Ulster Colleges

[Keyser soze]

Ah lads, come on.

Colleges football was the most enjoyable and competitive football I ever played.

Different strokes for different folks I suppose.

Thats the difference, great for the 40 lads involved, dross to watch. I think far too much emphasis placed on it anyway and instead of developing players with the skills of the game they are more interested developing winning teams, so the can add a McRory to their coaching Cv for the managerial gravy train around Ulster.

There's a fair amount of bollocks talked on this forum but that takes the biscuit. Pure and utter nonsense.

Don't think it is to be fair. Some very average coaches, who have a very average knowledge of the game involved in teams.
But whatever, congratulations to St Ronan's.

Its an inconvinient truth for too many who think it is the be all and end all. Dont worry the same is happening in Rugby, massive percentage never even go on to play for their clubs.

Preparing lads for the biggest game of their lives at 17/18.

You are advocating doing away with all underage competition...more mad nonsense.

[Walter Cronc]

How dare anyone form an opinion different to that of the Keyser. :*

MacRory should be run off pre Christmas instead of eating into lads study time.

But nah frig their education, lets stick with tradition/over training and forcing lads to choose between schools and club/county!

[Walter Cronc]

You called me on it? I changed tact??

Think you are confusing me with NAG1?

County should take priority over schools and lads shouldn't be forced to choose between school and club in winter, should their club be successful.

[Walter Cronc]

You called me on it? I changed tact??

Think you are confusing me with NAG1?

County should take priority over schools and lads shouldn't be forced to choose between school and club in winter, should their club be successful.

Message deleted - woops.

[Orior]

How dare anyone form an opinion different to that of the Keyser. :*

MacRory should be run off pre Christmas instead of eating into lads study time.

But nah frig their education, lets stick with tradition/over training and forcing lads to choose between schools and club/county!

Surely having it over by St Patrick's day is sufficient?

By the way, I don't agree with schools shopping for the best coach and paying over the odds (by whatever means) just to get their man. But if that is what the board of governors want then I suppose fair enough, they're making the decisions. But if they don't know, then they should be ashamed.

[JimStynes]

Ah lads, come on.

Colleges football was the most enjoyable and competitive football I ever played.

Different strokes for different folks I suppose.

Thats the difference, great for the 40 lads involved, dross to watch. I think far too much emphasis placed on it anyway and instead of developing players with the skills of the game they are more interested developing winning teams, so the can add a McRory to their coaching Cv for the managerial gravy train around Ulster.

What a load of shite. The McCrory and other college competitions are fantastic competitions and gives young lads the chance to play against other top level players. I know the difference the college football makes to our own club players. Their skill level, fitness levels, mental strength etc increases massively by playing McCrory football. The buzz around Lurgan at the minute is fantastic and will no doubt spur on other young lads to play Gaelic football. Playing along with your school mates from different clubs is brilliant and these young lads will have very fond memories of it for the rest of their lives.

Yes the half in the final was poor but the second half was a decent game. There has been great exhibitions of football in the other games this year as well. Don't judge it all on one game ffs.

[Kickham csc]

Ah lads, come on.

Colleges football was the most enjoyable and competitive football I ever played.

Different strokes for different folks I suppose.

Thats the difference, great for the 40 lads involved, dross to watch. I think far too much emphasis placed on it anyway and instead of developing players with the skills of the game they are more interested developing winning teams, so the can add a McRory to their coaching Cv for the managerial gravy train around Ulster.

There's a fair amount of bollocks talked on this forum but that takes the biscuit. Pure and utter nonsense.

Don't think it is to be fair. Some very average coaches, who have a very average knowledge of the game involved in teams.
But whatever, congratulations to St Ronan's.

Its an inconvinient truth for too many who think it is the be all and end all. Dont worry the same is happening in Rugby, massive percentage never even go on to play for their clubs.

Preparing lads for the biggest game of their lives at 17/18.

Speaking from experience, going though the Magera system, you couldn't be further from the truth.

In St Pats, 1st to 3rd year PE revolved around 50% GAA and the rest was a mix of athletics, basketball, rugby, soccer and gym.

OF the GAA PE session, each class, no matter of the ability of the pupil, was coached on the technical aspects of football, catching kicking tackling etc.

For the school teams, we naturally went out to win all our games, but the management didn't have a win at all costs mentality, if we won great, if we lost they talked to us abut what went wrong, and they would actually work on the weakness the next year.

At MacRory, the intensity increased, and the focus on winning increased, but the approach was always about fundamentals, that if you can do the fundamentals faster, higher, etc than the opposition, then you had a better chance to win.

On strategy, we focused on defence getting to the ball first, while in possession focused on getting the ball into the forwards as fast as possible. We had a St Pats way of driving forward was ingrained to us.

The net result of the 7 year process was that on my final year squad of 24, 5 went on to play inter-county football, the  rest all played senior football for their club teams, and there was a feeling that St Pats supplemented the local clubs coaching and help elevate Derry club football.

It was a really positive experience

[thewobbler]

Anyone who holds a grudge against MacRory football, I would propose, is most likely falling over beneath the weight of the chips on their shoulders. A professional axe grinder looking here, there, anywhere for a target.

It's a truly wonderful competition. It means the absolute world to those involved in it. It provides a viable athletic aspiration for thousands of younger pupils; and for more than a few it is sole reason why they will work for and pass GCSEs. It creates warmth and nostalgia, and by sheer force of nature brings alumni closer to their old school, and old school friends.

If you begrudge the MacRory Cup, I would genuinely hate to spend a day inside your head. It must be horrible in there.

[naka]

Ah lads, come on.

Colleges football was the most enjoyable and competitive football I ever played.

Different strokes for different folks I suppose.

Thats the difference, great for the 40 lads involved, dross to watch. I think far too much emphasis placed on it anyway and instead of developing players with the skills of the game they are more interested developing winning teams, so the can add a McRory to their coaching Cv for the managerial gravy train around Ulster.

There's a fair amount of bollocks talked on this forum but that takes the biscuit. Pure and utter nonsense.

Don't think it is to be fair. Some very average coaches, who have a very average knowledge of the game involved in teams.
But whatever, congratulations to St Ronan's.

Its an inconvinient truth for too many who think it is the be all and end all. Dont worry the same is happening in Rugby, massive percentage never even go on to play for their clubs.

Preparing lads for the biggest game of their lives at 17/18.

Fking balls
Schools football was brilliant, made friends for life and still have a great affiliation with my alma mater,
Still have the craic with guys from other schools I met during my time, from st marys cbs,maghera, college etc
Indeed few years ago took son to abbey St. Paul's Match and was chatting to guys from home who all had gone to St. Paul's and were a lot younger than me
One of them says hopefully get stuck into these abbey bastards, I chuckled and said yip was thinking the same only I want the abbey to get stuck into the St. Paul's bastards.
He hadn't realised I was an abbey boy.
For me schools football most enjoyable experience I had on the pitch.
Although that was easy cos cross killeavy etc used to hammer us regularly at under age so it was no fun

[BennyHarp]

Anyone who holds a grudge against MacRory football, I would propose, is most likely falling over beneath the weight of the chips on their shoulders. A professional axe grinder looking here, there, anywhere for a target.

It's a truly wonderful competition. It means the absolute world to those involved in it. It provides a viable athletic aspiration for thousands of younger pupils; and for more than a few it is sole reason why they will work for and pass GCSEs. It creates warmth and nostalgia, and by sheer force of nature brings alumni closer to their old school, and old school friends.

If you begrudge the MacRory Cup, I would genuinely hate to spend a day inside your head. It must be horrible in there.

+1 I loved every minute of my time playing MacRory (even though we took a hefty beating from Maghera in my final year) and still love watching football at that level today. My school winning the competition for the first time ever when I was in first year is one of my favourite sporting memories and made me determined to play in the competition. Like Naka said, it was great for making friends for life not only from your own team but from other schools too. Friendships that continued into Uni and beyond. I'd say in the past few pages we can easily enough spot the lads who didn't make their MacRory panels.

[general_lee]

Possibly as it will give students more of a chance of going to University and entice them to stay on for  A-Levels, previously the majority of students from St Brigids would have went into trades/ quit education at 16, very few would have went to St Pats.  The amount of quality players form the Armagh area who miss out on McRory football because their education isn't t up to scratch is shocking. 

Not saying they will be automatically be contesting McRory cups year in year out, but you would expect the standard to be raised now the the catch net of available players available has been widened.   

Lurgan suffered this for years, St Paul's JHS produced some brilliant teams over the years but only going up to 5th year meant you'd a a load that went on to tech, trades etc with the rest going on to do A Levels at St Michael's. Likewise it remains to be seen if St Ronans will consistently be competing in the McRory, but you'd like to think the potential has certainly increased.

[imtommygunn]

The macrory is a fantastic competition. The only thing that pains me about it is that no antrim schools are in it!

Great grounding for football in later years.

[general_lee]

The macrory is a fantastic competition. The only thing that pains me about it is that no antrim schools are in it!

Great grounding for football in later years.

Was st Mary's CBGS not in it?

[imtommygunn]

They have been in it every now and then but not in a while.

They haven't been winning, or challenging , for mclarnon from what i have seen so it would be a step too far.

[imtommygunn]

I stand corrected...

I didn't realise they were in it!