Seanie Johnston Switch and outside managers

[AQMP]

What is the actual rule on this? Collie Holmes was able to play for a club in Armagh but still play Tyrone, and lots of players have clubs in Dublin but play for their respective counties. But Johnston can't have a club in Cavan and play for Kildare? Because Cavan is his 'home' county? It's a tricky one on that basis. Hopefully he'll fail in his attempt. It doesn't matter how talented you are, no one has a god given right to play intercounty football. The GAA is bigger than Seanie Johnston and even though it'd be a shame not to see him play for a year or two, the consequences of changing the rules to suit him would be worse for the organisation in the long term. I have more sympathy for Kevin Cassidy whos career has been ended by over zealous manager, but that's the way the cookie crumbles unfortunately.

I went through this myself, so I know how it used to be at least. Someone else can clarify if it is the same way. Your first membership is to your initial club. You are then entitled to play for the county your club plays in.

If you fill out an inter county transfer, due to work or whatever, to a new club, there is a section in the paperwork which specifically asks - Do you wish to declare for the county of your new club, or do you wish to retain your affiliation with your original county.

The thing is, you don't transfer counties per se. You transfer club. If, during the course of transferring to the new club, you wish to make yourself eligable for your new county, you may do so. The important point is that is only a SECONDARY aspect of the real transfer, which is between clubs.

Correct.

And to use the example of Dean O'Neill, he is "resident" and works in Antrim but he never transferred from Omagh St Enda's to any Antrim club, therefore he was not eligible to play for Antrim but could still play for Tyrone.  Collie Holmes transferred from the Moy in Tyrone to Armagh Harps but he did not transfer his county allegiance therefore was able to play for Tyrone.

[AZOffaly]

Could Fermanagh, for example, then just start picking players from Tyrone who can't get on the Tyrone panel?

why not?, them lads arent getting inter county football and if they wanted to tog out for Fermanagh, then does not that help the GAA overall?

Doesn't help it in Fermanagh when you could have full Fermanagh panel without 1 Fermanagh man.

Course it does, the fans are happy and the Fermanagh players know where they need to get to to be considered good enough

Yeah, some other county.

[Jinxy]

It's a kick up the hole he wants.

[BennyHarp]

Managers get paid a lot of money to make these sort of big decisions! 

[AQMP]

Could Fermanagh, for example, then just start picking players from Tyrone who can't get on the Tyrone panel?

why not?, them lads arent getting inter county football and if they wanted to tog out for Fermanagh, then does not that help the GAA overall?

Doesn't help it in Fermanagh when you could have full Fermanagh panel without 1 Fermanagh man.

Course it does, the fans are happy and the Fermanagh players know where they need to get to to be considered good enough

FFS it's not the Premiership!

[sammymaguire]

Could Fermanagh, for example, then just start picking players from Tyrone who can't get on the Tyrone panel?

why not?, them lads arent getting inter county football and if they wanted to tog out for Fermanagh, then does not that help the GAA overall?

No. It does not. I presume ye are winding here at this stage. Inter county football is a 'representative' team. i.e. You represent the clubs in the county. That's the idea of it. County teams are not supposed to be autonomous entities with no ties to the clubs in the same county. Some people think the GAA is only about playing inter county, as if that's the raison d'etre of the association. It's not. Playing for your county is a great honour and a great achievement, and it is a target for everyone in the county to aim for. It's not some franchise that is skimming the best players from anywhere at all.

So the strong keep getting stronger and the weak can still hope for their odd day in the sun?? Maybe the GAA need to look at this "representative" basis of the county teams with a more liberal approach... I dont think we would see a mass exodus of any proud county man to another regardless of the rule change.

[sammymaguire]

Could Fermanagh, for example, then just start picking players from Tyrone who can't get on the Tyrone panel?

why not?, them lads arent getting inter county football and if they wanted to tog out for Fermanagh, then does not that help the GAA overall?

Doesn't help it in Fermanagh when you could have full Fermanagh panel without 1 Fermanagh man.

Course it does, the fans are happy and the Fermanagh players know where they need to get to to be considered good enough

FFS it's not the Premiership!

who said it was, and it never will be either but things evolve (well outside Antrim anyway)

[muppet]

Managers get paid a lot of money to make these sort of big decisions! 

[AZOffaly]

So you are suggesting free market movement in a bid to encourage parity? It's a proposal certainly, but it is not something I would be in favour of. I'd prefer to see the weak get off their knees, like Tyrone did.

[heffo]

So you are suggesting free market movement in a bid to encourage parity? It's a proposal certainly, but it is not something I would be in favour of. I'd prefer to see the weak get off their knees, like Tyrone did.

If you have free movement that will only make the strong stronger through.

With a few exceptions here and there, the money will centre around the existing strong counties and this will lead to better players from weaker counties joining the existing 'big counties'.

[BallyhaiseMan]

I see Philip Jordan has been very outspoken about this situation on twitter.

[BallyhaiseMan]

I see Philip Jordan has been very outspoken about this situation on twitter.

He could still do us a turn.

Judging by his comments,playing for anyone other than Moy and Tyrone would be completely out of the question 

[Dont Matter]

Why wouldn't he want to transfer to the flourbags? Some of their achievements are unbelievable. They look in amazing shape in recent O'Byrne Cup games and they only started training on January 1st!!!!! Outstanding!
They are able to make enough money from a team boxing night to cover all costs. It covers everything!!!! Incredible! They give the money to the manager to keep safe.
Seanie would fit in nicely with the Lilies for sure. He managed to get a place in Straffan without paying rent!!!! Unbelievable!

[nrico2006]

Could Fermanagh, for example, then just start picking players from Tyrone who can't get on the Tyrone panel?

They already started that a few years ago.

[Jinxy]

I see Philip Jordan has been very outspoken about this situation on twitter.

Fair play to him.
We need more high-profile players to come out and say the same thing.
This notion that the players are somehow being exploited can only be debunked by the players themselves.