The legacy of Francie Bellew

[5 Sams]

Average footballer and a thug. My opinion, I've watched him live down through the years. Sorry BCB and any other Armagh people I might offend but all your team mates weren't angels like Oisin. What he did to Mickey was unacceptable.

[Dougal Maguire]

And what about Deegan"s tackle on McGeeney in 1992. What sort of action would you call that?  He nearly killed him. Has O"Neill any before during and after photos of  that one

[5 Sams]

And what about Deegan"s tackle on McGeeney in 1992. What sort of action would you call that?  He nearly killed him. Has O"Neill any before during and after photos of  that one

How many teeth did "Geezer" lose??

[Dougal Maguire]

A whole mouthful 

[Throw ball]

And what about Deegan"s tackle on McGeeney in 1992. What sort of action would you call that?  He nearly killed him. Has O"Neill any before during and after photos of  that one

How many teeth did "Geezer" lose??

If I remember rightly his injury was a lot worse than losing a couple to teeth.

I also seem to remember a Down man tackling Oisin with a head high kick in Casement a number of years ago. Cannot remember who it was. Sometimes shock can do funny things with the memory!

[LeoMc]

And what about Deegan"s tackle on McGeeney in 1992. What sort of action would you call that?  He nearly killed him. Has O"Neill any before during and after photos of  that one

2 wrongs don't make a right.

[magpie seanie]

One of the most honest players ever. He may not have had the style or panache that other lesser mortals possessed but he is a legend in Armagh and rightly so. The Mickey Linden tackle was 2 men going for a 50/50 ball and wasn't as bad as Conor Deegans tackle on Kieran McGeeney in the first round match in Armagh in 1992 bur you never hear McGeeney yapping about that

Such horse manure. It was a bad tackle, couldn't possibly be anywhere near legal, though I'd say there's no way he intended to do the damage he did.

I'd have a good bit of respect for what Bellew achieved with his ability and the fact that he gave everything for the cause. The kind of lad you'd love to play alongside.

[brokencrossbar1]

Sean Ward was the karate kid in Casement.   

As far as Francie's hit on Linden,  it was a frontal charge but it was exacerbated by Linden's own momentum and a ball from Coulter with a blue light on it.  If it was oisin at the other end I have no doubt the same wo have happened. 

Down people may claim the moral high ground but its a bit rich considering that the 2 captains from 91 & 94 were 2 of the falsest bastards going, and I know from direct experience of 1 of them!

[Main Street]

All jokes aside that is no "50/50 tackle", Bellew went in trying to empty the man with a shoulder to the chest. Poor action.

He won the ball.

[Hardy]

If players can't clatter into each other full blooded, there's no point to our game. It's a man's game, full contact (or used to be) and the odd tooth will be lost. That picture is one of the best examples I've ever seen of the camera lying. It's about a millisecond after Mickey collects the ball. For the previous two seconds, the ball was between the two of them. Watch it in full speed and no neutral football man would say that Francie should, or could, have pulled out.

I'm surprised at the Down lads. The Downs and other aristocratic counties of the football world don't moan about stuff like this.

[maddog]

Stephen O`Neill put pay to any legacy in the space of 1 game unfortunately

By that logic Seamus Moynihan must have been a very average player, given that he got the run around a few times as well.

[johnneycool]

Sean Ward was the karate kid in Casement.   

As far as Francie's hit on Linden,  it was a frontal charge but it was exacerbated by Linden's own momentum and a ball from Coulter with a blue light on it.  If it was oisin at the other end I have no doubt the same wo have happened. 

Down people may claim the moral high ground but its a bit rich considering that the 2 captains from 91 & 94 were 2 of the falsest b**tards going, and I know from direct experience of 1 of them!

Did Sean Ward not go up to catch a high ball and on the way down planted the foot into Oisin's chest, he didn't need to do it, but its not what is being portrayed here.

All teams need players who play to and beyond the rules if needs be. For every Pat Spillane, Colm O'Rourke, Nicky English or DJ Carey there's a hardy hoor doing the dirty stuff. That's the dynamic of team sports which have a physical element to them.

[ranch]

Stephen O`Neill put pay to any legacy in the space of 1 game unfortunately

By that logic Seamus Moynihan must have been a very average player, given that he got the run around a few times as well.

Great point, Ronan Clarke as a 19 year old scored 3 points from play off him in an AI final. Not because Moynihan played badly, but because top forwards are capable of doing that. Bellew was marking O'Neill who was at his peak at that time, on that particular day I can't see how anyone would have marked him differently.

[Gabriel]

Slow and average footballer who's only really seen as having any kind of 'legacy' in Armagh. Two abiding memories are Francie on the floor after Cavanagh hurtled into him in the AISF in 2005, and then Francie on the floor again as Donaghy finished that Armagh team in 2006. He was a decent club defender for Cross though.

[brokencrossbar1]

Cross
Armagh titles   13
Ulster titles   7
All-Ireland Titles   5

Armagh
Ulster titles   5
All Irelands   1
NFL   1
All Stars   1

Bite me shite the lot of ye