrea finished 3rd in 2019 Division 1B with 14 points.
• Foreglen won the intermediate championship, defeating Claudy by 0-15 to 0-09. Foreglen took the place in the 2020 ( and in 2021 due to Covid) senior championship reserved for the 2019 intermediate champions instead of Greenlough who finished 4th in 2019 Division 1B with 14 points.

League

Two teams were relegated from Division 1A and were replaced by two teams from Division 1B –

• Dungiven finished 11th in 2019 Division 1A with 3 points. They were relegated but retained the right to play in the 2020 senior football championship.
• Banagher finished 12th in 2019 Division 1A with 0 points. They were relegated but retained the right to play in the 2020 senior football championship.
• Claudy finished 1st in 2019 Division 1B with 19 points and were promoted.
• Newbridge finished 2nd in 2019 Division 1B with 17 points and were promoted.

Senior Championship Group Stage[]

The draw for the group stage was held on Thursday 5 August 2021.^[5]

Group A[]

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts
1	Loup	3	2	0	1	55	38	+17	4
2	Ballinascreen	3	2	0	1	46	30	+16	4
3	Dungiven	3	2	0	1	43	43	0	4
4	Foreglen	3	0	0	3	34	67	−33	0

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Group B[]

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts
1	Newbridge	3	3	0	0	43	35	+8	6
2	Ballinderry	3	2	0	1	33	27	+6	4
3	Coleraine	3	1	0	2	45	43	+2	2
4	Banagher	3	0	0	3	40	56	−16	0

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Group C[]

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts
1	Lavey	3	2	0	1	61	25	+36	4
2	Slaughtneil	3	2	0	1	52	23	+29	4
3	Swatragh	3	2	0	1	53	31	+22	4
4	Claudy	3	0	0	3	10	97	−87	0

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Group D[]

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts
1	Glen	3	3	0	0	55	29	+26	6
2	Magherafelt	3	2	0	1	31	38	−7	4
3	Kilrea	3	1	0	2	50	60	−10	2
4	Bellaghy	3	0	0	3	42	51	−9	0

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Senior Championship Full Draw[]

	First Knockout Round					Quarter-Finals					Semi-Finals					Final
	Glen		2-22
	Foreglen		0-08			Glen		2-18
	Swatragh		1-12			Swatragh		0-07
	Ballinascreen		2-02								Glen		3-19
	Loup		4-18								Loup		0-05
	Claudy		1-08			Loup		3-12
	Newbridge		1-05			Bellaghy		0-12
	Bellaghy		0-09													Glen		1-13
	Slaughtneil		1-15													Slaughtneil		0-07
	Dungiven		1-04			Slaughtneil		1-11
	Coleraine		2-14			Coleraine		2-06
	Magherafelt		1-15								Slaughtneil		1-13
	Lavey		1-17								Lavey		2-06
	Banagher		0-06			Lavey		2-08
	Ballinderry		2-24			Ballinderry		1-07
	Kilrea		1-17

First Knockout Round[]

Group ranking was used to decide the draw – 1v4 and 2v3. The eight winning teams progress to the quarter finals and are assigned to Division 1A for 2022. The eight losing teams enter the relegation playoffs with the four losing teams in the relegation quarter finals assigned to Division 1B for 2022.

The draw took place on 26 September 2021.

Quarter Finals[]

Teams who played in the same group cannot be drawn against each other. The Quarter Final Draw took place on Sunday 10th October after the Slaughtneil/Dungiven match.

Semi Finals[]

The semi final pairings were determined by an open draw without restrictions. The draw was made after the Glen v Swatragh match on Sunday 17th October.

Lavey versus Slaughtneil was a repeat pairing from Group C Round 2 on 18 September 2021 at Owenbeg - Lavey won that game by 2-07 to 0-10.

Final[]

Relegation Playoffs[]

Relegation Quarter Finals[]

The eight losing teams from the first knockout round compete in the relegation quarter finals with the four losing teams assigned to Division 1B for 2022. The other twelve senior championship teams are assigned to Division 1A for 2022.

The four teams with the highest number of points from the group stage were drawn against the four teams with the lowest points. Repeat fixtures from the group stage were not permitted. The relegation quarter final draw took place after the Newbridge/Bellaghy re-fixture on Tuesday 10 October 2021.

Relegation Semi Finals (cancelled)[]

The relegation semi finals would have been played between the losers of the relegation quarter finals. Foreglen conceded and were automatically relegated to the 2022 intermediate championship, thus making the relegation semi finals and final unnecessary.

Relegation Final (cancelled)[]

The relegation finals would have been played between the losers of the relegation semi finals. The losing team would have been relegated to the 2022 intermediate championship. Foreglen conceded and were automatically relegated to the 2022 intermediate championship, thus making the relegation semi finals and final unnecessary.

The 2021 intermediate champions, Steelstown, were promoted to the 2022 senior championship.

Top Scorer[]

Main Championship only (Relegation playoff games not included)
Quarter-Finals completed

Rank	Player	Club	Group Stage	First Round	Quarter-Final	Semi-Final	Final	Total
1	Shane McGuigan	Slaughtneil	2-21 (27)	0-03	0-02	1-06	0-01	3-33 (42)
2	Christopher Bradley	Slaughtneil	0-12	0-04	0-07	0-06	0-03	0-32 (32)
3	Anthony O'Neill	Loup	2-10 (16)	1-07 (10)	0-03	0-02		3-22 (31)
4	Ryan Bell	Ballinderry	2-08 (14)	0-13	0-02			2-23 (29)
5	Paul Gunning	Glen	0-15	0-07	1-01	0-01	0-01	1-25 (28)

References[]