Forty-one years ago last Sunday, I attended the Dublin County Convention where serious concerns were expressed over the All-Ireland football championship.
In fact, there was such disquiet over its perceived inadequacies that a large majority of delegates voted for change.
They wanted an open draw introduced in 1981, with the four 1980 provincial winners seeded so that they couldn’t meet in the early rounds. From 1982 on, the eight quarter-finalists would be seeded for the Round 1 draw.
Dublin certainly couldn’t be accused of selfish motives as they were Leinster six-in-a-row champions (1974-’79), won All-Ireland titles in 1974, ’76 and ’77 and reached the final in 1975, ’78 and ’79.