Peter Canavan

[TacadoirArdMhacha]

Best player the game has ever had. No argument.

Not within Tyrone anyway.............

Anybody that understands the game knows he is...

Frank McGuigan was the best but as you are from Ballygawley and probably on Peter's panel or related to him you will say that 

So McGuigan was the best player ever and Canavan was the second best?

[longrunsthefox]

No-Peter wasn't the second best 

[EC Unique]

 He done it consistently for about 14 years for club and county. He stared for Tyrone in 95 scoring all but one of Tyrone's points that day and 10 years later starred again in the all Ireland final scoring a superb goal!!  The man was a genius that has no equal. Some players came close ie Maurice Fitz, SON,etc but did not equal him in consistency.

[longrunsthefox]

No doubt Peter won far more and was more dedicated than McGuigan. This would be down to Frank's drink problem (which he has publically spoke about) and lack of same drive. On the field however Peter was not in the same class. McGuigan was playing senior county football when he was a minor, he played midfield and forwards and at the age of 30 well overweight  scored 11 points from play in an Ulster final. Ten of Canavan's points in 1995 final were from close in frees. Still I don't want to try to diminish Peter's class... he is of course a legend but having seen both for many years, given the choice of who to go and watch... the King. Did you ever see Frank McGuigan playing and I am talking about in his prime... in the seventies? a natural genius and I ain't from Ardboe... Ballygawley unique          

[stew]

Well, I suppose he was an effective player in his own way but he wouldn't have had the natural talent and genius of say, a Maurice Fitzgerald now would he ?

I'd say he might have made the subs bench on the Kerry team of the 80's and would probably have been a league regular while Jacko and the lads were on the piss for the winter. So yeah, he was decent enough I suppose.

he was the equal of maurice fitz and better I'd say though there was not much in it.

Ach fcukit, i'd say he was the single greatest GAA player ever and i despise the cnut.

[haranguerer]

Well, I suppose he was an effective player in his own way but he wouldn't have had the natural talent and genius of say, a Maurice Fitzgerald now would he ?

I'd say he might have made the subs bench on the Kerry team of the 80's and would probably have been a league regular while Jacko and the lads were on the piss for the winter. So yeah, he was decent enough I suppose.

he was the equal of maurice fitz and better I'd say though there was not much in it.

Ach fcukit, i'd say he was the single greatest GAA player ever and i despise the cnut.

Right you are stew - and i depise tyrone.

I only saw him in intercounty games (and marked him in soccer a few times), but he was pure class - the best ever is a matter of opinion, and he was the best ever imo.

Longrunsthefox - seen f mcg replays, and fair enough you can only deal with whats in front of you, but the scores i saw, he was given that much space i thought it was the warm up...

[longrunsthefox]

Well, I suppose he was an effective player in his own way but he wouldn't have had the natural talent and genius of say, a Maurice Fitzgerald now would he ?

I'd say he might have made the subs bench on the Kerry team of the 80's and would probably have been a league regular while Jacko and the lads were on the piss for the winter. So yeah, he was decent enough I suppose.

he was the equal of maurice fitz and better I'd say though there was not much in it.

Ach fcukit, i'd say he was the single greatest GAA player ever and i despise the cnut.

Right you are stew - and i depise tyrone.

I only saw him in intercounty games (and marked him in soccer a few times), but he was pure class - the best ever is a matter of opinion, and he was the best ever imo.

Longrunsthefox - seen f mcg replays, and fair enough you can only deal with whats in front of you, but the scores i saw, he was given that much space i thought it was the warm up...

So why didn't the other players do what he did? Frank made his space... they couldn't get a hand near him.  Anyway if someone who saw Frank playing during his career thinks Canavan was better I can agree to disagree but to go by video clips... forget it.   

[bigpaul]

This debate has been rehearsed in just about every pub in Tyrone over the last 15 years and it still intrigues me!My own opinion is that Frank was the George Best of Gaelic football.However,if you were to give me the choice of a player for my team Canavan would always be the man.Peter Canavan contributed more to Tyrone football by his 22nd birthday(he wasn't even legal at the time) than Frank did in his whole career.When it comes to raw talent Johnny Corvan beat them all !!!!!!!!!!!!

[haranguerer]

Well, I suppose he was an effective player in his own way but he wouldn't have had the natural talent and genius of say, a Maurice Fitzgerald now would he ?

I'd say he might have made the subs bench on the Kerry team of the 80's and would probably have been a league regular while Jacko and the lads were on the piss for the winter. So yeah, he was decent enough I suppose.

he was the equal of maurice fitz and better I'd say though there was not much in it.

Ach fcukit, i'd say he was the single greatest GAA player ever and i despise the cnut.

Right you are stew - and i depise tyrone.

I only saw him in intercounty games (and marked him in soccer a few times), but he was pure class - the best ever is a matter of opinion, and he was the best ever imo.

Longrunsthefox - seen f mcg replays, and fair enough you can only deal with whats in front of you, but the scores i saw, he was given that much space i thought it was the warm up...

So why didn't the other players do what he did? Frank made his space... they couldn't get a hand near him.  Anyway if someone who saw Frank playing during his career thinks Canavan was better I can agree to disagree but to go by video clips... forget it.   

cos they were f**king shite.

and to come out with this bollocks about his drink problem as thought it was a mitigating factor is a joke. Sure I know a lad who was the best footballer ever, but he didn't bother his hole turning out for the county...

You think possibly there was trick photography involved in the footage? Canavan is ten times the player frank was. In the future, there will be players who will be ten times better than canavan was. If players werent getting better generation by generation, there'd be something wrong.

And btw, m fitz is also over rated - class, granted, but best ever, not a chance. His treatment by kerry managers (a) should tell you a lot, and (b) serves now to protect his legend.

Sidelines arent that hard to put over. 

[longrunsthefox]

This debate has been rehearsed in just about every pub in Tyrone over the last 15 years and it still intrigues me!My own opinion is that Frank was the George Best of Gaelic football.However,if you were to give me the choice of a player for my team Canavan would always be the man.Peter Canavan contributed more to Tyrone football by his 22nd birthday(he wasn't even legal at the time) than Frank did in his whole career.When it comes to raw talent Johnny Corvan beat them all !!!!!!!!!!!!

Frank had captained Tyrone to minor, U21 and senior Ulster titles by the time he was 19 

[longrunsthefox]

Well, I suppose he was an effective player in his own way but he wouldn't have had the natural talent and genius of say, a Maurice Fitzgerald now would he ?

I'd say he might have made the subs bench on the Kerry team of the 80's and would probably have been a league regular while Jacko and the lads were on the piss for the winter. So yeah, he was decent enough I suppose.

he was the equal of maurice fitz and better I'd say though there was not much in it.

Ach fcukit, i'd say he was the single greatest GAA player ever and i despise the cnut.

Right you are stew - and i depise tyrone.

I only saw him in intercounty games (and marked him in soccer a few times), but he was pure class - the best ever is a matter of opinion, and he was the best ever imo.

Longrunsthefox - seen f mcg replays, and fair enough you can only deal with whats in front of you, but the scores i saw, he was given that much space i thought it was the warm up...

So why didn't the other players do what he did? Frank made his space... they couldn't get a hand near him.  Anyway if someone who saw Frank playing during his career thinks Canavan was better I can agree to disagree but to go by video clips... forget it.   

cos they were f**king shite.

and to come out with this bollocks about his drink problem as thought it was a mitigating factor is a joke. Sure I know a lad who was the best footballer ever, but he didn't bother his hole turning out for the county...

You think possibly there was trick photography involved in the footage? Canavan is ten times the player frank was. In the future, there will be players who will be ten times better than canavan was. If players werent getting better generation by generation, there'd be something wrong.

And btw, m fitz is also over rated - class, granted, but best ever, not a chance. His treatment by kerry managers (a) should tell you a lot, and (b) serves now to protect his legend.

Sidelines arent that hard to put over. 

Hey! angry head, Peter was a great player but not in the same class as the King... get over it  You're another one who probably never saw McGuigan playing 

[haranguerer]

 

[Sandino]

I would like to comment on this issue. As others have said it's a pretty pointless discussion much like the team of the decade debate. Yet is a topic that will be chatted about in bars on high stools for years to come, at least until someone better that Frank and Peter come along. I have had the pleasure of seeing both men play, in the flesh so to speak, so I feel that I have the right to comment. For me Peter was the best player I have ever seen at least on a par with Jacko.  Fitz was a great player also but to my mind he was no way near as good as Matt Connor. To say one player is/was a great player should not imply that another was anything less that a great player. Comparisons are sometimes foolish!

[redhugh]

Some quare dung talked about these two legends that our county was blessed with.We were lucky to have either one of them wear the red hand never mind both.I for one would not be fit to lace the boots of either and I'm sure they could both still roast me on any given day, now or at any time in the future.

[longrunsthefox]

I would like to comment on this issue. As others have said it's a pretty pointless discussion much like the team of the decade debate. Yet is a topic that will be chatted about in bars on high stools for years to come, at least until someone better that Frank and Peter come along. I have had the pleasure of seeing both men play, in the flesh so to speak, so I feel that I have the right to comment. For me Peter was the best player I have ever seen at least on a par with Jacko.  Fitz was a great player also but to my mind he was no way near as good as Matt Connor. To say one player is/was a great player should not imply that another was anything less that a great player. Comparisons are sometimes foolish!

Well Sandino, as you have seen both players I certainly think your opinion is very valid. While I don't agree with it, it is of course a matter of opinion. But others who never saw Frank seem to get very angry when I suggest he was better than Peter, and I too have seen both players.