Messages

Although not a bar, Vice Versas!

Warrenpoint weren't overly impressive in the Intermediate Cup a few weeks back against Newbuidlings.

They rested a lot of boys that day and even reversed the fixture to make sure it was definitely playerd as they were due to play Ards the following week. Ards' game was called off that day however so their game v Warrenpoint was delayed until yesterday. Had they known beforehand that the Ards cup game was to be called off I've no doubt that they'd have fielded a full strength side against Newbuildings.

Could they play at the showgrounds in Newry? It's only 6 mile up the road and it's not currently being used.

The 'new' Newry will be using it next season. I've heard talk of a ground share however so time will tell. It's all hypothetical at this stage anyway as Warrenpoint currently still have a lot to do to achieve promotion. Poor results against Larne and H&W Welders in their 2 games before beating Ards could let them down.

Victory over Ards yesterday puts Warrenpoint in a great position to grab a place in the Irish League's Premier Division.Remarkable achievement for a club formed only 25 years ago,and only claimed a place in Irish League's top divisions last season,where they won promotion from Division 2 in their first year.Also ironic that nearby Newry City,a club with decades long history and where the likes of Pat Jennings started,went belly-up last year.

If they do finish in a promotion spot I can't see them having the facillities to play in the top flight. Their floodlights aren't even of the required standard and they'd need a segregated area for away fans as well as a stand that meets certain standards.
It should also be pointed out that last season in Championship 1 they were lucky to avoid relegation. It's only since the demise of Newry City in September that they've pushed on due to the amount of Newry players they swooped to sign. Rambo Hughes for example (plays GAA with Corrinshego in Armagh) was undoubtedly the top player in the division last year with Newry and is in even better form this year for example.

That said, in 25 years they've come a long way, especially for a club from a massive GAA area.

At least 50 afternoons were ruined this afternoon as a result of these actions. 22 players, 8 backroom staff, 4 officials, 1 ticket collector, and unknown number of supporters, estimated at 15.

I'd imagine crowd would have been about 2000 or so

2000 Holy God. There was a crowd of 4000 at the Macrory Cup quarter final between St Paul's and the Abbey CBS in Newry last week

And how's that relevant? By the way I was at the St. Pal's game, 4000 is a very generous estimate.

[Nigel Dodds MP and Nelson McCausland MLA said: (North Belfast MP and MLA respectively)"It is deeply regrettable that today's match at Seaview was postponed.A lot of work had gone on between the two clubs, local residents and police in order to allow the match to go ahead in ...a peaceful atmosphere.Unfortunately this afternoon's events have disrupted this good work and spoiled what should have been simply a great day of sport enjoyed by football supporters.One of our Councillors Guy Spence was present on the ground, along with Cllr Lydia Paterson and other community representatives, trying to help keep the situation as calm and peaceful as possible. This was because of the previous history of difficulties caused by a small number of Cliftonville fans walking down Skegoneill Avenue behaving badly and offensively towards local residents.There is video evidence of police acting aggressively towards Cllr Spence and of him being struck by police. Others who also tried to help have complained of police heavy handed tactics and needless aggression by police.We will be following these issues up with police urgently this evening and in the coming days."Cllr Spence added:"I was present throughout the afternoon on the Shore Road in order to try to ensure that there was no trouble and that things would remain as calm as possible. When police were pushing people back I was struck by a police baton as I tried to lift a lady who had fallen back onto her feet. I was also struck by one police officer as I tried to speak to the police inspector after the arrest of a local community worker."]

Nigel Dodds MP and Nelson McCausland MLA said: (North Belfast MP and MLA respectively)

"It is deeply regrettable that today's match at Seaview was postponed.

A lot of work had gone on between the two clubs, local residents and police in order to allow the match to go ahead in ...a peaceful atmosphere.

Unfortunately this afternoon's events have disrupted this good work and spoiled what should have been simply a great day of sport enjoyed by football supporters.

One of our Councillors Guy Spence was present on the ground, along with Cllr Lydia Paterson and other community representatives, trying to help keep the situation as calm and peaceful as possible. This was because of the previous history of difficulties caused by a small number of Cliftonville fans walking down Skegoneill Avenue behaving badly and offensively towards local residents.

There is video evidence of police acting aggressively towards Cllr Spence and of him being struck by police. Others who also tried to help have complained of police heavy handed tactics and needless aggression by police.

We will be following these issues up with police urgently this evening and in the coming days."

Cllr Spence added:

"I was present throughout the afternoon on the Shore Road in order to try to ensure that there was no trouble and that things would remain as calm as possible. When police were pushing people back I was struck by a police baton as I tried to lift a lady who had fallen back onto her feet. I was also struck by one police officer as I tried to speak to the police inspector after the arrest of a local community worker."


Yeah boys, blame the fenians!

[Crusaders laid on buses for Cliftonville supporters]

Three arrests. Crusaders laid on buses for Cliftonville supporters, but most of them refused to use them. The only Cliftonville supporters to get into the ground were the ones that got the bus. Crusaders could have done no more.
Police should have driven these rats away from the ground, with as much force as needed. The sooner these waste of ejeculant protesters get the message the better.

It's a north Belfast derby though and Cliftonville supporters have always walked to this fixture.

Residents from the area around Seaview were giving out leaflets the other week at a home fixture against Linfield which was aimed at stoking up tensions. Even Linfield fans on some of the Irish League forums were baffled as to why the leaflets were given out to them. Apparently the leaflet claimed that Cliftonville fans attacked their homes on their way to and from the Boxing Day derby and that they should be supporting in protesting today..

Cross 2-10
St. Brigid's 0-13

See I left our S.Kernan and P.McKeown and P.Kernan from the 1st team because we all know their dealings with Armagh over the years.

Re.Dyas, when was the last game he stood out for us? he's been tried in nearly every position apart from goals lol

Valid points. Our panel is certainly a hell of a lot stronger looking if those boys are listed though.

Re. Dyas, I think he had a great game v Tyrone last season in the Ulster 1/4 final, albeit he got sent off with 10 or so to go. Don't get me wrong however, I wouldn't see him as a starter. Certainly worthy of a place in the panel though.

[Vernon]

Seen this over on Hoganstand.

For Armagh i'd have

McEvoy
Mallon Donaghy Morgan
Kernan Mckeever Mckenna
Toner Vernon
C.Rafferty A.Forker Vernon
Clarke S.Forker McParland

--------------------------------

Geoghan
McKeown P.Kernan Moriorty
Shields A.Duffy B.Loughran
Hanratty Lavery
A.Duffy S.Kernan E.Rafferty
McVerry Cunningham Carragher

Vernon in 2 positions at the one time?  .. As far as I'm concerned he wouldn't be in my starting 15 at the moment. I rate him as a player, he showed what he could do in his time at QUB, it's just a matter of him doing for us at county level.
Our midfield is becoming an ever bigger worry for me, Toner for example hasn't reached his potential since his debut year, 2008 I think it was. I'd give the Cross pairing of McKenna and Hanratty a go in the middle.
Interesting to note that you don't mention James Donnelly, Brian Mallon, Tony Kernan or Kevin Dyas at all?

For me:

McEvoy,
A.Mallon, P.Kernan, Morgan
A. Kernan, Donaghy, McKeever
Hanratty, David McKenna
A.Forker, S.Kernan, McParland
J.Clarke, S.Forker, B.Mallon

Geoghegan,
P.McKeown, Toner, Finn Mo
Shields, Donnelly, Deccie McKenna
Vernon, Lavery
A.Duffy, Dyas, T.Kernan
C.Rafferty, Cunnignham, C.O'Hanlon

Giggs and Scholes is going back a bit!!

In that case does Steven Gerrard still count as a homegrown Liverpool player? Or Jamie Carragher?
Puyol and Valdes at Barca?

There's no short-term solution at Liverpool, irrespective of who's managing the team and the club.  They should be looking to build a long-term structure like that of Barcelona, Bayern Munich (or Real Madrid possibly).  The Barcelona project began with the arrival of Johan Cruyff in 1973 - they didn't win a Champions League until 1992; in the interim period they won La Liga only once (if I remember correctly), and very few Copa del Reys either.  At the start of the 70s, they had had a good 20 years of competition both domestically and in Europe - they decided that to combat the riches of Madrid that they needed to change the clubs operations and football ethos drastically.  It took 20 (30 really) years to achieve their goal - there's no short way of doing it; it requires a complete change of thinking.  I think that Liverpool are embarking on a similar project - they'll need to suffer a lot of smugness from Manchester in the interim.

Interestingly, RM and Barca, collectively spend €20M annually on building and running their Academies.

Billy, Barca and Real are said to be is desperate financial shape altogether, the only club doing it right of the one's you mentioned are Bayern Munich.

How do you explain what Ferguson did then Billy? it took him a few years to get rolling and look at the home grown players he has produced for nothing!

By the way, in Appleton, Wisconsin, 30 mile up the road from me, Everton have sunk a million into developing an academy club there, in fact two of my players just joined that club so I would say most top premier clubs are spending big bucks to find/develop talent.

It's been a day or two since Ferguson produced a homegrown player, possibly Jonny Evans being the only one of the current batch.

Evans, Cleverley and Welbeck would all be considered as homegrown I'd imagine. Add Giggs and Scholes into that and that's 5 out of the current squad off the top of my head. Not bad.

[EVER]

As a lifelong SDLP voter, I must admit I thought Gerry Kelly came across very very well, he had literally a baying mob screaming questions and personal abuse at him on many occasions throughout the show. His response was dignified and articulate.
How long into the show were we before Donaldson, McDevitt & the alliance guy were brought into the so-called debate?

On a side note - could you EVER imagine a loyalist politican sitting through what he did?? So much for standards & equality.

For those of you that missed it, its available on the iplayer for 4 or 5 days. Its a good watch if you get the chance

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01pwdcf/The_Nolan_Show_Series_2_Episode_6/

Gerry Kelly was very cool and did come across very well as opposed to the tubes firing stupid questions at him, like FFS I'm sure him being questioned about the prison officer or his past is water of a ducks back to him by now, not as if he hasn't been asked about it a million times before.  What is it with Unionists and 'Never, never, never'. That prat with the big ears was embarassing, especially when he repeatedly said 'How dare you' with regards to the flag being taken down - sounded like a child trying to scold his mother.

That's Jamie Bryson, the new Willie Frazer.

Speaking of Willie, I noticed he hasn't be allowed anywhere the protests and the media since he's c**k up on the prank radio call last week. 

It wasn't Jamie Bryson, it was another muppet.