Messages

I think I deserve life long access to Derry v Donegal tickets. For the sole reason that I was in Clones in 2002 when Derry played Donegal during the World Cup.
It would be interesting to know if the people who call men like me "bandwagoners" where at that game? They complain yet they were probably sitting at home watching the ROI v Spain game that day.

I too was there - rarely missed a championship game with derry in 30 years.
I'm probably not going to get to the Derry v Donegal game as I'd need about 6 tickets.

Was at that game myself and countless Derry home games through the years but hold out no hope of tickets for Donegal match,as far as I hear 110 tickets for each club,where are the rest going???

Heard that, but surely it's based on membership numbers? Would Moneymore be getting the same number of tickets as 'Screen for example?
2k odd seated tickets going to the dignitaries by the looks of it

TOBAR? what section? It's a minefield in there

On point 2, I would make it compulsory everyone who receives a red card will not be eligible to play until they sit a rule test and get at least 80%.

I would make the standard referee test compulsory for every member registering via Foireann. With Referees having to get 80+%, Players should have to get 70%, normal members 60%. At the very least, it may force spectators to actually read the rule book in some sort of depth. I too have players querying the rules after games. Currently, the most common is the 4 step rule after an unclaimed mark.

Players 70% and ref's 80%...are you serious? Surely people know the rules of their games, never mind refs? At most there's a tweak here and there, it's not hard to keep up, surely?

Stopping goals is a fundamental aspect to goal keeping, you not agree?

It's a part yes, but, with the speed of players bursting through on goal, kicking a heavier ball from the hands, off the ground, drop kick, able to fist the ball in from a few yards out, keepers saving is almost a bonus. Angles can be covered etc a la soccer, but it's, literally a different ball game. Add in being a link player and the kick outs, it's much more than the ability to stop a ball going into the net 

It's a tight Championship and always is.

Only 2 of the big 3 of Derry, Donegal and Armagh are going to make the Ulster final.

Not even a good wind up that.

There'll be a kick in Tyrone yet and Cavan will fear no one with the way they played at the weekend.

what exactly have tyrone shown for you to day there will be a kick from them

Gaelic life give Morgan Keeper of the league - all those clean sheets.

Who was better?

It's a tight Championship and always is.

Only 2 of the big 3 of Derry, Donegal and Armagh are going to make the Ulster final.

Not even a good wind up that.

There'll be a kick in Tyrone yet and Cavan will fear no one with the way they played at the weekend.

what exactly have tyrone shown for you to day there will be a kick from them

Experience, Retained D1 status and players returning to fitness?
Bar Derry, I'd still fancy their chances against the rest of Ulster.

Ulster isn't going to be as predictable results wise as people think. They'll be a couple of shocks, or more like half shocks along the way. Monaghan gone already

BALLBAG

Nope, can never be overused.

Agreed, a mighty word for all occasions

[Also Fenton, Kilkenny, McCarthy etc will drop off]

They have lost finals though not in a while but they've either played mayo or just been a better team.

I still firmly believe that in their 6 in a row if they'd played Mayo more in semi finals they would not have 6 in a row.

they beat Kerry last year because they were better than them, they beat Tyrone because they were better, they beat Mayo because Mayo aren't good in finals. kerry would have beat them two years ago in a final because they were better.

Also Fenton, Kilkenny, McCarthy etc will drop off and drop off soon.

You still can't answer why Meath and Kildare are broken but not other teams who are much closer to dublin - i.e. Derry and Kerry and Tyrone when they get themselves in gear will be there or thereabouts.

I don't really know what you are looking here. Kick dublin out of the championship?

Yes, and the players to return (or the missing players atm) are all well into their 30s, one well into his 40s. Croke Pk is a big, fast unforgiving place if you're not in peak (yeehaa) nick

Great article/ piece with Jim Mcguinness in today's Irish News, a full throated defence of USFC & the provincial series. He made the point, that has been made here before, that counties trying to compete v Dublin and Kerry need financial support and development plans to make them competitive  again - as a better alternative to just scrapping them.

The provincial structure is broken and most people just want them moved to the start of the season. Most counties voted for a structure in 2021 which would see them be played first followed by a league based championship. Now we've ended up with a structure which tries to please everyone and is condensed into half the year despite having more games.

If most counties voted that it would have been seen with the vote The current structure we have was voted in by Congress and any change will have to be done via Congress again.

Anyone I have spoken to recently about this said that the system doesn't work. There is no objection to making time for clubs but they all say there are too many games in too short a time period. People hope Jarlath burns will put some smacht on things. 

Too many games doesn't wash. Nearly everyone thats ever played will say they'd far rather play more games rather than train for weeks on end behind games.

I predict a  grassroots movement for change at the next Congress.

Grassroots ?

Grassroots is the club's, son who are delighted with the defined split season

Not so happy are the paid shills and expensed intercounty managers who have had a bit of power taken away from them.

Oh and the prawn sandwich crew which live for the days in Premium in "Croker" and would struggle to find their nearest club grounds

Maybe the Club Players Association with its 25,000 members should come back into being to lobby every CLUB delegate before every county convention, should any motion to erode what has been hard won come before Congress

Everybody who follows county has a club and is grassroots. It is not one or the other. People are happy with more time for clubs but not with the state of the all Ireland- things like not playing in August and September, the rushed nature of things, the lack of joined up thinking.

The current all Ireland system is not a solution. And club vs county is not a culture war. Most people are both. They want an all Ireland system that works.

Go on then

Give us a system that "works"

Because all I'm seeing everywhere is a whole load of lads that are making money out of the game whinging

But not offering a lot of workable solutions

Have you ever come across Michael Foley's analysis? He did it in last Sunday's sunday times.
There are too many matches that don't mean anything. The league has been devalued.The championship has elements of the league. And there is no margin.  I think the club idea is fine. It's how the championship is run

This is what he said : 


"The GAA aren't quite there yet with running the provincial championship in early spring before stretching a league-based all Ireland championship from April to early august "

What would you think of that ?

Firstly that's Michael Foleys solution not your own

Do you have a solution that isn't anyone else's ?

Secondly

Foleys solution adds a week at most to the intercounty season which isn't what the vast majority of anti split season proponents in the media are looking for.

They want a return to all Irelands in September

Thirdly

It's highly improbable that the GAA will ditch their second most important national competition


Here's what I'd do and I'm speaking purely from a hurling viewpoint

1.Every County needs at least 2 hybrid pitchs and every province at least one dome

The weather is changing and infrastructure needs to be put in  to recognise this and also allow for greater numbers playing our games

A trip to Iceland might open lads eyes in terms of sporting infrastructure

2.Intercounty season goes from January to end July

Club August to December

3.Put a cap on intercounty training sessions and a cap on team spending

Both are an out of control industry at the minute

You had that football manager from Roscommon claiming they had done 75 sessions in 80 days like it was some sort of badge of honor when even anyone with basic cop on would know that rest and recovery are more important than training

Counties allowed to start training end of November at the minute

Ban that also

County Training starts January

Players needs at least December off if they aren't involved in club finals

Monitor Enforce and Fine heavily if it's being broken

4.Scrap all early season competitions

Scrap League Semi finals

Scrap preliminary championship quarter finals

The winner of the Joe Mc Donagh plays Liam McCarthy the following year but get rid of the farce of the Joe McDonagh finalists taking trimmings every year in the preliminary quarter finals

All this frees up a min of 2 months in a 6 month schedule

5.Market the Games

Lads claiming that All Irelands in September inspires kids

We have had 120 odd Hurling Finals in September and Hurling hasn't grown outside of its traditional base in all that time

GAA marketing is a laughable oxymoron

The only time it's been effective is when the likes of Guinness have ran campaigns

Headhunt and hire in people who have worked with the rugby,they know how to turn a sows ear into a silk purse in terms of visibility engagement and ticket sales

You talk about the importance of recovery and training less, but you want adult teams to train and play more on synthetic pitches?

Choked
Bottled it

Nobody just gets beat anymore.

Usually uttered by people have been there / done that, oh wait...

Thanks Itchy 

Owenbeg is the same.. I'd say there's quite a few about, no?

They look to be square alright, but at least are between the posts, not in front of them. Jeez thought most decent country grounds have round ones, no?

I know, you hit a shot, round posts you've a fair chance of the ball either going over or under, not straight back out at ye, zero to show for it

Peak / peaked / peaking

Owenbeg is the same.. I'd say there's quite a few about, no?

As quite a few thought, Jota has proved to be a big miss, much more clinical than any of the other attackers

Back this week apparently