By John Harrington

Wicklow footballer Patrick O’Connor and former Westmeath footballer Dessie Dolan have added their voices to growing calls for a two-tier All-Ireland SFC.

GAA President, John Horan, has set up a work group to research how best to structure a Tier Two All-Ireland Senior Football Championship and their findings may yet be presented at a Special Congress later this year.

O’Connor believes that were a two-tier structure to come in for the 2020 Championship it would give weaker counties “more to play for”.

I'd like to see the two-tier championship,” said O’Connor today at the launch of the Renault GAA World Games 2019.

“Obviously, you look at Dublin and Kerry, they're miles ahead, but I suppose if you had a two-tier you'd have something to play for that you could realistically win or have a good shot at.

“It would bring more interest. Some people would look at it, you train five, six hard months slogging to be knocked out in the first two or three rounds.

“If there was a two-tier or a group stage championship, you'd have more to play for.

“All the tough training you do at the start would be beneficial and there would be something to aim for. If there was a two-tier championship it would be very competitive.”

Dolan believes that the gap in quality between Division One and Division Four teams in the Allianz League means pitting them against one another in the Championship doesn’t make sense anymore.

“My Dad trained Leitrim for four years and Longford as well,” said Dolan. “Westmeath for a lot of the times were in all of the divisions while I was playing so I know what it’s like in Division 3 and 4 and I’ve a good experience of it.

“I think nowadays, there’s more of an appetite for some sort of (two-tier) competition.

“It just doesn’t make sense that Division 1 teams at the top, you see the levels, I’m not saying there’s not levels of preparation in Division 4, but certainly everything about the Division 1 teams, in terms of the finance, in terms of the backroom teams, in terms of resources, seems to be a different level to Division 4.

“That’s through no fault of their’s, but certainly competing against each other doesn’t make sense. It has to happen.

“Look at hurling. Hurling works because you’ve the different tiers in the competitions and that’s really why hurling is so exciting at the minute.

“We all love watching the great hurling games because the teams are even all the time and that’s why when it comes to football, you’re sitting down thinking, ‘Jesus, this isn’t great’ or ‘it’s a bit boring’.

“There’s a lot of games like that in the football whereas hurling just seems to be end to end quality.”