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utter shite. this should be scrapped.

Maybe if we got the irish news sports desk to subscribe to sports manager that'd sort the whole thing! :-)

Ourboy, have you written to the people concerned? Sounds like you have a point to me. not sure message boards best place to find out what you want to know. Let us know the craic when you find out.

Even better if you go on to the Derry website results section and click on the subscribe link (http://gaa_results.sportsmanager.ie/) you'll get the results emailed to you automatically. Save yerself the price of the auld paper. They're full of shite anyway.

after all the crying and bitching on here im hoping this will be a good game. am i right in saying that both teams have full strenght teams now? suspension and injury wise? could be a good end to a bad year in derry football.

Don't think it has been that bad. We had some good exciting games and good football.

agree. I thought the two semis were excellent. A few good games earlier too. I think the back door takes away from it a wee bit but I understand why it's there.

Fear, I've no interest in a slanging match so am not going to get into one. The central point you've made seems to be that there is a lack of hurling referees in the county or a lack of organisation amongst them and/or the CCC. I wouldn't condone that for a second and that surely needs looked at. Does that really warrant "Derry Board Out of Control"? I'm not related to anyone next or near a county board. I just hate to see wide sweeping statements made which plainly ignore tonnes of good constructive work that is being done, and also when there's far better means and ways to get what you want changed actually done. No-one in their right mind would take a vendetta against anyone for raising the valid points you're making there. No-one in their right mind could dismiss them either. Let's be positive, not negative about getting changes made. And sure if you're really stuck, you can always call in the lawyers like they do across the sperrins   

To be honest, I can't do better than TFAL's response, but I'll try...

Whilst I question the motivation of someone starting a thread like this, I'd agree with the summary given by onthepitch. Everyone knows there is still a job of work to do around some of the things mentioned. All administrations in their first year need time to bed in. However, massive strides have been taken this year with a complete change in emphasis and the manner of doing things, and we're on the right path with the right people in charge. If you knew what you were talking about or ever spoke with the chairman and vice-chairman you would know their commitment and sincerity towards the cause and you wouldn't be starting threads like this.

I think the basic values of the association are alive and well in Derry. I would count one of those values as loyalty to the democratic voice of the clubs which is what was heard less than twelve months ago when the clubs overwhelmingly got the changes in the county board that they wanted. Your attempt to undermine that on an anonymous forum says more about your own values than anything else. Your use of the words "corruption" and "skullduggery" are also a disgrace even if you attempt to lessen them with "perceived".

Any word on how Coleraine and Kilrea got on in the Ulster camogie ?

Coleraine won. Kilrea lost.

Thought Tompkins made an arse of himself with the 'few pints at half time' remark. That kinda thing can come back to haunt and nearly did!
Drop Des...bring in the the wee seoige sister.

If satan himself was giving as much money to the ulster council as mr patterson's lads are about to he'd get a hogan ticket too. It's nearly as much as a days interest on one of cowen's bonds.

[their political futures]

This article and the storm surrounding it is music to my ears. I've long been banging on about this secret police style of the upper echelons of the GAA and people sometimes find it hard to believe you. Now everyone can see it for what it is. A wonderful organisation unfortunately headed by self promoters who do not give a shit about anyone but themselves and their political futures. GAA "democracy" lets them get where they are because most people involved just want to train a team or whatever and can't face the admin side where these boys hold sway.

St Mary's are our neighbouring club and keenest rivals. I'm surprised given their contacts that they got no satisfaction and by the looks of things they are too. I can imagine certain people are livid this morning with that article. Some old alliances will be under strain!

spot on lad...literally in the case of the likes of Sean Kelly who I blame for the whole f*ckin lot 

and those good men that do like Tyrone's Mark Conway are ridiculed as somehow backward and resistant to change of any type when the truth is that they are the people who understand fully that the gaa is a grassroots organisation and should be owned and run for the grassroots. Others like Christy Cooney use double speak in this area. I actually feel sorry for the man as I think he was probably in it for the right reasons. Like many before him in other walks of life power and office have somewhat (not literally) corrupted the ideals.

Am I also the only one who thinks those inflatable footballs and champions league style flag waving to sudo irish music kills an atmosphere rather than makes it? They only switch the music off for about 10 secs to let the players out! The poor artane band are a side show these days.

One of the best atmosphere I ever experienced before a game was as recent as 2005 AI semi final when Tyrone and Armagh fans tried to out shout each other before the players came out. It was hair raising stuff. Coincidentally it was one of the best/hard fought games I ever saw too.

Back in the day (i.e. anything more than 3-4 years ago) it was all about the crowd and having a crowd generate an atmosphere. What was wrong with that?

the writing was on the wall the day the hot dogs and popcorn came in lads...it's gone downhill from there.

Croker is fast becoming a soul-less spot.

First we had the kilkenny minors presentation cut short. The poor bishop hadn't a clue what happened. The man hasn't recovered since. The next sin was to parade around Croke Park to the feckin black eyed peas "i got a feeling". Jasus i near choked on my candy floss. It was just awful.

Now we have one section of the stadium captured behind perspex like penguins in a zoo. Anyone remember why barriers were removed the world over? You couldn't make it up.

There's more chance being hurt by one of them garda horses outside quinns than there is being crushed getting onto a pitch.

We now live in a land of pr and marketing people who need to make constant changes to justify their existence. And to see the GPA goons for all their striking and threats to destroy our games now make doe eyed 'what if it was your sister, your brother' bullshit videos is the worst of all.

I hope it was all worth it lads...the cheque is in the post.

ps the tinsel from the hogan stand is class though. Makes the hair on your neck stand up...Need to make sure noone trips on it though and sends in a big claim.
pps. anyone see the opening titles of the sunday game and the down fans sitting on the top of the nally stand in 1960? Now there's a proper health and safety issue!!!

All imo so feel free to tear my thoughts to pieces!

Well here goes so!

We should not ever become "champions league" type format in my view just because some of the other provinces are less competitive.

That's not the reason I'm in favour of abolishing the provincial championships. There are a number of reasons, not least among them the fact that they cause fixture chaos for CB's who can't plan club fixtures until they know if their county team wins their provincial championship games. We don't get to see the big teams play each other enough, very few counties actually win them and the ones that do aren't too bothered if they win them or not anymore and a good few more reasons on top of that.

We are worldly unique in our structure and long may it remain so.

Why? Unique means nothing, good means something. If our structures are as good as they can be then we should keep them, unique or not. If they are not, and they aren't then we should look for something else.

We all breath the same air, have the same ability to train our teams and build our own traditions. It just takes hard work to catch up with the leaders of the time.

Tell that to Limerick who may have to beat both Kerry and Cork to win Munster next year, would you fancy your own counties chances of winning something if they had to beat both of them?

thinking that a structural change is gonna work is deluding ourselves. It's the passion and energy in your county that dictates your success, nothing else.

It isn't about generating success for the Limerick's of this world it is about creating a competition format which gives everyone the same chance of success, you have to win the same amount of games played at the same time.

but does the current backdoor system not provide the escape from the kerrys and the corks that you're after? Aplogies in advance  but i'll take the example of ulster.

Since the introduction of the qualifier system we've seen AI semi final appearances for fermanagh, armagh, tyrone, derry, donegal and down. Monaghan have been there or there abouts too and Antrim have started to improve alot. Only really Cavan have failed to show any kind of form.

Only two of those teams have gotten there via winning their provincial title. Is this not an example of equality that you say is missing?

If

Ballyhaiseman's post regarding a new football championship format forms the basis of the only fair and equitable way forward. The current system is totally loaded in favour of the two smaller and often the two least competitive provinces of Connacht and Munster. Both Mickey Harte and Jack O'Connor have made valid comments about the unfairness of the present system with regards to provincial winners. However if they are really concerned about inequality and injustice  for all counties they would come to only one conclusion. This would mean that the current provincial championship would be abolished and that a league championship format would be created along the lines of my good Cavan friend.

If Ulster is so competitive then why has it been so long since someone other than Tyrone or Armagh have won it?

who mentioned Ulster being the most competitive? Turn round and slap that big chip off your shoulder.

Well you did class connacht/munster as least competitive provinces didn't you? you may have a point with Munster (1992 clare other than kerry/cork)

yes, I said they weren't the most contested. My point was that noone (before I posted) mentioned ulster as being the most competitive which you stated. You raised this based on something in your head rather than on this thread. The meedja (SG) have tried to flag this crap before. It's nonsense. Don't suck it in.

read the edit. point still stands imo. don't believe the crap that falls out of the mouth of all these bollocks' on the rte coverage (especially including my own county men!!!)

If

Ballyhaiseman's post regarding a new football championship format forms the basis of the only fair and equitable way forward. The current system is totally loaded in favour of the two smaller and often the two least competitive provinces of Connacht and Munster. Both Mickey Harte and Jack O'Connor have made valid comments about the unfairness of the present system with regards to provincial winners. However if they are really concerned about inequality and injustice  for all counties they would come to only one conclusion. This would mean that the current provincial championship would be abolished and that a league championship format would be created along the lines of my good Cavan friend.

If Ulster is so competitive then why has it been so long since someone other than Tyrone or Armagh have won it?

who mentioned Ulster being the most competitive? Turn round and slap that big chip off your shoulder.