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While mayo's spending is disproportionally high even in that quartet, the fact that the four highest spenders were the four all Ireland finalists should tell you that their spending isn't greater than Sligo because they're pulling strokes, but because they're successful on the field.

Mayo and Galway outspend the other pair because they've further to travel for the majority of their matches.

Then when you factor in 2 replays in Croke Park, you can largely explain their additional spend over the the other finalists.


Sometimes things just aren't sinister at all folks.

I'm still puzzled at how anyone can justify paying £85m for a player like Pogba and have no idea where to play him. And Di Maria before him. I'd argue Lukaku too, as although he's playing in the right position, the service he gets is deadful. He plays off the last shoulder but United want him to be Shane Long runnerman.

If United fans are looking to work out why they've been knocked off their perch, don't look at the Glazers and their spending. Look at this.

Sport hasn't changed.

Communications techniques have.

Putting might be far from Rory's strongest suit, but the stats are a bit misleading. His power game means he hits more greens in or under regulation than just about anyone. So his avg putts per round should always  be higher.

With St Colman's getting beat yesterday it means not one of the 3 Down teams that were playing Mac Rory football this year have made the quarterfinals, that's a very poor reflection of schools football in this county, any opinions or possible reasons for this

Because when the College have a weak season, the Abbey never step up to the mantle. Has been the case for 50 years.

The College unfortunately are having more of those seasons than they used to, part in no small way to their catchment area now being shared with St Paul's. And it's not only Armagh ones. Conor Clarke, Liam Kerr last season. Two Ballyholland lads starting for them this season.

East Down Gael - sorry but personally I just don't remember this golden age of football when things were unpredictable. 

There is probably a greater number of hidings handed out in county championship these days but the overall results are not much different than any era, which is in terms of winning Sam, 3-4 live contenders, 1-2 outsiders, and the rest might as well not bother.

I'm sick and tired of my Twitter timeline being dominated by Liverpool fans complains about negative net spend.

You've just sold the 2nd most expensive player of all time FFS. A negative spend is the only possible scenario when this happens (especially in January) unless you happen to buy a load of overpriced rubbish like spurs did with the Bale money.

Shut your f**king moaning for a few months.

Would anyone expect that Alan Shearer and Harry's Kane might have each other's number and might pop a wee text when there's a story of interest to both? Or maybe George Hook and Jonny Sexton?

I would.

And as such I don't think it would be even slightly unusual for high profile GAA players to send text messages to the highest profile pundits, and vice versa. There's a network in place and they're all part of it.

While I've little doubt that Joe is quite happy to bend his sources a little, do you really believe that the Dublin media officer has a big brother style control over his county players' private messaging?

It took a tournament record score to beat him by a single stroke.

Even if the most boring and pragmatic bagman on this earth was caddying for Rory he wouldn't be able to deny that Rory has a pretty accurate 3-wood for distances up to 280 yards. It's a statistical fact. Therefore asking him to play the safe option isn't the same thing as a less talented player.

Rory shot 22 under this week.

If you're fit to call that "blowing it" or "poor decisin making", you must really lead a flawless life.

I would go so far as to call it a cultural problem in Down (and in fairness, quite a few other counties too). Ross Carr for example seemed to believe that naming a team anything longer than 15 mins before throw in was a deplorable act, and Burns seems to be of the same mindset.

Why it's a cultural problem is twofold.

First, it would be genuinely good for club-county  relations if things were more transparent; not even from a supporter's perspective, but from an administration point of view. Club managers knowing their players won't be involved on a Wednesday  means they can plan properly for using them in club matches the Friday night.

Secondly, it is genuinely odd to have a belief that opposing county managers are second guessing your selection. Every county team has key man markers and their opponents have key playmakers, and they will realign their teams within a few minutes of throw in, (or even before that) to ensure those match-ups are in place. That's what's worked on in training and players will move according to their role and not their jersey number.

It's really not f**king rocket science, and if the basis of your game plan is regualrly playing key players out of position so as to try and win some Daily Mirror style mind battles with the opposite bainisteoir, you're doing your own team more harm than good.

Hopefully we will mostly see a change of approach from clubs in their willingness to fulfil fixtures earlier in the season, instead of looking for tactical postponements.

Surely a better solution would be to get the leagues wrapped up before the championship starts like they do in Armagh.

This has only become an issue in Down football since the back door was introduced, as it means championship basically knocks any chance of a league programme to the side for 4-5 week. And so it's hard to blame anyone for not giving a damn when the leagues restart.

So it would appear to be the obvious step to take.

Problem is, there are more than a few clubs who will outright refuse to honour tail end or play off fixtures without their county men.... and a super 8 campaign would basically make it impossible to finish leagues by end of August. 

Terrible rule, what about the clubs that  are surviving with a panel of 17 or 18 players, a brave lot in Div 4 are.

So your solution is to make it okay cancel fixtures?