Armagh Club football & hurling

[winsamsoon]

I would agree with what u are saying BC but even when I was playing against the so called past cross team that was so dominate I always went onto the pitch believing I could win. I still believe we can beat the cross if we play to our potential but that is only my opinion I wouldn't play football if I thought I was going out to get beat. On the issue of will the cross dominate for years to come like the past team. I would say no, they undoubtedly set a very high benchmark but I think the other teams have the potential to improve more than cross. Cross are not going to go any highier than winning an all Ireland as it is the highest achievement. I feel this will motivate other teams like the ogs did two years ago to give it a good rattle. With the resources available to clubs now this process shouldn't take ten years if the clubs are worth their salt

[Scarface]

BC - Cross will still take all the beating....in answer to your question tho, this team is not as intimidating as some of the other teams....you would feel you would have more of a chance against this current team...although there are good young players there now I feel it will be almost impossible to replace the 2 Mac's, Oisin, Francie and Donaldson. That was a very strong core of players - a few of which were exceptional. You have obviosuly unearthed a gem in Jamie Clarke though who looks a top player.

Winsamson - I know that it is never the 'done thing' to say you really did not believe that you could win a game but there were probably sometimes when you played Cross when you knew that it would be almost impossible for you to win. For example in that c'ship game a few years ago were they gave Clans a serious drubbing, you did not really believe that you were going to win that game did you? If you did you were being very gallant albeit terribly unrealistic. Clans surely have not beaten Cross in a meaningful game in years?

[brokencrossbar1]

BC - Cross will still take all the beating....in answer to your question tho, this team is not as intimidating as some of the other teams....you would feel you would have more of a chance against this current team...although there are good young players there now I feel it will be almost impossible to replace the 2 Mac's, Oisin, Francie and Donaldson. That was a very strong core of players - a few of which were exceptional. You have obviosuly unearthed a gem in Jamie Clarke though who looks a top player.

Winsamson - I know that it is never the 'done thing' to say you really did not believe that you could win a game but there were probably sometimes when you played Cross when you knew that it would be almost impossible for you to win. For example in that c'ship game a few years ago were they gave Clans a serious drubbing, you did not really believe that you were going to win that game did you? If you did you were being very gallant albeit terribly unrealistic. Clans surely have not beaten Cross in a meaningful game in years?

Scarface, they are a different type of team and I have to wonder where all this confidence stems from.  In the last 2 years we have been beaten 3 times I think it is in competetive football.  Obviously once by the Ogs and I thnk twice in the league over the 2 years.  Certainly Culloville beat us last year and maybe Dromintee the year before.  In many of those league games there would have been a good few absentees(as there would obviously have been in some of the other teams) but the point I am making is that even given the argument that this is a "lesser" team than we were before they still have a high rate of victories and are certainly a more rounded squad then we were before.  Time will tell but I think that the confidence of winning in Croke Park will give the likes of Jamie, Aaron cunningham, Johnny Hanratty etc an unbelieveable boost in confidence, remember none of the Kernans womn a club game in Croke Park either, nice wee lift there too.

[winsamsoon]

Well going on your reasoning then the only team that has beaten cross in a meaningful game is the ogs. But I can assure u all our games are meaningful against the cross even the league games. Especially the 2006 championship final. Saying that we had no belief that we could beat the cross is comical. We trained very hard in the two previous years to that championship game and that year. Do u seriously think we took the field of play expecting to loose? If we meet the cross this year in the latter stages of the championship our lads will be blooming with confidence and ready to win. A small matter of cruppen to get over first though 

[Scarface]

Understood Winsamson....having a healthier level of competition in Armagh football will be to everyones benefit anyway.

I still believe that many teams in Armagh were defeated before they started when playing Cross...then again when you looked at the opposing levels of artillery at hand it was a reasonable enough thought...bit like Grenada saying they were going to defeat America in a war....

[Applesisapples]

As a neutral observer I would have to say the current Cross team has a lot more potential than previous incarnations. In my opinion the previous team was set up to grind the opposition down, it had some great footballers not least of which was Oisin, the current team is still capable of doing that but has a greater number of superb footballers. I think the best is yet to come.

[winsamsoon]

Well I'll state it here now then cross will not win the next ten championships in Armagh at senior level. Any prices on offer?

[charlie stubbs]

Well going on your reasoning then the only team that has beaten cross in a meaningful game is the ogs. But I can assure u all our games are meaningful against the cross even the league games. Especially the 2006 championship final. Saying that we had no belief that we could beat the cross is comical. We trained very hard in the two previous years to that championship game and that year. Do u seriously think we took the field of play expecting to loose? If we meet the cross this year in the latter stages of the championship our lads will be blooming with confidence and ready to win. A small matter of cruppen to get over first though

winsam you may have had the opinion that you were going to beat cross in the final and confidence in your own ability is a good thing imo.  To get to the county final, the lads obviously would have been confident and rightly so.  however, when you consider cross had won the previous 11 championships there is bound to have been doubts in some of your players minds if you could beat cross that day(especially when bumpy got the line?)?

[winsamsoon]

listen lads on the day of a game of football the past really counts for nothing it is all what happens on the day. If say for example a team had won 100 championships in a row it wouldn't neccessarily mean they won win the 101st. The same goes for the Armagh championship this is why we play football to win. In 2006 we got to a county final and it was the hardest two years of training we had ever done we also won the league that year. Everyone of our players felt that we could beat cross. I was playing that day and i certainly felt we were well in the game. When Bumpy got the line as you correctly say obviously that was a big blow to us as he was not only a leader on the pitch for us but also our main scoring threat ie free taker and long range points. The sending off occured after about 17 mins and at that time the score was something like 3-3. At half time in that game it was more hopeful than confident as we realised it was always going to be uphill with 14 men against a team of the calibre of cross. Cross came out and got a quick goal which killed the game off as a contest. There finished something like 8 or 9 points in it. IMO if we would have had the full quota of players we were in with a great chance of beating Cross in Cross that day. Now since that we have declined rapidly with a large number of retirements and a large number of youth players coming on board. The last two years in particular were very poor but we have a new management set up this year and things are going pretty well. Theres a good bunch of lads there so we won't be lacking any confidence come the 17th of April and come the championship.

[charlie stubbs]

listen lads on the day of a game of football the past really counts for nothing it is all what happens on the day. If say for example a team had won 100 championships in a row it wouldn't neccessarily mean they won win the 101st. The same goes for the Armagh championship this is why we play football to win. In 2006 we got to a county final and it was the hardest two years of training we had ever done we also won the league that year. Everyone of our players felt that we could beat cross. I was playing that day and i certainly felt we were well in the game. When Bumpy got the line as you correctly say obviously that was a big blow to us as he was not only a leader on the pitch for us but also our main scoring threat ie free taker and long range points. The sending off occured after about 17 mins and at that time the score was something like 3-3. At half time in that game it was more hopeful than confident as we realised it was always going to be uphill with 14 men against a team of the calibre of cross. Cross came out and got a quick goal which killed the game off as a contest. There finished something like 8 or 9 points in it. IMO if we would have had the full quota of players we were in with a great chance of beating Cross in Cross that day. Now since that we have declined rapidly with a large number of retirements and a large number of youth players coming on board. The last two years in particular were very poor but we have a new management set up this year and things are going pretty well. Theres a good bunch of lads there so we won't be lacking any confidence come the 17th of April and come the championship.

saw yous play maghery in league last year and was impressed with you that day,lot of young lads showed up very well. from talking to a few of your players management and discipline were a few reasons why you were not as consistent as you would have liked last year.  with a new management team, hopefully for your sake these can be ironed out and yous can bring these lads on.  would be good have a north armagh team in latter stages of cship this year.  I know from our own club a number of retirements can be hard to take and the younger lads can take time to find their feet playing senior football. 

[winsamsoon]

Have u got ur cruppen top ironed for the championship yet 

[Don Johnson]

Have u got ur cruppen top ironed for the championship yet 

[Scarface]

BC - Despite the great success of Cross this year I still think they are a more vulnerable team that in some years gone by. They are still a superb team mind you as evidenced by the recent AI win. However there is a feeling that a team could get some joy playing against that full back line for instance. They looked a bit shaky with the high ball raining down on them in various c'ship games and a forward line with power and pace could give them trouble. You can look at the display of that big forward in the AI final for evidence of this. Anyway dont think I am taking away from the team because I am not. They are entitled to all the plaudits that come their way.

[ogshead]

"The usual suspects will fancy themselves of toppling them, Ogs, Dromintee, Clans etc"

I think you might want to add Harps to this list who in the past number of years have certainly given the c'ship a better rattle and given Cross a better rattle than Clans have....no hard feelings like

Despite the fact that the Harps got to the final once 2 years ago I still wouldn't have had them down as contenders... and I still don't!! Sure maybe they'll prove me wrong this year but Cullyhanna look to be the strong bet this year. I would say they have a bit of confidence now from last year. Another year wiser too!!

[mountainboii]

If Cullyhanna lose Tasker it would be difficult to see them pushing as hard again this year.