Dublin v Tyrone quarter final 6.8.11 SFC 2011

[ONeill]

Why Shane???.
Seriously thats what pisses me off, why not say it now.The obvious is that we know these players /coaches /trainers/manager owe us nothing, they have laid it all out there, many, many times.
If we want to try and keep ourselves at the level we have been at for the last decade, then sentiment should play no part in it.
When do you think we should talk about it?? When we have slid back to a mid level county , settling for mediocrisy?

There's more to life than football. Mickey Harte buried his daughter a few months ago, someone very close to many of the players. O'Neil's performance yesterday when he came on I have no doubt factored that in. Leave the criticism a while.

[Jinxy]

You can't eat at the top table year in year out.
Who's to say that if Harte stays, Tyrone may win nothing for the next few years and then win an All-Ireland out of the blue?
Don't be too quick to demand change.
You had the pleasure of Sams company for 3 years because of Mickey Harte.
The decision to stay or go should be left up to him in my opinion.

[Paris Murphy]

Why Shane???.
Seriously thats what pisses me off, why not say it now.The obvious is that we know these players /coaches /trainers/manager owe us nothing, they have laid it all out there, many, many times.
If we want to try and keep ourselves at the level we have been at for the last decade, then sentiment should play no part in it.
When do you think we should talk about it?? When we have slid back to a mid level county , settling for mediocrisy?

There's more to life than football. Mickey Harte buried his daughter a few months ago, someone very close to many of the players. O'Neil's performance yesterday when he came on I have no doubt factored that in. Leave the criticism a while.

I know and work with some Tyrone players. I'll tell you this, they were ALL devastated when Michaela Harte was killed..! ALL of them. That took it's toll on the team and Management. Mickey will retire in a month or so to take care of his family during what will be a perpetual time of need. That Tyrone team were never going to go much further than this no matter who they met. There was too much damage done emotionally to those people for them to focus completely on Football. I will say they played the game without the thuggish element that has haunted them in the past and personally the disgust and spite I would have had for them in years gone by has turned to sympathy. No one should have to bury their child. God Bless ye Mick ! I hope they hang the bastards who killed that girl. up the dubs !!

[Hardy]

Tyrone have enjoyed a longer stint at the top than any other team I can think of, unless you consider Kerry 1975-86 as one team; I would say it was two: 75-81 and 84-86. I've been saying since 2008 that Tyrone's demise was overdue based on the average life span of a top team, which is about five years. They've proven me wrong until now.

No county produces a continuous challenge for top honours. Even Kerry, though they are the closest we have to a permanent challenger for titles, don't do it in a continuous stream. A new Kerry team arrives, thrives for a few years and fades. 1958-62; 1969-72; 1975-82; 1984-86; 1997-2000; 2004-?

So this Tyrone group has set a new standard for longevity. We don't even know they're finished yet.

[Jinxy]

What about our run from 87-96 Hardy? 
(Martin O'Connell and Colm Coyle were the core of that team).

[Hardy]

That's true Jinxy, but I prefer to think of it as two great teams: 86-91 and 96-2001. Twice the pleasure.

[AZOffaly]

In fairnes Hardy, it's a bit of a stretch to divide Kerry 1975-82 and 84 - 86 in two. The only break there was a last minute Goal by Tadghie Murphy in 1983.

[Paris Murphy]

Tyrone have enjoyed a longer stint at the top than any other team I can think of, unless you consider Kerry 1975-86 as one team; I would say it was two: 75-81 and 84-86. I've been saying since 2008 that Tyrone's demise was overdue based on the average life span of a top team, which is about five years. They've proven me wrong until now.

No county produces a continuous challenge for top honours. Even Kerry, though they are the closest we have to a permanent challenger for titles, don't do it in a continuous stream. A new Kerry team arrives, thrives for a few years and fades. 1958-62; 1969-72; 1975-82; 1984-86; 1997-2000; 2004-?

So this Tyrone group has set a new standard for longevity. We don't even know they're finished yet.

Why are you persistently  shiteing on about Kerry 75-86 ? Are you totally mad..? I realise not many Meath (men) can type Dublin's 'longevity' in the 70's into a full sentence but there was one and it wasn't part of the dream factory you dreamed up about Kerry....

[Hardy]

In fairnes Hardy, it's a bit of a stretch to divide Kerry 1975-82 and 84 - 86 in two. The only break there was a last minute Goal by Tadghie Murphy in 1983.

Ah but that Kerry team was clearly finished by 81. How do you think yiz won in 82?

Seriously, though - yes, it is a stretch. But the point stands. I chose Kerry as the most difficult example to prove the point, for emphasis.

[Hardy]

Tyrone have enjoyed a longer stint at the top than any other team I can think of, unless you consider Kerry 1975-86 as one team; I would say it was two: 75-81 and 84-86. I've been saying since 2008 that Tyrone's demise was overdue based on the average life span of a top team, which is about five years. They've proven me wrong until now.

No county produces a continuous challenge for top honours. Even Kerry, though they are the closest we have to a permanent challenger for titles, don't do it in a continuous stream. A new Kerry team arrives, thrives for a few years and fades. 1958-62; 1969-72; 1975-82; 1984-86; 1997-2000; 2004-?

So this Tyrone group has set a new standard for longevity. We don't even know they're finished yet.

Why are you persistently  shiteing on about Kerry 75-86 ? Are you totally mad..? I realise not many Meath (men) can type Dublin's 'longevity' in the 70's into a full sentence but there was one and it wasn't part of the dream factory you dreamed up about Kerry....

Oh Christ. It's bad enough to have a stalker. But one with multiple personality disorder - you never know what's going to jump out of the bushes at you.

[omagh_gael]

I will never forget the final whistle in '03, the tears, the elation, the hoarse throat, the pride of seeing Sam arrive in Omagh high street, Peter's speech, the goosebumps, the drive back home, the beer.

I will never forget Peter slipping the ball into the bottom corner in '05, Mugsy's goals against the dubs, the wall of noise when Dublin scored 5/6 in a row in the replay, the absolute crushing intensity of the semi versus Armagh, SoN's 10 points off Francie in the ulster final and seeing Brian Dooher holding Sam aloft in the Hogan.

I will never forget leaving the Marshes in '08 trying to convince my friend that Tyrone could still win Sam, holding my breath as Dessie Dolan broke through and slipped it past the post in Healy park, Joe putting it in the top corner against the dubs, seeing previous squad players such as Penrose and McCullagh step up and become greats, witnessing Brian Dooher score the best point I have ever seen in the final and once again having the pleasure of running onto the pitch to salute our heroes as they brought Sam back home among the bushes.

You can have all the DVDs you want but I will be able to tell my son in years to come that I was there and seen legends like O'Neill, Canavan, McAnallen, Dooher et al bring Tyrone their greatest ever years. Thanks lads.

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Haven't posted on the game yet but want to take this opportunity to echo many of the comments made already. I first of all want to thank every single member of the panel/management/backroom team for giving us an unimaginable decade of top class football. There have been so many good memories and days out where we witnessed truly great players achieve so many great feats. Yesterday will certainly be the end of an era and there will be retirements (not sure how many as of yet) but I hold onto the hope that in the years to come we will be in a position to be back at the top challenging for Sam. The players are there from the minor teams of the previous four years and I have no hesitation in stating that Mickey is the man to develop a new team a la Sean Boylan.


As O'Neill stated above, many of Cadhlancian's points are completely true. It was a bad day at the office for the management team and I'm sure they are well aware of that but what's done is done. Time to draw a line under it and begin the rebuilding for next year. We are going to see a lot of fresh faces in the new year but I really do (selfishly!) hope many of the older guys hang around for another year or two yet. Their experience is invaluable and if they can pass on some of their skill/tricks to the next generation then we'll be in a better place.

On the game itself there is little to be said that hasn't already been posted. Dublin were phenomenal, they had one of those days where they could have held the ball up to their arse and farted and it still would have went over. Yes our system left huge space to work within but the ball still had to be put over the bar. Our only way back in that game was a fast start to the second half. Donnelly had a great chance for a point and tried to engineer a goal and we were turned over. Dublin then scored 3 in 5 mins. Game over.

Early days yet but would love to see a team like this starting the league next year:

Packie
Swift
McCarron
McCaul
McNabb
Justin
Red Sean
Cassidy
McKenna
S Cav
P Harte
Joe
Ronan O'Neill
Donnelly/SoN
Penrose

With guys like Gormley, Mugsy, Hub, Jordan still able to fit into the first 15 and coming in to steady the ship. Extremely selfish expecting these guys to hang around for little game time but would be excellent back up and experience.

[AZOffaly]

Tyrone have enjoyed a longer stint at the top than any other team I can think of, unless you consider Kerry 1975-86 as one team; I would say it was two: 75-81 and 84-86. I've been saying since 2008 that Tyrone's demise was overdue based on the average life span of a top team, which is about five years. They've proven me wrong until now.

No county produces a continuous challenge for top honours. Even Kerry, though they are the closest we have to a permanent challenger for titles, don't do it in a continuous stream. A new Kerry team arrives, thrives for a few years and fades. 1958-62; 1969-72; 1975-82; 1984-86; 1997-2000; 2004-?

So this Tyrone group has set a new standard for longevity. We don't even know they're finished yet.

Why are you persistently  shiteing on about Kerry 75-86 ? Are you totally mad..? I realise not many Meath (men) can type Dublin's 'longevity' in the 70's into a full sentence but there was one and it wasn't part of the dream factory you dreamed up about Kerry....

I don't understand what you are trying to say here?

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

Feck it, we're really buried when Meath men, however obliquely, are lauding us! Thanks anyway Hardy, much appreciated! 

[cadhlancian]

good post there Omagh gael....I totally agree , as I said in my post, that Harte is the only man to rebuild this. I disagree with Oneill on the fact that, it SHOULD be addressed now, and as you correctly say "draw a line under it"
P.S Shane, Around the shore there is no such thing as "critisizing someone"..........its "talking about them" 

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

good post there Omagh gael....

+1 (and I really don't like people who post '+1'  ).