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I have been giving some thought to giving this a go in the last few months. Im a bit long in the tooth to return to playing now but would like to stay involved in some capacity and think id have a decent temprament and knowledge of the rules to get involved in reffing.

Theres not alot of info on gaa.ie on the process of qualifying as a ref,who to contact, fitness requirements etc. If there are any active referees who contribute on here, would you drop me a line and point me in the right direction?

Has there been talk that Sky won't have rights to the NFL this year Maroon and White?

In negotiations still apparently. Given that kick-off is only two weeks away tonight, im getting a bit shifty. I had been under the impression that the deal with NFL ran to 2011 but obviously not.

It'd be a fantastic appointment if it worked out. He might instill a bit of belief and backbone into this team, something they seem to have lacked the last while. We might see the likes of Padraic Joyce and Declan Meehan giving it one more year. The fact John Joe approached Joe personally without waiting for club nominations shows how determined the board are to get a high profile manager. Poor Bunty won't get a look in now.

Poor aul Bunt.....the canvassing was probably well advanced at this stage too 

The alternatives within the county are poor so I suppose John Joe wouldnt exactly bear the brunt of the clubs if he delivered the likes of Kernan. Id love to see him...moreso than Micko as Id say he could put the mental steel into the lads that they need plus in my opinion, Armagh played a decent style of football too under him. Still at present it is what it is....pure speculation.

Courtesy on NFLUK.com. Its concerning......the old Sky subscription is fast looking like an unnecessary expense if the NFL goes 

Five to show Sunday Night Football

25 August 2009 12:04 PM - Henry Hodgson

Related:  National Football League NFL UK will continue their relationship with Five for the twelfth consecutive year after the two sides came to an agreement to show Sunday Night Football live in the UK.
Five will air Sunday Night Football for seventeen weeks, starting from Sunday September 13th, when their coverage of the 2009 NFL season begins with the clash between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers. Coverage on Five will begin at approximately 1:00am each Sunday night.
Heading up Five's coverage of the games in the studio for the third consecutive year will be Mike Carlson and Nat Coombs.  The live game commentary will be taken from NBC's coverage from the USA, with Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth voicing the action.
"We are thrilled to be working with Five for a twelfth consecutive season, and I know that Mike and Nat's NFL presentation is popular with NFL UK fans," said NFL UK Managing Director Alistair Kirkwood. "Five give us the opportunity to get wide-spread coverage for our sport ahead of a third consecutive NFL regular season game at Wembley."
"I'm really excited to be back on Five," said Five NFL presenter Mike Carlson. "For the past 11 seasons we have tried to provide a different approach to the NFL season and give our audience an in-depth analysis of the live games we are covering and a bit of relaxed entertainment. It's going to be great to work with Nat again."
Further details of NFL TV coverage in the UK will be released in the coming days.
A list of confirmed Sunday Night Football fixtures is below.  Sunday Night Football fixtures between Weeks 11-16 are subject to change.

Favre to the Vikings is back on. He is expected to sign today. Vikings for the superbowl.

Ah jaysus, not this again  Thats one attention hungry man.....

Anyone have any news on how Sky Sports negotiation re new season in NFL is going? If the NFL's going/gone, Im getting rid of Sky as Ive no interest in premiership football......

What about John Concannon as a young manager. He took Milltown from no where to the county final they didn't win but apparently a very astute man on the sideline.

I'd rather Bunty Roche. The man is a nut case.

I want the dream team.....Tommie Joyce & Scan in cahoots with Bunty as physical trainer!!! Ya know the football might not be great but the team bonding weekends would be savage!!!

No standout contenders really.....not alot of choices within the county. One fella thats not been mentioned at all is Paul McGettigan who was manager for the majority of Corofin's glory days. Bright, astute man (useful attributes when you're a barrister i suppose) and id say we could do worse. Suppose my preference at this stage would be Walsh but we'll see if he lets his name go forward.
Don't rate Doherty, and dont want any connections with prior regimes. What these lads need now is a frsh start, not recycling previous management teams in a different guise.

I think longer term Conroy is the answer midfield.....just not sure that hes physical enough for it yet. Think another year or two around the wings would benefit him and give him time to bulk up. I can see Salmon playin Cullinane (if fit) with Bergin to start with as they had little or no time to form a partnership last year before Joe got injured against Mayo in the league. Cullinane, however unlikely, has to cop himself on or his indiscpline is a liability.

Bradshaw is definitely too good for the full back line alright......we have enough options for the corners anyway.

Do ye think there wold be any merit in playin Sice at wing forward as he does for Corofin......he's fairly accurate and can take a score. He'd be a good man scavenging for breaks round the middle too

Hands is from Oranmore, Coady Oughterard AFAIK. As you say, good to see some new players being drafted in. At the risk of being churlish though, neither Ryan in '07 or Greaney last year impressed me awfully, I hope Sammon isn't going to keep picking favourites (a-la Breathnach) rather than players of ability. On the credit side, Joe Bergin showed up fairly well apparently as did the boy Nicky. Paul Conroy also had a good outing for GMIT on Sunday (though Michael Martin did not). The former, probably with Joe, should now be first choice for midfield this year.

That would explain it....not too familiar with the intermediate grade. Coady popped over 2 pts as well.

Ryan struck me as a lad that wasn't particularly confident in his minor years so a few games in a senior shirt will surely help him in that regard as will a debut where he scored 4 pts. Hes a nice tidy ball player. Greaney can be hit and miss but again hes only young and the confidence he will get from playing in the company of some ofthe more senior players will no doubt help him....plus he has a bit of height which would be beneficial around half forward line. As I said, its getting the some exposure which cant be a bad thing.

Bradshaw apparently had a blinder for the College v Mayo on Sunday at midfied. Mayo lads saying he ruled the roost although not against a first string Mayo midfield......would he be a realisic option to partner Joe in the middle yet? Id prefer to keep Conroy wing forward for another year or two if we could

So long as GAA fixtures are not being moved to accomodate concerts, soccer, rugby etc, it makes sense to keep it open. Plough the extra revenue into underage structures, facilities as well as keeping the stadium modernised etc

Christ lads.....bad form that theres no post on here for three months but the hibernation is over and my Sundays are back to normal now  .

Decent start against Sligo last Sat night I believe, especially given the understrength team (defence aside) we had available. On a positive note, plenty of young lads on display (a large no of the AI winning minor team involved in the panel). Jonathan Ryan played very well apparently (0-4), with Damien O'Reilly and Joe Joe Greaney making their senior bow. Anyone know anything of Martin Coady....wouldnt have encountered him....Ballygar is he?? Also, on GalwayGaa.com, a chap by the name of Colman Hands was listed.....again, anyone know the lad?? Even if these lads dont see the light of day later in the summer, it will do them good going forward.

Galway -- P Doherty; D Finnegan, F Hanley, D Meehan; N Coyne, D Blake, D Mullahy; G O'Donnell, T Hughes; M Lydon, J Bergin, C Bane; J Ryan, N Joyce, M Coady. Subs: JJ Greaney for Hughes (36), D O'Reilly for Mullahy (yellow card, 44).

Onwards to this Sunday anyway......v Leitrim in Ballinasloe a 2pm. Cant say im delighted by the choice of pitch.....Ballinasloe's a hole.

Louth – Cathal & Seamus O'Hanlon, Stefan White
Meath – Ruthless tough hoors
Dublin – The Hill
Wicklow - Refs in car boots
Carlow – Willie Quinlan, the hideous jersey
Kilkenny – Hurling
Kildare - The happiest day of my life....AI Final Day 1998 & Mikey Donnellans goal
Westmeath – The Paidi Year
Laois - Headers, flaking
Longford - Padraic Davis
Wexford – Dancin at the Crossroads
Offaly - Sittin on the pitch in Croker after Clare game in 98

Antrim – Patterson....the big lad in goal in the late 80s
Armagh - Defensive/dour
Down – Micky Linden
Derry – Johny McGurks point v the Dubs in 93
Fermanagh - cheap beer!
Monaghan – Nudie Hughes
Donegal – 92 and a lame Anthony Molloy lifting Sam
Cavan – Great men to go on the beer with although they'll not buy.
Tyrone – The famous/infamous scene with Liam Hassett(?) surrounded in 2003

Galway - ......
Mayo – Hot Sundays in July, Connacht finals and they're sound skins deep deep down
Roscommon – Pool tables and unfounded optimism
Leitrim – Micky Quinn, Seamus Quinn, George Dugdale
Sligo - July 2007 and that Connacht Final

Cork – Arrogant, militant
Kerry – Pure footballers, cute hoors
Limerick – Rugby
Waterford – John Mullane with a sunburned head
Tipperary – John Leahy
Clare -  Manic intensity before Ulster introduced it to football

Heisman trophy being awarded tonight isnt it? Is it being streamed live on any websites?

Great game! Is that them through now?

Still very tight Lecale. They're only 2 points ahead of Sale and 5 ahead of Clermont so defeat at home to Sale or away to Mountaban would make things very tight.

Montauban beat Sale this evening in France so you would think that its job on if they beat Sale in Thomond after Xmas. Clermont are a savage side though.....14 men for the majority to the game in Thomond, plus missing a class winger like Rougerie, and you would expect a serious pasting. Cudmore, the lad dishing out the haymakers, has an interesting past - a "debt collecter" for a drug dealer earlier in life in British Columbia........

Regan was a victim of his own versatility to an extent and was used as a stop gap measure in three or four positions. Nice tidy hurler but we have plenty of them i suppose.

You could say the same of tommy walsh.

Hes not quite that tidy  Thats comparing a modern day legend to a jack-of-all-trades like Regan. Indeed, many might say Tommy Walsh isnt all that "nice".......

Very surprised at Alan Kerins being left off seen as he played under McIntyre when Clarinbridge won the county title. Plus Kerins is one of the few forwards we have that you could rely on to have a big game the off occasion they get to Croker. Maybe his charity work is getting in the way of training perhaps? Maybe he hasnt the time to give to the hurling anymore.....

Regan was a victim of his own versatility to an extent and was used as a stop gap measure in three or four positions. Nice tidy hurler but we have plenty of them i suppose.

Chunky, Dervan and Cloonan are less of a surprise.....Hayes and Dervan really not top level inter-county hurlers and Cloonan doesnt have the legs for it anymore given the amunt of injuries hes had.

I see hes added a few of the Loughrea timber merchants......that should harden things up a bit! David Tierney back in too?  Would like to see Danien McClearn get a go at full-back...the few games ive seen him in, hes done well and takes no prisoners