Messages

Not so good for NI teachers to be paid much less than Wales!

Someone coming out of Uni with limited teaching experience I don't think should merit a great salary.  I graduated in 2007, I was happy enough to get a job of any description to try and get the experience required.  I dare say there is a big difference generally in a teacher at 21/22 and someone at say 30 who has been round a few corners the same in any job really. 

[I'd question how seriously league is taken. After a few games it's pretty clear who is in with a chance of winning/promotion and who is likely to get relegated.]

League is taken seriously. Championship is far better when theres jeopardy rather than another mini league. Anyway just my opinion anyway. 

I'd question how seriously league is taken. After a few games it's pretty clear who is in with a chance of winning/promotion and who is likely to get relegated. After that it's no different to any other league, linked or unlinked. Only playing 14 games also diminishes the league in my opinion.

1)Back to 4 divisions of 11/12 teams playing each other twice, top team goes up and 2nd-5th enter play offs to keep it interesting towards the end. Bottom 2 go down. If that's too many fixtures then 5 divisions of 9/10 teams could be used instead (and maybe scrap the play off idea).

2)Straight knock out championship unlinked to league. Relegation play offs in championship.

3) introduce a junior B championship for the bottom 8 clubs.

4) I'd continue to allow 2nds teams to play in the league system but they would have to play in the reserve championship.

That would leave roughly 42 teams in the championship structure  (minus Cross II, Killeavy II, Clann Eireann II) - 12 senior, 12 intermediate, 10 junior, 8 junior B

Was not the case in 2a this year Tullysaran in first 6 games won 4 of those including away to Culloville(league winners) and Cullyhanna (championship winners) I don't think they won another game after May lost 8/9 in a row and only stayed up with a draw on last day. 

The introduction of a junior b championship may be a decent idea, outside Clann Eireann seconds think there is a big gap between the bottom and top of junior. 

[Do you think if every club in Armagh are at full strength that they're the 18th best team in the county]

Massive win for Cullyhanna today v Liatroim. Sad to see Armagh abusing the system and senior team playing intermediate but thats what Cavan Club teams are up against.

I for one will be supporting Ballyhaise the underdog in the final.

Cullyhanna were the 18th placed team in the Armagh league structures this season. No cooking the books in Armagh, unlike Cavan.

Do you think if every club in Armagh are at full strength that they're the 18th best team in the county? Personally, I don't. They would push, and probably beat, teams such as Mullabawn, Dromintee, Silverbridge. The fact they're in intermediate due to a poor league performance in 2022, when they were short of their best players, shows why league and championship shouldn't be linked in my view.

Good luck to Cullyhanna in the final, it would be great to see them get a crack at an all Ireland.

At full strength they're a similar standard of about 10 teams in Armagh who'd all beat each other on any given day. They were short their best players for near 15 years and stayed senior that entire time. They'd a few extra men unavailable for one reason or another last year and got relegated. Not like any eyebrows were raised, they then lost 4 times in the 3rd tier of the leagues this year which IMO shows that was their level.

In fairness they suffered most of their league defeats with the 3 county men away. They turned into a different team after Armagh were knocked out this summer; at intermediate level the county players make such a difference - as you would hope / expect.

They lost to Culloville towards end of league with their county contingent and they lost their last league game against St Pauls with them also when they had a chance to still win the league.  Culloville beat them twice and where deserving league winners. 

Massive win for Cullyhanna today v Liatroim. Sad to see Armagh abusing the system and senior team playing intermediate but thats what Cavan Club teams are up against.

I for one will be supporting Ballyhaise the underdog in the final.

They play in the 3rd Division in Armagh. Ballyhaise Div 1.

having saw the ballyhaise game yesterday would expect cullyhanna to beat them.

Impressive 3-0 away result against a side fired up to win after they had league points deducted.  United was the better team in the opening 20 minutes and 2nd half. 18 year old Kobbie Mainoo looked good especially in the 15 minute period that Everton was on top and produced a fine goal line clearance.  Garnacho's goal up there with the best overhead goals scored but Neville giving him MOTM over Mainoo?  Penalty was the correct call and was suprise that Bruno gave the ball to out of form Rashford to take it. (has since said in the after match interview that he wanted to lift Rasford confidence with a goal)

sure isn't Bruno a great fella altogether.

Martial more league goals than this great striker hojlund?

Should league status not seed your championship?

No, I don't think it should. In Armagh the leagues and championships are linked. This year Shane O'Neills were competing in the senior championship having won both the intermediate championship and league in 2022.
They finished bottom of the senior league in 2023 having been without their 3 county players for basically every game.
This meant they were relegated to intermediate, unless they won the senior championship. However they were also 4th seeds when the senior championship draw was made due to their final league position, therefore further punishing them for being without their best players for the league.
In my opinion that system is much more unfair than the system in Cavan. Play leagues during the county season by all means, give lads football and a chance of winning a bit of silverware etc, but it should not in any way be linked to championship football later in the year.

They finished second bottom in intermediate and finished as fourth seeds for the championship.clan na Gael won last game to finish as third seeds and got to the final.shanes are an intermediate side even with county men should lost the intermediate final year before.lost all games in championship aggregate of minus 23.there would have been no one in Armagh hoping to avoid Shane's from pot 4 of championship.

There none of the Ulster teams be fit for Crokes from what we seen of them this year. They way better than last year.

Scotstown were very good agai at kilcoo would expect them get over trillick tomorrow.Scotstown with age profile of some of their players would need to get an Ulster in next year or two if going to do it. Corofin quietly going about their business in the west. Not impressed with glen at all don't think they have the forwards to win all ireland.11 points against 14 men last day and 10 points tonight, lack of goals/looking like getting goals bound be a worry.

I think Morrissey was asking McKinless about Mickey Harte because he thought Derry players may have mixed feelings about him but I don't think Morrissey realised that McKinless is from County Tyrone. I assume he lives on the Tyrone side of that parish. I wouldn't be surprised if he grew up supporting them.

Ballinderry where mckinless is from a strange part of world half the village Tyrone half derry

Cantwell questions are dirt.yes training at fossa be same as all Ireland final day

The sack  postponed for another week.... Just about.

He's safe until Utd find a decent Manager. To sack a manager you have to have a decent replacement.
United have already done the Ralf Rangnick interim Manager gig, they can't go there so soon again.

Eddie Howe's Newcastle are behind Man United in the table going into the international break nobody will be calling for him to get sacked and it should be the same for Ten Hag.

Looks like some are expecting more than should expect with a less than great United squad that clearly overachieved last season plus aren't helped with injuries this season.

Howe's Newcastle don't role over  when they concede a goal. They are without two quality strikers among others at the minute who will regularly put the ball in the net also.

Why are Armagh people always so keen to tell you how good Cross are? Is it a psychological thing? It was once true but it's not now, if I was from Maghery, Lurgan or Armagh city I would hate cross. Should be tearing them down not building them up. Trillick weren't even good tonight but it was good enough for cross. Aw well good to see it anyhow.

Half the county still love to brown-nose Cross which unfortunately includes officials and referees. There's definitely a hangover in the clubscene from their dominant period, maybe this clouds peoples' opinions of them, they aren't the force they once were. Clann Eireann are probably the strongest club in Armagh and only they thought it was a case of just showing up against Clan na Gael that they were caught out.

Don't necessarily agree with that Clann Eireann won the championship in 2021, they were 6 down and only one side in it Tony Kernan kicks a bad wide the water break comes and they get a couple of goals to win.they lose against mullaghbawn the following year in the first round who subsequently lost in the next round.the first real test they faced this year fell apart when game in melting pot and still have an over reliance on turbitt for scores.

I'm guessing Cross don't have much experience at coming from behind in their Armagh leagues / championships.

They turned into a an absolute gibbering mess after the 40th minute.

Trillick played well, but they're not as good as Crossmahlen made them look.

they were behind in the quarter final against Armagh harps and a point down at ht in county final

Was there to be extra time? Feel like there should have been time left there for Pomeroy to get a shot off

Was the ref told to make sure it wasn't a draw with RTÉ in town for the next game

they mentioned on commentary et and penos so presume so, the amount of time from the foul to Nugent kicking ball over Pomeroy should definitely have been given more time.

Pomeroy went 8-5 up early in 2nd half but Cullyhanna have scored 4 in a row. Think it was McGeary who missed an easy free for Pomeroy so it should be level with nearly 10 mins left.

was a big turning point he had kicked two monster scores before missing the easy free.