Messages

Very refreshing views here from a county player with respect to how the co board treat club players...

http://www.teamtalkmag.com/?p=10858

Irreplaceable.

Peter Harte for McGuigan and Ronan McNabb for Jordan. Both very able replacements. Harte is already class and McNabb will get there.

Peter Harte is a good player yes but to say he is already class and will replace McGuigan is very premature in my opinion.

Sad to hear of Brian's retirement from county football.

From he started to play youth football in Ardboe and propel teams to underage titles it was always obvious he was one of those special talents that came around every so often.  Underage titles annexed he came off the bench in the final after recovering from 2 broken collar bones in 1998 to help guide Ardboe to their last senior title.

Tyrone obviously soon came calling where he provided so many exhilarating displays its almost impossible to talk about them all but I suppose the '05 final against Kerry will always linger, as O'Neill pointed out in a previous post his stats that day were simply phenomenal.

Unfortunately he suffered a terrible leg break in 2006 when he was in my opinion the best player in the country.  To recover from walking round with the leg in a cage was testament to his character, but to come back from the eye injury that followed the next year was something else.

On return he may not have been quite the player he was prior to the injuries but he still had that wee bit of class that set him apart.  This year was easily his best since returning from those injuries.  He was as good a performer as Tyrone had all year and was excellent for Ardboe as well particularly earlier in the season.  In July, Ardboe played him at centre half back in a league game against Coalisland.  In the last 15 mins of that game he controlled affairs like only he can guiding the team home with the ball attracted to him like a magnet. 

Tyrone's loss will be Ardboes gain and hopefully he gets his hands on another O'Neill cup in the coming years.

Sensible post loughshore lad. I think Coleman heading to the states was the difference this year even though he was back in time for champ. Before he left he was playing excellent and Ardboe were going very well had he continued his form I think they would have beaten Dromore. Seperate issue is there an actual offence for goading a player or verbal abuse? What is it and what is its punishment? Never seems to b one refs use.

Coleman and Ciaran Campbell both went for the summer so that was 2 potential senior players away, Nishy O'Neill was the top scorer and had been playing very well all year but got injured and was also another blow but thats football - all the other teams left in the championship can point to players missing and injured as well.  There is very little between those top 7 or 8 teams.

Snippet, Omagh are due to play an average Dromore team but his average Dromore team will have the steel to cut out Ronan O'Neill and Conan Grugan, something Coalisland didn't possess on Saturday. I do think Clonoe will win the championship hands down. Men like Shane O'Hagan will get better an McNulty is probably the best midfielder in the county. Brady and Burke could handle that Omagh forward line the same way Carrickmore did last year. Omagh Clonoe final and you can take that to the bank. Story is where to from here for Carmen and Ardboe? Frank McGuigan, John McConville are on their way out, along side Gavin Wylie and Ciaran Campbell. Frank had a great year and will probably bow out as a good footballer. Gavin Teague is quality and too is Matthew Brady. Shay McGuigan doesn't possess what Brian or Tommy had at their age so I predict an average division 1 team and mid table from here on in. Carmen should have beat Clonoe the 1st day only Caolan Daly retired injured. He is their main forward at present as Mark Donnellys Tyrone career probably destroyed his club year. Big Oz and Gaby McCallan will call it a day.Colm McGurk, Ciaran McAleer and Paul Daly have been street above the rest this year and if the retire I aslo except Carmen to be midtable as they don't have the men in the forward line. If Omagh win the championship I will eat my hat.

Beavis has been our best forward this Year, whilst Big John is only returning from a year-long injury.

Ginger Wylie is a good friend of mine, but it doesn't take a Rocket Scientist to tell you that his days are numbered. Gives the ball away as if he's an English Soccer Midfielder.

Ardboe's problem has always been that the number one priority in the Village is the Drink. Look at Horse, once Mickey Harte dropped him from Tyrone he gave up altogether (I personally blame him responsible for our Championship exit against Cookstown back in 2007).

We're gonna have to take at least 5 Years to rebuild.

Hi - lay of the Horse he's a Tone now! 

I always believed Ardboe's biggest problem was club unity - its been a split club for years! I'm looking from a distance so I apologise if that observation is wrong!

Some very lazy analysis here.

To suggest that the reason Ardboe lost to Dromore is because of players drinking is insulting to players who put in a big effort. They train collectively, individually and sacrafice lots to play.  There will be the odd player who slips through the net as they enjoy the night life but there is not a club in the country any different.

Ardboe like every other club have had factions within it at different stages over the years but again there is no issue there.

As for the original poster not exactly sure what they are basing their analysis on.  Frank McGuigan was outstanding all year and has been one of the very best club players in Tyrone in the modern era, he is far from finished and looks fitter now than ever.  Ciaran Campbell in only about 25/6 so again hardly finished.  To compare Shay McGuigan to Brian or Tommy is unfair as not many 21 yr olds were in the same league as Brian was at 21 plus Shay would have another year to go to even reach 21 as he is U21 next year too.

If ardboe are an average mid table team then Tyrone club football will be in a very robust state.

Congratulations to Dromore, better team on the day in Edendork.

Some servant to Tyrone, we will never see the likes of him again and his retirement marks another stage in the gradual break up of one of the greatest teams ever to play the game.

The quality of the football at times on Friday night may not have impressed some of the posters on this board but it was a gripping, epic game. 

Looking forward to the replay immensely. 

[ardboe throwing fr rocks pts]

coalisland threw derrylaughin pts and ardboe throwing fr rocks pts pharoch or end of season results?

Anyone at that game would have saw quite clearly there were no points thrown.  Eugene McConnell had a substantial say in proceedings though!!!!!

Well done Stewartstown today winning the Og sport - magnificent achievement.

+1, well down to Stewartstown!!

The "mileage" wont be as high with Armagh 

[Good luck to Ardboe against Dromore. Best team won today, I'm just happy we didn't gave everything your way and made things difficult for youse.]

Ardboe 10 - Greencastle 5 FT

Once again, Ardboe make heavy work of it in the Championship. Some good scores from Kyle and a belter from Tommy,but too many frustrating wides and an inability to get Breaking Ball in Midfield.

Hope Big John remains fit. His presence will be a huge boost for us.

In fairness, Greencastle had a hell of a lot more wides than Ardboe in the game. 10 in the first half I believe. As for midfield, we've arguably one of the best midfield players for us, Enda Clarke, so Ardboe and most teams would have found it difficult.

Good luck to Ardboe against Dromore. Best team won today, I'm just happy we didn't gave everything your way and made things difficult for youse.

Fair play to you Ziggy.

[In 2007, Tyrone minors won the AI]

Hope McShane takes on the U21s then, a bit of continuity and maybe on through to Senior a la Mickey Harte would be nice.

Mickey Harte's ability to take the minors through u21 and on to senior AI wins is not something that can be replicated by very many others. Those AI winning minor managers who have followed Mickey Harte have largely failed to repeat his success at u21 level.  The fabled Tyrone talent conveyor belt has ground as minor success has lead to little more in terms of u21 success or breakthrough to the senior team.  In 2007, Tyrone minors won the AI, Omagh CBS won the Hogan Cup and the Tyrone Vocationals won the AI and that is where it all ended for those players and that talent.  The same minor management team took another group to AI success in 2010 and Dungannon have won successive MacRory Cups and a Hogan same Cup, again no progress.  Over the last four years Tyrone failed every year at u21 level with the same management team.

You can't depend on bringing on a minor squad to senior AI success.  Armagh needs a manager who can take charge and make the required changes like Gerry O'Neill in 76, the two Brian's in the late 90s and Big Joe in 02 to 05 with the talent that is currently available.  we are currently in one of those inbetween periods probably best compared with the Jim McCorry years.  If the right move is made now Armagh can regain some ground to become competitive in the top 8, if not then the talent will disapate and we will decline to the mediocrity of hoping for a three or four game championship each year.

Tyrone won the AI minor title in 2008 and the management team of Munroe et al are only in their first term of U21 management.

As brash as ever from the King but when you strip it all back there is plenty of merit in a lot of what he is saying.

Obviously, im gutted that Tyrone were well beaten today, however, I still enjoyed watching the skill and accuracy of the dubs - they made it look so easy. I stayed to the very end to applaud the Dublin team on their outstanding performance and victory but also to applaud the Tyrone team that have gave us so much in this last decade.

I could go on about Mickey Hartes decisions today, but its pointless and unfair. I only have to look at what he has achieved for Tyrone, through the years of nuturing those players and the successes they brought. Its an end of era for alot of players on the team and hope that they dont get too annoyed at their performance today as they wont be judged on that, but will only be judged on the years of great performances and achievements, the youth they have inspired throughout the country and the excitement and joy they have brought to their fans.

They may have lost today, but overall their County endeavours were a total success.

Excellent summation.

+1