2020 Derry Senior Football Championship

2020 Derry Senior Football Championship
Tournament details
County	Derry
Year	2020
Trophy	John McLaughlin Cup
Teams	16
Defending champions	Magherafelt
Other
Website	derrygaa.ie
	← 2019 2021 →

The 2020 Derry Senior Football Championship was the 97th edition of Derry GAA's premier gaelic football tournament for the top clubs. The sixteen teams who qualified for the 2020 senior championship are explained in the 'Competition Format' section below.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all Gaelic Game activity was suspended in March^[1]. As a result the 2020 Derry senior championship was changed to an initial group structure where each team played three games before playing at least one game in the final knockout stage^[2].

Magherafelt were the defending champions having won their sixth title. They defeated Glen by a solitary point, 0-12 to 0-11, in the final on 20 October 2019 at Celtic Park.

The winners receive the John McLaughlin Cup.

Competition Format

Senior, Intermediate and Junior Championships

Team performances in 2019 in the football league and championships were used to determine which of the three 2020 championships the thirty seven clubs competed in –

2020 Senior Championship (16 teams)
All twelve 2019 Division 1A teams plus four 2019 Division 1B teams.
The winners of the 2019 intermediate championship must be included.
2020 Intermediate Championship (12 teams)
Eight 2019 Division 1B teams plus four 2019 Division 2 teams.
The winners of the 2019 junior championship must be included.
2020 Junior Championship (9 teams)
Nine 2019 Division 2 teams.
Ógra Colmcille opted out in 2019.

Senior Championship Teams in 2019

The restructured adult football leagues in Derry of Division 1A (12 teams), Division 1B (12 teams) and Division 2 (13 teams) were introduced in 2019.^[3] Five teams were relegated from the 2018 Division 1 to the new 2019 Division 1B (see section 'Relegations and promotions in 2018' below for details). The 2019 senior championship was competed for by the top fifteen teams in the 2018 Division 1 and Banagher, the winners of the 2018 Division 2. Claudy, who finished 16th in 2018, were relegated to the 2019 intermediate football championship.

2020 Format

The format for this years Derry SFC will involve four groups of four teams, with seedings for the knock out stages determined by the finishing position in the four different groups. Each team will be guaranteed 4 games in the Championship. All 16 teams will qualify for the knock-out stages and the draw will see teams seeded from the group stages. An open draw with 1 v 4 and 2 v 3 with no repeat pairings from the group stages. Game 1 - August 1/2 Game 2 - August 8/9 Game 3 - August 22/23 Knock-out games - September 5/6 • Quarter Finals (Open draw, avoiding repeat pairings if possible) - September 19/20 • Semi Finals (Open draw) - September 26/27 • Final - October 3/4 ^[4]

Recent history of relegations and promotions

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 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 25 June 2020.

Group A

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts
1	Bellaghy	2	1	1	0	37	28	+9	3
2	Loup	2	1	1	0	29	28	+1	3
3	Newbridge	2	1	0	1	41	25	+16	2
4	Foreglen	2	0	0	2	24	50	−26	0

Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: ^{[citation needed]}

01 August 2020 Round 1	The Loup	1-12 – 1-12	Bellaghy	Magherafelt
6:30 pm
	Gls: Paul Cassidy 1 Pts: Eoghan Brown 0-5, 4f; Ruairi McElwee 0-4, 1f; Peter Cassidy 0-2, 1m; Paul Cassidy 0-1		Gls: Ciaran Devlin 1 Pts: Anthony O'Neill 0-8, 7f, Declan McVey 0-1, Caolin Devlin 0-1, 1m, Gary Doyle 0-1, Ciaran Devlin 0-1	Referee: Brendan Quinn

2nd August 2020 Round 1	Newbridge	3-19 – 1-08	Foreglen	Glen
6.30pm
	Gls: Mark McGrogan; Conor McAteer; Jude Diamond Pts: Mark McGrogan 0-4, 1f; Conor McAteer 0-3; Jude Diamond 0-2, 1m; Peter McGrogan 0-4; PJ O'Neill 0-2; Paudi McGrogan 0-2; Conor Doherty 0-1, 1m; Nathan Rocks 0-1, 1m		Gls: Cathair O'Connor Pts: Kevin O'Connor 0-3, 3f; Mark McCormick 0-3, 2f; Caolan O'Connor 0-2	Referee: Richie Donoghue

9th August 2020 Round 2	Bellaghy	2-16 – 0-13	Foreglen	Bellaghy
4pm
	Gls: Paul Cassidy; Peter Cassidy (Pen)		Pts: Kevin O'Connor 0-6, 6f; Cathair O'Connor 0-2; Mark McCormick 0-1, 1f; Caolan O'Connor, Eoghan Duffy, Padraic Morahan, Odhran McFeely (All 0-1)

9th August 2020 Round 2	Loup	2-08 – 1-10	Newbridge	Loup
4pm

22 August 2020 Round 3	Newbridge	v	Bellaghy	Newbridge

Round 3	Foreglen	v	The Loup	Forglen

Group B

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts
1	Slaughtneil	2	2	0	42	14	+28	4
2	Lavey	2	1	1	31	30	+1	2
3	Coleraine	2	1	1	24	31	−7	2
4	Kilrea	2	0	2	20	42	−22	0

Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: ^{[citation needed]}

01 August 2020 Round 1	Slaughtneil	2-18 – 0-06	Kilrea	Slaughtneil
4pm
	Gls: Se McGuigan, Jerome McGuigan Pts: Shane McGuigan 0-10, 4f, 3m, 1 '45; Brian Cassidy 0-4, 1f; Fergal Bradley 0-2; Se McGuigan 0-1; Cormac O'Doherty		Pts: James Kielt 0-2; Rory Maguire 0-1; Paddy Quigg 0-1; Daithi McLaughlin 0-1; Larry Kielt 0-1	Referee: Damian Harkin

01 August 2020 Round 1	Coleraine	3-07 – 1-10	Lavey	Coleraine
4pm
	Gls: Colm McGoldrick; Justin Donnelly; Ciaran Lenehan Pts: Colm McGoldrick 0-3, 3f; Dara Mooney 0-2, 2f; Ciaran McGoldrick 0-1; Shea McLaughlin 0-1		Gls: Niall Toner Pts: Niall Toner 0-2; Cailean O'Boyle 0-4, 4f; Fintan Bradley 0-2, Shea Downey 0-1, Liam Murphy 0-1	Referee: JJ Cleary

8th August 2020 Round 2	Slaughtneil	2-12 – 1-05	Coleraine	Greenlough
2pm

9th August 2020 Round 2	Lavey	3-09 – 0-14	Kilrea	Swatragh
2pm

Round 3	Lavey	v	Slaughtneil	Lavey

Round 3	Kilrea	v	Coleraine	Kilrea

Group C

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts
1	Glen	2	2	0	36	21	+15	4
2	Magherafelt	2	1	1	22	17	+5	2
3	Ballinderry	2	1	1	28	26	+2	2
4	Banagher	2	0	2	25	47	−22	0

Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: ^{[citation needed]}

01 August 2020 Round 1	Glen	2-18 – 1-10	Banagher	Glen
4pm
	Gls: Danny Tallon ; Conleth McGuckin Pts: Danny Tallon 0-3, 2f; Paul Gunnning 0-3; Emmett Bradley 0-3, 3f; Conleth McGuckin, Ethan Doherty, Ciaran McFaul, Conor Convery (All 0-2); Jack Doherty 0-1, Michael Warnock 0-1		Gls: Gavin O'Neill Pts: Tiarnan Moore 0-3, 2f; Ryan McGillion 0-2; Peter Hagan 0-2, 1f; Brian Og McGilligan, Conor Feeney, Niall Moore (All 0-1)	Referee: Dan Mullan

2nd August 2020 Round 1	Magherafelt	1-11 – 0-06	Ballinderry	Magherafelt
4pm
	Gls: Peter Quinn Pts: Shane Heavron 0-5, 3f; Danny Heavron 0-3; Conor Kearns 0-2; Emmett McGuckin 0-1		Pts: Ryan Bell 0-5, 4f, Gareth McKinless 0-1	Referee: Barry Cassidy

8th August 2020 Round 2	Magherafelt	1-05 – 0-11	Glen	Bellaghy
6.30pm

9th August 2020 Round 2	Ballinderry	4-10 – 1-09	Banagher	Glen
6.30pm

Round 3	Banagher	v	Magherafelt	Banagher

Round 3	Ballinderry	v	Glen	Ballinderry

Group D

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts
1	Ballinascreen	2	2	0	0	41	26	+15	4
2	Swatragh	2	1	1	0	35	31	+4	3
3	Claudy	2	0	1	1	22	28	−6	1
4	Dungiven	2	0	0	2	35	48	−13	0

Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: ^{[citation needed]}

01 August 2020 Round 1	Ballinascreen	1-11 – 1-5	Claudy	Ballinascreen
4pm
	Gls: Ronan Murphy Pts: Shane Mulgrew 0-7, 7f; Benny Heron 0-2, 1'45; Conor McGovern 0-1; Carlus McWilliams 0-1		Gls: Oran Armstrong Pts: Oran Armstrong 0-2, 2f; Eoin McGahon, Conor Gormley, Martin Donaghy (All 0-1)	Referee: Mervyn McAleese

01 August 2020 Round 1	Swatragh	2-15 – 1-14	Dungiven	Swatragh
4pm
	Gls: Lorcan McWilliams, OG Pts: James Kearney 0-6, 3f; Francis Kearney 0-2, 1f; Jude McAtamney, Lorcan McWilliams (0-2 each), Sean Kearney, Brian Diamond (0-1 each)		Gls: Conor Murphy Pts: Richie Mullan 0-8, 2m, 5f; Conor Kelly 0-1, 1f; Conor Murphy, Frank Dillon, Pauric McNicholl, Daire McKeever, Marty Burke (0-1 each)	Referee: Mark O'Neill

8th August 2020 Round 2	Claudy	1-11 – 1-11	Swatragh	Claudy
4pm

9th August 2020 Round 2	Dungiven	2-12 – 4-15	Ballinascreen	Dungiven
4pm

Round 3	Dungiven	v	Claudy

Round 3	Swatragh	v	Ballinascreen

Senior Championship Full Draw

First Knockout Round

Quarter-Finals

Semi-Finals

Final

First Knockout Round

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Quarter Finals

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Semi Finals

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Final

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Top Scorer

Championship Completed.

Rank	Player	Club	Group Stage	First Round	Quarter-Final	Semi-Final	Final	Total

References

^ http://derrygaa.ie/derry-gaa-statement-on-covid-19/
^ https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/gaelic-games/53122340
^ "Derry confirm changes to league and championship structures". Derry Now. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
^ https://www.derrynow.com/news/gaa/553511/derry-ccc-draw-pairings-for-the-2020-club-championships.html

[1] ttp://derrygaa.ie/derry-gaa-statement-on-covid-19/

[2] ttps://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/gaelic-games/53122340

[3] "Derry confirm changes to league and championship structures". Derry Now. Retrieved 16 February 2018.

[4] ttps://www.derrynow.com/news/gaa/553511/derry-ccc-draw-pairings-for-the-2020-club-championships.html

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v t e Derry GAA clubs
2022 Senior Football League 16 clubs	Ballinascreen Ballinderry Banagher Bellaghy Claudy Coleraine Dungiven Glen Kilrea Lavey The Loup Magherafelt Newbridge Slaughtneil Steelstown Swatragh
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2022 Intermediate Hurling Championship semi-finalists	Ballinascreen Banagher Eoghan Rua Swatragh
2022 Junior Hurling Championship finalists	Lavey Na Magha
2022 other hurling clubs	Ballerin
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