Armagh Club football & hurling

[Rufus T Firefly]

Have to say that I enjoy these sort of discussions about football within the County. Someone mentioned (was it Maximus) that Cross winning twelve in a row points to a bad standard of club football - I would disagree with that. Maximus also pointed out that Cross winning twelve in a row pointed to the rest having a mental block with Cross, I would agree with that assertion.

Over the twelve years that Cross have dominated in Armagh, there are in my opinion, four teams who could have given an Ulster Club a good rattle.

Mullaghbawn 1996-98. Bear in mind, when Cross won their first Ulster Title, Mullaghbawn were the existing Ulster Club Champions, and their team had the McNultys, Geezer, Neil Smyth and Benny Tierney as it's backbone, and were still a formidable side - if memory serves me well, Cross beat Mullaghbawn in Silverbridge in 1996 in a quarter final, and pulled away late on to win by 4/5. They met again in the 1997 final, and Cross, the exisitng All Ireland Club Champions, edged it by a point. After that, Mullaghbawn began to lose their big players, and faded away - they were for those three years, in my opinion, a top five in Ulster side - their clashes with Cross would support that.

Clan na Gael 1997-99 Another club littered with excellent players at the peak of their powers, the O'Hagans, John Campbell, Philip Oldham, the Marsdens - won back to back Armagh titles in 1993/94, hammering the Mullaghbawn side in the 1994 final that would go on to win Ulster a year later. Not as good as Mullaghbawn above, but I would have said a top 6/7 side in Ulster in the period above.  

Pearse Og 1999-2001 Alright, pains me to say it, but they had a very good team in this period, but were unfortunate to come up against Cross at the height of their powers in 1999 and 2000. The Ogs had a very young team, full of exciting footballers, and in my opinion would have been a top 9 club in Ulster at that time. This was the first time though that I saw serious challengers who clearly had a mental block about Cross. From 2001 on, they fell to three in the County as the challenge of Dromintee arose, and Dromintee were a hurdle that they could not overcome. The Ogs came back again in the first round in 2005 and had Cross at their mercy on two occasions, but the mental block arose again, and a few chances to finish them off were not taken. Plus Dessie Henderson had one of his more eccentric performances at a vital time!   The real losers that night though were Dromintee!  

Dromintee 2001-2004 Another excellent side full of great footballers. They run Cross close on a few occasions, at a point where both sides were giving their all and the result was very much in doubt. Were the second serious challenger however to come undone by the mental block, when winning chances presented themselves. After a  few defeats, it was clear that Cross had their number. In my opinion, that Dromintee side were top five in Ulster - no question about it they would have been in the running for an Ulster Club Title - they just could not get out of their own County. I get the impression though that Dromintee now feel that their chance has gone and they now play with the acceptance that they will not win the County title. I believe this lack of self belief is now shared by the other main contenders.

As of now, Cross are way out in front and comfortably so. Dromintee, in my opinion, would be second on their own and after that I would see a group of Ogs, Harps, Mullaghbawn with Maghery showing signs of improvement.  

I will quote what Oisin Mc Conville said after they had won their second All Ireand and he was asked the question about their chances in winning a famous third.....'the only team who can stop us is Bellaghy'

Sorry Max, but I'm unclear as to the point that you are making, given that my quote above was in response to your assertion that Armagh club football, outside of Cross, was very poor!

Rufus agree with you 100%, maybe this is why Harps have won only 2 senior c'ships in last 50 years and yet still considered a big club!

Two questions in response to that;

1. Can you define the term, 'big club'?

2. Are you an Armagh Harps man? 

[illdecide]

Winsam does not speak for me nor do i speak for him, however i do know the point he is trying to put accross to you guy's. Winsam is a Clans man thru and thru and i couldn't ever see him giving his loyalities to any other team thats his beliefs and he prob expects every one else to be the same, but thats not the case there are to many guys out there hand cuffed to the pound note and in some cases the Euro note, you can't slate a guy for that.

As for Bumpy being a coach in Derry, it's his full time job (yes, day job) he has been offered many mangerial posts in both Derry and Donegal for quite a large handshake if you know what i mean yet he still decides to stick with Clan na Gael, he travels from donegal 2 nights a week for training as well as match days which could be Fri night and a sunday. So there are still some guys out there who put their own clubs before the dollars.

The flip side of the McGeeney coin is if Armagh did not want him nor could he get a club in Armagh to manage (which i would find hard to believe) then i personally would not have a problem with it. I don't feel as strong about it as Winsam does and that does not mean i will give any less to my club we are all different individuals with different opinion's

[full back]

What do people expect Geezer to do?
He wasnt wanted by his own county in a managerial capacity so what was he to do? Why accept an underage development post within the county when some elements have made it clear they dont want you aboard?
As for winsam's point about going to St Peters, I think there is a bit of a difference between the Clans & the Peters and Armagh & Kildare (in geographical/rival terms)
As Mc Conville said "Armagh's loss is another team's gain"

[DMarsden]

Why would a man who lives and works in dublin travel 90 mins north to manage a club team rather than an hour south to manage a county team? would you turn down a county job in the first division to manage a club side?

agreed full back. this is one of the most ridiculous arguments i've seen anyone try to make.

[el_cuervo_fc]

Did this not all span from Winsam sayiing he had lost respect for mcgeeney for taking the Kildare job?  How can you lose respect for the man on that basis?

It was made known that he was not wanted on the Armagh set up.  Why then should he not take up another county's managerial position if offered it?

I wish him all the best

[Armagh Exile]

Any news from the Armagh County Board meeting last night?

[Onion Bag]

Any news from the Armagh County Board meeting last night?

Yeh, They all came out of the closet!

[winsamsoon]

I think there are only a few of you guys that really understand what i am saying. I wish Mc Geeney no malice at all. he is a great lad and i too wish him all the best for the future whatever decisions he makes. But i can disagree with his decision without wishing him the worst. I understand to that he lives in Dublin and travelling is an issue. I am not up to date or in the know of the county board to say for sure that they told him that he wasn't wanted at any level so i couldn't say that. I do however find it just a wee bit far fetched to think that a man who has represented his county and been a role model over the years would be told that. I am saying that his expertise should have remained within the county, a man of his stature will be a huge loss to Armagh. Imagine you were an Under 16 and you went home and told your parents that Mc Geeney was managing your team. You would be briming with confidence and i can tell ya you wouldn't miss training very often. As i have said the man made his decision but i can't understand how some of you fella's can't see how he is a major loss to Armagh as a county. I would have had no problems at all with Mc geeney moving on in years to come but i think 3 months after retiring from intercounty football and still fresh in the minds of the people and up and coming kids he should have stayed at some level. By the way i also think the county board should have been bending over backwards to ensure this but that is a different argument. They should have offered him two horses 

[High Catch]

Very well put indeed Winsamsoom.

Are the Clans fulfilling their remaining league fixtures?

[illdecide]

Very well put indeed Winsamsoom.

Are the Clans fulfilling their remaining league fixtures?

You better believe it High Catch, we have a few scores to settle

Only messin that would open another can of worms. I would hope bumpy would play a few U21's in that game as they have a championship game the following week. And i'm sure Dromintee will do likewise

[crossfire]

The Ogs must have got a new Physio recently and he is doing a brilliant job.

It was amazing that not one of their players went down with the dreaded cramp during sundays county final.

In contrast when they beat us in the league earlier in the year every one of their players, with the exception of the goalkeeper, suffered from cramp in the last ten minutes.

Well done Physio.

[el_cuervo_fc]

The Ogs must have got a new Physio recently and he is doing a brilliant job.

It was amazing that not one of their players went down with the dreaded cramp during sundays county final.

In contrast when they beat us in the league earlier in the year every one of their players, with the exception of the goalkeeper, suffered from cramp in the last ten minutes.

Well done Physio.

what a mature post.  Congratulations.  you're sounding more like cross4Capital everyday

[corn02]

Illdecide I would imagine Dromintees line out will be similar on Sunday with a scattering of U-21s. Have not heard much on the match, is it going ahead?

Winsamsoon I am not trying to put words in Illdecides mouth. We all show Club bias on this board, I do feel however you get a little too wound up at digs at the Clans and react with posts that reflect this.

On your McGeeney argumebnt I can see your points and although valid I totally disagree. You mentioned an U-16 coming home and telling his parents that Geezer is managing them? How is managing a U 16 team going to help the probable future Armagh manager. Of course I do not mean any disrespect to to underage football but McGeeney is a man destined for the top in all aspects of the GAA whther it be player, manager or offical. As stated Kildare and Armgh will cross paths once every few years, it is possible and quite probable that we will never play them in championship football while McGeeney is there. I for one will be hoping he does well and I also hope Kildare win Leinster purely because of McGeeney.

And sure won't it add a bit of bite to the championship next year.

[altovito]

Under 21s starting this weekend. I would imagine Crossmaglen have a strong team as usual . How are other teams equipped this year to challenge them?

[illdecide]

Under 21s starting this weekend. I would imagine Crossmaglen have a strong team as usual . How are other teams equipped this year to challenge them?

The Clans U21 team is their minor team so you can rule them out. I've seen a few North Armagh teams this year and you can rule out any one from North Armagh. In mid Armagh Harps and Granemore usually have half decent teams and as for South Armagh you have the usual teams there (enough said on that)