Messages

I can't believe that Art McGinn is leading this poll!! He was a useless fat goalkeeper who couldn't make the county team and you lot rate him higher than the Grimleys!! 

With his senior county medals tucked away in his pocket.
Vote Art.

I apologise for using the F word but I'm fed up with all these Armagh posts. Joe Kernan says this, John Toal says something else, Nrew sponsor for Armagh u12s, and now we have a load of threads from one Armagh club!!
Does nobody else think its getting way out off hand?? Its no wonder southern posters are jumping ship with this carry on.

i agree in principle that we only need one thread for the city's premier club.

Maddog, it doesnt say much for Toal when you would have Loughran in front of him yet you are saying "Harsh but probably fair, and often when he lands he is too easily dispossessed in the tackle."

Colonel Cool if you dont like it stay out of it

As i said earlier id have Loughran in (if he's at his best). However he can be frustrating hence the comment above. On 2003 form i'd have him in there.

C'mon Uladh, arent you being a tad unfair on Loughran.
"He fields infrequent spectacular high balls" is a bit harsh.

Harsh but probably fair, and often when he lands he is too easily dispossessed in the tackle.

Would John Toal be a first choice midfielder anyway even if he got back to being fully fit or is he wasting his time?
Any Armagh folk enlighten me?

Not for me he wouldn't. First choice partnership for me would be McGrane and Loughran (thats if Loughran was at his best). John Toal is a workhorse and a great trier but for me lacks the skill and vision required and is a poor passer of the ball, also he gets blocked down way to often imho. I can't fault the man for his dedication and commitment.

Stephen Roche in 87 (when he collasped on the mountain top in the Tour de France, stirring stuff and then going on to win the Tour)

Remind you or anybody recently?

IMHO cycling and all achievements belonging to it are tainted

Must throw the throphies in the skip so.

Ray Houghton v England - 1988 (Cant find a pic but what a moment)
Only recently topped by Munster lifting the H-Cup in 06

My other Irish sporting favourites:
Dawn Run - gold Cup
Dennis Taylor - winning the snooker
Barry McGuigan v Pedroza
Collins v Eubank in Millstreet
Eamon Coughlan - World Championship Gold
Sonia O'Sullivan in Sydney
Marcus O'Sullivan and his Mannamaker indoor miles
Michelle Smith's Gold's in Atlanta (until we found out the real story)
John Tracy Winning the World cross Country Championship in the mud in Limerick and his silver in the marathon in LA in 84.
Stephen Roche in 87 (when he collasped on the mountain top in the Tour de France, stirring stuff and then going on to win the Tour)
Sean Kelly on the cobbles on a wet day in the Paris-Roubais and his help to Roche to secure the treble
Ginger McLoughlin try and winning the triple crown in 82
Michael Kiernans drop goal to win in 85
Shane Horgan try to secure the triple crown last year.

Other International sporting moments:
Muhammad Ali Lighting the Olympic Flame in Atlanta was a special moment
Jesso Owens - 4 Golds
Carl Lewis - 4 Golds
Cantona's kick to the crowd
United's European Cup in 99
Liverpools European Cup in 05
South Africa winning the Rugby world cup.
Jonny Wilkinson's drop goal to win it for England in 03 was a pressure kick.

When you mention Kelly's helping of Roche Mike it wasnt the case. Roche slogged his guts out that day for Kelly to win the worlds, it was only about 5k from home the front group split. Kelly and Argentin were marking each other out of it and Kelly found himself in the second group. Roche being no sprinter took a chance inside the last kilometre as he knew Kelly couldnt get across the gap without knackering himself so he went for it, up the inside of Rolf Sorensen from Denmark and the others for split second hesitated in chasing Roche, and the rest is history. Still a great moment though

http://www.hoganstand.com/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=70130
Crossmaglen's hopes of capturing their fourth All-Ireland club football title have been dealt a major blow with the news that county star Francie Bellew could be sidelined for up to five months.

The full back is given little chance of featuring against Connacht champions St. Brigid's in February's All-Ireland semi-final after being told that his shoulder problem requires surgery. His participation in the All-Ireland final on St. Patrick's Day would also be in doubt were Crossmaglen to make it that far.

The former All-Star is seeking a second opinion on the injury which has troubled him for over a year, but Cross manager Donal Murtagh says he's resigned to being without him for the St. Brigid's clash.

"It is very unlikely that we will have Francie available for the semi-final against St. Brigid's. He's already seen a specialist about the shoulder," Murtagh said.

"It may be that there is a tendon or ligament being pinched by a bone. Francie is going to have to have something done long term about it, so surgery shortly looks likely.

"The problem is probably down to a combination of some wear and tear and the number of games Francie has played for the club and Armagh over a long number of years.

"He was playing through the pain barrier this year for Armagh and for us. The injury first caused him trouble last year and now it's reached a stage that something has to be done to sort it out."


Bad news for Cross.

Surely Kerry would be welcoming an extra game, 4 proper games in one championship season to regain / retain sam would be a novelty at least.

More games, can't be bad. Won't suit Kerry's traditional route though.

http://www.hoganstand.com/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=70089

Provincial winners may get second chance
11 December 2006


Cork secretary Frank Murphy has revealed that the GAA is considering a radical change of format for the All-Ireland football championship that would give provincial champions a second bite at the cherry.

Under the proposed format, the four provincial winners would play off for two All-Ireland semi-final places, while the losing two would play off with the two All-Ireland qualifiers for the remaining two semi-final berths.

Under the present format, the four provincial champions qualify for the All-Ireland quarter-finals where they are joined by four teams from the qualifier series. But if the proposed format is accepted, it would see the number of teams coming through from the qualifiers reduced to two, while the losing provincial champions would be given a second chance.

Murphy told the Cork county convention over the weekend that the thinking behind it was that the current system "is weighed in favour" of the qualifier series.

"It would mean that the provincial winners would meet stiffer opposition than heretofore. But it's felt that they should be given the extra opportunity of getting to the semi-final by beating one of the qualifier teams.

Murphy also told delegates that there was a growing consensus in favour of a trimmed down All-Ireland hurling championship which would limit certain teams to only one second chance

 The Story of Christmas (adapted for Dubs)
>
>Dere's dis boord called Mary, yeah? She's a virgin (wha' de fook is
dah?).
>She's not married or nuttin', but she's got dis felleh, Joe, righ'? He
does
>joinery an' all dah. Mary lives with him in a flah dowwen in Nazareh.
>
>One day Mary meets dis yungfelleh Gabriel. She's like "Wha are yeh
bleedin'
>lookin' ah?" Gabriel just goes "You're fookin' pregnant so yeh are".
Mary's
>scarleh. She gives him a fookin' earful: "Are you bleedin' startin'?
I'm no
>fookin' sluh. I never bin wih no one!"
>
>So Mary goes and sees her cousin Liz, who's six months gone herself.
Liz is
>on a mad buzz, bud. She's filled with spirits, Barcardi Breezers an'
all
>dah.
>
>She sez te Mary "Ah howeyeh, Mary, I can feel me chiseller in me
stummick
>and I reckon I'm well blessed. Think of all deh money we'll be getting
from
>deh social." Mary goes "Yeah, s'pose you're righ' ".
>
>Mary an' Joe haven't goh a fookin' bean so they have to ponse a donkey,
an'
>go dowwen te Behlehem on dah. Dey get to dis boozer an' Mary wants to
stop,
>yeah? To have her yungfelleh an' all dah.
>
>But there's no fookin' no roohem at the inn, righ'? So Mary an' Joe
break
>an' into this garridge, only it's filled wih animals. Cowis an' sheep
an'
>all dah.
>
>Then these three lads tourn up, lookin bleedin' rapih, wih crowens on
der
>heads an' all dah'. They're like "Ah Jaysis, howeyeh!" an' say dey're
deh
>tree wise men from de East Wall.
>
>Joe goes: 'If you're so bleedin wiyis, wha de fook are yizzer doin' wih
dis
>Frankenstein an' myrrh? Why didn't yeh just bring gold, 20 Blue and
>Boorberry?'
>
>It's all about to kick off when Gabriel turns up again an' sez he's got

>anudder message bout some Punchis Pilah' hardchaw.
>
>He's like 'Deh coppers is comin an' they're killin all de chisslers.
You
>better fook off to Egypt.' Joe goes 'You must be fookin' off yer
bleedin'
>rocker if yeh tink I'm goin' te fookin' Egypton a fookin' donkey'
>Gabriel sez 'Suit yerself, bud. But it's your look out if yeh stay.' So

>they go dowwen teh Egypt till they've stopped killin deh foorst-born
an'
>all an' annyways it's safe an' dah.
>
>Then Joe and Mary and Jeesis go back to Nazareh, an' Jeesis turns water

>inteh Dutch Gold.

Stephen Roche completes the treble of Giro D'italia, Tour de france, and World Championship all in one year, only ever done before by Eddy Merckx.

That's good news. Hope the lad makes full and swift recovery.

Heather small / search for a hero

surely you jest?