Derry Intermediate Football Championship

For the Senior Championship, see Derry Senior Football Championship.

Derry Intermediate Football Championship
Irish	Craobh Idirmheánach Peile Dhoire
Founded	1971
Trophy	Sheridan, Bateson and Lee Cup[1]
Title holders	Castledawson (1th title)
Most titles	Craigbane (6 titles)
Sponsors	M&L Contracts

The Derry Intermediate Football Club Championship (currently known for sponsorship reasons as the M&L Contracts Derry Intermediate Football Club Championship) is an annual Gaelic football club competition between the intermediate (second tier) Derry clubs. The winners of the Derry Championship qualify to represent their county in the Ulster Intermediate Club Football Championship and if they win Ulster, advance to the All-Ireland Intermediate Club Football Championship. The current Derry Intermediate County Champions are Castledawson who became champions with a 0-11 to 0-10 win over Steelstown on 3 October 2010.

The trophy is named after John Bateson (aged 19), James Sheridan (20) and Martin Lee (18), all members of the South Derry Brigade of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) who died on active service in Magherafelt on 18 December 1971.^[2] All three men came from Ballymaguigan and played for the St. Trea's GFC Ballymaguigan.

Format

The competition traditionally took the structure of an open-draw knock-out.

In 2007 and 2008, the championship was altered to include a round robin, group structure with the 16 teams divided into four groups. Each club in a group played each other once with the top two in each group advancing to the quarter-finals. From the quarter-finals onwards the competition took the format of a knock-out.

The format will be changed once again for the 2009 Championship.^[3] The Derry Competitions Control Committee accepted a proposal to scrap the group stage and introduce a "backdoor" system.^[3] The 16 clubs will play in the first round. In the second round the eight first round winners will be drawn against each other, with the four winners going into bowl A for the quarter-finals.^[3] The eight first round losers will also be drawn against each other and the four winners will advance to the quarter-finals (in bowl B).^[3] Teams in bowl A will be drawn out against teams from bowl B to make up the quarter-final draw.^[3] From there on the competition will be an open-draw knock-out.^[3]

Roll of honour

Year	Winner[4]	Opponent
2010	Castledawson 0-11	Steelstown 0-10
2009	Ballymaguigan 2-08	Greenlough 0-12
2008	Greenlough 1-10	Ballymaguigan 0-09
2007	Newbridge	Foreglen
2006	Eoghan Rua	Foreglen
2005	Claudy	Eoghan Rua
2004	Foreglen*
2003	Ballymaguigan 0-13	Desertmartin GAC 0-12
2002	Newbridge
2001	Ballymaguigan 1-12	Moneymore GAC 0-06
2000	Craigbane
1999	Faughanvale
1998	Faughanvale
1997	Craigbane	Claudy
1996	Faughanvale	Craigbane
1995	Craigbane	Banagher
1994	An Lúb
1993	Ballymaguigan 0-09	Dungiven 1-05
1992	Craigbane
1991	Drumsurn
1990	Bellaghy
1989	Limavady	Faughanvale
1988	Slaughtmanus
1987	Craigbane	Claudy
1986	Craigbane	An Lúb
1985	Foreglen
1984	Moneymore	Drum
1983	Glen	Drum
1982	Slaughtneil
1981	Faughanvale
1980	Glen	Drumsurn
1979	Swatragh
1978	Faughanvale
1977	Glenullin	Desertmartin
1976	Greenlough	Drum
1975	Kilrea
1974	Glack	Drum
1973	Ballinascreen III
1972	Swatragh	Dungiven
1971	Ballymaguigan 1-05	Greenlough 1-02

• The 2004 final was not played, Foreglen were awarded the title.

References

1. ^ "Latest Club News". Official St. Trea's GFC Ballymaguigan website. 2008-10-11. http://www.ballymaguigan.com/latest.html. Retrieved 2008-10-30. ^{[dead link]}
2. ^ Corry, Eoghan (1993). Oakboys - Derry's Football Dream Come True. Dublin, Ireland: Torc Books Ltd.. p. 5. ISBN 1-898142-10-6. 
3. ^ ^{a b c d e f} "New championships format". The Irish News: p. 49. 6 February 2009. 
4. ^ "Intermediate Football Archive - Championship Winners". Official Derry GAA website. http://www.derrygaa.ie/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=126. Retrieved 5 March 2009. 

External links

• Draw and dates for 2008 Intermediate Championship