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Hi,

Just letting ye know that I've started to do county championships. Obviously I couldn't do them all in one go, so for the moment I have 12 football and 5 hurling ones done. Any of the counties that have games on this coming weekend have been left for the moment, I'll try to get most of them next week. They should all be up on Ladbrokes' site by mid afternoon tomorrow - if i've made any booboos, I'd appreciate it if ye'd have a bet yereselves and then let me know, that way ye get a few quid and I don't get hosed and fired.

For any of the championships not covered, it's largely because of the lack of information available on the web. Generally I'd need reliable results and fixtures as well as 2006 results and current league form - so if somebody from for argument's sake Donegal or Limerick is unhappy at being left out, just show me a link and I'll work on it.

I won't be taking huge bets on many of these championships, so my apologies if you want a grand on, but unless it's one of the championships that I'm very happy about (or else at 1/2 or so) that won't be happening. After all it's not like these are available anywhere else. I should be able to raise the stakes over time.

Anyway, here goes......

Mayo             Ballaghaderreen       7/4        Crossmolina       7/4        Charlestown       4/1        Ballina Stephenites       5/1        Knockmore      12/1        Kiltane      12/1        Burrishoole      20/1        Garrymore      33/1        Suspend: 25/8/2007  17:00:00             Galway             Salthill-Knocknacarra       4/5        Caltra       5/1        Milltown       8/1        Killererin       8/1        Annaghdown       8/1        NUIG      10/1        Mountbellew Moylough      12/1        Michael Breathnachs      25/1        Suspend: 18/8/2007  17:00:00             Cork             Nemo Rangers       4/9        Duhallow       5/1        Dohenys       7/1        Ilen Rovers      10/1        Na Piarsaigh      12/1        Ballincollig      12/1        Clonakilty      10/1        Aghada      16/1        Carrigdhoun      25/1        Bishopstown      25/1        UCC      14/1        St. Nicholas      25/1        Suspend: 18/8/2007  17:00:00             Dublin             Kilmacud Crokes        2/1        St. Oliver Plunkett's Eoghan Ruadh       7/2        St. Brigid's       9/2        UCD       6/1        Round Towers       8/1        St. Vincent's       8/1        Ballyboden St. Enda's      12/1        Na Fianna      16/1        Ballinteer St. John's      20/1        St. Mary's       25/1        Ballymun Kickhams      25/1        St. Judes      33/1        St. Marks      33/1        Parnells      50/1        Erins Isle      50/1        Whitehall Colmcille      50/1        Suspend: 25/8/2007  17:00:00             London             Tír Chonaill Gaels       4/7        St. Brendan's       3/1        Kingdom Kerry Gaels       6/1        Round Towers      12/1        Parnells      12/1        St. Claret's      25/1        Suspend: 25/8/2007  15:00:00             Offaly             Rhode       4/5        Shamrocks       3/1        Clara       9/2        Tullamore       9/1        Gracefield      14/1        Tubber      33/1        Suspend: 18/8/2007  17:00:00             Kerry             South Kerry       2/3        Feale Rangers       7/2        Mid Kerry       7/1        Kilcummin       8/1        Kerins O'Rahilly's       9/1        Suspend: 30/9/2006  15:30:00                          Derry             Ballinderry       1/1        Loup      10/3        Bellaghy       4/1        Dungiven       8/1        Glenullin      10/1        Castledawson      12/1        Ballinascreen      20/1        Magherafelt      20/1        Swatragh      25/1        Kilrea      33/1        Craigbane      33/1        Ballymaguigan      50/1        Banagher      50/1        Glen      66/1        Suspend: 18/8/2007  17:00:00             Tyrone             Errigal Chiarán      11/10       Coalisland       5/2        Dromore       4/1        Donaghmore       8/1        Killyclogher      10/1        Cookstown      14/1        Kildress      25/1        Edendork      33/1        Suspend: 24/8/2007  17:00:00             Fermanagh             Teemore      11/4        Derrygonnelly      10/3        Brookeboro       5/1        Newtownbutler      11/10       Suspend: 18/8/2007  17:00:00             Sligo             Curry       7/4        Tourlestrane       3/1        Eastern Harps       4/1        Coolera/Strandhill       7/1        St. Mary's       8/1        Easkey      10/1        Bunninadden      10/1        Calry/St. Joseph's      12/1        Drumcliffe/Rosses Point      14/1        St. John's      16/1        Tubbercurry      18/1        Ballymote      33/1        Geevagh      33/1        Shamrock Gaels      33/1        Castleconnor      50/1        Suspend: 18/8/2007  17:00:00             Armagh             Crossmaglen Rangers       2/5        Dromintee       4/1        Pearse Óg       6/1        Tír na nÓg      14/1        Maghery      16/1        Killeavy      20/1        Carrickcruppin      25/1        Ballymacnab      50/1        Suspend: 18/8/2007  18:30:00

Not to be seen to be leaning particularly towards football, here's the hurling ones. Sorry it's only the big counties this time, but the likes of Westmeath's Christy Ring campaign is a lot harder to keep track of.....

http://www.ladbrokes.com/lbr_sports?action=go_generic_link&level=TYPE&key=210004273&disp_sort_id=28&category=SPORTS&subtypes=

Just had a stab at this. Feel free to critique, but better yet, feel free to bet.....

Tipperary       2/1
Dublin       5/2
Kilkenny       3/1
Galway       5/1
Cork       8/1
Antrim      33/1

Backdoor draw I assume has to be made yet, I presume it's open in terms of who gets what backdoor teams?

Anyway, I've had a stab at it. Rather than Carlovians and Rossies getting all indignant and such, I'd prefer if ye just logged on and bet.

Cheers.

Laois       3/1
Derry       7/2
Cork       4/1
Tyrone       9/2
Kerry      11/2
Galway       7/1
Roscommon   16/1
Carlow      33/1

I am aware that I am slightly vested in that I work for a rival company - I've done my best to present the facts here as bare as possible, if anyone feels that I'm adding editorial or slanting the facts then please say so!

I'd be curious to get the board's opinion as to a recent bet I struck with Paddy Powers. Lest there be any confusion, I do currently work with Ladbrokes, so if people want to bear that in mind before voting, then do so by all means.

Tuesday of last week I noticed a price on Paddy Powers Website - Wexford plus two points against Louth at 8/11. I was looking to get with Wexford as I rate them as a middling team, which is more than I rate Louth - personal opinion and all that before any Louth posters jump down my throat!! I was very surprised to see a two point handicap on the game, particularly as Powers were even money Louth to win the match, but while I considered it unusual I went to strike the bet. I went into one of their Galway shops and asked behind the counter for a large bet. The girl behind the counter rang up head office to confirm the price, to confirm that it was okay to take the bet, all confirmed and duly took it. I stayed in the shop chatting with her for a few minutes seeing as a knew her and my sister had worked in the shop for a while. (The relevance of this will come up).

Went home to see that they had changed the handicap from two points to one, a relatively reasonable response to such a large bet I thought.

Went in to collect on Tuesday, to be told that the bet was to be paid out at 8/15 instead of 8/11, since it was a pricing error. How they would have been willing to void the bet, but I hadn't been in the shop since. They maintain that since Louth were even money, it was a palpable error and that the handicap was clearly intended to be one point at 8/11. I maintain that the handicap is a different market, and must be treated differently. For example this weekend I have Dublin at 1/5 and Galway at 1/8, but I have Dublin 6 point favourites and Galway five - to reflect the likelihood of the lower scoring in Carrick. I also believe that their not contacting me was their mistake - the girl who accepted the bet clearly knew who I was as we chatted for a while about how my sister was getting on and I worked with her myself when I was being trained in. The shop manager, assistant manager and several head office people all have my phone number and email address. I'm not saying that she passed on the information as to who struck the bet, but it was there if anyone took the time out to ask.

I would have voided the bet and backed Wexford at better prices elsewhere if I had known. (Even money plus one point was available)

I appreciate that a two point handicap for a game that close would have been unusual - but by ringing the head office I would have thought that was cleared up.

My question to you the punters is:

Was I taking advantage and 8/15 was the correct price?

or

Are they out of order and should it have been paid at 8/11?

[2007 GAA Football Championship Specials – County by County]

A bit of a shameless plug here, but feck it, I think there are enough people interested in betting on this board for it not to be spam.

Anyway, as many of ye know, I'm entering into my first summer as Ladbrokes GAA compiler, and seeing as PP appear to have the edge in terms of "nice guy" image, I'm trying to fight back by taking the GAA product to relatively new levels. Some of ye may have noticed this over the winter, but anyway, here's my next attempt. I do more in running than them, I do more matches than them, I do more handicap matches than them, and still ye don't bet with us, so I have to keep trying to win ye hoors over .... 

Anyway, aside from the usual, who will win the All Ireland and provinces, here's another rake of stuff. Top Scorer and to reach the quarter final is nothing new, but I said I'd post them up anyway rather than put them online, have every other bookie copy me and then have ye all post them up as if they were original work from Boyles or God help us, Eastwoods. (Have Eastwoods ever put up a GAA bet they haven't copied from elsewhere?)

I've also put in top Goalscorer, but hopefully of more interest is I've done up a few special bets for each county. Now obviously I'm not from each county, so a lot of them are a bit guesswork-y - I've tried to make them relevant, but I'm open to suggestion if people have ideas for anything else they'd like to see. Some are a bit repetitive, but if any of ye think ye could do better putting up a rake of specials for Antrim, Clare and Tipperary football ye're welcome to try.

Anyway, here goes, and go easy on me.....

               

Who Will be the Top Goalscorer in the Football Championship?             8/1    Stephen McDonnell   40/1    Dessie Dolan   66/1    Daniel Goulding 10/1    Colm Cooper   40/1    Denis Glennon   66/1    Michael Reidy 10/1    Kieran Donaghy   40/1    Jason Reilly   80/1    David Barden 12/1    Conor Mortimer   40/1    Darren Horan   80/1    Paul Barden 16/1    Mattie Forde   40/1    Alan Dillon   80/1    Ciarán O'Reilly 16/1    Brian Farrell   50/1    Darren Clarke    80/1    Rory Kavanagh 16/1    Declan Quill   50/1    Jason Sherlock   80/1    Gerard Pierson 16/1    James Masters   50/1    Conal Keaney   80/1    Rory Gallagher 20/1    John Doyle   50/1    Joe Sheridan   80/1    Enda Kenny 20/1    Brendan Devenney   50/1    Jason Phillips   80/1    Rory Donnelly 20/1    Padraig Joyce   50/1    Owen Mulligan   80/1    Declan Browne 20/1    Michael Meehan   50/1    Daniel Hughes   80/1    Sean Cavanagh 20/1    Eoin Brosnan   50/1    Tommy Freeman   80/1    Thomas Deehan 20/1    Michael Cussen   50/1    Mark Brehony   100/1    Paul Earls 25/1    Stephen O'Neill   50/1    Seán Davey   100/1    Derek Hayden 25/1    Benny Coulter   50/1    Karol Mannion   100/1    Christy Toye 25/1    Paddy Bradley   50/1    Bryan Sheehan   100/1    Shane Smith 25/1    Enda Muldoon   50/1    Sean Armstrong   100/1    Paddy Cunningham 33/1    Shane Lennon   50/1    Trevor Mortimer   100/1    Wayne Hennessy 33/1    Alan Brogan   66/1    Graham Geraghty   100/1    Ciarán McManus 33/1    Tomás Quinn   66/1    Colm McFadden   100/1    Denis Russell 33/1    Niall McNamee   66/1    Ciarán Hanratty   200/1    Tommy Gill 33/1    Ger Heneghan   66/1    Ciarán Duignan   200/1    Mark Carpenter 33/1    Oisín McConville   66/1    Cormac Bane   200/1    Ciarán Close 40/1    Brian Kavanagh   66/1    Mike Frank Russell   200/1    Brian Wall                                    Others on Request - Dead Heat Rules Apply                Each Way 1/4 the odds 1-2-3-4                Includes Provincial, Qualifier and All Ireland series matches and replays only.                 Does not include Tommy Murphy Cup

      
Which of the following counties will reach an All Ireland Quarter Final?      
      
Kerry       1/20
Mayo       3/10
Tyrone       1/3
Cork       4/11
Dublin       2/5
Galway       1/2
Laois      10/11
Donegal      10/11
Derry      10/11
Armagh       1/1
Roscommon       1/1
Monaghan       9/4
Limerick       9/4
Sligo       5/2
Meath      10/3
Wexford       7/2
Kildare       7/2
Westmeath       4/1
Cavan       9/2
Louth       5/1
Offaly      11/2
Down       6/1
Longford       7/1
Leitrim       8/1
Fermanagh      10/1
Antrim      16/1
Tipperary      25/1
Clare       33/1
Wicklow      50/1
Carlow      66/1
Waterford      66/1
New York      100/1
London      100/1
      
All Quoted      

Who will be Top Scorer in the Football Championship?                           Stephen McDonnell       5/1        Conor Mortimer       5/1        James Masters       5/1        John Doyle       8/1        Stephen O'Neill      10/1        Colm Cooper      10/1        Bryan Sheehan      12/1        Mattie Forde      14/1        Oisín McConville      16/1        Declan Quill      16/1        Owen Mulligan      16/1        Paddy Bradley      16/1        Mark Brehony      16/1        Padraig Joyce      16/1        Dessie Dolan      20/1        Brian Farrell      20/1        Brendan Devenney      20/1        Darren Clarke      25/1        Ciarán Duignan      25/1        Michael Meehan      33/1        Nicky Joyce      33/1        Colm McFadden      33/1        Tomás Quinn      33/1        Niall McNamee      33/1        Gerard Pierson      33/1        Tommy Freeman      33/1        Michael Reidy      33/1        Ger Heneghan      33/1        Ross Munnelly      40/1        Brian McDonald      40/1        Conal Keaney      40/1        Benny Coulter      40/1        Brian Kavanagh      50/1        Ciarán O'Reilly      50/1        Daniel Hughes      66/1        Declan Browne      66/1        Paddy Cunningham      80/1        Tommy Gill      100/1        Denis Russell      100/1        Paul Earls      200/1        Mark Carpenter      200/1        Wayne Hennessy      200/1        Brian Kelly      200/1                     Others on Request - Dead Heat Rules Apply             Each Way 1/5 the odds 1-2-3-4             Includes Provincial, Qualifier and All Ireland series matches and replays only.              Does not include Tommy Murphy Cup

2007 GAA Football Championship Specials – County by County

*All Specials pertain to the football season of 2007 only*
*Top scorer in a provincial championship means only games in that championship – not highest scorer from the province in the AI series overall*

Antrim

4/1      To win the Tommy Murphy Cup

33/1      Paddy Cunningham to win an All Star

2/1      Either Ciarán or Paul Close to hit the crossbar or post against Derry

6/1      Antrim to reach this year's Ulster Final

3/1      Antrim to draw any championship/Tommy Murphy Cup match

3/1   Paddy Cunningham to score more than the rest of the Antrim team combined in the Ulster Championship

Armagh

10/1      Paul Hearty to win an All Star

4/1      Andy Mallon to win an All Star

5/1      Any member of this year's Under 21 panel to win an All Star award

1/1   Stephen McDonnell to score more than the rest of the Armagh Panel combined in the championship this summer

2/1   Any individual Armagh player to score more championship goals than Stephen McDonnell

4/6   Armagh to meet Tyrone at any stage this summer

2/1   Armagh to win any match having been behind with five minutes or less remaining

Carlow

16/1      To win the Tommy Murphy Cup

40/1      Derek Hayden to win an All Star

50/1      Brian Kelly to win an All Star

20/1      Any Wicklow intercounty player to transfer to Carlow this summer

4/1      To lead Offaly at half time in the Leinster Quarter Final

33/1      To reach a Leinster Final


Cavan

33/1      Rory Gallagher to win an All Star

16/1      Anthony Forde to win an All Star

10/1      For no Reilly or O'Reilly to be on the field during a match at any stage

6/1      To reach the Ulster Final

16/1      To reach an All Ireland Semi Final

4/1      To score 5 or more goals in the Ulster Championship

2/1      Jason Reilly to score more goals than any other individual Cavan Player

Clare

3/1      To win the Tommy Murphy Cup

8/1      To knock Kerry out of the Munster Championship

33/1      Conor Whelan to win an All Star

33/1      Rory Donnelly to win an All Star

5/1      Páidí Ó'Sé to resign before the Tommy Murphy Cup starts

1/1      To score 30 points or more in the Munster Championship

Cork

5/1   Noel O'Leary to start every championship match this summer and receive no yellow or red cards

100/1   Setanta or Aisake Ó'hAilpín to start any championship game for the Cork footballers this summer

6/1      Anthony Lynch to win an All Star

5/1      Eoin Sexton to win an All Star

2/1      Michael Cussen to score a goal against Kerry

16/1      Nicholas Murphy to get sent off against Kerry

100/1      Nicholas Murphy and Dara Ó'Sé both to get sent off in the Munster final

1/1      Any Cork intercounty player to have a suspension removed on appeal

Derry

8/1      Kevin McCloy to win an All Star

5/1      Mark Lynch to win an All Star

5/1      Derry to be eliminated before Paddy Bradley returns from Suspension

2/1   Enda Muldoon to score more championship goals than any other Derry player

8/11   To Reach the Ulster Final

4/1   To Reach an All Ireland Semi Final

Donegal

5/1      Paddy Campbell to win an All Star

6/1      Kevin Cassidy to win an All Star

3/1      To reach an All Ireland Semi Final

6/4      Donegal to go the whole championship without a red Card

8/1      Donegal to lose the Ulster Final

2/1      Adrian Sweeney to start any championship match

1/1   Three or more different Donegal forwards to score a goal in any single championship match

Down

25/1      Dan Gordon to win an All Star

20/1      Ronan Sexton to win an All Star

8/1      To Reach an Ulster Final

1/1      To draw at least one match this summer

7/1      To score more goals than any other team in the Ulster championship

1/1      To get past the first round of the qualifiers

Dublin

4/1      Stephen Cluxton to win an All Star

8/1      Darren Magee to win an All Star

2/1      To play a championship match outside of Croke Park

5/1      Dublin to play any match where no southside club player scores.

2/1   Dublin to be eliminated from the championship by a team they led by at least five points at any stage.

5/1   A picture of Paul Caffrey on duty in Croke Park for any non-Dublin game to be printed in a national newspaper

1/1   Dublin to meet Kerry at any stage

4/1   Dublin to beat Kerry at any stage   

Fermanagh

6/1      Barry Owens to win an All Star

12/1      Shane McDermott to win an All Star

11/10      Fermanagh to get past the first round of qualifiers

16/1      Fermanagh to reach the Ulster Final

25/1      Fermanagh to reach an All Ireland Semi Final

8/11      Fermanagh to score a goal in the Ulster Championship

Galway

10/1      Ja Fallon to win an All Star

50/1      Cormac Bane to win an All Star

3/1      Both Nicky and Padraig Joyce to score a goal in any one match

6/1      Both Declan and Michael Meehan to score in any one match

6/4      Galway to reach an All Ireland Semi Final

9/1      Galway to meet Mayo again in the All Ireland series (Not including replay)

3/1   Galway footballers to go at least one step further than Galway hurlers in the All Ireland Series

Kerry

5/4      Dara Ó'Sé to win an All Star

12/1      Declan Quill to win an All Star

16/1      Dara Ó'Sé to get sent off against Cork

100/1      Nicholas Murphy and Dara Ó'Sé both to get sent off in the Munster final

5/1      Kerry to win the All Ireland without meeting an Ulster team

4/1   Kerry and Cork to meet in the All Ireland series (i.e. not Munster Championship)

33/1   Kerry to beat Mayo by 8 points or more in the All Ireland final

10/1   Kerry to fail to make the Munster Final

Kildare

6/1      Anthony Rainbow to win an All Star

25/1      Jason Phillips to win an All Star

8/1      Kildare to reach the Leinster Final

2/1      John Doyle to be the top scorer in the Leinster Championship

4/7      Kildare to reach at least the second round of the qualifiers

5/4   John Doyle to score more than the rest of the Kildare panel combined in the Leinster Championship

14/1      Kildare to reach an All Ireland Semi Final

Laois

2/1      Donie Brennan to start any championship match this summer

25/1      Colm Begley to start any championship match this summer

20/1      Cahir Healy to win an All Star

5/1      Brendan Quigley to win an All Star

5/2      Any under 21 player to win an All Star

5/2      To meet any bordering county in the Championship this summer

7/2      To reach an All Ireland Semi Final

Leitrim

33/1      Shane Foley to win an All Star

33/1       Barry McWeeney to win an All Star

2/1      To beat any team from Ireland in the Championship

8/1   To play the entire championship meeting only teams that wear some green in their main jersey

10/1   To lose the Connacht Semi Final by a single point.

16/1   To beat London by a single point

Limerick

16/1      John McCarthy to win an All Star

33/1      Darren Horan to win an All Star

4/1   Neither Limerick nor Cork to score ten times or more in the Munster Quarter Final

5/2      To draw at least one game

4/1      To be eliminated from the qualifiers/All Ireland series by a single point

14/1      To make an All Ireland Semi Final

London

50/1      To win the Tommy Murphy Cup

5/2      To win at least one championship/Tommy Murphy game

6/4      To lead Leitrim at half time in the Connacht Quarter Final

2/1      To lose by between 1 and 4 points against Leitrim

1/1      To score three or more goals in the championship/Tommy Murphy Cup

Longford

25/1      Bernard McElvaney to win an All Star

33/1      Brian Kavanagh to win an All Star

5/1      To score more goals than any other team in the Leinster Championship

5/4      To Score more goals than Westmeath in the Leinster 1st round match

1/1      To lose a game in which they score 16 points or more.

2/1      To meet any bordering county other than Westmeath in the Championship

Louth

25/1      Jamie Carr to win an All Star

8/1      Paddy Keenan to win an All Star

4/1      To reach a Leinster Final

100/1      To meet and draw with Tyrone

25/1      To meet and lose to Meath having been ahead at half time.

5/1      To score more goals than any other team in the Leinster championship

20/1      To reach an All Ireland Semi Final

Mayo

2/1      David Brady to start any championship game this summer

2/1      Peadar Gardiner to win an All Star

5/1       Billy Joe Padden to win an All Star

4/1      To be knocked out of the All Ireland Series by Kerry

8/1      To knock Kerry out of the All Ireland series

9/1      To meet Galway in the All Ireland Series (i.e. not Connacht Championship)

2/1      Pierce Hanley to start any championship game this summer

Meath

16/1      Darren Fay to win an All Star

10/1      Brian Farrell to win an All Star

3/1      Stephen Bray to score more goals than Brian Farrell in the championship

5/1      Shane O'Rourke to start any championship match

4/1      To win any game having been six points or more behind

5/1      To knock Dublin out of the Leinster Championship

25/1      To win the Leinster title beating only bordering counties

Monaghan

16/1      Colm Flanagan to win an All Star

20/1      Ciarán Hanratty to win an All Star

10/1      Any member of the U-21 team to win an All Star

3/1      Tommy Freeman to score three or more goals in the championship

16/1      Tommy and Damien Freeman to both score a goal in the same game

5/2      To reach the Ulster Final

2/1      To fail to score a goal in the Ulster Championship

New York

3/1      To lead Sligo at half time in the Connacht quarter final

5/1      To lead Sligo with ten minutes to go in the Connacht quarter Final

20/1      To beat Sligo and refuse to play the Connacht semi final in Ireland

20/1      To enter the Tommy Murphy Cup

5/1      To score three or more goals against Sligo

2/1      Any member of the Sligo (NY) club to score against Sligo

Offaly

33/1      James Keane to win an All Star

10/1      Niall McNamee to win an All Star

20/1      To be disqualified from a game for playing a suspended player

3/1      Karol Slattery to score in every Leinster championship match Offaly play

5/1      Ciarán McManus to score a goal from outside the 21 metre line

1/1   The same midfield combination to start successive games in the championship

20/1   To reach an All Ireland Semi Final

5/4   To lose a game where they score more points than the opposition

Roscommon

5/1      Frankie Dolan to start any championship game this summer

100/1   Frankie Dolan, Francie Grehan and Shane Curran all to start at least one championship game this summer

20/1   Stuart Daly to win an All Star

16/1   Cathal Cregg to win an All Star

3/1   To win a game where they score less points than the opposition

2/1   To score at least one goal in every championship match

1/2   To fail to reach the All Ireland Quarter Finals

Sligo

33/1       Johnny Davey to win an All Star

8/1      Mark Brehony to win an All Star

1/1      Eamonn O'Hara to get sent off in any championship match this summer

3/1   Eamonn O'Hara to start every championship match and get no yellow or red cards

3/1   To trail New York at half time

6/4   To draw at least one match

6/4   To reach the Connacht Final

Tipperary

6/1      To win the Tommy Murphy Cup

33/1      Any Tipp player other than Declan Browne to be nominated for an All Star

5/1      To reach the Munster Final

5/4   The rest of the Tipp team to score more than Declan Browne in the Munster Championship

16/1      Declan Browne to win an All Star

2/1      Tipperary to score two or more goals in the Munster Championship


Tyrone

8/1      Raymond Mulgrew to win an All Star

2/1      Conor Gormley to win an All Star

1/1      To reach the All Ireland Semi Final

4/1   Ryan McMenamin to start every game for Tyrone and not receive any yellow or red cards

3/1   To knock Kerry out of the All Ireland Series

4/6   To meet Armagh at any stage

1/1   To draw any match

Waterford

5/1   Michael "Brick" Walsh to start at least one game for Waterford footballers this summer

50/1   Brian Wall to win an All Star

40/1   Gary Hurney to win an All Star

33/1   To reach the Munster Final

12/1   To win the Tommy Murphy Cup

4/6   To fail to win any championship or Tommy Murphy cup match   

Westmeath

12/1      Gary Connaughton to win an All Star

16/1      John Keane to win an All Star

6/1      Dessie Dolan to be top scorer in the Leinster championship

10/1      Fergal Wilson to score a point TV cameras subsequently prove to be wide

1/1      John Connellan to start Westmeath's last championship match this summer

5/1      Westmeath to meet Meath at any stage this summer

Wexford

8/1      Ciarán Deeley to win an All Star

25/1      Colm Morris to win an All Star

4/1      Mattie Forde to be the top scorer in the Leinster Championship

3/1      Wexford to reach the Leinster Final

10/1   Wexford footballers to go at least one step further in the All Ireland series than Wexford Hurlers

1/1   Wexford to win two or more championship games this summer

2/1   John Cooper to save a penalty


Wicklow

33/1      Thomas Walsh to win an All Star

20/1      Leighton Glynn to win an All Star

3/1      Wicklow to win the Tommy Murphy Cup

20/1      Wicklow to reach the Leinster Final

20/1      Thomas Walsh to transfer back to Carlow before the end of July

1/1   Wicklow to field at least three players transferred in from outside the county this summer in either the championship or Tommy Murphy Cup

1/1   Paul Earls to score a goal in the Leinster Championship this summer

Just half time now, first time I've seen this game. About 8 red card offences so far, with only Keaveney having got the red. God help us if Gerry Kinneavy was in charge of this.

Now I'll put my cards on the table first - I'm a long standing property bear. I would have been in a position to buy in 2003 if I wanted to (with a 95% mortgage of course, but that's what all the cool kids were doing at the time!!  ) and I looked at the market and decided that it was overvalued. Obviously we all know how it went since then, and I haven't changed my opinion.

However that said, up to now the tone of the debate in the media was always the same. On the negative side, we had an economist, usually an academic, who expressed grave concern in a measured fashion, while on the other side we had a vested interest, usually either a mortgage lender or an estate agent who talked up this famous "soft landing" - a phenomenon as yet unheard of in any world asset market anywhere.

All that said, even I was taken back by the stark negativity of this programme. The facts do speak for themselves, but I thought the tone, the music, the camera shots of desolate housing estates, the reference to that guy in England who died of a tumour a month after his house was repossessed - it was all very biased, but even so I imagine it will have scared a lot of people. Maybe I'm wrong, but I thought that maybe if the same facts were presented without the doomsday music and "what if" stuff it mightn't have been as harrowing viewing.

That said, they didn't touch on the oversupply in the market, which was a rather large omission. I read an interesting article last week about how they were talking about 3.5 million unoccupied units in the US for a population of 250 million, and how this number is a recipe for disaster. I wonder what they'd make of Ireland's 200,000 units for 4 million people?

[The GAA's management committee have now ruled that if teams in Division 2A finish level, the scoring difference system will not be used to separate them. Instead, they must face each other in a play-off.]

I thought the messing over Ken Casey was done and dusted myself - Longford got the points, scoring difference unaffected, which pretty much seemed fair. Then today I read this:

OFFALY'S fielding of an illegal player in their league match against Longford may have unforeseen repercussions and leave the GAA with a fixtures nightmare.

The Offaly footballers forfeited a league point from the drawn Division 2A clash after it was ruled that Ken Casey - who had been sent off in an U21 match - was ineligible to play.

At the time, there was much debate about whether the match score should stand and its affect on the scoring differentials, which are being used to separate teams that finish on the same points in the league standings.

Difference

The GAA's management committee have now ruled that if teams in Division 2A finish level, the scoring difference system will not be used to separate them. Instead, they must face each other in a play-off.

This looks set to impact on deciding relegation places next season, but if it also comes into play in deciding the top two positions, it could delay the Division 2 semi-finals.

Has anyone actually thought this out? Being realistic, Leitrim will beat London. If we beat Ros, and Monaghan beat Leitrim, that means ourselves, Roscommon, Leitrim and the winners of Longford vs Clare will all be on 8 points. How on earth do people think this is going to get resolved in the next few weeks? I'm hoping this is just the Indo getting it wrong, because this has the makings of a serious mess.

Most provinces (i.e. their websites) are fairly helpful with this - anyone any idea where I'd get Connacht fixtures? Hard enough trying to price these bloody things correctly without spending all day scouring around to find a throw in time.

....there's a couple of things about this new football championship format that I'm not sure of. If anyone can answer it would be appreciated.

(1) The 2007 Championship and access to the qualifiers or Tommy Murphy is determined by the 2008 league placings. Will the 2008 championship also be determined by the 2008 league placings, or will it be the 2009 ones? i.e. if Offaly end up in division 4, are we condemned to two years of being denied the qualifiers, or will those relegated from div 3 in the league next year also fall into this trap in 2009?

(2) There are now three rounds of qualifiers instead of four. Does this mean that there will be one round for those who fail to make the provincial semis like before, or will it be one big pot of the 16 teams who fail to make the provincial finals?

It also all seems predicated on the fact that none of the 8 div four teams will reach a provincial final. If one does, ourselves or Roscommon being the most likely, this will mean 17 teams in the qualifier rounds. It'll already be tight trying to get all these games played, when will the extra eliminator game be fitted in? Surely this is a huge disadvantage for the team drawn in this situation. As things stand, a team going into the qualifiers has to play on the 7th, 14th and 21st of July - how can an extra game be fitted in?

Was today at 2pm supposedly. Needless to say Aertel doesn't even know this.

Just looking at it here now, it appears to be Wicklow vs the Dubs again - anyone know if something is going on?

My London stint has come to an end, so yours truly, defying all the AIB ads that say a club is for life, is scrounging around for a temporary home once more. I'm now living in Galway, for the next six months anyway, in Terryland, north of the city. I don't know what the club story is around there - anyone know of a club where a man could kick ball and do a bit of training for the summer?

Basically, what I'd be looking for would be ....

(1) Training at least twice a week to a decent standard
(2) A club that wouldn't get het up if I'm never free on Sundays. With in running betting the way it is, I'll do well to get four or five Sundays off this calendar year - so ideally it would be a club where either they wouldn't care if I wasn't around for matches, or else tended to play games in the morning or on Weekday evenings.
(3) A club that tolerates utterly, utterly useless dogsbodies. Junior A is the height of my potential, never mind usual standard.

Any ideas?

I won't lie, this is slightly self serving, but still.

Pretty soon a lot of counties will start playing pre season challenge matches and Under 21 games. From a personal point of view, the more info I have like this, the more easy it makes it to price FBD/O'Byrne cup games etc., but obviously most of these games don't appear in any form of national media, so maybe we could use everyone here to collate all the results in one thread? If people want to write reports on who played well, who didn't etc., then that's great, but even the results would be great.

An example would be Dublin Beating Louth last Tuesday, experimental teams, 1-11 to 0-6.

Hopefully this will grow into something useful.....

I'm not sure about the exact geography, but if I'm not mistaken Rhode and Tyrellspass would border each other, which means that there's a reasonable if less than 50% chance that there could be bordering clubs playing in a provincial final in two weeks. would be mad craic in the area I'd say, but I'm trying to think of any other instances where it might have happened, or even where bordering clubs might have met in the provincial championships.

Any examples?