Westmeath to learn qualifier fate on Monday morning

 

By Kieran Galvin

The Westmeath footballers will learn their fate this Monday morning when the draws for the Round 1A and Round 1B All-Ireland Qualifiers will take place on RTÉ Radio 1 (Morning Ireland programme) at 8.35pm (approx.).

As stated recently in the Westmeath Independent, the format for the All-Ireland SFC Qualifiers is different and more complicated this year.

Basically, teams are placed in either of the ‘A’ or ‘B’ side of the draw. Westmeath are in the ‘B’ side and this means they cannot be drawn against teams on the ‘A’ side.

Teams on the ‘B’ side are due to play their first round games on Saturday, June 28.

The draw involves counties who do not reach provincial semi-finals. Therefore, even if Roscommon are defeated by Mayo in Sunday’s game at Dr Hyde Park, they will not be in this draw.

Details of the Round 1 draw are provided below.

Round 1 Draws – June 9

ROUND 1A

*Four games take place on June 21
*Draw involves the eight counties on the “A” side of the provincial championships that do not qualify for the provincial semi-finals, i.e. the following teams/losers of the following games:
Leinster - Wicklow, Offaly, Dublin/Laois, Wexford/Longford; Ulster - Fermanagh, Derry; Munster – Limerick; Connacht – London.

ROUND 1B

*Four games take place on June 28
*Draw involves the eight counties on the “B” side of the provincial championships that do not qualify for the provincial semi-finals, i.e. the following teams/losers of the following games:
Leinster - Westmeath, Louth/Kildare, Carlow/Meath; Ulster – Down, Armagh/Cavan, Monaghan/Tyrone; Munster - Clare/Waterford; Connacht - Leitrim.

Procedure in both draws: all eight slips placed in one bowl; 1st team drawn plays 2nd, 3rd drawn plays 4th and so on.

Venues, times and dates to be confirmed by the Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC) on Tuesday, June 10.

First team drawn shall have home advantage; but exceptions apply.

Exceptions
1. Where two teams who have already met in the 2014 provincial championship, are drawn to meet, the winner of the earlier game in the Championship shall have home venue
2. Except as provided for above, if a county did not have home advantage in the 1st Round of the 2013 Qualifier Series, it shall have home advantage in the 1st Round in 2014. In the event of both teams having played away in 2013 or both teams having played at home the first team drawn shall have home advantage*.

Counties drawn away in Round 1 in 2013:
A Side: Laois, Fermanagh, Limerick, Wicklow.
B Side: Tyrone