Messages

[6 weeks]

Only 1 post on here in 6 weeks. I know things are quiet but surely we can talk about something?
Any more managerial appointments?
Dungiven wanted wee Jude but he obviously saw more potential with the watties. Big season ahead for them.
Dungiven now have Michael O'Kane - will their new "Director of Football" have any say in the senior set up?
Looks like they are more interested in the hurling now, winning their 3rd U21 title in a row, as well as their 2nd Ulster minor title in a row. Makes the football challenge even tougher.
Cush staying on at Magherafelt - winning the U21s at the weekend will do him no harm - could they start to push on from this?
Ballinderry looking to appoint internally
Johnny McBride going back to Loup?
How big a loss will Callum Brown be to Limavady and Derry?

What is the latest from Owenbeg and the senior camp?

days you mean ?

Yes but at least I got a reaction Hoof 

Only 1 post on here in 6 weeks. I know things are quiet but surely we can talk about something?
Any more managerial appointments?
Dungiven wanted wee Jude but he obviously saw more potential with the watties. Big season ahead for them.
Dungiven now have Michael O'Kane - will their new "Director of Football" have any say in the senior set up?
Looks like they are more interested in the hurling now, winning their 3rd U21 title in a row, as well as their 2nd Ulster minor title in a row. Makes the football challenge even tougher.
Cush staying on at Magherafelt - winning the U21s at the weekend will do him no harm - could they start to push on from this?
Ballinderry looking to appoint internally
Johnny McBride going back to Loup?
How big a loss will Callum Brown be to Limavady and Derry?

What is the latest from Owenbeg and the senior camp?

[What an embarrassment to both himself and his club]

Managerial merry go round............

Who's staying, who's going and who is coming in ?

Div 1A
Ballinascreen - is baker staying on?
Ballinderry - who will replace Harte and O'Donnell.... internal?
Banagher - will enda stay on after banaghers ulster campaign? might not want to manage against ballinderry
Bellaghy - joe cassidy staying?
Coleraine - was this not mcgoldrick and mclaughlins last year? who would follow?
Dungiven - paul murphy to continue?
Glen - gormley gone? who to follow? mccusker or outsider?
Lavey - Brennan and Downey supposedly staying on?
Loup - Kevin coary supposedly gone?
Magherafelt - Adrian cush suppose to be staying on despite the unrest after the slaughtneil game?
Slaughtneil - said to be looking for a new management team?
Swatragh - Michael O'Kane staying on?

Div 1B
Newbridge - heard that bradley has left but also heard they are keen to keep him
Kilrea - has the internal set up of mcaleese left? a team that is underachieving massively
Greenlough - has niall conway committed for another year? they would be keen to keep him
Glenullin - Rafferty staying?
Claudy - ?


who will be over these sides at the start of the 2019 league campaign?

Nothing much definite there except those who are definitely gone. It appears a lot of clubs will be flexing the cheque books.

On a different note I saw a rather classy video of John Brennan doing the rounds on social media recently. What an embarrassment to both himself and his club 

Yes there is a lot of discontent around Gulladuff. But John has promised he will do better the next time. He usually makes better contact than that 

After reading the interview with County Manager Damian McErlain by Michael McMullan in "Derry Now" two interesting facts stand out.Out of the 10 or 12 players who, for one reason or another, are unlikely to be in the 2019 Derry Senior football panel 6 of them are defenders ie Sean Leo and Liam McGoldrick,Kevin Johnston,Michael Bateson,Carlus McWilliams and Ruairi Mooney.

From a team that overall was lacking in experience this year that is a huge percentage drop out.On the plus side it is just as well that Derry are in Division Four  as it will  give the younger defensive replacements time and space to acclimatise much better to inter county football.

It is also surely the first time that the current County champions have no representative on the panel.One would in normal circumstances have expected two of the McGoldricks and Niall Holly to be on it.But apparently that is not the case. Sean Leo has retired.Liam intends to travel.Colm McGoldrick  and Niall Holy were either not selected or did not want to be considered for selection I presume.

Championship Final Week 
Whats the predictions?
Will the experience of Coleraine see them over the line?
Will Brennan and Downey outfox Sean McGoldrick?

[all started from 1st minute they targeted young mckinless]

bad scenes last nite, doesn't look good on s'neils behalf...2 nites in a row now when they got beat they result to violence ..all started from 1st minute they targeted young mckinless , they couldn't mark him so resulted in pulling him down at every chance they got....and for their players to jump the wire and attack ballinderry folk...hopefully now people will see them for who they really are..all good when winning..different animal when losing

I know and him such a quiet wee chap not able to stand up for himself 

But it has thrown a different light onto the Slaughtneil club as a whole with 2 nights of thuggery in a row. All is rosy in the garden when you are winning.
Wasn't at last nights game but they seemed at very least equally at fault, but was at the Coleraine game and possibly (just possibly) Slaughtneil could have had a couple of frees towards the end of the game. But in the last 4 years they have had more than their fair share of big calls go in their favour.
Nothing justifies a spectator and a player striking the referee.

I think we are alright then if only Swatragh stands between us going down

Classic TFAL.

Chrissy calls for new management to get the road after bottom of table Greenlough park the bus and get a draw!

I hear smiler McCann was acting the hard man again for  Newbridge on Sunday again.
Somethings never change.

Cant believe that. Totally out of character for Smiler.

We are getting away from Derry's shortcomings,  but this whole modern stuff with cynical play has gotten out of hand. All top level sport has an element of 'cynical play'. Successful teams are not angels. Our only all-Ireland winning team had their share, anyone who thinks differently is in la-la land. Off the ball holding, third man tackes, taking out the runner. These type of things actually used to be worse.

Name them.

Not going to personalize things with our 93 team, but you can't be serious! Look at our current all-Ireland champs. What did all their players do when Rock scored the last point?
As I mentioned earlier,  this is distracting from a symbolic year that our senior football team had. No point in blaming those big bad cynical Kildare men. Carlow seemed to handle them.

Knew you were full of shite about 93.

Greg Blaney must have hit himself off the ball in the marshes! Niall Cahalane must have knocked his own teeth out in the final. Grow up and learn how to watch.

And you are still full of shite trying to discredit our 93 team. Grow a pair and name them.

Don't be silly. We had masters of cynicism on that team and everyone who watched football in that generation new them. We laughed when they played for Derry and we yelled and screamed at them when they played for their clubs because we knew what they were at.

Go ahead big balls and name them. Or are you another bluffer?

Not for naming anyone but heard of the Cahalane story in the aftermath of 93 and dont think drag and pull is trying to "discredit the 93 team"  by bringing it up, , back them if you were mixing it with the likes of Meath/ Cork/ Donegal  for example you had to be able to meet fire with fire  in terms of the physicality and " cuteness " that they had.

Wee Johnny, the Hulk, Barton, McKeever for eg, those boys all had a bit of divelment in them

You are nearly suggesting that naming them would be some kind of a character deformation - discredit them my arse! The 93 team was loaded with men who did what it took and were full of men with plenty of "divelment".
McKeever, Downey x 2, McGurk, Barton were as cute a set of hures as you would get on any pitch. And as for McGilligan - not so much cute just a savage!

[Would this not be a great opportunity to play the u21 competition?]

http://derrygaa.ie/fixturesandresults/?countyBoardID=7&compGroupID=51239&leagueTable=y

Is this league cup going to turn out to be a complete farce?  Looks like Lavey has conceded all their games already!?

Surely Lavey could field their fringe players or reserves if they dont want their seniors to compete in this league cup. Or is there a cup competition for reserves as well?

I wouldn't say it'll turn out a complete farce but I certainly don't think it'll go as well as intended.  Many of the club players that I've spoken with would rather have a break from action for a week or two rather than running off another 7 games that have very little meaning. 

Two solutions that I think would improve the overall approach would be to either remove the reserve fixtures in it allowing clubs to field a mix of senior and reserve players, reducing the strain on clubs that don't have big panels (county players aren't able to play in this competition) and allowing older / injured players to take a rest if needed. 
Alternatively, split the divisions into 4 groups of 4 rather than just 2 smaller leagues.  Each club then plays just 3 games which could be held every other weekend allowing players a week off in between and then the winners of each group play in a semi final and final for the "League Cup".

I can understand the thinking behind it but with a few small tweaks it would be even more beneficial to players looking extra games but also keen to have a break in action.

Would this not be a great opportunity to play the u21 competition?

I don't think so as players on the u20 & Senior County panels would not be available to the club u21 teams.  Plus the idea of these cup games is to have regular football for the ordinary club player while inter county players are unavailable.  I think this is a good idea in principle and would commend the CCC for their efforts in trying something like this, especially when the training to game ratio is so poor already.  No doubt the format can be tweaked and improved but it will take buy in & feedback from the clubs to make it a success. 

I feel this year could set a marker of how the competition is viewed. If it was taken seriously the competition could grow over the next couple of years to be a worthwhile competitive tournament however I feel if a team (or more than one) pulsl out and it's not taken very seriously then more clubs could feel its not worthwhile next year and rather than get 7 meaningless games over 10 weeks could take a 2-3 week break then get 2-3 tough friendlies lined up the couple of weeks leading upto the 2nd round of league games.

Yeah, it will all depend on how the clubs treat it.  Not a good start with Lavey pulling out already.  Personally I'd have liked to have seen a regional championship  played at this stage in Senior Intermediate & Junior.  Group stages then into quarter/semi Finals.  Short travel times so midweek games could be played & local rivalries with a North/South Derry championship trophy as a prize to give it some importance to the clubs/players

Lavey do what Lavey do

Agree that it would be much better if it was one game only. Teams like Slaughtneil and even Lavey who have a number of players on the county football and hurling panels might struggle to field two teams but surely could get 15 players out of somewhere.

On another note I see Chrissy has been named as captain of the small ball team. That is putting some demands on him now.

Just when I've nothing else to do, what is the story around Screen. Losing 6 from 7 is not the type of start you would expect from one of the big guns. Players injured/missing? Management? In house fighting?  At least their discipline issues haven't raised its head - yet!

[Did I hear the referee got hit?]

Any craic last night lads?

Just ballinderry supporters letting their club down again, but sure whats new

Did I hear the referee got hit?

Just want to clear this one up before it gathers any moss. - the referee was not hit.

The referee or a referee??!!

?

[Did I hear the referee got hit?]

Any craic last night lads?

Just ballinderry supporters letting their club down again, but sure whats new

Did I hear the referee got hit?

Just want to clear this one up before it gathers any moss. - the referee was not hit.

Just going by what I heard. Were you at the game?

Any craic last night lads?

Just ballinderry supporters letting their club down again, but sure whats new

Did I hear the referee got hit?

[County board directive to increase prices from £3 to £4 for all senior league games]

Are Ballinderry the only club to put up prices to club league games?

No slaughtneil did the same went to watch slaugtneil an ballinderry and was charged £5 every other club was charging £3

that's a funny thing, I was just commenting on that to a friend of mines recently about when was the last time there was an increase into club league games. It is £3 for as long as I can recall. £5 is fair enough rate to charge in my view.

Neither price is correct gents. County board directive to increase prices from £3 to £4 for all senior league games, so don't blame the poor gate men.

Not blaming the gate men at all, just wondering if there has been an increase as this was the first time I have seen the cost going up. Been at Screen, Magherafelt, Slaughneil, Glenullin and Coleraine this year and they have all been £3 as normal.