Tyrone club football in crisis

[winghalfback]

I think it has to be stated when talking about 3rds teams in Tyrone errigal are a parish team the size of clonoe parish they field 4 teams each week in the acl clonoe parish fields 8 teams clonoe o rahillys and derrylaughan kevin barrys in senior derrytresk fir na chroic in intermediate and brocagh emmetts in junior all fielding senior and reserves. Tyrone championship this year was won in under 30 days by clonoe thats 4 hard games in under a month then asked to play the 5th week in ulster is a very big ask I feel even cross st galls or Ballinderry would struggle with that regime. The problem lies with the ccc in Tyrone they set the fixtures they cause the problem also all 3 leagues are not finished yet which is adding to club and player fraustrations too.

[CD]

I think it has to be stated when talking about 3rds teams in Tyrone errigal are a parish team the size of clonoe parish they field 4 teams each week in the acl clonoe parish fields 8 teams clonoe o rahillys and derrylaughan kevin barrys in senior derrytresk fir na chroic in intermediate and brocagh emmetts in junior all fielding senior and reserves. Tyrone championship this year was won in under 30 days by clonoe thats 4 hard games in under a month then asked to play the 5th week in ulster is a very big ask I feel even cross st galls or Ballinderry would struggle with that regime. The problem lies with the ccc in Tyrone they set the fixtures they cause the problem also all 3 leagues are not finished yet which is adding to club and player fraustrations too.

Is there an argument then, that there are too many club teams in some areas of Tyrone? I know that it would be a highly contentious issue but some teams have amalgamated to their advantage (Errigal & Clan Na Gael). It's not something I would personally support but I have heard it touted as a solution to the problem before.

County         No of Clubs
Antrim               51
Armagh             44
Cavan               40
Derry                40
Donegal            40
Down                46
Fermanagh       22
Monaghan        33
Tyrone              53

[blewuporstuffed]

i take it that included hurling clubs?
there are 48 football clubs in tyrone

[Aaron Boone]

Coalisland and Clonoe should discuss this merging initiative after tonight's league fixture.

[CD]

i take it that included hurling clubs?
there are 48 football clubs in tyrone

It does

[Knock Yer Mucker In]

We got into the Ulster club in 2008 and this year. On both occasions we had to play semi final, final and 1st round of Ulster club all within 2 weeks. To win a semi final, and then play a final 7 days later, to achieve a major goal in ones playing career, and then try to reset your goal within 3/4 days amid the celebrations  and then go and play this game another 7 days later was for us just emotionally impossible. We lost last Sundays game in the first 10/15 mins, why? because B'derry had time to set their goal for Ulster(and probably they expected to win Derry and had an eye on this fixture and competition), had time to prepare and had the luxury of studying us, whilst we had feck all preparations. the Tyrone CCC are muck in my eyes. Yet year in and out this body is aloud to get with this shite and nothing ever changes. Dromore had the same situation in 2011, so in the past five years the county champions have had this type of preparations in 3 of the years. Errigal had the time last year to prepare and they won their fitst round and fell at the semi to Cross. The CCC in Tyrone are very cupable when it comes to why our clubs are not doing well in Ulster club. Essentially the county board look after the county team, and shaft the clubs year in and out, but we deserve all we get because Ciaran Mc Laughlin has now served as Chairman and presided over the this sham for how many years on the trot and we still vote him in.

[armaghniac]

Tyrone probably has a nationalist population 10-20% bigger than Armagh, so a few more clubs is pro rata.
Does Tyrone get enough from its bigger towns, where there is a pick? It clearly has strong rural clubs, as many counties do, but how about Omagh, Dungannon, Strabane and even Cookstown?

[brokencrossbar1]

Tyrone probably has a nationalist population 10-20% bigger than Armagh, so a few more clubs is pro rata.
Does Tyrone get enough from its bigger towns, where there is a pick? It clearly has strong rural clubs, as many counties do, but how about Omagh, Dungannon, Strabane and even Cookstown?

The flip side to that is does Armagh get enough out of it's town teams too?  It is rare that you have strong town teams outside of City counties.  Most strong clubs are built around small areas.

[CD]

Tyrone probably has a nationalist population 10-20% bigger than Armagh, so a few more clubs is pro rata.
Does Tyrone get enough from its bigger towns, where there is a pick? It clearly has strong rural clubs, as many counties do, but how about Omagh, Dungannon, Strabane and even Cookstown?

I tried to find a bit more data on this - I know Tyrone has a very large Nationalist/Catholic population and the 4th largest population in Ulster, so there would be a disproportionately larger number of GAA members and clubs. It is also a geographically large county.
The large towns aren't particularly well represented. All four have one main club based in the town but they are all encircled by a number of rural clubs 5-10 minutes from these population centres - Urney and Owen Roes on the fringes of Strabane - Drumragh, Tattyreagh and Killyclogher outside Omagh and countless teams on the outskirts of Dungannon to the Lough Shore.

http://www.tyronegaa.ie/club/club-locator/

The wee map shows the spread.

[Onthe40]

Omagh are probably the biggest let down at senior level..having lifted ulster titles at minor and u21 level this past 5-6 years, they dont seem to be able to get it together at senior level..this year they had maybe 6-7 on the senior county squad which obviously affected them, as they now appear to be involved in a relegation battle...always touted as a potential winner each year and usually pull of a big win or 2 each year but cant string a consistency required to make the breakthrough.
In saying that i do believe if they can make a break through they could give ulster a rattle as proven with their underage success.
Dungannon appear to be completely rebuilding, had a very good side late 90s to mid 00's but will be a while b4 they get back to that level...cookstown are a mid table div1 team, end off..too strong for intermediate but not strong enough to lift senior titles, at the mo. I know they put a big shift in this year to maintain senior status after being relegated the last time they came up. Be interesting to see if they can maintain this. Not sure what the score is with Strabane, big nationalist town yes, but soccer may be a factor there.
So all in all its difficult to see one of the big towns making a breakthrough anytime soon.

[blewuporstuffed]

Omagh are probably the biggest let down at senior level..having lifted ulster titles at minor and u21 level this past 5-6 years, they dont seem to be able to get it together at senior level..this year they had maybe 6-7 on the senior county squad which obviously affected them, as they now appear to be involved in a relegation battle...always touted as a potential winner each year and usually pull of a big win or 2 each year but cant string a consistency required to make the breakthrough.
In saying that i do believe if they can make a break through they could give ulster a rattle as proven with their underage success.
Dungannon appear to be completely rebuilding, had a very good side late 90s to mid 00's but will be a while b4 they get back to that level...cookstown are a mid table div1 team, end off..too strong for intermediate but not strong enough to lift senior titles, at the mo. I know they put a big shift in this year to maintain senior status after being relegated the last time they came up. Be interesting to see if they can maintain this. Not sure what the score is with Strabane, big nationalist town yes, but soccer may be a factor there.
So all in all its difficult to see one of the big towns making a breakthrough anytime soon.

a fair enough summary, its been a long time since one of the big town clubs won the senior championship, and it doesnt look like there is one in the near future either.

[CD]

Omagh the most recent in 1963 and 1988. 25 years ago! Was at that final