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[Coalisland]

I suppose whats a championship draw without an early season prediction.

Senior Championship First Round

Clonoe v Coalisland

Moy v Derrylaughan

Galbally v Trillick

Killyclogher v Carrickmore

Loughmacrory v Dungannon

Ardboe v Donaghmore

Errigal Ciaran v Pomeroy

Omagh v Dromore

Hard to beat an early prediction.

Semi finals:
Coalisland v Trillick
Errigal v Dungannon

With a repeat of last year's final.

If anybody needs any reminding why a large proportion of the population still have an issue with sinn fein being involved in government then they should watch Lost Lives which was on BBC1NI last night.

Lazy analysis, did the IRA kill innocent people, undoubtedly, but then look at the history of the NI state. When did the violence and insurrection of the '20's become acceptable. There is blood on many hands including Unionist/loyalist, Republicans and the British State. The Irish state could also be arguably guilty of the sin of omission, and that is before we get into the scandal and corruption. So whilst SF undoubtedly have a past they can only be part of the future of this island. It was exclusionary politics that led to partition and all that followed. Memories have a habit of being selective.

And this is why I tend not to comment on political threads....the point I am making is that many people in the south of a certain age will undoubtedly feel uneasy in voting for SF or seeing them in govt given their links to those awful awful days not that long ago. For some that cannot be forgotten or forgiven.

If anybody needs any reminding why a large proportion of the population still have an issue with sinn fein being involved in government then they should watch Lost Lives which was on BBC1NI last night.

jamie played football there last summer.
simply hasnt transferred back and is training with the county
there is no backer..

So he isn't in London, hasn't transferred back to Cross and is playing for county? Something about that doesn't sit right with me. Not affiliated to a club but playing for county. It's just another example of the professionalism that we've seen so clearly with McShane. Is he working at home again?

May have missed this elsewhere but am I right in thinking Jamie Clarke is with a London club this year? Is he flying back weekends? What's he doing over there?
Is an Armagh backer footing the bill for this?

Carmen had a thirds team circa 7-8 years ago. From what i recall they were the very poor and didn't last more than 1 or 2 seasons.

On the reserve proposals in general, my first thought was that the change to monday night etc was a great idea, something had to change but thinking more about it, it maybe isn't the answer.
In practical terms you could have 7-8 reserves on the senior bench on sunday, some getting game time, some not. then asked to turn up for reserve match monday night, possibly away from home (albeit not the other side of the county if it's regional leagues), then expected to train or else told not to train with seniors on tuesday and then train again on thur/fri. In reality that leaves a fair amount of your clubs bog standard players having to make a serious commitment in terms of time and dedication and leaves senior training on tuesday down to bare squad of 15-18 not including injuries or other reasons. You'd in many cases be asking students to come down the road an extra night on a monday to play or older family men an extra night out of the house.

Something certainly needs done but i think more thought needs to go into it. Reserve football is dying and maybe guaranteed games will help make it better. Like there's absolutely no reason reserve league and championship couldn't be run off every week and wrapped up for end of summer. No need to postpone reserve football for county matches and on those weekends games could be played on the friday or saturday, whichever suits.

I don't believe reserve football is the 'player development route' for young players that it might have been in the past. My experience is that good young players these days are exposed to enough good quality football in terms of schools, county squads etc and tend to go straight into senior teams (in fact you probably wouldn't want your young star playing in a reserve match!) but there does need to be an outlet for the average or over the hill footballer, whether its the lad who's totally committed and just isn't good enough for seniors or the lad that's happy to train the odd night and take a game for the stiffs at the weekend.

80k per season , is that all it's worth . Maybe it's time the GAA needs to look at ways of rewarding county players without going professional. Would it be a reasonable proposal to look at making tax free pay in their jobs or would that be far fetched ? Surely the govt could take the hit against all the revenue created by county games ?

i think i read somewhere before that AFL has a minimum salary of $80k. There's over 40 on a squad so not all are going to have big money contracts. it's no lose for McShane. Say he's on minimum salary for 2 years and it doesn't work out. He still comes back aged 26 with a few quid in his pocket, far more than he'd be earning here, and having been a professional athlete for 2 years. Remember these guys probably get their accommodation paid for, food paid, wearing club issued gear all week, all your time spent training so single lad probably won't get to spend too much and if he does well then he'll land $100k+ contract in all likelihood.

All I can tell you is what the lad himself is telling the rest of us. It's done, he's with Dungannon. Edendork did not contest the transfer. I'd imagine if you really want to know go to the top pitch at Dungannon tomorrow night....I'll have a private wager with you he's there.

Why is he transferring from Edendork to Dungannon?

Tried a few years ago and left it too late and went back to Edendork. (Dungannon was listed his club on the county panel on facebook) But i think there was a bust up after a league game this year and he apparently quit and came back for the championship without training.. Seems hard managed

Edendork had a dust up among themselves after coalisland game. He was hit by a team mate and club did nothing about it. Decided to jump ship to the neighbours.

Seen our seniors training last night. Had to rub my eyes and check I wasn't dreaming. Footballs were in sight and were being used. But holy ghost, its the 7th January?? Any need to be back on a pitch at this time? Any other clubs back on pitch?

Was hearing Cookstown only took a week break after being relegated and have been training since the start of December. They will be on top shape for the coming season, and I back them to go up

They probably only started training the week before they were relegated

Cookstown would have been safer doing a bit of training last year!

Mainly defenders added again this year, and could possibly add a few more to that list.. Besides the obvious ones (Bradley, Brennan) has everyone else been looked at in the county? Is there anyone obvious missing?

If there's better forwards in the county that aren't already there (either this year or in last 2/3 seasons) then i haven't seen them. Don't see any club forward not involved in county set up that's shooting the lights out in Div 1 or 2 and would be worth a go.

Big set back for Cookstown to be relegated to Division 3 for 2020.

Was at the game yesterday. Fair play to Newtown they were the hungrier side and deserved their victory.

Them v Killeeshil next week a massive tie for both.

As someone said earlier, there won't be too many sad to see Cookstown go down. Something about them over recent times leaves a bad taste in the mouth. Talk of infighting tells its own story. Poor squad at the minute and no real sparks of hope at underage so may well find themselves down there for a wee bit. Kildress can attest that it's not an easy division to get out of once you go down.

Was Mugsy not with Fulham Irish this year. Wonder was he registered with them as a player as well as manager? If so, surely would have needed a transfer back to come on to Cookstown?

Talk of a couple of established players taking the year out to go travelling. Wouldn't begrudge them. They've given 6/7 years full pelt to tyrone and it's not long to life/partners/children come along and it's too late to do these things.

Div 1 all but done and dusted in terms of play off spots at this stage.  Tatts down automatically, Edendork v Eglish relegation play off. You'd expect Edendork to come out of that, be interesting how each of them approaches the final league match between them, dummy teams or put down a marker.

Top 4 sorted too by the looks of it. Trillick in fifth and won't be worried about making top 4.  Dromore and Clonoe making a late push for honours, both disappointed by their championship exits. Coalisland seem to have given up the ghost.

Div2 still up for grabs, I expect Galbally to do the double which leaves Loughmacrory going up in automatic league spot and I'd fancy Pomeroy to come through the play offs.

There is only short term security in professional sports in terms of managers and coaches. At some stage , the management team is sacked and new people take over.Thats why they get paid so well.
GAA is going the same way. New manager leads to new backroom members. You have to make your mark and charge accordingly. Even in club football the gravy train keeps moving on.
What would the career span be for coaches /s &c coaches ? 10 - 15 years ?

Donnelly's role was secure enough, he was a full time registered employee of Tyrone GAA with a remit covering all the S&C needs of Tyrone underage squads up to senior. He's very highly rated which probably explains why a professional setup came and headhunted him for their gig. I don't know how many other counties employ somebody like Donnelly, Dublin probably do and a few others but I think Tyrone were ahead of the curve. In terms of fitness, conditioning and our injury record record then I think the results speak extremely positively for Donnelly but the package on offer from a professional outlet is likely one we can't come close to offering.

Personally i would want noting to do with the shower that is Ulster rugby but i understand why he did, professional set up blah blah.. My issue is that it seems he was just let go. If Leinster rugby come looking a Dublin S&C coach I don't think they would get him at all and if they did they would not get him as easy.

Donnelly on full time contract with Tyrone. Not huge salary but probably decent in GAA circles. Ulster Rugby come calling, offer him a few grand more to do similar job, 9-5, working with academy set up, larger more professional organisation, more room for career progression. Donnelly suggests to Tyrone he could stay on and do S&C for senior team only on a part time evening basis (like vast majority of other counties outside the top tier), Tyrone say no, we want someone full time. All fair enough.
Donnelly then gets the opportunity to do the part time evening set up with Monaghan and make a few extra quid. All seems completely fair on both sides. Nothing to see here, move along.

If anything it shows Tyrone are up there with Dublin and Kerry in having the full time S&C coach and aren't content with a part timer they way Monaghan still are.

Watching this on Tyrone TV, a number of points at ht.

1. Who is the Carmen mouthpiece on sideline? Hasn't stopped all fecking game.

2. That was an utter joke of a black card

3. Some bloody finish by young Canavan. Petey Harte's point at the end very impressive, too.

4. O'Neill Park is a an absolute dump. Has the ground changed in past 30 years? Plus the field is in brutal condition, terrible choice for a senior semi final.

That mouthpiece was their chairman. Dungannon was a disgrace of a venue for game. I'd say it's the worst pitch in Tyrone. Canavan and Harte were a joy to watch

Fairly harsh on Dungannon there. Grounds are no worse then Pomeroys for facilities and parking and can't think of anywhere else outside Omagh that would have held that crowd. Pitch is poor, probably worst in Tyrone and shouldn't have had a reserve game on beforehand.

Thought the match was poor overall. Errigal had that bit of class. Wing half back (Allison?) for Carmen was good I thought but their older boys looked their age. Think they should go and let the young boys at it. No other way to see if they're ready. Might mean a year or two of defeats but they'll learn. Canavan always looked dangerous when he got the ball but didn't get it enough. Ref was woeful and think Trillick will win by 3 or 4 in the final.