Derry Senior Football Championship
The Derry Senior Football Championship is an annual gaelic football competition between the top sixteen Derry GAA clubs. The winners receive the John McLaughlin Cup and qualify to represent Derry in the Ulster Senior Club Football Championship.
Bellaghy have won the competition more than any other club with 21 titles. Bellaghy's Tom Scullion has more senior football championship medals than anyone in Derry, winning 12 medals between 1956 and 1971.
Magherafelt are the reigning champions after they beat Glen on 20 October 2019 by 0-12 to 0-11 in front of a crowd of 9,511 at Celtic Park.
Bellaghy and Slaughtneil are the only teams to have won 4 consecutive Championship titles. Ballinderry have won 3 consecutive Championship titles on two separate occasions.
Format
Current Format
In 2016, the championship reverted to its traditional knock-out format. All fixtures are determined by open-draw and are played at neutral venues. The majority of games are played at Owenbeg, near Dungiven. The final is usually played at Celtic Park, Derry.Historical Formats
Before 1958, three regional tournaments were played to determine the Derry Senior Football Championship finalists - the South Derry Senior Football Championship, the North Derry Senior Football Championship and the Derry City Senior Football Championship. Of the three winners, one received a bye to the final and the other two played a semi-final to determine who qualified for the Derry Senior Football Championship final.From 1958 to 2006 the championship took the form of an open-draw knock-out.
From 2007 to 2008 the championship was altered to include a round-robin group stage 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 was knock-out.
In 2009 a "backdoor" system was introduced -
- The 16 clubs all played in the first round.
- In the second round winners section the eight winning teams from round one played against each other with the four winners going straight into the quarter-finals. In the second round losers section the eight beaten teams from round one played against each other.
- In round three the four beaten teams from the round two winners section played the four winning teams from the round two losers section.
- In the quarter-finals the four teams who won their first two matches in rounds one and two played the four winners of round three.
- The quarter-finals, semi-finals and final were knock-out.
Trophies
- Since 1988 the player who has scored the most in that year's championship is presented with a trophy.
- Since 1989 the man of the match in the final is also presented with a trophy.
Wins Listed By Club
| Team | Wins | Winning Years | |
| 1 | Bellaghy | 21 | 1956 1958 1959 1960 1961 1963 1964 1965 1968 1969 1971 1972 1975 1979 1986 1994 1996 1998 1999 2000 2005 |
| 2 | Ballinderry | 13 | 1927 1974 1980 1981 1982 1995 2001 2002 2006 2008 2011 2012 2013 |
| 3 | Newbridge | 10 | 1937 1940 1945 1948 1950 1955 1966 1967 1970 1989 |
| 4 | Lavey | 9 | 1938 1943 1944 1954 1977 1988 1990 1992 1993 |
| 5 | Dungiven | 7 | 1947 1951 1983 1984 1987 1991 1997 |
| 6 | Magherafelt | 6 | 1939, 1942, 1946, 1949, 1978, 2019 |
| 7 | Slaughtneil | 5 | 2004, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 |
| 8 | Ballinascreen | 4 | 1934, 1935, 1941, 1973 |
| 9 | Glenullin | 3 | 1928, 1985, 2007 |
| 9 | An Lúb | 3 | 1936, 2003, 2009 |
| 11 | Ballerin | 2 | 1957 1976 |
| 11 | Éire Óg | 2 | 1907 1952 |
| 11 | Eoghan Rua, Coleraine | 2 | 2010 2018 |
| 14 | Ballymaguigan | 1 | 1962 |
| 14 | Clan Chonail | 1 | 1914 |
| 14 | Sarsfield’s* | 1 | 1916 |
| 14 | St Patrick’s | 1 | 1917 |
| 14 | Emmett’s | 1 | 1918 |
| 14 | Derry Guilds | 1 | 1921 |
| 14 | Buncrana | 1 | 1930 |
| 14 | Burt | 1 | 1931 |
| 14 | Desertmartin | 1 | 1953 |
| 14 | - | - | - |
Notes:
- 1914 Clan Chonail are a Donegal team.
- 1916 Sarsfield's are now defunct. They were a Derry City club, a fore-runner to the modern-day Doire Colmcille club.
- 1930 Buncrana are a Donegal team.
- 1931 Burt are a Donegal team.
Finals Listed By Year
- 1907 - Éire Óg club is now defunct.
- 1938 - Pearse's was a Derry City club, now defunct.
- 1944 - Mitchel's was a Derry City club, now defunct.