McKenna Cup 2024

[Cold tea]

£9 in to see Armagh v QUB, good to see the Grab All Association in full flight.

[trueblue1234]

Tyrone should be banned from the McKenna cup for not adhering to the rules.

Is there a rule? I don't think it's set in stone. If there was it surely it wouldn't be an option for MH to take the players.

[shawshank]

I am open to correction, as I am not sure, so to ask a question, the players who have to play for the uni's in the south have no choice but to play for the uni due to the contract they have with them re course fees and rent and accommodation  paid for them etc, where as in the north the Gaa student would not get the same level of contractual benefits, which means the player has a choice?

[under the bar]

Tyrone should be banned from the McKenna cup for not adhering to the rules.

And you should be barred from the Gaaboard for being an imbecile.

[Fuzzman]

What is the rule at the moment?
Is it only certain Uni players that decided to play for Tyrone but are there others than decided to play for their college?

I think it should be the choice of the players themselves as they are the ones doing all the hard work and training. Can you imagine if someone like Niall McKenna, who had been in & out of the squad for the last few years. If he finally had pushed on and had a good chance of making the squad or even the starting team but instead he was made to play for Queens. However, he really wanted to nail down his place in the squad but instead somebody else came in and played well in his place and so he missed out in the squad. Playing for a team like Tyrone you would be worried that you could miss out on a good run of games and possibly an Ulster or an AI medal later in the summer. Competition for places in the squad is fierce in Tyrone and so I don't think there are many young players who are cursing Mickey and thinking I really want to line out here for my college and NOT for Tyrone.

[ck]

The main point in the colleges/players (in Ulster) argument here (and missed by many) is that it works brilliantly in the other provinces. Games are competitive, colleges have their players, county managers send reps to watch their players with colleges, county players love playing with their colleges as very often they are the main players and play well.
Yet up north you have a very different scenario. Managers are above the rules and their county boards are afraid to challenge them and the provincial council does nothing. The rule is clear in Ulster (same as the other provinces) "Colleges have first pick on players".
All players will choose to play for their colleges but I know county managers threaten players and put them in no win situations.
As for the scholarship thing, some players are on them some are not but ALL will play with their college. No exception.

Personally I don't blame the managers. If you know you can break the rules and get away with it then you will. If those who should be enforcing the rules stand by and do nothing then they are to blame for it getting to this stage. THE ULSTER COUNCIL are to blame, no-one else. Keep doing what you're doing Mickey Harte, cos you're too big for rules. The Ulster Council are afraid out of their lives of you!

[God14]

Some brief footage of yesterdays Donegal v Tyrone McKenna Cup game can be found here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWpOQgB2oj0

[J70]

Just remember boys, its McKenna Cup.

In January.

Though to listen to the roars and screams and all with all the fist pumping from the Donegal support after each of their scores, you'd have thought it was an All Ireland title on the line.

As I'm sure the Tyrone support were too (certainly sounded that way on the radio).

Still doesn't change the fact that people shouldn't read much into games between half-fit teams in January.

The McKenna Cup is not exactly a reliable springboard for later season success.

[orangeman]

Some brief footage of yesterdays Donegal v Tyrone McKenna Cup game can be found here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWpOQgB2oj0

Looking again at Murphy's goal, with the poor conditions, the pick up and the finish were sublime.


Some player.

[Fuzzman]

The pick up was nice alright but sure nobody went to him as he waltzed in and had time to pick his spot. The other two Tyrone defenders stuck with their own men so he had a clear run in but I suppose he did finish it well.
Of course it's very early days and all that and probably won't have much say in the National League or later in the year but it's great for the young Tyrone lads who came in to say that they went to Letterkenny with no AI medals for the first time in 10 years and beat a decent enough Donegal outfit who looked to have fielded a team intent on getting to the latter stages of this tournament.

Who was the Tyrone lad wearing the thick beard?
How did McBride do at CHB?
Did we play a sweeper?

[God14]

The pick up was nice alright but sure nobody went to him as he waltzed in and had time to pick his spot. The other two Tyrone defenders stuck with their own men so he had a clear run in but I suppose he did finish it well.
Of course it's very early days and all that and probably won't have much say in the National League or later in the year but it's great for the young Tyrone lads who came in to say that they went to Letterkenny with no AI medals for the first time in 10 years and beat a decent enough Donegal outfit who looked to have fielded a team intent on getting to the latter stages of this tournament.

Who was the Tyrone lad wearing the thick beard?
How did McBride do at CHB?
Did we play a sweeper?

Tiernan McCann is sporting the beard. Some beard that alright. It probably helps to get noticed too!

[blewuporstuffed]

Some brief footage of yesterdays Donegal v Tyrone McKenna Cup game can be found here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWpOQgB2oj0

Looking again at Murphy's goal, with the poor conditions, the pick up and the finish were sublime.


Some player.

jesus he took some steps though before the finish

[sam03/05]

Some brief footage of yesterdays Donegal v Tyrone McKenna Cup game can be found here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWpOQgB2oj0

Looking again at Murphy's goal, with the poor conditions, the pick up and the finish were sublime.

What the video does not show is Aidan McCrory making a complete f**k up, he was clear favourite to win the ball, but instead retreated back allowing Murphy to pick it up.
A really bad goal to give away

Some player.

jesus he took some steps though before the finish

[Maguire01]

Fairly poor standard in Clones yesterday and a few fairly messy goals - Doherty and Lynch had midfield well sown up for Derry - highlighted Monaghan's lack of depth in this sector whenever Clerkin and Lennon depart.

Shane Smyth worth a bit more time next day out - won a few decent balls in the forward line, even if the finishing was poor enough.

[Dubh driocht]

£9 in to see Armagh v QUB, good to see the Grab All Association in full flight.

Bit steep alright but at long, long last at Newry we were issued with a receipt and it was clear that the stub was retained so that a basic cross-reference with takings could be made. Now I value the huge voluntary efforts of ticket-sellers/admission-men but the GAA has been far too slack in providing oversight arrangements over the years. In a cash business there will always be temptation and this move is overdue. The worst example of this practice was also at a Mc Kenna cup game several years ago between Down and Antrim , moved to Downpatrick at short notice. It was the first game of the Ross Carr and Jody Gormley ( respectively) management eras and a larger than expected crowd turned up. The young man taking the money at one gate didn't even have a bag- he was literally stuffing fivers and tenners into his back pockets. Maybe he was as honest as they come but it was shoddy. So at least our £9 should go to the Ulster Council this time.