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To be fair Armagh isn't exactly brimming with talent, the only team to give Cross a game this year was Maghery. In Tyrone, any number of clubs would give Cross a game, Errigal, Dromore, Clonoe, Carrickmore, Coalisland and even Omagh or Ardboe.

The last Armagh club outside of Cross to win an Ulster championship was Mullaghbawn in 95 and before that Clans in 74. So I wouldn't be too chirpy about trying to get bragging rights on this one!

Would have had the Down final as a 50/50 game so not that big a shock, though I had fancied Burren myself, so fair play to Kilcoo.

Agree that it should be another formality for Cross but Kilcoo will probably pose a lot more problems than last time round; can't see Cross getting another 11 point lead.

Foreglen beat Madden by 3 in Crossmaglen this afternoon 0-15 to 1-9, I take it the grabber was playing?

Crossmaglen overcame a tame enough challenge from Cullyhanna this evening.

Close enough in the early exchanges but as the game wore on so did the gap between the sides.

It's amazing how Cross can cope having many key men out. Their younger lads really stepped up to the plate, where other teams would be lost at sea losing players of the calibre of J. Clarke.

Cullyhanna have some outstanding individuals but I wouldn't even have them in the top 3 in the county so tonight was pretty much a foregone conclusion, albeit many people expected it to be much closer. The effortlessness with which Cross can open up big leads in the space of a few minutes is truly amazing. With Kilcoo squeezing past Burren in Down, there's a cracker in store in Newry in two weeks time!

Any tips for this weekend?

Foreglen any good? Was gonna put them in accumulator. Think they play Madden, but dunno if they up to much?

Dunno nothingg about Madden.Foreglen missing their best best player due to 'ballgate'.

Depends how  Foreglen are able to cope without their suspended player (lol!)

Madden IMO weren't really the best intermediate team in Armagh and no one really tipped them from the outset. They didn't really beat anyone of note until the final and finished mid-table in the league. But as the old saying goes, leagues are for playing in... The intermediate in Armagh was quite competitive so that will probably stand to Madden. I'd say home advantage will sway it for them, it's hard to tell though. They've handy forwards but their fullback line wouldn't be the best.

Derry would have been an area where outside of Belfast there was plenty of trouble back in the 80`s and before  its no suprise cups are named after certain people. Is there no clubs, cups etc named around Armagh?

In Armagh, Dromintee's grounds are named after two Republican volunteers (Campbell/Lochrie). Think there's a Mairead Farrell Cup but it may be Tyrone?

Other than that I don't think there is much else but I wouldn't be too sure. I wonder if someone could compile a list of all the 'contentious' named cups/grounds/clubs. Can't be too many, would be interesting to put a number on it. Off the top of my head I've got:

Antrim:
McDonnell/Doherty Park
Cahill Cup

Armagh:
Campbell/Lochrie Park

Cavan?

Derry:
Kevin Lynch's
Bateson, Sheridan and Lee

Donegal?

Down?

Fermanagh:
Louis Leonard Memorial Park

Monaghan?

Tyrone:
Galbally u12 ...?

Louth?

Rest of Ireland?

For me, a lot depends on the availability of Crossmaglen's injured/missing players.

Even with the current players missing they'd be my favourites against every team still left in the competition.

If they get a full squad or at least near full strength I'd fancy them to retain their title, with the main contenders being Burren, St Gall's and Scotstown as darkhorses.

[Is it not telling that Tyrone folk see things differently than 31 other counties?]

Is it not telling that Tyrone folk see things differently than 31 other counties?

Most other counties don't give a rats arss about it.  Armagh people have being crying on about it for ten years and I am yet to hear anyone from the county call Marsden out for lifting his hands in an All-Ireland final and falling for Jordans gamesmanship.  Marsden was experienced enough to know better and if it had  have been a Tyrone man sent off I would have been livid with him for reducing us to 14 men. All this agro towards Jordan over the years only serves to excuse Marsden from his guilt in helping Tyrone to their first All-Ireland win. Thanks Dairmuid for your contribution to our success.

Anyone I have ever spoken to outside of Tyrone has sided with Marsden.

The agro is fully deserved by the way. A blatant act of cheating that tainted Tyrone's maiden victory. So well done Phillip on making a dick of yourself that day. That's what you'll be remembered for in that game.

Also from your last sentence you seem to think the incident itself was the winning and losing of the game, which most Tyrone folk deny (and I agree believe it or not).

I'm curious then how many of ye will say that Marsden did strike out at him and there was definite contact?
Was it with a closed fist or an open hand?

Was there no contact at all like general lee is saying? - "Didn't lay a finger on him"
I would have thought if someone was coming charging at you then you would put your two hands out in front of you to deflect them away from you so they fall to the ground or something like that.
From my memory,  Marsden lifts his fist up and swings out at him. I would like to see it again though to remind myself.

You are now mincing my words. What I said was that if you look at the picture that was posted a few pages back, Marsden doesn't have a hand on Jordan, which is clear for all to see. It is Jordan who has the clenched fist.

Of course contact was made. Jordan ran at him like a deranged idiot, and Diarmaid put his hands up. Both of them. He didn't swing. I was at the game and remember it clear as day. I have never seen someone swing with both hands (or fists) simultaneously.

Whether he caught him in the face is irrelevant because it was an instinctive reaction and there was no malice, unlike Jordan. The subsequent theatrics led to White, who did not see the incident nor consulted his officials, sending Marsden off.

I must run at a few boys some night outside Hagan's to see what reaction I get 

Rossglass, Killough, County Down.

Probably more of an emotional attachment for myself. Nonetheless, a nice part of the world. If the spides aren't about that is.

Has anyone been in Lurgan lately? I see it has featured a lot on here.

They've invested thousands in the last 2/3 years on public realm work that is still ongoing. The town centre is actually quite pleasant now IMO. Granted one or two estates might be intimidating to outsiders, the place isn't as bad as people make out.

Nrico, you said Derrytrasna. Why on earth did you put Derrytrasna, there's nothing to the place! A few houses, a chapel and a school!

Virtually everywhere will have areas that make it look like a shithole. Special mentions though for Belfast (N,S,E and W), Larne, Derry, Coleraine, Ballymena, Craigavon, Newry, Dundalk,

Firstly, I have to say that it is promising that after ten years some Tyrone posters (nrico2006, Fuzzman) can accept that Marsden was not acting maliciously and that Jordan was the antagonist and thus culpable for the incident in question.

Secondly, I would not be of the school of thought that Armagh would have definitely won that day if Diarmaid had have stayed on. I think on the day that the better team won. What I will say, is that your maiden victory was in my eyes, completely and totally tainted by Philip Jordan's unnecessary behaviour that day (diving is the preserve of over-paid soccer playing fannies - as is clapping a red card ie Gormley)

Finally, on the incident itself. To strike someone, normally you approach them and lean into them with the momentum of doing so being used to hurt them. Even a Tyrone poster kindly put a picture of the incident up. The man with the clenched fist is Jordan. Marsden doesn't even have a finger on him. Both players look as if they've been knocked back; Marsden from Jordan running at him and Jordan from his split second decision to dive and have an opposing player sent off.

This argument reminds me a lot of the Unionists, they argue that a black crow is white, when the whole world knows it's black. Is it not telling that Tyrone folk see things differently than 31 other counties?

Marsden threw a punch there was no cheating. He was stupid and gave the ref no option. Whether it was self defence or not is immaterial. Discipline let mars den down and the ref done the right thing. Tyrone were 5 points a better team and if anything Armagh raised their game after being putrid throughout.

He didn't throw a punch. Not a player that was ever known for indiscipline either. Jordan ran at him and he raised his hands. Jordan fell to the ground like a ginny ann as if he'd been ko'd.

If it was a clear cut strike/punch and there for all to see, as Tyrone men here like to claim, why on earth had he the audacity to go and (successfully) appeal it?

Jordan made a d1ck of himself and whatever about Tyrone's outstanding successes since 03, that one incident for me will forever epitomise how pathetic certain Tyrone players' behaviour was during that era (Wildweasel kindly highlights a few others).

Armagh IFC final

Madden 0-15 Tír na nÓg 2-6.

Madden go on to play Derry winners Foreglen.

Enjoyed last night, a good test for a depleted Cross, Maghery will probably rue a few chances early on but I thought they were excellent to come back from 6 pts down to enter half time level.

From their perspective halftime probably came too soon as they had their tails up at that stage and Cross were starting to lose focus a bit getting involved with handbags etc. It was telling that Maghery stayed on the pitch to let Cross go in first to avoid potential fisticuffs in the tunnel, usually it is Cross that do that!

The second half wasn't as good as the first, Maghery showed inexperience conceding silly scorable frees as well as having other frees moved in for petulance, criminal if you're to have any chance of beating Cross. This inevitably led to them having a 4/5 point cushion that they were never really going to relinquish in the final ten. Maghery had a genuine shout for a penalty turned down and instead a free out given; thems the kind of breaks that Cross seem to always get but as they say you make your own luck. Can't see them beat in the final in any case, not sure how they'll progress in Ulster though.

Who'd he win the Tyrone junior with?