The 1986–87 National Football League, known for sponsorship reasons as the Ford National Football League, was the 56th staging of the National Football League (NFL), an annual Gaelic football tournament for the Gaelic Athletic Association county teams of Ireland.
The quarter-final rounds were notable for the Dublin–Cork tie. After the game ended in a draw, Cork refused to play extra time and Dublin took the field unopposed, Barney Rock scoring a goal into an empty net before the referee awarded them victory (later chosen as one of the Top 20 GAA Moments). The Dubs went on to defeat Kerry in the final.GAA Final Teams
Format
Divisions Division One: 8 teams Division Two: 8 teams Division Three: 16 teams. Split into two regional groups of 8 (North and South)
Round-robin format Each team played every other team in its division (or group where the division is split) once, either home or away.
Points awarded 2 points were awarded for a win and 1 for a draw.
Titles Teams in all three divisions competed for the National Football League title.
Knockout stage qualifiers Division One: top 4 teams Division Two: top 2 teams Division Three (North): group winners Division Three (South): group winners
Knockout phase structure In the quarter-finals, the match-ups were as follows: Quarter-final 1: First-placed team in Division One v First-placed team in Division Three (South) Quarter-final 2: Second-placed team in Division One v First-placed team in Division Three (North) Quarter-final 3: Third-placed team in Division One v Second-placed team in Division Two Quarter-final 4: Fourth-placed team in Division One v First-placed team in Division Two The semi-final match-ups are: Semi-final 1: Winner Quarter-final 1 v Winner Quarter-final 4 Semi-final 2: Winner Quarter-final 2 v Winner Quarter-final 3
The final match-up is: Winner Semi-final 1 v Winner Semi-final 2.
Promotion and relegation
Division One: bottom 2 teams demoted to Division Two Division Two: top 2 teams promoted to Division One. Bottom 2 teams demoted to Division Three. Division Three (North): group winners promoted to Division Two. Division Three (South): group winners promoted to Division Two.
Separation of teams on equal points
In the event that teams finish on equal points, then a play-off will be used to determine group placings if necessary, i.e. where to decide relegation places or quarter-finalists.
League Phase Tables and Results
Division One
Play-Off
Table TeamPldWDLPtsStatus 7 5 0 2 10 Advance to knockout stage 7 4 1 2 9 7 4 12 9 7 4 0 3 8 7 3 0 4 6 7 2 1 4 5 7 21 4 5 Relegated to Division Two of the 1987–88 NFL 7 2 0 5 4 "Your Gaelic Games Scoreboard", Irish Independent, 09/03/1987, p. 10
Division Two TeamPldWDLPtsStatus 7 6 0 1 12 Promoted to Division One of the 1987–88 NFL and advance to knockout stage 7 5 0 2 10 7 3 22 8 7 4 03 8 7 3 04 6 7 2 14 5 7 20 5 4 Relegated to Division Three of the 1987–88 NFL 7 11 5 3
Division Three
Division Three (North) table TeamPldWDLPtsStatus 7 7 0 0 14 Promoted to Division Two of the 1987–88 NFL and advance to knockout stage 7 4 1 2 9 7 3 13 7 7 3 1 3 7 7 2 2 3 6 7 2 1 4 5 7 21 4 5 7 1 1 5 3
Division Three (South) table TeamPldWDLPtsStatus 7 6 0 1 12 Promoted to Division Two of the 1987–88 NFL and advance to knockout stage 7 4 1 2 9 7 4 12 9 7 3 1 3 7 7 3 1 3 7 7 3 1 3 7 7 21 4 5 7 0 0 7 0
Knockout stages
Quarter-finals
Cork refused to play extra time and so Dublin were awarded the game.
Semi-finals
Final
References
External links Cork Head For The Train: Dublin In semi final 1987 RTÉ archive footage of the "farcical end" to the Dublin–Cork semifinal