Bad weekend for football in west Tipperary - at least two senior teams to lose status

After all the football was completed in the group stages of the FBD Insurance County Tipperary Senior Football Championship, the picture is clear to see how the remainder of the championship will play out.

The top two teams in each of the four groups, ie, the winners and the runners-up, advance to the quarter-finals. 

The four teams who finished in third place will play for the Tom Cusack Cup won for the last two years by Rockwell Rovers.

But for the four teams who prop up the groups, ie, Eire Og Annacarty, Moycarkey/Borris, Arravale Rovers and Rockwell Rovers, the fight for senior status now becomes desperate indeed with only one of the quartet to be saved from Intermediate football next year. Three teams will drop from senior to intermediate for next year bringing the number of senior clubs to 14 for next year. The process will be repeated in 2024 with three more teams to drop down resulting in 12 senior teams in Tipperary for 2025.

Having lost Aherlow to senior football last year, and Galtee Rovers/St Pecaun's to senior football two years prior to that, it now means that, at best, there will be only one team from West Tipperary competing for the O'Dwyer Cup in 2024. Should Moycarkey/Borris win the relegation play-offs - remember you must win twice to stay senior from here in - then there would be no senior football team in West Tipperary for 2024. It's all to play for now.

FBD INSURANCE COUNTY TIPPERARY SENIOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

GROUP 1

Clonmel Commercials winners

Kilsheelan Kilcash runners up

Drom and Inch 3rd

Eire Og Annacarty - Relegation

GROUP 2

Loughmore Castleiney winners

Ballina runners up

Ardfinnan 3rd

Moycarkey Borris – Relegation

GROUP 3

Upperchurch Drombane winners

Killenaule runners up

Cahir 3rd

Arravale Rovers – Relegation

GROUP 4

JK Brackens winners

Moyle Rovers runners up

Ballyporeen 3rd

Cahir's Jesse Kiely gets his shot off despite the best efforts of Killenaule's Paudie Feehan during yesterday's SFC game at Fethard GAA Park which Killenaule won. Pic: Michael Boland

FBD INSURANCE COUNTY TIPPERARY INTERMEDIATE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

Group 1

Moyne Templetuohy runners up

Golden Kilfeacle - Relegation

Moyle Rovers – Relegated

Group 2

Grangemockler Ballyneale winners

Fethard runners up

Clonmel Og – Relegation

Fr Sheehys – Relegated

Group 3

Galtee Rovers winners

Thurles Sarsfields runners up

Mullinahone 3rd

Aherlow 4th

JK Brackens – Relegated

Loughmore Castleiney - Relegated