Messages

I am old enough to remember the days when we won nothing. A huge thank you to Mickey Harte and I wish him well going forward.

Just paid for the Tyrone Kerry match but now I can't access the link. Seems if you are outside Ireland you are out of luck as far as streaming it over the internet

Know Belfast Owl quite well and can confirm he is not Donal Mac. He is a long time supporter of Down GAA (not old enough to remember all 5 Sams) and highly opiniated as well. Will buy his round and drinks in the Bot. Don't know what he posts in the OWC as I have no interest in that board; supporting Tyrone will do it for me.

Good luck in tracking down this man of mystery. Watch thhis space

[GAA Football All Ireland Senior Championship Qualifier Round 3Páirc an Chrócaigh 2.00pm Fear Manach v Cill Dara Live RTE2Referee: Aidan Mangan (Ciarraí)(E.T. if Necessary)Páirc an Chrócaigh 4.00pm Ciarraí v Muineachán Live TV3Referee: Maurice Deegan (Laois)(E.T. if Necessary) 9th/10th All Ireland Minor & Senior Football Championship Quarter Finals (4) 24th All Ireland Minor and Senior Football Championship Semi-Finals (Connacht/QF V Munster/QF) 31st All Ireland Minor and Senior Football Championship Semi-Finals (Leinster/QF V Ulster/QF)]

This is the current information on the GAA.ie website; how can we book accomodation and travel with this info.

http://www.gaa.ie/page/football_championship_2008.html

GAA Football All Ireland Senior Championship Qualifier Round 3

Páirc an Chrócaigh 2.00pm Fear Manach v Cill Dara Live RTE2
Referee: Aidan Mangan (Ciarraí)
(E.T. if Necessary)
Páirc an Chrócaigh 4.00pm Ciarraí v Muineachán Live TV3
Referee: Maurice Deegan (Laois)
(E.T. if Necessary)

9th/10th
All Ireland Minor & Senior Football Championship Quarter Finals (4)

24th
All Ireland Minor and Senior Football Championship Semi-Finals (Connacht/QF V Munster/QF)

31st All Ireland Minor and Senior Football Championship Semi-Finals (Leinster/QF V Ulster/QF)

Try this website; I think you need to create an account to use it but otherwise its free. It works in Wales with BT

www.justin.tv/mwb67 or www.justin.tv/nern

Watching the Ulster Final at http://www.justin.tv/mwb67

Reason given. Referee says that the pitch is unsuitable. Most people are out of the ground now. No refunds given but free entry to the replay. The stand was already full by this stage.

I have heard that the game has been called off, no reason given. do not travel

Tyrone gave a lesson on how to lose a match when you dominate most of the first half and come out about even in the second half.
Chances went a begging early on for Tyrone when they overplayed the ball instead of taking responsibility and going for a score. Down substitutes proved very successful late in the second despite some serious doubts from their supporters.

I wish him well in the future. Some great days watching him play at the highest level.
Watch the inteview at http://u.tv/newsroom/indepth.asp?id=40483&pt=s

Judge for yourselves. It is getting so bad that it is becoming addictive.


Donny's Diary 
By Donny Doherty 

Friday December 28

8.34am:

Just back from a three-mile run.

I have to get fit and catch up with the rest of the boys. It took me over 30 minutes though – absolutely shocking.

Back to bed now. I'm wrecked.


Only nine days until we take on Tyrone in the McKenna Cup.

I mean, sweet Jayzuz, of all the teams for Drumbanna to get in the first match. The bearded one always has them up for it and their third 15 would beat us on most days.



Sunday December 29

3.14pm:

Just back in from county training and I can honestly say that I think I have heard it all now.

Our manager, Pearse Hanratty, got in a head doctor, or as he called himself, a 'sports psychologist'.

Dr Henry Brandon from Trinity College Dublin, has just given us a talk on the "importance of mental training".

"It may be December boys but it is never too early to start with a bit of metal training," Pearse had enthusiastically told us.

He was a bit of a legend in Drumbanna. Having played for the county for about 15 years in the 70s and 80s, he then built up a "business empire", as he liked to call it.

Pearse was seen as a bit of a local boy done good. He owned a pub, an estate agency and had last year set up a health spa with a state-of-the-art weights room and fitness centre.

He was in his second year as manager now and the pressure was on to deliver some real improvement.

Bringing in this 'sports psychologist' was just the latest part of his 'I will leave no stone unturned' campaign that he constantly talked about to any reporter that would listen.

"The doc has worked with the best of the best, so he is making an exception talking to you boys," Pearse had laughed.

He loved laughing at his own jokes.

The 'sports psychologist' just smiled a little and nodded.

Now, I'm no Einstein, but I'm not sure that implying that we are about as useful as an ashtray on a motorbike is the right way to build mental confidence, but maybe Pearse was going for the old reverse psychology.

Anyway, for the next hour this guy gave us a talk. He sounded good and he used big words and his powerpoint presentation had looked the part, but, in truth, he left most of us thinking, 'what the ****?'

He kept going on about negative thoughts and emotions.

"You have to get rid of those thoughts and emotions," he said with his arms flouncing about like a ballerina.

"You have a preconceived notion that because you play for Drumbanna you cannot win. It's ingrained in your psyche that you are second best and that is what we have to change.

"I have to find out what your PESTS are and we have to replace them with PETS."

There were more that a few confused looks exchanged between the players at this point.

The Doc sensed the confusion in the room and flicked his powerpoint to the next slide.

"PESTS stand for PErformance Sapping ThoughtS, gentlemen. While PETS stand for Performance Enhancing ThoughtS," he had said, pointing at the screen. "And for the rest of this year we are going to challenge and expel the former and replace them with the latter."

He then asked if anybody could give him an example of a PET and a pest that they frequently met.

The answers were not forthcoming.

Chins were buried deep in chests and eyes were fixed firmly to the floor.

Eventually, Dr Henry got tired of waiting and just picked a victim out.

He could not have picked worse.

Michael Hannigan was a giant of a man. He came from a little village in the very north of the county, sandwiched between the borders of Derry and Donegal.

He had been a loyal servant for over a decade and had owned the number six jersey for most of that time.

But he was not the sharpest tool in the box. In fact, he was the sort of guy that if you asked him to count his own fingers twice he would come up with two different answers.

"Just say what's in your head. One pet and one pest," Dr Henry encouraged.

There was an uncomfortable silence.

It had been obvious that Michael had not been listening to one word this man had been saying. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair and cleared his throat.

"Erm, I suppose a dog would be a pet and a rat would be a pest."

We all sniggered. What else could we do? Pearse was seething. The head Doc was plainly embarrassed.

The meeting did not last much longer but we were given some 'mental logs' to fill in. Every time we have a negative thought between now and the Tyrone game, we have to write it down in one column, while in another column we have to write down a positive thought to counteract it.

I hate this sort of rubbish to be honest but will give it a go.



January 1 2008

12.45am

Just back from the pub. I drove.

Everybody was in mighty form.

Ryan, my best mate, was bribing me all night to take a drink.

It's only the McKenna Cup, he kept arguing. Even the old man said 'a few will not hurt you'.

They really did not get it. It is only five days to go until the Tyrone game and and the sense of dread is building.

I'm not fit, I'm not sharp and I'm completely ring rusty.

I have just filled in my log and the negative column is bulging.

Tonight I put in the words 'up creek' and 'no paddle.' I could not find anything for the positive column.

I can hear the 'sports psychologist' now, "challenge those pests, Donny. Expel them."

Well, Doc, all I can say is that I need some amount of rat poison to get rid of mine...

Here it is; dreadful stuff from the Irish News

Donny's Diary - Everybody wants to rule the Gah 
Donny's Diary 
By Donny Doherty 

Mum insists that every Saturday we sit down as a family and have a meal together. "We can at least break bread as a family one day a week," she says.

My mum is quite a religious woman and, despite what the old fella thinks, she is definitely the head of the house.

During the week we all eat at different times. Between training for this team and that team I am hardly ever in the house in the evening. Tadgh is off training with the rugger boys or the odd time he might even show his face with the club.

Even Aine, my 17-year-old sister, is out three nights a week. She plays for both club and county in the old Peile na Ban.

Throw in the fact that the old man is off at meetings or matches every night of the week and you can see that our front door is little more than the revolving type.


article continues

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It's usually only mum and my other younger sister, Katie, who are in in the house most nights. Katie is only seven, 10 years younger than Aine.

Mum's friends like to call her a present from God. I don't know about that. All I know is that the old man had his own wee private visit to the hospital after she was born.

Anyway, last Saturday we all sat down to dinner and were joined by Tom, our 80-year-old neighbour.

Mum cooks his dinner most days and once or twice a week he will come around to our place.

Tom is mighty craic and loves the Gah. Deaf as a post though and, as he has gotten older, he has lost all sense of how to conduct himself in public – whatever is in his head comes out of his mouth.

As we were all tucking into the spuds the conversation turned to the inevitable.

"So Tom, did you ever think you would see the day that players got paid for the privilege of representing their counties?" the old man shouts across to Tom, although it was clear this barb was not meant for him.

"What?" Tom roared back, "Grant Aid, Tom. The Donny buck here is a big backer of grant aid, pass the butter Katie love."

Tadgh smiled across the table. He was telling me not to rise to the bait but it was too late.

"And what is wrong with grant aid? e1500 da, it's hardly a wage," I spat back across the table.

He had achieved the reaction he wanted, now he was off on one.

"It is the principle that has been lost," he said.

"Go easy on that butter Matt," mum says to him. "You know what the doctor said about your cholesterol."

After a quick glance at mum he stopped with the butter and picked up the salt – stubborn is not the word for him.

He continued on his rant: "We might as well take Rule 11 and put it into the shredder. 'Tis a sad day for dis great association when a player picks up a cheque for playing our games. It would never have happened in my day."

"That man needs a good wash," Tom shouted.



We all looked at him, the old fellow was put off his stride. No-one knew what Tom was talking about but the bemused silence gave Tadgh his chance to stir things up, "Ah come on da. Good old rule 11 was put through the shredder years ago," he said.

"I'm sorry. Is that an egg chaser offering his opinion on matters to do with the greatest sporting organisation in Ireland?" said Da.

"Not that you like to admit it da, but the ban was lifted over 35 years ago and, besides, I am still a member of the GAA and as such have a right to air my views. I can say one thing at least rugby is not coming down with hypocrites."

"Hypocrites! Hypocrites! Don't start me on those rugby boys. Can't even get off their arse and build a stadium to play in. Instead they had to come begging to us.

"I don't even think you could call egg chasing a sport. I mean you tell me any other sport where kicking the ball out gets a round of applause."

To be fair the old man could argue when he got going. It was Tom, however, who added the next nugget to the conversation: "I hate that song too, every year it does my head in."

After more bemused looks, Tadgh returned us all to sane conversation.

"Da, with the greatest of respect, it is people like you who dealt the first blow to the amateur ethos of GAA.

"Five years ago you were on the committee when Ballyvogue decided to pay that cowboy from Tyrone £5000 on top of traveling expenses to take the senior team.

"Grant aid for the players is actually quite tame in comparison and in many ways it was inevitable that it was going to happen."

I rowed in quickly: "Exactly. Why should I bust a gut training and get nothing when it is inter-county football that makes the GAA its money.

"You know the score da, the county team pay the manager, the trainer, the physios, the doctor, the psychologist; everybody is making money off our backs so why should we be the ones getting nothing!"

He was fuming. You could see it on his face. He was against paying that manager five years ago but never spoke up and that annoys him.

He honestly never thought that players would get money for playing inter-county football and deep down he is hurt by the way things have gone. I know he is fierce disappointed that I am going to take the grant money, but what am I to do?

I mean, it is a joke that everyone makes money out of the GAA except the players, but at the same time I never really wanted to strike.

To be honest I don't know what I think about it all. I'm not gonna turn down a free cheque, but at the same time this thing has pissed a lot of people off and I am definitely not a greedy mercenary like some people are saying. I'm doing this column free of charge after all.

To be honest I am looking forward to the McKenna Cup starting and maybe people will talk about something else other than these grants.

Da was finishing the last morsel of his steak and was just about to start again when Tom shouted;

"I know it's effin Christmas, everyone knows its Christmas, but we don't need Sir what's-his-name telling us every damn minute."

The old man was about to lose it.

"What the hell are you on about Tom," he said. Tom looked up, "That Geldof eejit. He has all yous arguing. Why is he stickng his nose into the GAA?"

Da was open mouthed.

"Bob Geldof? We have not been talking about Bob Geldof Tom."

"Yes you have, you said that Donny was a big backer of Band Aid. Donny son, I will give you a few pound for those poor people in Africa, no problem, but I don't wanna listen to that bloody song?"

Everyone fought to contain the laughter.

Great result for Derry; just did enough to keep ahead. Agree with the last posters that Derry will need to sort out their free kicks as in the second half they wasted chance after chance with the attempted scores from long free kicks.
Saw the sending off offence; it was a kick on a Derry player who was on the ground. Mind you the Derry player was lucky to escape the referees attention as he clipped his opponents ankles as he went to ground. A few unsavory incidents with Laois officials/supporters manhandling the referee at the end of first half with the referee needing a Garda escort off the pitch.
Three of these Derry players have a championship match on Monday; have the Derry County Board no ambition.
Best of luck to Derry in the final from another Tyrone man.

Against The Breeze By Paddy Heaney

Ban Looms for Mellon' ran a headline in yesterday's Irish News. 'Yippeee! More trouble for Tyrone', thought thousands of readers as they gleefully tore into the story hoping to discover what further disaster lay in store for the Red Hands.

The headline and accompanying picture of Ryan Mellon suggested that the Moy man could be in a spot of bother after he was sent off in the Tyrone county championship. But one sentence blew the story out of the water.

Readers were informed: "If the offence warrants anything longer than a four-week suspension, then he could be banned from county and club football.''

I laughed when I read this. I don't know what precisely Mellon did. I could make a few phone calls to find out. But that's unnecessary.

Maybe he was guilty of an attempted strike with minimum force. Or maybe he bit the referee's ear off.
It doesn't really matter, because we can say with some confidence that the Tyrone County Board will come to the conclusion that the offence doesn't warrant anything longer than a four-week ban. I firmly believe Mellon will be available to play against Donegal.

The paranoid Tyrone fans now grinding their teeth and preparing a 55,000-word response to this column should calm themselves down. This is not a criticism of the ethical standards of the Tyrone County Board.

When it comes to crime and punishment, the overwhelming majority of county boards act in the same manner – there is one set of rules for club footballers and another for county players.

This double-edged disciplinary system has resulted in fudging and deceit on such a grand scale that it would make an Italian mafioso blush.

For years referees have played a complicit role in this process. Some whistlers are such dedicated fans they refuse to show red cards to county players.

My neighbour Jody Gormley recounts a yarn about one such official who used to referee in Tyrone. The individual concerned took charge of a game involving Trillick.

Jody, who was in the Tyrone team at the time, had committed one bad foul and was skating on thin ice when he committed another. When the referee beckoned him over, he thought an early shower beckoned. His fears were unfounded.

"Now, Jody,'' said the referee, "I'm sorry, but if you keep doing that, I'm going to have to book you.''

On the few occasions when referees have thrown a wobbler and actually sent a county man off, we have watched county boards put their diplomatic machine into action.

The referee is approached. He's asked to consider what he's going to put in his match report. A county official might ask: 'Was it really a forearm smash? Maybe he was just trying to push him away with his elbow?'

The referee will mull over these helpful suggestions. He'll think about his All-Ireland tickets, the big games he wants to take charge of, and future mileage expenses. He'll ponder it all – and then realise that he made a terrible mistake.

What was he thinking giving the player a straight red when it should have been two yellows?

The most obvious example of county board revisionism occurred in 2004 when Darragh O Se received a straight red when playing for An Ghaeltacht.

Under the rules, O Se should have missed the upcoming All-Ireland semi-final against Cork. By the time the Kerry County Board had completed its disciplinary process, O Se was free to play.

Much was written about the aforementioned case and there was a great deal of caterwauling and criticism. But again, if we're brutally honest, the story would only have really shocked us if the Kerry board had acted differently.

O Se's case was amusing because it highlighted the self-serving culture of the GAA in glorious technicolour. While everyone complained, everyone also understood.

Most supporters would have expected their county boards to act in exactly the same manner. In the GAA, we place a high premium on success. You do what you have to do to get your best team on the field.

And this is why Paddy Bradley's expected absence from this Sunday's first round clash against Antrim has baffled the entire country.

The Derry County Board's decision to serve the senior team's best player with a three-month ban could have disastrous consequences in Casement Park at the weekend.

Bradley, who has an impeccable disciplinary record, got sent off in a recent club game. To compound matters, he got entangled with the referee after the official announced the incorrect result.

In other counties, something would have happened. An agreement would have been brokered which included a version of events that would have allowed Paddy Bradley to continue representing his county.

But not in Derry. The county board slapped him with a 12-week ban. The reaction to these events has been interesting. If the Derry County Board thought they would receive applause and credit for 'doing the right thing' they've been mistaken. People outside Derry are even more mystified and

confused than those living within the county.

Needless to say, it's a major talking point in the county. Many regard the decision as a self-inflicted wound. It hasn't gone unnoticed that Tyrone's Owen Mulligan received three reds in 18 months but was fit to play against Fermanagh because his county board appealed his red card against Mayo.

Meanwhile, Paddy Bradley gets one red card and will miss three months of action BECAUSE of his county board.

The whole episode involving Paddy Bradley is intriguing because it casts a spotlight on our sporting ideals. In the GAA, we don't believe that there is any reward in virtue. Success comes from bending the rules, and breaking them if necessary. This is the accepted culture.

Well, it's the accepted culture of 31 counties.

But maybe the 'Paddy Bradley saga' could spark a sea change. Maybe Derry will beat Antrim and then Monaghan or Down without their top scorer. And maybe they'll win the Ulster final with a suitably penitent Paddy leading the attack. Maybe then the rest of the country will come to see that virtue does bring reward.

Yeah. And maybe Waterford will beat Kerry at the weekend, Antrim will win the Liam McCarthy Cup, and Ryan Mellon will get a 12-week suspension from the Tyrone County Board. Maybe.

Full Time Antrim 1-11 Meath 2-11