Ulster championship to make bow

[ziggysego]

It has been confirmed that next year's Ulster hurling championship will be contested by all nine teams in the province for the very first time.

It is expected that the authorities will introduce a seeding system for the novel competition for which Antrim will begin as sound favourites.

Sourced Hoganstand.com: http://www.hoganstand.com/Tyrone/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=85572

This is fantastic news. I could never understand why all Ulster counties never contested it before. May not be the most competitive province, but hopefull this will mark the start of better things down the road in years to come.

[Ruairi Og exile]

This is great news. With the progress being made in Armagh, Tyrone & Donegal & with all these teams having players on the railway cup team hopefully we might see one of these teams challenging for honours in the next 10 years...although it will be a slow progress & take alot of sustained work

[Guillem2]

I saw draft fixtures for this but I can't find the E Mail. Did anyone else see them? They looked ok. Well seeded.

[johnneycool]

About time too. How can these weaker counties be excpected to improve if they arent playing in The Championship. Armagh and Tyrone have improved alot over the last few years and could certainly give either Down or Derry a game. Still think Antrim would be better off playing against stronger southern teams more often.

Antrim should still be looking upon the Ulster championship as a warm up competition for the Liam McCarthy but there mightn'd be a lot of value in that either unless both Down and Derry up the ante a bit and give them a game.

The Ulster championship has been devalued with the introduction of the Nicky Rackard and Christy Ring but it may still have a place in the calendar provided the games are fixed for saturdays (final excepted) to allow club hurling to continue in a meaningful way.

It'd be nice to see more of the Armagh hurlers etc as they are tidy enough and competitive games can only but help them and focus their county boards a bit more.

[Pull Hard Hes No Relation]

The proposal was devised at the Ulster Hurling committee and sent to Ulster Council for ratification, good to see it was past. Need to build our own chapionship and raise our standards here as the recent actions of the HDC regarding Antrim and the All Ireland series shows that they couldn't care less about Ulster hurling.

[Silky]

A friend of mine claims his grandfather has an Ulster winners medal. He was a Guard from Clare and was posted to Donegal and hurled for that county. So if he's telling the truth Donegal not only entered the competition but won it at least once!

[Balboa]

What would Donegal/Tyrone gain in playing Antrim and getting hammered?

[johnneycool]

What would Donegal/Tyrone gain in playing Antrim and getting hammered?

If the draw is seeded then they would need to beat either Derry, Armagh, Down and London or a combination to have got that far, so I'd suggest they are there on merit and deserve a crack.

That same debate was levelled at Antrim recently as well, what would Antrim gain in playing the Liam McCarthy and get hammered by the likes of Kilkenny, Cork, etc. You can argue that Antrim won't get hammered, but Antrim teams in recent history have taken big beatings further south.

You'll only improve if you play better opposition and that may entail a few heavy defeats on the way, but how else would you learn??

[Balboa]

But have we learnt anything playing the top teams down south? We have been in Division 1 for years and are always getting relegated or in relegation playoff and usually take a tanking against the better teams year in year out in the championship.

[Bacon]

But have we learnt anything playing the top teams down south? We have been in Division 1 for years and are always getting relegated or in relegation playoff and usually take a tanking against the better teams year in year out in the championship.

So would you be better off playing in Div 3 where you'd win every game by 20+ pts? Playing teams of a higher level doesn't bring improvement in itself. You need the coaching so that lads learn from the experience. At the highest level the top counties aren't standing still. As soon as we move up a level we find they've moved further on and even further ahead.

[ziggysego]

Ulster Championship maybe no good for Antrim. Sure they'd win most years, with the odd year Derry or Down getting a win.

For the rest of the counties in Ulster it will be a good championship. Competitive games will equally skilled counties. There'll be no Liams, but at least there'll be hurling.

[billy the kid]

I think the GPA should be ashamed of themselves they are undermining everything the GAA stands for.  What they are asking for is Pay for |Play dressed up in fancy clothes.

They are an elitist Organisation who are only concerned with themselves and I firmly believe its a case of a few leading the many.

Don't get me wrong i totally agree with players being treated well and looked after if they get injured but they are always looking for more and more.

Currently every season inter-county players in Derry get:

2 pairs of boots
2 full kits a season,
2 full sets of training gear. (1 wet and 1 normal)
1 rain jacket
1 zip up top
1 jumper
2 polo shirts
1 tracksuit
Home training Equipment
Free access to state of the art gym

All the above are official Derry gear from O neills with emblems and crests and this is only the gear I KNOW FOR CERTAIN they get!

Also they have access to a top class physio, team doctor dietician and heart screening facilities.

they receive meals after ALL games and on the way to away games

they get fed after every training

and they also get VERY GOOD rebates on their mileage expenses.

Again these are jut the things i KNOW FOR CERTAIN!!

for each national league game they receive 4 passes each allowing friends and family to gain admission to the games for FREE and the passes can be used for both hurling and football even if only involved in one code.

They receive at least 2 and sometimes more FREE tickets for ALL championship matches they are involved in

They receive 2 good tickets for the all Ireland final in their code (hurling or football) for FREE

Before the club championship begins they receive a pass allowing them to gain FREE entry to ALL championship matches within the county in EITHER code at ANY level
 
The above list was given to me when I asked a PRESENT COUNTY PLAYER from our club about conditions at inter-county level.

I don't think anyone would begrudge them these things as the gear and medical farcicalities are a MUST and so are the mileage expenses and the meals.

The other stuff are added perks and again I would say Just right they are training very hard and giving a big commitment to Our County.

Looking at the list I would say our county players are fairly well looked after wouldn't you? And this is just the example of our county alot of other counties like Armagh and Tyrone get even more gear and perks which again is fair enough.

But to ask for money and to make out that they are so hard done by and listening to some of their leaders you'd think some were hardly fit to feed themselves and on the way to financial ruin is an absolute myth and border line lie!! Nobodies making them play!!!

What ever happened to being proud to play for your county and pride in the jersey? That used to be enough to make people play for their counties.

Has Pride and honour fallen of the radar of the GPA in their obsession with self-worth and self-gain.
If pride in the jersey and being honoured to represent your County plus the list i have supplied aren't enough to make individuals play for OUR county teams do we really want them to? The type of character who would undermine the very fabric of our great organisation to line his own pockets.   

I was also informed by the County player from my own Club that most county players don't want to strike but are being openly pressurised to do so. Is this Democracy?

Its also evident the GPA are so far removed from the grassroots GAA and the supporters that they haven't noticed that the vast majority are strongly against it, but why would they listen to us mere mortals?

Down Manager Ross Carr has the right idea:

If these prima donnas strike and refuse to play Each County should find a panel of players who will represent their counties for pride honour and the other perks i listed. There would be a stampede to trials and it would totally negate the strike and render their actions futile and meaningless.

We cannot let the elitist few hold the rest of us to ransom while they try to gain financially for doing what most TRUE Gaels consider an Honour and a privilege – PLAY FOR YOUR COUNTY  

[Last Man]

Well said BtK, let them strike, the show must and will go on. They are either greedy or just plain thick and easily led by the other greedy feicers........what a bunch of tossers!!