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Irish football competition
1925–26 National Football League Dates 1925 – 19 September 1926 Winners Laois (1st win)Captain Dick Miller Runners-up Dublin
The 1925–26 National Football League was the 1st staging of the National Football League , a Gaelic football tournament for the Gaelic Athletic Association county teams of Ireland .
The inaugural NFL was won by Laois , captained by Dick Miller . They defeated Sligo in the semi-final after a lost game was ordered replayed, and beat Dublin in a low-scoring final despite losing two players, Paddy Lenihan and Bill Keeley, to emigration shortly before the final.[ 1] [ 2] [ 3]
The league was organised on a provincial basis with a separate league for each province: three leagues for Leinster due to the large number of counties. The six league winners played a knockout tournament to decide the National Football League. It is mentioned that the three Leinster Group winners played off (Longford scratching, Laois beating Dublin) for a gold medal, but this does not seem to have formed part of the league proper.[ 4]
Knockout stage qualifiers
Leinster: 3 teams
Munster: 1 team
Connacht: 1 team[ 5]
Ulster: 1 team
Group stage
Results
Leinster I
Results
Table
Team
Pld
W
D
L
Pts
Status
Dublin
3
3
0
0
6
Advance to Knockout stage
Kildare
3
2
0
1
4
Louth
3
1
0
2
2
Meath
3
0
0
3
0
Leinster II
Results
Table
Westmeath forfeited the points from their win v Offaly due to being late on the field [ 20]
Leinster III
Results
Table
Won by Kerry .
North-West Group
Regulation games
Play-Offs
North-East Group
Regulation games
Play-Offs
Final
Final standings
North-West Group
North-East Group
Knockout stage
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
An objection was successfully made and a replay ordered.
Final
Leinster League inter-group ties
The game was initially awarded to Longford as Dublin failed to finish owing to a disputed decision. Later, the Leinster Council declared the result void and ordered a replay.[ 49]
Match was abandoned with seven minutes remaining. The game was awarded to Dublin
Longford did not play in protest at the fact that Game 1 replay versus Dublin was awarded to Dublin
Table
Team
Pld
W
D
L
Pts
Status
Laois
2
2
0
0
4
Leinster League winners
Dublin
2
1
0
1
2
Longford
2
0
0
2
0
Laois won the Leinster Football League. This would appear to have been a separate competition, and this ties did not form part of the National Football League proper.
References
^ "Leinster's National Football League Winning Teams" (PDF) . Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 July 2015. Retrieved 12 July 2015 .
^ "NFL Facts and Figures" . Archived from the original on 14 July 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2015 .
^ "National League facts | Ireland's Own" . Archived from the original on 4 April 2015. Retrieved 30 July 2015 .
^ Laois GAA History, 1920-29
^ "National League", Irish Independent, 07/05/1926, p. 10
^ "Leitrim and Roscommon meet in Senior Football contest",Leitrim Observer, 12 June 1925, p. 1
^ "Railway Cup Semi-final",Irish Independent, 22 June 1925, p. 9
^ Irish Independent, 29 October 1925, p. 9
^ "Kildare v Meath",Kildare Observer, 19 September 1925, p. 5
^ "Dublin's success",Irish Independent, 12 October 1925, p. 11
^ "Dublin defeat Meath",Cork Examiner, 19 October 1925, p. 5
^ "National Football League",Irish Independent, 27 October 1925, p. 9
^ "Leinster Football League",Cork Examiner, 9 November 1925, p. 6
^ "Leinster Football League",Meath Chronicle, 14 November 1925, p. 7
^ "National Football League", Westmeath Examiner, 18 July 1925, p. 8
^ Irish Independent, 12 October 1925, p. 11
^ "Belated victory", Irish Independent, 26 October 1925, p. 9
^ "Goalkeeper's busy", Irish Independent, 16 November 1925, p. 11
^ "A point victory", Irish Independent, 23 November 1925, p. 11
^ "League Figures" Irish Independent, Friday 20 November 1925
^ Irish Independent, 4 August 1925, p. 9
^ Irish Independent, 20 September 1925, p. 10
^ Irish Independent, 12 October 1925, p. 11
^ Irish Independent, 12 October 1925, p. 11
^ "Kerry's easy victory", The Kerryman, 21 November 1925, p. 2
^ "Kerry defeat Waterford", The Kerryman, 28 November 1925, p. 2
^ "Munster football league", The Kerryman, 5 December 1925, p. 2
^ "Match at Dungarvan", Cork Examiner, 30 November 1925, p. 8
^ "GAA leagues", Irish Independent, 1 March 1926, p. 9
^ "McGrath Cup league", Cork Examiner, 10 March 1926, p. 5
^ "Kerry wins McGrath Cup", The Kerryman, 19 June 1926, p. 5
^ "GAA News", Fermanagh Herald, 14 November 1925, p. 5,
^ "Ulster League Tie", Ulster Herald, 5 December 1925, p. 12,
^ "Ulster Football Surprise", Irish Independent, 30 November 1925, p. 10,
^ "Gaelic Games", Irish Independent, 22 December 1925, p. 10,
^ "Gaelic Games", Irish Independent, 22 December 1925, p. 10,
^ "Irish Independent", Ulster Herald, 19 January 1926, p. 10,
^ "Ulster Tie Drawn", Irish Independent, 01 March 1926, p. 9,
^ "Ulster Football League", Ulster Herald, 20 March 1926, p. 3,
^ "Gaelic Pastimes", Meath Chronicle, 3 April 1926, p. 7,
^ "Ulster Football League", Irish Independent, 3 November 1925, p. 10,
^ "Ulster League Surprise", Irish Independent, 7 December 1925, p. 10,
^ "Ulster League", Irish Independent, 15 December 1925, p. 10,
^ "Ulster Senior League", Irish Independent, 8 March 1926, p. 10,
^ "Champions beaten", Irish Independent, 12/04/1926, p. 9,
^ "Narrow defeat for Antrim", Irish Independent, 26/04/1926, p. 9
^ "Leix defeat Sligo in Semi-final", Irish Independent, 28/06/1926, p. 9
^ "Level scoring", Irish Independent, 30/11/1925, p. 10
^ "Unpleasant incident". Sunday Independent, 13/12/1923, p. 7
^ "Leinster Football League", Irish Independent, 01/02/1926, p. 9
^ "Leix win Group honours", Irish Independent, 21/12/1925, p. 9
^ "Longford not to play", Irish Independent, 26/02/1926, p. 9