McGuigan bemoans backdoor system

TYRONE legend Frank McGuigan has branded the provincial championships “meaningless” and predicts a dramatic drop in attendances next year when the four competitions resume.

The former All Star’s words echo those made by Mickey Harte in recent weeks but McGuigan’s insistence that it is not “sour grapes” after his county’s exit is buttressed by the fact that he has made similar statements about the back door before.

This is the first year in which none of the provincial champions made it into the All-Ireland semi-finals and that in turn followed a weekend in which all four provincial runners-up were eliminated in their subsequent qualifier.