Messages

How do the manc fans feel about Greenwood rejoining the team? Surely the abuse from fans both home + away would be too much attention?

I hope he's not coming back but it wouldn't surprise me. If they were bringing him back would it not have been done over the summer so he has already played.

He deserves all the abuse he gets.

[Belfast Road in Newry: £1.51.9]

Yesterday.

Diesel in the 2 x Go stations and Tesco along the A1 at Banbridge: £1.30.9

Diesel in the K Circles on Warrenpoint Road and Belfast Road in Newry: £1.51.9

Not sure I've ever seen a disparity this big in the 6 counties.

Somebody somewhere ( and it looks like K Circle is involved) is trying to hump the consumer.

That one is always one of the most expensive in the area too

[I can't understand the boards need to play a load of games especially at that level. I think sometimes there's a bit of 'stop them playing something else' in it.]

An 18 game season probably is too long for reserve football.

By week 9-10, most clubs can no longer win their league. And as the format and entries change year on year, relegation isn't a concern.

It takes a good 'un to drive across Down for a reserve game with nothing at stake.

I said that 4 years ago when I stopped playing reserves - a game every other week would work for most clubs and players. I can't understand the boards need to play a load of games especially at that level. I think sometimes there's a bit of 'stop them playing something else' in it.

Lads in the local soccer club were saying they were struggling to get the 2nd and 3rds level lads to commit to a full season there too. They start in mid August and there could be games every Saturday more or less to May. A bit less would probably help them too. Rathfriland's 1st team played over 50 matches last season!

It was ok years ago to head away every Saturday or Sunday for whatever sport you play; GAA, soccer or even golf; but lads with families have less time to give nowadays. When I played reserve matches you were away for just after 12 and not back to after 5 if it was away to Downpatrick or Carryduff. There was no one welcoming you back home after that. At least with golf you can pick your own time.

The County Boards recommendation and indeed their first draft calendar was for one round of fixtures. It was the clubs who pushed for two as in the last couple of years some reserve players who were not playing Senior football were finished about now as it was a one round league and knocked out first round of championship. Can't win either way it seems.

That's about the crux of it. There's been a lot of ideas threw around over the years and nothing has changed greatly over that time.

An 18 game season probably is too long for reserve football.

By week 9-10, most clubs can no longer win their league. And as the format and entries change year on year, relegation isn't a concern.

It takes a good 'un to drive across Down for a reserve game with nothing at stake.

I said that 4 years ago when I stopped playing reserves - a game every other week would work for most clubs and players. I can't understand the boards need to play a load of games especially at that level. I think sometimes there's a bit of 'stop them playing something else' in it.

Lads in the local soccer club were saying they were struggling to get the 2nd and 3rds level lads to commit to a full season there too. They start in mid August and there could be games every Saturday more or less to May. A bit less would probably help them too. Rathfriland's 1st team played over 50 matches last season!

It was ok years ago to head away every Saturday or Sunday for whatever sport you play; GAA, soccer or even golf; but lads with families have less time to give nowadays. When I played reserve matches you were away for just after 12 and not back to after 5 if it was away to Downpatrick or Carryduff. There was no one welcoming you back home after that. At least with golf you can pick your own time.

It's the usual FOMO event junkie nonsense then loads of tickets become available for sale closer to the event. I can't imagine 320k Coldplay fans exist in Ireland.

How much crossover is there between the Garth Brooks and Coldplay fans?

We were looking but 4 days/ 3 nights for 5 was around 6 grand. That's with all included, sleigh ride, husky ride, snow mobiles etc. expensive for the short duration but would love to do it.

Who was that with?

Think it was Santa Claus trips from memory.

I'm not sure of the cost but there was a family beside us here did the lapland trip but they didn't even stay a night. Think it was a very early flight out and home on a late flight that same day. Seemed a lot of travel but they did a couple of activities, met the main man and away home. Depends on the funds available I suppose.

Most people that go say it's a great experience for the kids but not everyone can justify it. Wish I had done it but the funds just weren't available at the time.

[has annoyed me more to be honest.]

I honestly don't care about who's the captain any more, probably because of the latest ones were all shite to be fair. For the first time in a while we have a few genuine leaders in the team that don't need the arm band to do their job.

The keeper picking 24 to play in when 1 was free has annoyed me more to be honest. Don't understand why lads want stupid numbers especially keepers.

Actually? Like genuinely seriously?

More than Bruno getting the armband yes. Not going to lose sleep over either decision though.

How can Fernandes be considered Captain material? A bigger whinging **** I've yet to see, few people annoy me in life generally but he's such a bellend, a Yap, a diver,  he seems to criticise team mates on the pitch from what I can see. Just seems a horrible person to me. In a team of good footballers I don't see him as a eal leader tbh.

I honestly don't care about who's the captain any more, probably because of the latest ones were all shite to be fair. For the first time in a while we have a few genuine leaders in the team that don't need the arm band to do their job.

The keeper picking 24 to play in when 1 was free has annoyed me more to be honest. Don't understand why lads want stupid numbers especially keepers.

[he might not make the eye catching point blank saves]

Onana deal signed and sealed. Eyes now on Hojlund.

What's this gk  like? I  never seen him play

Didn't catch the champions league final against city then?
Or the champions league classic against Spurs in the 2019 semi final. Ajax would have cruised into the final if Onana hadn't decided to make a game of it by going for a ball his defender was about to clear, colliding with the defender, failing to claim the ball gifting Spurs a goal and a route back into the game.

Then there is his 9 month doping suspension. An accident according to him

He also played against us in the 2017 EL final.

The doping incident he was cleared of any intentional wrongdoing.

What he took wasn't a doping product, it was one that is used to mask the detection of a PED.

I am pretty sure when tested for any PEDs he was clear, but he got the ban on a technicality because the masking agent isn't allowed to be taken.

He will cause a good few scary moments, time to invest in the Rennies now!

But it looks like he will transform our playing method from the De Gea days.

Yes, he might not make the eye catching point blank saves, but he isn't afraid to come and claim crosses and can pass to a team mate.

I trust in ETH and his assessment of him and if h thinks he is good enoug that is enough for me.

Dave wasn't making the simple saves either though, he had turned into a 'stopper of great shots' as opposed to a great shot stopper. His expected saves were in the bottom 6 keepers in the league last year. He comes for less crosses than a U12 keeper too. He was great at a point but he never should of got the last contract. There wasn't any more teams looking him then than there is now if we're honest.

There'll be a bedding in period for Onana and a few mistakes no doubt but it'll improve the team in the long run.

[I have watched the incident with Kerry keeper Ryan hitting McGuigan with his backside several times now and I still can't make my mind up whether it's a foul or not.]

That's the nature of sport and there will always be right and wrong decisions made by refs and always fans and even neutrals with different views on decisions. Some think Hurson is a great ref and some think he's brutal.

I have watched the incident with Kerry keeper Ryan hitting McGuigan with his backside several times now and I still can't make my mind up whether it's a foul or not.
With every incident I always try to look at it through the other person's eyes or how would I feel if the same thing happened to ne of our players.

I think it would do no harm for the GAA to try to educate fans in some way about how hard a job it is to referee a match, how they only get a second to make their mind up with no replays and that they try their best to not show any bias to one team over another. A lot of fans have never played the game or fully understand the rules.

On another note, is it time to follow other sports and let refs use the camera action to make a decisive call when they're not sure. Making mistakes is part of the game but would people prefer that to the ref stopping the game and looking for advice from another ref watching it on TV where he is more likely to make the right call, even if it takes a bit more time?
Obviously that can only happen in the bigger televised matches and not in club games etc.
Imagine the impact of that? Louth could have another Leinster title. Derry might be in an AI final. 

staggering, if you don't realise thats a stone wall foul.

How do you think it is a foul? No way is that a foul. What do you want the player to do in that situation? Just let the Derry player take the ball and not go for the ball himself??

Ball was there to be won, kerry keeper jumped and won the ball, it was unfortunate that mcguigan was standing in his way and got clattered.

Not only was it a foul it was a dangerous tackle warranting a red.
You could see the keeper watching Mcguigan and deliberately turn his hip to him connecting with his head. If he had maintained the direction he was travelling, with the ball, he'd have brushed past mcguigan en-route with no foul and no injury - and could still have got his score.
It was as deliberate an attempt to take out a player as you'll ever see.

You're putting a lot of context to a slow motion replay. There's very little time in real life to jump, catch the ball and change direction in mid air as some people said he did. It came from a poor pass between him and McGuigan. It wasn't a foul in my book but in todays game it could of definitely been given the other way.

Tickets have went pretty quick there, got 4 together but already limited tickets left. Wonder will there be more released during the week?

Adidas seem to have lost the plot. Has there ever been black trim before? I can't remember any black trim since 1990 or so. Wondered was it because the women's team were going with black shorts or something like that.

Let's hope tickets will be easy to come by. All depends on who is on the AI SF that day. Prob be 60 euro a ticket

it's £45 sitting, £30 for the hill

Not worth it when the only match I'm interested is the Tailteann final.

Might go if Derry happen to being playing the semi on the same day (hubbie is from Derry) and I can get a hil ticket

I've never taken kids to a semi final before  but I'm sure they  do u16 prices. ??

There were kids tickets for the Cusack and Canal End at last years semis

Armagh v Monaghan - Armagh by 3
Kerry v Tyrone - Kerry by 4
Derry v Cork - Derry by 2
Dublin v Mayo - Dublin by 3

I used IPTV to watch some of the games but can't get every game on it. Last weekend the Down v Cavan match wasn't coming on the streams I had so I jumped onto the phone and GAAGO wouldn't let me buy it on that (might be a bank issue though) then jumped onto the laptop to buy the game and it wouldn't process the payment at all. As it was arsing about the Down match came onto one of the streaming channels so no harm done. Couldn't get the Donegal v Tyrone match on Saturday but was able to get the other 2 that afternoon.

I think GAAGo will be a good service but there's still a lot of shit internet both north and south. I might get the app for Saturday on the firestick and buy the 2 matches properly - you'd hope streaming out of croke park should give them less hassle.