Messages

I should think the final games in each Group will have to start at the same time.

You never know with the GAA lol

If the groups go to current form you could end up with

Kerry V Louth
Mayo v Cork           

Galway v Armagh
Tyrone v Westmeath

Dublin v Sligo
Roscommon v Kildare

Derry v Clare
Monaghan v Donegal

Does the final game in each league have to start at the same time ? Or you play double headers in some Groups Thurles would be perfect for Group 1 and Clones for Group 2 and with the Croke Park bias Group 3 could be a double header in Croker. Only Group 4 is an outlier really and pick the Hyde/salthill and Omagh for those games.

There is a chance of a real group of death like Dublin, Armagh, Tyrone and Donegal versus maybe a softer group of Galway, Clare, Roscommon and Westmeath

I know my own personal experience growing up as a crap footballer, I went to every training session from Under 10 - Minor and started a total of 1 match and came on as a sub once. It was more soul destroying being part of the same 6-8 lads at training every session but never getting in the starting 15.  The only reason I got to play 7 games at minor was we only had 15/16 players and were getting hockeyed by 30 points a match.

I notice where I live now there are 5 soccer clubs with about 4/5 teams per age group. There is a new GAA club which will make it interesting. The GAA academy for the established club has started for 4 year olds and they are getting about 60 four year olds on a Sunday morning which is great to see. My young lad had no interest in playing with any type of football not for lack of trying on my behalf but his 3 best friends in creche all go and he asked last week that he wanted to go play with his friends which is great news ! Swimming ends early May and I will happily bring him along. My 2 year old daughter is ball mad whether its rugby, football or using a sliothar and hurl plus she is always ready to shout "Up the Rossies" at the drop of a hat, such a good kid LOL

I would think the same of Coldrick as decent enough ref. Its a thankless task. You blow for every free you are too officious and if you let the game go you are too lax.

I still think its only a matter of time before GAA at intercounty moves to 2 referees in a match due to the speed and hard hitting and size of players although with the passing over and back all day long and 15 behind the ball, a pensioner would be able to ref it!. The game is a lot cleaner nowadays compared to watching GAA Gold and the evolution to include the linesmen helps.

If there is any inconsistency its I feel northern refs let more physical stuff go which is more in tune with Ulster football than elsewhere but any good player and management should be able to adjust and play the ref. 

Although since its provincial council vote, I doubt Roscommon would be overly in favour in the long term as we benefit from Galway V Mayo Connacht semi finals.

Plus for next year if its the provincial finalists who are seeded that's Sligo* and potentially Galway to use the form guide but in prearranged games its Galway vs London, Mayo vs New York in the quarter finals. 

[Sligo]

Sligo v Wicklow Sligo by 4
Fermanagh v Cavan. Cavan by 2

Derry v Dublin Dublin by 4
Mayo v Galway. Galway by 2

[Galway]

Galway v Kerry
Roscommon v Donegal
Tyrone v Armagh Draw
Mayo v Monaghan

Clare v Limerick
Dublin v Louth
Kildare v Meath -  Draw
Cork v Derry

Cavan v Fermanagh
Westmeath v Tipperary
Offaly v Down
Longford v Antrim

Wexford v Carlow
London v Laois
Waterford v Wicklow
Leitrim v Sligo - Draw

[Armagh]

Armagh v Galway
Kerry v Roscommon
Monaghan v Tyrone - Draw
Donegal v Mayo

Meath v Dublin
Derry v Clare
Louth v Cork
Limerick v Kildare

Antrim v Cavan
Down v Longford
Fermanagh v Westmeath - Draw
Tipperary v Offaly

Carlow v Sligo
Waterford v London Draw
Wexford v Wicklow
Leitrim v Laois

[Armagh]

Armagh v Donegal
Galway v Monaghan
Tyrone v Kerry
Roscommon v Mayo

Derry v Dublin
Clare v Cork
Louth v Kildare
Limerick v Meath

Fermanagh v Tipperary
Cavan v Down - Draw
Westmeath v Antrim
Longford v Offaly

Laois v Waterford
London v Carlow -  Draw
Wicklow v Leitrim
Sligo v Wexford

[Kerry]

Kerry v Armagh
Mayo v Tyrone - Draw
Donegal v Galway - Draw
Monaghan v Roscommon

Dublin v Clare
Kildare v Derry - Draw
Meath v Louth
Cork v Limerick

Antrim v Fermanagh   
Down v Westmeath - Draw
Offaly v Cavan   
Longford v Tipperary

Laois v Wicklow
Waterford v Wexford
London v Sligo
Leitrim v Carlow   

[Tyrone]

Mayo v Kerry - Draw
Galway v Tyrone
Monaghan v Donegal - Draw
Roscommon v Armagh

Derry v Meath
Clare v Kildare
Louth v Limerick  - Draw
Cork v Dublin

Fermanagh v Down
Cavan v Longford
Westmeath v Offaly - Draw
Tipperary v Antrim

Wicklow v London
Sligo v Waterford
Carlow v Laois
Wexford v Leitrim - Draw

[Kerry]

Kerry v Monaghan
Galway v Roscommon
Tyrone v Donegal - Draw
Armagh v Mayo

Meath v Clare
Kildare v Cork - Draw
Louth v Derry
Limerick v Dublin

Down v Antrim
Cavan v Tipperary
Offaly v Fermanagh
Longford v Westmeath

Waterford v Carlow
London v Leitrim
Wicklow v Sligo
Laois v Wexford - Draw

[Armagh]

Monaghan v Armagh
Mayo V Galway - Draw
Roscommon v Tyrone
Donegal v Kerry

Derry v Limerick
Dublin v Kildare
Cork v Meath - Draw
Clare v Louth

Fermanagh v Longford
Tipperary v Down
Westmeath v Cavan - Draw
Antrim v Offaly

Carlow v Wicklow - Draw
Wexford v London
Leitrim v Waterford
Sligo v Laois - Draw

I feel sorry for the young lads. A FAI cup quarter final is a huge game and one they have played and trained for with their teammates and earned  the right to play in.   

What does it say to young lads that you have to sign a contract to train with a development panel. Do you think dropping them will increase their love of GAA or alienate them ?

One of the things I liked about playing soccer at home was playing with school friends who played with a number of GAA clubs and we got to play together as a team.

It's seems rather heavy handed and disproportionate