1976–77 National Football League (Ireland)

The 1976–77 National Football League was the 46th staging of the National Football League (NFL), an annual Gaelic football tournament for the Gaelic Athletic Association county teams of Ireland.

1976–77 National Football League
League details
DatesOctober 1976 – 17 April 1977
Teams32
League champions
WinnersKerry (13th win)
CaptainJohn O'Keeffe
ManagerMick O'Dwyer
League runners-up
Runners-upDublin
CaptainTony Hanahoe
ManagerTony Hanahoe (player-manager)

Kerry narrowly beat Dublin in the final.[1][2][3]

Format

All 32 counties of Ireland compete: 12 in Division 1 and 20 in Division 2.

Division 1 is composed of two groups of 6 teams (North and South). Each team plays the other teams in its group once, earning 2 points for a win and 1 for a draw.

  • The first-placed team in each group advances to the NFL semi-finals.
  • The second-placed team in each group advances to the NFL quarter-finals.
  • The last-placed team is relegated.

Division 2 is composed of two groups of 10 teams (North and South). Each of these is further divided into two groups of 5. The top two in each group play semi-finals and finals, with the North champions and the South champions advancing to the NFL quarter-finals and being promoted.

Group stage

Play-offs
6 February 1977 For 1st Place Mayo 1-9 — 1-6 Roscommon Tuam
13 March 1977 For 5th Place Antrim 2-7 — 0-10 Sligo Clones

Table
Team Pld W D L Pts Notes
Mayo 54018Qualified for knockout stages
Roscommon 54018
Tyrone 53026
Derry 52034
Antrim 51042
Sligo 51042Relegated to Division Two of the 1977–78 NFL

[4]

Play-offs
13 March 1977 For 5th Place Galway 0-16 — 2-6 Meath O'Connor Park, Tullamore

Table
Team Pld W D L Pts Notes
Kerry 54109Qualified for Knockout Stages
Dublin 53117
Cork 52216
Kildare 52034
Galway 50232
Meath 50232Relegated to Division Two of the 1977–78 NFL

Group B play-offs
16 January 1977 For 1st Place Cavan 2-10 — 1-5 Leitrim Pearse Park, Longford
30 January 1977 For 2nd Place Donegal 0-14 — 1-9
AET		 Leitrim Sligo[5]

Inter-group play-offs
6 February 1977 Semi-Final Cavan 0-12 — 0-9 Armagh Ballybay
6 February 1977 Semi-Final Donegal 1-8 — 0-8 Down Dungannon
6 March 1977 Final Cavan 0-12 — 0-9 Donegal Irvinestown

Group A Table
Team Pld W D L Pts Notes
Armagh 43107
Down 43107
Monaghan 42024
Westmeath 41032
Louth 40040

Group B Table
Team Pld W D L Pts Notes
Cavan 43016Qualified for Knockout Stages; promoted to Division One of the 1977–78 NFL
Donegal 43016
Leitrim 43016
Fermanagh 41032
Longford 40040

Inter-group play-offs
6 February 1977 Semi-Final Laois 2-9 — 2-8 Waterford Carlow
6 February 1977 Semi-Final Offaly 4-14 — 2-2 Wicklow Croke Park, Dublin
6 March 1977 Final Offaly 2-13 — 0-9 Laois Croke Park, Dublin

Group A Table
Team Pld W D L Pts Notes
Offaly 43107Qualified for Knockout Stages; promoted to Division One of the 1977–78 NFL
Laois 42115
Clare 42024
Tipperary 42024
Limerick 40040

Group B Table
Team Pld W D L Pts Notes
Waterford 43107
Wicklow 42115
Carlow 42024
Wexford 41214
Kilkenny 40040

Knockout stage

Quarter-Finals
Roscommon1-4 – 0-5Offaly
Dublin2-12 – 1-7Cavan

Semi-finals
Mayo0-5 – 2-12Dublin
Kerry2-13 – 0-8Roscommon

Finals
Kerry1-8 – 1-6Dublin
Attendance: 43,456[7]
Referee: JJ Landers (Waterford)[7]

References
  1. "Final Teams". gaa.ie. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021.
  2. "Terrace Talk :: Kerry Football :: :: 1977 League :: Final :: Kerry Vs Dublin". www.terracetalk.com.
  3. "'Hanno's Heroes', All-Ireland Semi-Final, 1977". dublincitypubliclibraries.com. 16 May 2011. Archived from the original on 20 December 2012. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  4. "GAA Results and Tables", Irish Independent, 6 December 1976, p. 11
  5. "Leitrim crash in extra time", Irish Independent, 31 January 1977, p. 11
  6. "Terrace Talk :: Kerry Football :: 1977 League". www.terracetalk.com.
  7. "For The Record, A History of the National Football and Hurling League Finals", Tom Morrison, Collins Press, 2002, ISBN 9781903464151
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