AIQF 2017 Tír Eoghain vs Ard Macha, Sat. August 5th @4pm

[rionach 4]

This type of incident or incidents occur when the match tickets and train tickets taken out of the hands of the county board and the clubs. Tickets were on sale on line and in shops throughout Armagh and anyone could buy them. The train tickets were sold on a booking system and you received your ticket in the post. This does not happen when demand out weighs supply. I knew there could be trouble when tickets were open season.

I am not against this system as it has its advantages but this is one of the drawbacks. Heavy drinking and anti- social behaviour happens quite often in Clones particularly in the first round or semi final matches when tickets can be bought the same way or even on the day. I may also add that many of the drunken louts do not even go to the game. It's a cheap day out binge drinking etc. It's a societal problem not peculiar to the GAA.

If Tyrone gets to the All-Ireland and even though they beat us well, I hope they do, there will not be this trouble and there will be special trains etc. It's because the ticket sales are strictly controlled via clubs.  Some might say they are not playing Armagh but they did a few years back and absolutely no bother either at the ground or on the trains. 

The trouble on the trains was caused by a very very small minority and yes it can cause havoc for those close round but TransLink is to be condemned here. There was no checking on which train you were on. The trouble occurred on the last train at 9 .20. Most had been drinking flat out all day on every type of fuel god could dose them with. A huge crowd rolled up for the train including I may add soccer fans who should not have been on as these were specifically Gaa specials(not being anti Soccer). A good few had left it to the last train and should have been on the other earlier specials leaving.

The officials at Connolly station just fired them on to the train as to avoid it being their problem no checking of tickets etc or anything hence the gross overcrowding, drunkenness and mayhem. My only wonder was that it wasn't worse, bad and all as it was. This does reflect badly on us in the GAA who pride ourselves on the camaraderie and friendship that is the GAA. I can see the Newsletter rubbing it's hands in glee. To make out it was a Tyrone -Armagh thing was unfortunate. That is most def not the norm.
There are those who will use this as a stick to beat us with and we have to take it on the chin. I understand where itchy is coming from. I am a proud Armagh man and know that the vast vast majority of GAA people on the train are abhorred. It was a drunken brawl that could have happened anytime anywhere.

Surprised to see some of those involved though, certainly not the thuggish types. I know for a fact they will be more disgusted with themselves than anything else and to be fair so they should be. I'll leave it at that

[sam03/05]

There has been complaints regarding Armagh supporters in every game in the backdoor this year
Against Westmeath / Tipp and now Tyrone. Seems to be a sc**bag element / buck fast Brigade

[AZOffaly]

I don't think there was any problem with Armagh fans v Tipp? Everyone I spoke to about that day were impressed with the Armagh fans.

[lurganblue]

There has been complaints regarding Armagh supporters in every game in the backdoor this year
Against Westmeath / Tipp and now Tyrone. Seems to be a sc**bag element / buck fast Brigade

Will we also include the fermanagh and Kildare games for the craic too aye?

[APM]

There has been complaints regarding Armagh supporters in every game in the backdoor this year
Against Westmeath / Tipp and now Tyrone. Seems to be a sc**bag element / buck fast Brigade

As a Armagh follower, I don't have any problem addressing the fact that we have some supporters that jump on the bandwagon, get hammered and behave like prats.  If I see a crowd behaving in the same way in Tyrone, Down or Dublin jerseys, I don't immediately associate that behaviour with the county, the county board, the county team, all their supporters. 

However, there are plenty on here, predisposed to dislike Armagh, Tyrone, Dublin, Northerners, Freestaters or whoever.  When they see the hooligans in jerseys that they are pre-disposed to dislike, their negative perceptions about the county are reinforced.  It's a bit like the way in Belfast on St. Patrick's Day you get unionist politicians lining up to criticise the rowdiness in the Holylands and after the 12th they are nowhere to be seen - and vice versa. 

There are plenty of football bigots that see bad behaviour in other teams' followers and never see it in their own, and people could do with growing up a bit. 

[Armamike]

There has been complaints regarding Armagh supporters in every game in the backdoor this year
Against Westmeath / Tipp and now Tyrone. Seems to be a sc**bag element / buck fast Brigade

Wrong.

[Armamike]

There has been complaints regarding Armagh supporters in every game in the backdoor this year
Against Westmeath / Tipp and now Tyrone. Seems to be a sc**bag element / buck fast Brigade

As a Armagh follower, I don't have any problem addressing the fact that we have some supporters that jump on the bandwagon, get hammered and behave like prats.  If I see a crowd behaving in the same way in Tyrone, Down or Dublin jerseys, I don't immediately associate that behaviour with the county, the county board, the county team, all their supporters. 

However, there are plenty on here, predisposed to dislike Armagh, Tyrone, Dublin, Northerners, Freestaters or whoever.  When they see the hooligans in jerseys that they are pre-disposed to dislike, their negative perceptions about the county are reinforced.  It's a bit like the way in Belfast on St. Patrick's Day you get unionist politicians lining up to criticise the rowdiness in the Holylands and after the 12th they are nowhere to be seen - and vice versa. 

There are plenty of football bigots that see bad behaviour in other teams' followers and never see it in their own, and people could do with growing up a bit.

Exactly.  There's a lot of moral indignation and faux outrage flying about this board.

[Il Bomber Destro]

There are plenty of football bigots that see bad behaviour in other teams' followers and never see it in their own, and people could do with growing up a bit.

Itchy being an obvious example.

[APM]

And some of your Tyrone compatriots and maybe some of my own too!!!

[BennyCake]

There is really very little that either county board can do about this incident, however I do think they should issue a statement condemning it.
Reading fans of other counties talk about incidents involving Armagh & Tyrone fans over the years (some as far back as 17 years ago!) is really quite ridiculous...I could recount many incidents over the years where I have seen fans of other counties acting the drunken maggot including Derry lads at the first round of the Championship last year against Tyrone where a group of lads who had clearly been out on the lash from the night before proceeded to call just about every Tyrone player all the c**nts of the day (they were completely stinking too). Thankfully they left before the first half ended. Could talk about similar incidents with Cavan, Down, Fermanagh, Meath, Laois and Dublin fans. Maybe it is more prominent with Armagh & Tyrone because they bring a significantly larger support than most other counties (obviously barring Dublin). It would be great if these lads stayed away (like they do until we have a game in Croke Park) but unfortunately I can't see anything changing
The big problem is that in this country just about every big event is turned into a complete piss up. The footage from the train could have been taken in any town across the country on a Saturday night I have no doubt.

You have a point. Every big event is an excuse for a piss up. Concerts, festivals, sport: a lot of people go for the booze moreso than the event. It's the main reason why I forego some events tbh, and I'm not anti drink. I've seen it when Armagh are in big games, people pissed and on trains/buses with carry outs who were never as a match in their lives. I'm sure it's the same in all counties.

I think it's a country wide problem though. A lot of people link such events with booze ups. It's just normal practice. I've always thought it's an insecurity thing with Irish people, that they're uncomfortable with any sort of social occasion that they feel they need to be tanked up to get through it.

[imtommygunn]

It is country wide thing. Maybe those counties have a couple more but i have seen pretty bad behaviour from one leinster county in particular and not Dublin! It is a success thing too. It even happened in antrim once when we got to the ulster final. Hasn't happened much since mind.

[tonto1888]

There has been complaints regarding Armagh supporters in every game in the backdoor this year
Against Westmeath / Tipp and now Tyrone. Seems to be a sc**bag element / buck fast Brigade

Nonsense

[ziggysego]

No Tyrone club ever won the all Ireland.

*coughs*

How could anyone forgot yer lot zigs

Happier days 

I though Tyronies only counted all-ireland senior or club senior as all-irelands?

Nope, only people who have a serious gripe against Tyrone.

[Eamonnca1]

I think it's a country wide problem though. A lot of people link such events with booze ups. It's just normal practice. I've always thought it's an insecurity thing with Irish people, that they're uncomfortable with any sort of social occasion that they feel they need to be tanked up to get through it.

That's absolutely spot on. I'm a light drinker so I stop after one. I've had people tell me they don't know how I can sit sober in a pub, they'd feel tense and out of place. It's like they come to depend on the drink to help them relax.

[tonto1888]

I think it's a country wide problem though. A lot of people link such events with booze ups. It's just normal practice. I've always thought it's an insecurity thing with Irish people, that they're uncomfortable with any sort of social occasion that they feel they need to be tanked up to get through it.

That's absolutely spot on. I'm a light drinker so I stop after one. I've had people tell me they don't know how I can sit sober in a pub, they'd feel tense and out of place. It's like they come to depend on the drink to help them relax.

I don't drink at all anymore. It can make some people feel uneasy

When I used to go to big game on the train we wouldn't have taken a carry out. Couple of pints in the north star before and after the game. Maybe a couple of cans for the train back but then out when we got back to Lurgan Good times. I cant remember any trouble on the trains back in those days