Ulster U20 and Minor Championships 2024

[marty34]

When one reads that, then it's impressive that Tyrone are there or thereabouts each year.

I made a point in the Ulster Colleges thread about Tyrone being a relatively very large county with a lot of in built advantages, applies double at county underage level, the volumes of numbers (& thus a better quality pick) are a different level to smaller countries with only Donegal in Ulster really comparable in numbers & size. Having said that the Armagh underage set up seems poor enough and Tyrone seems very professional.

Armagh is a small county with too many clubs and too many of those clubs are small clubs; many of whom have to amalgamate at some or all age levels. Every year there's some new team thrown together that I've never heard of. There's even been a rake of clubs at junior level that have appeared and then fizzled out, why they were ever given the green light is beyond me. All the while the potential in the urban areas remains completely neglected.

Apart from the odd anomaly, it's the same clubs at underage doing all the heavy lifting. While I'm all for promoting our games, it doesn't lend itself to a good environment for producing good county teams at underage.

Schools wise you've two (maybe three depending on what St Paul's Bessbrook have coming through) mediocre schools at MacRory level. Yes there's St Colman's and Abbey but even they're not producing teams that can challenge. St Ronan's on size alone should be perennial challengers for MacRory honours.

Tyrone is virtually the opposite of Armagh in terms of numbers of clubs proportionate to the size of the county, standard of clubs, standard of schools, etc

Perhaps when the new centre of excellence is built Armagh will turn a corner at underage.

Where's the new COE being built at?

[twohands!!!]

Tyrone had 308 registered underage football teams in 2022 while Armagh had 282.

Tyrone had the 12th hightest number of underage teams while Armagh had the 16th overall.

Not exactly a massive gap in the numbers to pick from.

The numbers in other Ulster counties.

Antrim 213
Cavan 296
Derry 268
Donegal 325
Down 298
Fermanagh 136
Monaghan 232

Fair to say Tyrone looking like serious over-achievers in terms of numbers and success.

[yellowcard]

Why are Armagh so poor at underage? They haven't challenged for a thing in the past decade +. Rarely reaching even semi-finals.

Since the All Ireland minor success of 2009 the record has been shocking at both underage grades. I'd say you could count on 2 hands the number of games we've won since then. I can't answer the question of why but whatever we're doing isn't working.

[bennydorano]

Tyrone had 308 registered underage football teams in 2022 while Armagh had 282.

Tyrone had the 12th hightest number of underage teams while Armagh had the 16th overall.

Not exactly a massive gap in the numbers to pick from.

The numbers in other Ulster counties.

Antrim 213
Cavan 296
Derry 268
Donegal 325
Down 298
Fermanagh 136
Monaghan 232

Fair to say Tyrone looking like serious over-achievers in terms of numbers and success.

I'd like to see the actual breakdown of that data. Armagh have 44 senior clubs, Tyrone have 53, a 17% difference in actual clubs, but it doesn't tell you the difference in sizes, memberships and most importantly quality.

Tyrone are undoubtedly doing a lot right at underage but i've always thought Derry are the real over achievers in underage county football in Ulster.

[twohands!!!]

Tyrone had 308 registered underage football teams in 2022 while Armagh had 282.

Tyrone had the 12th hightest number of underage teams while Armagh had the 16th overall.

Not exactly a massive gap in the numbers to pick from.

The numbers in other Ulster counties.

Antrim 213
Cavan 296
Derry 268
Donegal 325
Down 298
Fermanagh 136
Monaghan 232

Fair to say Tyrone looking like serious over-achievers in terms of numbers and success.

I'd like to see the actual breakdown of that data. Armagh have 44 senior clubs, Tyrone have 53, a 17% difference in actual clubs, but it doesn't tell you the difference in sizes, memberships and most importantly quality.

Tyrone are undoubtedly doing a lot right at underage but i've always thought Derry are the real over achievers in underage county football in Ulster.

Those figures were taken from the GAA Annual Report which doesn't break it down any further.

Also these figures don't give the breakdown by age ranges which would tell if numbers are growing/stagnant or falling.

[Armamike]

Not as simple as saying we are a small county. We're not huge but size isn't the issue! Doesn't explain why we can't get a win in a championship match at any underage level (or senior for that matter). Massively underperforming at underage.

[Itchy]

A stupid way to compare counties. Cavan have a club atevery cross road for example, this list means nothing.

[Wildweasel74]

Derry got a shocking record at the U21/20 level. Only 1 All-Ireland win (1997)  since 1968. 65 odd years. There do not have the same attitude to this age group as minor.Mostly likely due to no actual league at this level. Don't know the criteria for picking players, and not up in owenbeg but is the U20 training with the Senior team again this year? Otherwise I don't see how the players on the senior panel actually train/ drill with their own U-20 panel.

[Blowitupref]

11 of that Derry team started and won the 2020 Minor All Ireland final.   Eoin McEvoy would be a 12th is he injured or staying with the seniors?

[God14]

Strong line out that from Derry, with McEvoy still to come in

Would Ryan McNicholl be involved in that panel as well? he got a bad injury for the minors last year

I must have misunderstood the new rule, i thought Murray and Downey were cup tied as they played for the seniors on sunday past. I thought there was a 7 day rule

[Blowitupref]

Strong line out that from Derry, with McEvoy still to come in

Would Ryan McNicholl be involved in that panel as well? he got a bad injury for the minors last year

I must have misunderstood the new rule, i thought Murray and Downey were cup tied as they played for the seniors on sunday past. I thought there was a 7 day rule

Championship rule only is it not?

[J70]

A few famous names in that Derry line up.

Sons of the 90s teams?

[Walter Cronc]

Strong line out that from Derry, with McEvoy still to come in

Would Ryan McNicholl be involved in that panel as well? he got a bad injury for the minors last year

I must have misunderstood the new rule, i thought Murray and Downey were cup tied as they played for the seniors on sunday past. I thought there was a 7 day rule

McNicholl would have been involved surely. Was minor captain last year. He was a huge loss despite a great year for them.

[quit yo jibbajabba]

A few famous names in that Derry line up.

Sons of the 90s teams?

Yassir x 3 afaik

[Blowitupref]

Quarter final results which includes the Ulster and All Ireland champions Tyrone making their exit.

Tyrone 1-8 Down 2-9
Cavan 0-13 Monaghan 1-11
Donegal 0-9 Antrim 0-9  (extra time to be played)
Fermanagh 0-8 Derry 3-12