Messages

I think its harsh and probably wrong to blame Harte here. He's as understanding as any county manager and better than a lot. Tyrone were knocked out this year on the 21st July and by that stage 10 league fixtures were completed. Its been a very fustrating finish to the leagues with the end of them being far too drawn out but that has been nothing to do with Harte (one the issues was drawing out the championships to try and collect funds).

Maybe they should consider starting the leagues a week or 2 earlier this year and being prepared to play a starred game or 2 to get them completed by the middle of the summer and then run the championship off. The club players need to know where they stand and the season has to be shortened. Can't understand why they can't even get the reserve leagues played quicker in particular. If no one wants starred games then have a separate competition in the middle of the summer to give players regular games at the very least.

Are you not a rugby fan? Not 100% sure if you are but just checking.

A shocking attempt at previewing the biggest game of the year. As someone said the tribute should have been done at another time. There was no life about the show or no build up of the game at all. No in depth look at where it would be won or lost. No look back at how the teams got to the final or clips from around the counties. RTE could do so much more to build up the game - don't seem to have any interest, strange given the ratings it gives them.

Donegal 0-12 Mayo 1-14

As mentioned by others its hard to know who to support in the final (always have to support someone in a game!). Normally I'd support the ulster team and have supported Donegal in the last few games. But its hard to cheer against Mayo. They've suffered so many bad days in finals over the last 23 years and are a good football county. They also gave Tyrone a great reception in 2004. And the bitter side of me says I shouldn't mind cheering against Donegal as their supporters were happy to cheer against Tyrone v Kildare a couple of years ago in a double header.

Having said all that its hard not to see Donegal winning this one. They just look so strong this year and in such great shape. However, teams have looked invincible before and been turned over in a final.

A simple 'smart' membership card could help boost attendances and also track those people who need to be rewarded by their constant attendance at games.

If you go to league games or championship game then you scan your card and your attendance is logged. Credits are given for each game.

Then if your county gets to an All Ireland final you are put into a lottery for a ticket from your counties allocation. (if you have enough credits)

If your county doesn't get to the final you are still put into a lottery for neutral tickets.

Wouldn't be too hard to do. 2/3 scanners at each ground for league games (when there are lots of games on) and ensure more scanners for championship games.

I'm sick of people I know, who don't go to a game from one end of the year to the next, getting to go to All Ireland finals because they know someone on a county committee or some other position

Is this a wind up because people choose not to use the season tickets or are you being serious?

When will the GAA and its members stop worrying about other sports? We're a paranoid organisation.

Agreed fully. It's almost like these people think Gaelic Football is a weaker sport, and we have to stop anyone else from finding out. Paranoid loons.

I'd also like to know why so many GAA fans want to market an Irish-only sport to a foreign audience. Who really gives a toss about what Max from Austria thinks about hurling? Inless he's got a holiday home in Bundoran, he's not going to be spending money on it anytime in the future.

As a gaa supporter my main concern is for the gaa. I'm just not convinced that bringing a rugby world cup to Ireland would do anything for our games. I think anyone who doesn't believe that giving another sport access to huge positive publicity and a free PR blitz would help sell their games to youngsters are naive in the extreme. I can only imagine the hype the Irish media would create over it. Rugby already gets a helping hand from the Dublin press but this would be a different scale.

I'm not totally against the idea but there is some myths when it comes to the opening of gaa grounds to rugby. I don't think the gaa get anything out of the extra exposure talked about. I don't believe there were any significant additional members,players or supporters as a result of croke park being opened up. I can't see a rugby world cup doing anything to sell the gaa.

It would be the greatest shot in the arm and pr boost rugby would ever get in this country. The gaa may be mentiond briefly at the start of the competition in relation to the grounds but it would me extremely tiny in comparison to the exposure rugby would get during the tournament.

The one benefit the gaa would get would be a financial one. But I'm not convinced the money would be used in a way to promote the games properly.

Meath do appear to be on the up and they might not be that far off being a force in the future. They were well beaten on Sunday but competed for long periods. And have the potential to improve over the next year or 2. I'm sure a lot of the younger players have learned a good bit this year particularly Carroll. Would like to see them win this to see how they got on in a quarter final.

The lack of knowledge from the commentators yesterday was a joke. It was open play but the player was in the square before the ball was kicked in. Under the new rule you can only enter the square once the ball is kicked (during open play). Can't believe how much confusion its causing - its not that difficult!

[Neither Paddy or Eoin Bradley played in the league]

McGuinness expecting different Derry
16 June 2012

Donegal manager Jim McGuinness isn't reading anything into Derry's indifferent Allianz League form.

The Oak Leafers only narrowly avoided relegation to Division 3, but McGuinness is expecting them to be a totally different proposition when they visit MacCumhaill Park for this evening's Ulster SFC quarter-final.

"Derry won the last time they played a championship match in Ballybofey. They have a lot of quality in the forward line and they have five fine midfielders in PJ McCloskey, John McCamley, James Conway, Joe Diver and Michael Friel," he told The Donegal Democrat.

"They have a lot of quality all over the field and it is going to be a difficult assignment. They are our neighbours and a derby match and it is all set up for a good game of football. We also know that a lot of their top players did not play in the league and that they will be a different proposition altogether on Saturday evening.

"Neither Paddy or Eoin Bradley played in the league; Gerard O'Kane did not play in the league either and Conleth Gilligan is also fit again. All those players are back so it is going to be a much different Derry we will face on Saturday compared to that which played in the league.

"They carry a serious threat as we know from last year's Ulster final. They also feel that if they had the two Bradleys in last year's Ulster final that they would have won and a few of them have gone on record and said as much."


For someone who claims to analyse his opponents in such detail I'm surprised at that comment!

2 things stood out for me:

That was some man marking job Moriarty did on Harte. There'll be an orange hand print on Peter's back tonight. Moriarty completely sacrificed any ball time and spent the game facing Harte or touching his jersey. Even when Harte went back to defend, Moriarty followed him in case he got his hands on the ball on his own endline. Remarkable application to his gameplan.

McCrory on Clarke. I'm sure the papers will give him low markings tomorrow but when you're going man-for-man, no one will get the better of Jamie Clarke. I thought McCrory did fine - Clarke (I don't think) never got a sniff of goal. He scored a few remarkable points that only he and O'Neill could do.

Colm Cavanagh - where did that come from?

Sure Colm is only on cause he's Seans brother. Wonder will some of the lads who have given him awful stick at times give him a bit of credit for yesterday.

What croker sell outs? Don't remember any between Tyrone and Armagh. Where did the Down fans from the All Ireland final go last week? 13,000 at it in total and most from Fermanagh.

McQuillan was woeful in the Div 2 final. Gave Tyrone nothing.

He actually wasn't the league final ref. There seems to be a growing confidence among Armagh fans as the game draws closer. Even in the Tyrone Times today the experts went 7 5 in favour of Armagh, though I think 2 of the experts were from Armagh.

Given the make up of the Tyrone team I don't think its right to say they're a spent force, just like it wasn't in 2008. I wonder are people reading too much into the league final. It seems to be used to judge Tyrone more than the previous 12 games before it.

Anyone like to hazard a guess at the team? Here's mine but its very much injury dependent:
McConnell
McRory (I'm assuming PJ is injured)
Justy
Gormley
McCarron
Harte
Ricey
Cassidy
Cavanagh (if not fit then Murphy)
McNabb (if fit, if not Ricey to CHB and Sean O'Neill on)
Mark Donnelly
Joe McMahon
Penrose
O'Neill
Mulligan