Derry Club Football & Hurling original

[Champion The Wonder Horse]

Every club has the same issue, that's crap, I seen Kilrea Reserve game one nite with 25+ players. Drumsurn a small place, they were never strong enough to play senior football. Derry football only strong enough for a top 12 club system but teams at the lower end of the league wouldnt go for that. What's Ballinascreen excuse for bottom of the league/championship more times than enough. Takes in 3 places, massive townland and always near the bottom.

The old "huge parish/massive townland" argument doesn't stack up in my book. I would contend the opposite is true. Look at the likes of Kilcoo, Slaughtneil, Trillick, Errigal in recent years and historically Ballinderry. All relatively small parishes (I haven't researched the square mileage) and have been hugely successful. These are places where the GAA club is the absolute heart of the community. Most children's past times are GAA. Larger towns/townlands have other activities like soccer, rallying, bars etc which definitely impacts interest in GAA. There is hurling too, but that's a whole different argument.....

Slaughtneil aren't small at all. from up the Five Mile straight, to near Dungiven out to Garvagh and right into the top of Maghera is not a small catchment area.
Added into the equation that some have left the area are happy to take their children back to play.
TBH thats why I happy to see Newbridge winning a championship, now theres a club with a tight catchment area.

Surely Ryan out to Garvagh would be Swatragh territory would it not?

you would think that but without starting to name family surnames there are players from almost Carhill playing for Slaughneil. There is also some from the Kilrea side of Upperlands heading to there also.
Look I'm not saying this is anything to do with the club/clubs and like Glen currently there is a percentage of success hunters chasing glory for their little darlings.
I just wary of how we stop the inevitable creation of big 4 or 5 massive clubs with the chasing pack always chasing.
Are the CB doing enough at primary school level with coaching etc. especially when smaller clubs are struggling so badly for numbers?
Would there be an appetite for North,South, East, West Derry league for u14/u16/minor during winter to give lads from smaller clubs an opportunity. 24/30 of a squad instead of just development squads of 24. c

It was ever thus with Slau,ghtneil. You couldn't define a catchment area but you knew as soon as a child was born into a Slaughtneil family they'd be pulling on the maroon and white. Wasn't an issue in the first 50 years of the club when they won very little, shouldn't be an issue now.

Born into a Slaughneil family but also included are born into a family...😂😂.

Not sure what you mean. All my family played for Swatragh, because that is our club. Our next door neighbours and many living closer to the village played for Slaughtneil, because that is their club. Like I said, wasn't an issue twenty years ago, shouldn't be an issue now.

[Wildweasel74]

Slaughtneil and Swatragh the same parish. Know part of Swatragh in Kilrea parish. Teams should be based on boundaries as it is in Donegal.

[LoughNeagh]

The atmosphere in Owenbeg is completely down to the lack of exciting games.

I do agree that 1st Round games should be hosted in clubs with good facilities which is pretty much every club nowadays.

I also think that they need to have the camera on the opposite side of the pitch in Owenbeg as watching it online and seeing an empty stand doesn't help.

[Champion The Wonder Horse]

Slaughtneil and Swatragh the same parish. Know part of Seatragh in Kilrea parish. Teams should be based on boundaries as it is in Donegal.

And both were part of Glen parish until 1977. We always had players from Kilrea parish because we were the closest club and they went to school in Swatragh.

Would be perfectly happy to go back to the longest established of the three clubs from the old Glen parish. Live was much simpler before the Watties and the other folk from the foot of the Carn came along.

[Ryan O]

Every club has the same issue, that's crap, I seen Kilrea Reserve game one nite with 25+ players. Drumsurn a small place, they were never strong enough to play senior football. Derry football only strong enough for a top 12 club system but teams at the lower end of the league wouldnt go for that. What's Ballinascreen excuse for bottom of the league/championship more times than enough. Takes in 3 places, massive townland and always near the bottom.

The old "huge parish/massive townland" argument doesn't stack up in my book. I would contend the opposite is true. Look at the likes of Kilcoo, Slaughtneil, Trillick, Errigal in recent years and historically Ballinderry. All relatively small parishes (I haven't researched the square mileage) and have been hugely successful. These are places where the GAA club is the absolute heart of the community. Most children's past times are GAA. Larger towns/townlands have other activities like soccer, rallying, bars etc which definitely impacts interest in GAA. There is hurling too, but that's a whole different argument.....

Slaughtneil aren't small at all. from up the Five Mile straight, to near Dungiven out to Garvagh and right into the top of Maghera is not a small catchment area.
Added into the equation that some have left the area are happy to take their children back to play.
TBH thats why I happy to see Newbridge winning a championship, now theres a club with a tight catchment area.

Surely Ryan out to Garvagh would be Swatragh territory would it not?

you would think that but without starting to name family surnames there are players from almost Carhill playing for Slaughneil. There is also some from the Kilrea side of Upperlands heading to there also.
Look I'm not saying this is anything to do with the club/clubs and like Glen currently there is a percentage of success hunters chasing glory for their little darlings.
I just wary of how we stop the inevitable creation of big 4 or 5 massive clubs with the chasing pack always chasing.
Are the CB doing enough at primary school level with coaching etc. especially when smaller clubs are struggling so badly for numbers?
Would there be an appetite for North,South, East, West Derry league for u14/u16/minor during winter to give lads from smaller clubs an opportunity. 24/30 of a squad instead of just development squads of 24. c

It was ever thus with Slau,ghtneil. You couldn't define a catchment area but you knew as soon as a child was born into a Slaughtneil family they'd be pulling on the maroon and white. Wasn't an issue in the first 50 years of the club when they won very little, shouldn't be an issue now.

Born into a Slaughneil family but also included are born into a family...😂😂.

Not sure what you mean. All my family played for Swatragh, because that is our club. Our next door neighbours and many living closer to the village played for Slaughtneil, because that is their club. Like I said, wasn't an issue twenty years ago, shouldn't be an issue now.

Did someone say it was an issue? Think if you read back I said nothing to do with the clubs and unless I missed it don't see  anyone complaining on here.

Makes no odds to me who anyone plays for bar my own club. 

[Real Talk]

Does anyone know all the names of our Senior Football management and backroom team or has it not been finalised yet ?

[JE23]

Does anyone know all the names of our Senior Football management and backroom team or has it not been finalised yet ?

Manager - Ciaran Meenagh
Selector - Martin Boyle
Coaches - Benny Heron & Chrissy McKaigue
S&C - Aaron Bradley
Logistics & Admin - Martin McConnell

[Real Talk]

Thank you for that

[Derry Optimist]

As they have four of the six members of the backroom team connected to Draperstown in one way or another, Ballinascreen club players will have no excuse if they are not selected on the Derry Senior football panel!!

Seriously speaking one would hope that Ryan Scullion is recalled and that Marty Bradley will be fully fit for 2026

[Wildweasel74]

Well outside the fact that they poor. Derry had alot of men injured last year. Hope the case not the same this year. There was room for Gilligan there, not sure why they didn't approach him as part of the backroom team. Maybe they did.

[Rawhide]

Does anyone know all the names of our Senior Football management and backroom team or has it not been finalised yet ?

Manager - Ciaran Meenagh
Selector - Martin Boyle
Coaches - Benny Heron & Chrissy McKaigue
S&C - Aaron Bradley
Logistics & Admin - Martin McConnell

more like the Loughmacrory management

[Derrydan]

Well outside the fact that they poor. Derry had alot of men injured last year. Hope the case not the same this year. There was room for Gilligan there, not sure why they didn't approach him as part of the backroom team. Maybe they did.

Think I heard a few years ago that Gilligan had no interest in taking Derry. I suppose it would be a tough job when it's your home county and he's maybe just more comfortable taking teams elsewhere

[Waataboutyee]

Predictions for the weekend Senior games?
Any upsets on the cards?

[GTP]

There is nothing to suggest it won't be Glen, Magherafelt, Slaughtneil and Newbridge who get through. Glen will have too much for Banagher and ease to a win. Bellaghy could out score Magherafelt but I think Rossa will hold them well enough to win a relatively low scoring match. On the basis Lavey couldn't get past Magherafelt I'm not sure they have enough improvement in them to get past Slaughtneil. And the comparative performance of Newbridge and Steelstown against The Loup suggests a comfortable Newbridge victory.

[jb77]

Tiarnan Moore is certainly on form it'll be interesting to see him operate against a capable defense that will be out to completely neutralise him