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Can't see any of the u20s breaking into the senior team in any meaningful way in next couple of years. Maybe it's just the change from u21 to u20 but they look extremely light and would be eaten up in senior county football nowadays. Compare the physique of any Dublin Tyrone Donegal senior to any of the u20s, men v boys.
A few might be best served as squad/training fodder for a couple of years yet, building physique and benefiting from the training.

Saw the video. Let's call a spade a spade. It's stupid, indefensible and shouldn't have happened.

Ah get over yourself ffs. Put 30 or 40 young nationalist lads on a bus who already on a bit of a high from a sporting success, and have them held up by a loyalist band parade on the road and WTF do you expect them to do? Besides, this wasn't a sectarian song.

This is only a story because the likes of Arlene and the Newsletter 'journalists' want it to be one.

Which was the more provocative action after all? Two loyalist bands parading up and down the main street of a Catholic town, or a groupf of lads singing among themselves on their own bus? ANd it's the lads that are being called provocative? Jesus wept.

Then no point getting offended when a tricolour is burned on a bonfire etc. We in the GAA talk about being open to all, non-political, non-sectarian. Doing this simply does us no favours and gives the detractors the stick to beat us with. We are better than that.

Saw the video. Let's call a spade a spade. It's stupid, indefensible and shouldn't have happened. Does absolutely nothing for the GAA's reputation with the other side. No point in saying 'sure themmuns are worse'. We should be above that.

That said, the idiot who videod it and thought it would be a good idea to share on snapchat should feel rightly ashamed of himself. Think it's a reflection of culture with younger ones now that nothing can happen without being posted online. So what should be a non-event in a private bus (albeit wrong) now turns into a newspaper headline.

Already i've heard of teams who've been flat out training recently and playing challenge matches against clubs in other counties and teams who've been taking it easy going once a week or taking a complete break. Hard to know what to be at. I foresee a long period without any matches. It's conceivable that some of the lads that have gone to US for summer might miss one match at the most!

He's not.

and you would know this because?

Daire Kavanagh is a good club footballer and would start in every club team in the county but he's not a county footballer. I have seen him on several occasions against top level club and county defenders and he doesn't get the better of them. No shame in that, he'll still terrorise most defenders he plays against in div 2 and nothing wrong with being classed as a good club player but just below county standard.

Thoughts two games in;
Div 1 - Errigal flying, Clarkes with two surprise wins and Killyclogher in turmoil.
Div 2 - Aghyaran finding it tough on their return, Clogher benefiting from the promotion bounce, Pomeroy and Galbally looking strong
Div 3 - Good start for Brackaville, Kildress getting it tight

You will need better bait than that to reel in the Carmen lads.

Trillick vs. Dromore and Ardboe vs. Coalisland the big first round games in the Senior championship IMO.

Another great chance to see a real underdog in the Semi's here too with everyone of the below thinking about it

Tattyreagh or Edendork   v   Carrickmore or Derrylaughan

Genuinely wasn't a wind up - I'm sure the Carrickmore lads will ackowledge they aren't among the favs for the Senior Championship. Maybe underdog isn't the best word to describe Carmen but the other 3 clubs will certainly relish that tag.

Another great chance for Edendork to get to a semi-final i would have thought. They weren't too far away last year

Are there not 1 or 2 of the St mary's squad who would already be qualified teachers but would be doing part time masters enabling them to play sigerson? Maybe not the same category as other 'courses' offered to some top players at other universities. Personally think university football should be open to undergrads only. This would avoid the likes of 25/26 year old established county players who have been enrolled in some random course at a tech somewhere that is formally linked to a university from competing against 19-22 year olds in a university competition.

My preseason predictions for what they're worth;
Div 1; Usual suspects from past 2 or 3 years. Ardboe to push on into a solid top 4/5 team
Edendork, Tattyreagh, Carrickmore and Derrylaughan to be in relegation trouble. Clarkes and Eglish will have full squads and no county men all year which might give them a better chance. Can see Tatts in serious trouble from early on. Can't see them repeating their recent heroics for another year and an injury or two to key players would have them struggle.

Div 2; Pomeroy for championship, too many county men missing starred games which will cost them league. you can't afford to lose more than a game or two to win this league. League between Galbally and loughmacrory.
Beragh and Newtownstewart to go straight back done.

Div 3: Aghaloo to bounce straight back up. Drumagh to push on this year and give it a rattle.

was just wondering when I seen Ronan McNamee wheeled out yesterday morning for the media engagements, does he work or what's the story? Is he one of our 'full time athletes' or does he farm or do something flexible like that where he can get away? Wouldn't be too many jobs you could be away all weekend and then not work monday morning either.

I know he was playing for UUJ a season or two ago and even at that stage he would have been an old enough student, he must be 27/28 at this stage. Anyone any idea what he does?

Interesting interview in Irish News last week with Caroline O'Hanlon the Armagh ladies player and international netballer. She's a doctor and works 3 days a week allowing her to keep up her sport commitments. We're bound to have a few like that as well. they couldn't all be students!

I recall Mickey giving a few squad players plenty of game time in McKenna cup before and then dropping them.

Enough rope to hang themselves as someone above put it i.e. you've had your chances and haven;t impressed, away you go

No sign of matty donnelly or padraig mcnulty to date. Presume matty is being rested for mckenna cup. Has mcnulty left the panel? will do well to keep his place with big kennedy and crugan going well.

The buyers for example Volture Fund have no contract with the mortgage owner therefore legally the loan does not hav to be paid.

You need to stop reading conspiracy loon websites.

+1. If Borrower has a mortgage with Bank X and Bank X sells the mortgage to Bank Y, then the mortgage between Borrower and Bank Y continues as if Bank Y was the original bank. Bank Y can't just decide to throw the Borrower out of their property and sell it....unless Borrower stops paying their mortgage.

The difference with the vulture funds opposed to traditional high street banks is that the vulture funds are more active in enforcing their security should the borrowers stop making payment. But it's all legal. To think it's all fraud is loony stuff.

Apparently there's an ex Tyrone man over Clogher the year. Name rhymes with Big Moe. Work it out for yourselves

Heard a reliable source today say Big toe has the Clogher lads out training this week. Making a big push early in the league!

Madness

I'd somewhat agree with the post above. In north and south it takes years, literally years to repossess a property like this. The owners would have been given every opportunity to repay before this happened.

You borrow money and don't pay it back then what do they expect.

Only criticism would be in the way the repossession was handled by the northern security firm. It's obvious difficult to get people to do this kind of work, certainly not locals and so it inevitably falls to 'outsiders' to do the dirty work. If anyone knows anything about these types of firms in the north then you wouldn't be too surprised that may have some ex-paramilitary or police/army on their books, depending on which side of the fence they come from.

Don't see why so many are so quick to laud a lawless vigilante group and condone their actions which have no place in any society.