2020 Tyrone Senior Football Championship Explained

Competition:Tyrone SFC
Sponsor:LCC Group
Season:2020
Winners:Dungannon Thomas Clarkes
(11th Title)
Relegated:None
Continentalcup5:Ulster SCFC
Continentalcup5 Qualifiers:None
Continentalcup1:All Ireland SCFC
Continentalcup2:Winning Captain
Continentalcup2 Qualifiers:???
Continentalcup3:Man Of The Match
Continentalcup3 Qualifiers:???
Continentalcup4:Winning Manager
Continentalcup4 Qualifiers:???
Prevseason:2019
Nextseason:2021

The 2020 Tyrone Senior Football Championship is the 115th edition of Tyrone GAA's premier gaelic football tournament for clubs in Tyrone Senior Football League Division 1. 16 teams compete with the winners receiving the O'Neill Cup and representing Tyrone in the Ulster Senior Club Football Championship.

Trillick St. Macartan's were the defending champions after they defeated Errigal CiarĂ¡n in the 2019 final. However the defence of their title came undone at the ??? stage when losing to ???.[1]

Galbally Pearses, Pomeroy Plunkett's and Loughmacrory St. Teresa's returned to senior championship football in 2020.[2]

??? made the straight drop back down to the Intermediate ranks when finishing bottom of the 2020 S.F.L. They were followed by ??? who lost their S.F.L. Relegation Playoff to ???, who in turn were then relegated after losing their SFL/IFL promotion/relegation playoff to ???. I.F.C. and I.F.L. champions ??? and I.F.L. runners-up ??? will also replace these relegated teams in 2021.

On 4 October 2020, ??? claimed their 8th S.F.C. crown and their first triumph since ??? when defeating ??? by ??? in the final at Healy Park.

The draw for the 2020 S.F.C. was made on 21 February 2020.[3]

Format

The championship has a straight knock out structure. The 16 teams that take part in the championship are the 16 teams in the Senior Football League (SFL). The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has effected relegation and promotion from the S.F.C. and I.F.C. in the following ways:[4] [5] [6] [7] [8]

Relegation from SFC:

In 2020, it was decided that no club would be relegated from the S.F.C.[9]

Promotion to SFC:

Two teams will be promoted to the S.F.C. for 2021, meaning that 18 teams will compete for the Tyrone S.F.C. in 2021. The I.F.C. champions and the I.F.L. champions will gain promotion to the top-flight.

Team Changes

The following teams have changed division since the 2019 championship season.

To S.F.C.

Promoted from 2019 Tyrone I.F.C.

From S.F.C.

Relegated to 2020 I.F.C. [10]

Round 1

All 16 teams enter Round 1 in a random open draw. The 8 losers are eliminated from the championship while the 8 winners proceed to the quarter-finals.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Trillick St. Macartan's -vs- Errigal Ciaran (2019 S.F.C. Final). 13 October 2019. Independent.ie. 13 October 2019.
  2. Web site: Galbally's return to senior football placed on hold. 9 April 2020. Irishnews.com. 9 April 2020.
  3. Web site: LCC Group Tyrone Championship 2020 Draw. 21 February 2020. Highlandradio.com. 21 February 2020.
  4. Web site: HoganStand Tyrone. 15 October 2017. HoganStand.com. 15 October 2017.
  5. Web site: Tyrone GAA Official Website. 15 October 2017. Tyronegaa.ie. 15 October 2017.
  6. Web site: Teamtalk Mag GAA. 15 October 2017. Teamtalkmag.com. 15 October 2017.
  7. Web site: Irish News GAA Football. 15 October 2017. Irishnews.com. 15 October 2017.
  8. Web site: Ulster Herald. 16 January 2017. Irishnewsarchive.com. 16 January 2017.
  9. Web site: No Relegation From Tyrone S.F.C.. 25 June 2020. Irishnews.com. 25 June 2020.
  10. Web site: McKenna Returns as Edendork are Relegated. 9 November 2019. Teamtalkmag.com. 9 November 2019.