Tyrone County Football and Hurling

[Fuzzman]

I see Mickey Harte in today's IN is saying that there is a feeling out there that most county players don't play many games for their clubs and there are those in the squad that never get a game with the county and also don't get to play for their club but he says that's not true in Tyrone, they only miss 4 or 5 starred games.

I'm a long time away from the club scene now and was just wondering is he right? Do most of the panel play many league games each year?

[Ty4Sam]

There are 6 starred games a year, so they are available for all other games.

[Legoman5]

There are 6 starred games a year, so they are available for all other games.

Can only be a maximum 5 starred games in total..

[Ty4Sam]

There are 6 starred games a year, so they are available for all other games.

Can only be a maximum 5 starred games in total..

Apologies Legoman, you're correct. Not sure why I had 6 in my head.

[tothetop03]

There are 6 starred games a year, so they are available for all other games.

Can only be a maximum 5 starred games in total..

Apologies Legoman, you're correct. Not sure why I had 6 in my head.

He missed out on the bit where there is no matches for weeks due to training on county free week ends and training camps away in the Carlton house...selective as usual from Mickey...

[In hiding]

Lads, firstly I thought it was nice of Irish News/mickey harte to allow aaron kernan a bit of space to squeeze his column in between the two page startling feature where mickey tells us that club players aren't really that hard done by and that county players don't actually miss too many club games. So what's the big issue ??
The big issue is that as long as mickey has practically full control over a county panel of approx 35 players for 9 or 10 months a year he is happy. He doesn't seem to know or want to know why the CPA has been set up.
Fix the fixtures !

[Redhand Santa]

I'm pretty sure league games weren't cancelled last year due to training weekends and that Harte stuck to the 13 day rule. A quick check shows that from the leagues started on the 10th April the county players were available for 7 league games up to 24th July. They also would have played 4 ulster championship matches during this time. I'd be pretty confident that no other top counties club players were available for more games during this time.

That doesn't mean that everything is ok for club footballers and that is the point Harte missed. There is no schedule of games and they just seem to be thrown together with too many long delays in the season and the season running too long. Club players need to play regular games when the county players aren't available and clubs have to accept games without them. It seems that the first 7 or so games with county players get played ok but its the last 3 that holds everything up.

In some ways 12 team leagues would be better as you could play 7 matches with county men and 4 starred games and have the leagues wrapped up pre championship. But then this probably isn't enough games so you'd need some form of another competition during the summer when no county players but clubs don't seem to buy into them.

[The Trap]

How often do county players train with their clubs from Jan to Aug?

[Tyrone Gaa]

How often do county players train with their clubs from Jan to Aug?

That probably depends on the individual county player and their commitment to club football.  I know some county players that wont train with their club at all bar a bit of pre season work.

I would imagine it varies club to club

[In hiding]

I'm pretty sure league games weren't cancelled last year due to training weekends and that Harte stuck to the 13 day rule. A quick check shows that from the leagues started on the 10th April the county players were available for 7 league games up to 24th July. They also would have played 4 ulster championship matches during this time. I'd be pretty confident that no other top counties club players were available for more games during this time.

That doesn't mean that everything is ok for club footballers and that is the point Harte missed. There is no schedule of games and they just seem to be thrown together with too many long delays in the season and the season running too long. Club players need to play regular games when the county players aren't available and clubs have to accept games without them. It seems that the first 7 or so games with county players get played ok but its the last 3 that holds everything up.

In some ways 12 team leagues would be better as you could play 7 matches with county men and 4 starred games and have the leagues wrapped up pre championship. But then this probably isn't enough games so you'd need some form of another competition during the summer when no county players but clubs don't seem to buy into them.

Ive always thought it and now i'm sure. Redhand Santa must be Mickey Harte. You solution to the problem is to shorten the club season. Not one mention of the county season just a bit to tell us that clubs must accept to play league games without their county men. Nobody with any interest whatsoever in club football would come up with this crap. The CPA can't come quick enough

[EastTyrone]

I'm pretty sure league games weren't cancelled last year due to training weekends and that Harte stuck to the 13 day rule. A quick check shows that from the leagues started on the 10th April the county players were available for 7 league games up to 24th July. They also would have played 4 ulster championship matches during this time. I'd be pretty confident that no other top counties club players were available for more games during this time.

That doesn't mean that everything is ok for club footballers and that is the point Harte missed. There is no schedule of games and they just seem to be thrown together with too many long delays in the season and the season running too long. Club players need to play regular games when the county players aren't available and clubs have to accept games without them. It seems that the first 7 or so games with county players get played ok but its the last 3 that holds everything up.

In some ways 12 team leagues would be better as you could play 7 matches with county men and 4 starred games and have the leagues wrapped up pre championship. But then this probably isn't enough games so you'd need some form of another competition during the summer when no county players but clubs don't seem to buy into them.

Ive always thought it and now i'm sure. Redhand Santa must be Mickey Harte. You solution to the problem is to shorten the club season. Not one mention of the county season just a bit to tell us that clubs must accept to play league games without their county men. Nobody with any interest whatsoever in club football would come up with this crap. The CPA can't come quick enough

Has to be. Just looked through his old posts. Every other one about Harte and this 13 day rule. Either he is Harte or comes from an awful club so he has to support the county team.

[Redhand Santa]

Why don't one of you two go and check how many games county players were available for in the other top counties between April and July and see what the results are. If you listen to some of you lads the problem is all with Harte. In reality the Tyrone boys were available more than in most other counties. The issue is with the current system. You'll find if there was a different county manager things certainly wouldn't be any different. Do you really believe it would?

[In hiding]

Why don't one of you two go and check how many games county players were available for in the other top counties between April and July and see what the results are. If you listen to some of you lads the problem is all with Harte. In reality the Tyrone boys were available more than in most other counties. The issue is with the current system. You'll find if there was a different county manager things certainly wouldn't be any different. Do you really believe it would?

Mickey you just don't get it. I don't care what county players missed what games for their clubs. My issue is that the county season must be shortened to give the vast majority of footballers in ireland some type of idea how their year will pan out. All you are worried about is the number of starred games there is

[Redhand Santa]

I defended Harte in terms of the current situation regarding county players being available. I also said he missed the point in terms of the issues with club football which are there is no clear set of fixtures, there is too big a gaps between games at times and it drags out too long. Not sure if you missed that in my original post.

Even if the county season was shortened it will still take place in the middle of summer which will still effect the club season. Something needs to be done to provide regular games during that period so club players aren't training with no games. Even if they brought the All Ireland final forward to end of August things might not be that much better cause there was still big issues this year and Tyrone were out early August.

To me during that time you have to either play more starred games or have some separate summer competition. I've no idea what other solution there is. Some could argue a split season between club and county but is that practical?

[In hiding]

I defended Harte in terms of the current situation regarding county players being available. I also said he missed the point in terms of the issues with club football which are there is no clear set of fixtures, there is too big a gaps between games at times and it drags out too long. Not sure if you missed that in my original post.

Even if the county season was shortened it will still take place in the middle of summer which will still effect the club season. Something needs to be done to provide regular games during that period so club players aren't training with no games. Even if they brought the All Ireland final forward to end of August things might not be that much better cause there was still big issues this year and Tyrone were out early August.

To me during that time you have to either play more starred games or have some separate summer competition. I've no idea what other solution there is. Some could argue a split season between club and county but is that practical?

Good post.
No need to always jump to Mickeys defence though. (Still think you might be him)