Mark Harte

LegalEagle · July 06, 2007, 10:56:33 PM

Where is Mark Harte??? I thought he was a superb minor for Tyrone. And whatever happened to Declan McCrossan???

Puckoon · July 06, 2007, 11:10:10 PM

I think mark harte quit the county panel (some unfairly might say before he wasnt selected) either in 2004/2005, and declan mccrossan also ruled himself out as long as mickey harte is in charge, but i think there were some work commitment issues also. I will welcome being corrected, but as far as I was aware, those were the reasons they are not in the tyrone set up right now. Its interesting to think of the players that are not involved anymore through self imposed exile, including shane sweeny (without whom tyrone wouldnt have won in 2005).

BallyhaiseMan · July 06, 2007, 11:14:05 PM

Seen McCrossan as a minor playing for Tyrone in the All Ireland minor semi in 1997 just before the Cavan game in Croker,
Thought he was a future Senior star in the making alright.

a few others on that team that i was impressed with

Mark Harte as you say was very good

a Conall Martin at Midfield,looked to be the big midfielder Tyrone were crying out for at that time

Richard Thornton who wore the Number 25 shirt due to the Paul McGirr(RIP) tragedy

TacadoirArdMhacha · July 06, 2007, 11:53:27 PM

Wasn't Richard Thornton who screwed the ball wide from 13 yards against Armagh in Clones in 02 when a point would have won the match for Tyrone?

Small margins I suppose.......

Norf Tyrone · July 07, 2007, 12:21:35 AM

Deccy McCrossan is still playing football for Owen Roe's down here in Tyrone. Dec keeps his cards close to his chest, but I believe Harte invited him back to the panel once or twice, but Deccy was working, building a house, getting married, and the had a baby... so he couldn't make the neccessary commitment.

AFAIK there was never a fall out with Mickey Harte.

new devil · July 07, 2007, 03:34:04 AM

Lets be fair mark harte was only on tyrone panel because of his da
he cant even make the EC team

loughshore lad · July 07, 2007, 09:36:38 AM

Mark Harte came in for a lot of stick alright predominantly because of who he is i.e. Mickeys son. He is however a quality free taker and not a bad wee player he is just not county standard with the lack of power counting against him. He doesnt appear to making the Errigal senior team this season (I think I remember him playing in the reserve league against Ardboe) but it would be hard to know the exact story there. Maybe some of the EC posters could shed some light?

TacadoirArdMhacha · July 07, 2007, 10:58:17 AM

QuoteMark Harte came in for a lot of stick alright predominantly because of who he is i.e. Mickeys son. He is however a quality free taker and not a bad wee player he is just not county standard

Ya know the stick was probably mainly because, as you admit yourself, he wasn't county standard and therefore shouldn't be starting on a county side. Just like the Joe and Stephen Kernan situation, Tyrone fans have no axe to grind with Micky Harte and have no reason to look for something to criticise but when a bad call is being made, they are entitled to have their opinion. The parallels between the two managers and on this issue is really quite a co-incidence.

TacadoirArdMhacha · July 07, 2007, 01:16:37 PM

Fairly sure he started a right few games in 2004

EC Unique · July 07, 2007, 03:12:34 PM

Mark got married last year and was not putting the same commitment into football as previous seasons. He is going quite well this year and if he hits form of 3-4 years ago he could be very usefull. I think he was Tyrone's top scorer 3 or 4 years ago in the league.

Over the Bar · July 07, 2007, 09:25:58 PM

QuoteI think he was Tyrone's top scorer 3 or 4 years ago in the league.

He was Tyrone top scorer in both league & championship on 03/04.

Mark was sheer quality as a minor & u21 and even as a senior had probably the surest foot on the panel, especially in front of goal. Remember his 2 goals agaist Laois in Croker? Problem was he was to small & light for senior football and didn't bulk-out enough despite rigourous training. Raymond Mulgrew has had the same problems for the past couple of years.

This lack of mass was highlighted against Armagh in the drawn Ulster final of 2005, when Tyrone should have won by a hatful. Mark unfairly came in for a lot of stick due to one of Mickey Harte's few tactial errors in his career when Mark replaced Canavan at half time due to injury.

In my view tho it wasn't playing Mark that was Mickey's big mistake, it was switching Stevie O'Neill from FF to CHF despite him bagging 5-6 points off Bellew in the first half and running him ragged. Had Mickey kept him at FF, there's little doubt Tyrone would have won the game, as Bellew probably would have been sent off since he was already on a yellow and got away with at least one other yellow card offence in closing minutes of the first half. When Armagh drew the game, Mickey came in for a lot of stick and Mark with him.
That game effectively ended Mark's county career.

TacadoirArdMhacha · July 07, 2007, 09:38:59 PM

QuoteHad Mickey kept him at FF, there's little doubt Tyrone would have won the game,

Likelhood is that Francie would have been switched off O'Neill anyway though so it may not have made too much difference. O'Neill didn't do that much playing at full forward in the semi final when he was well marshalled by McKeever.

I'd agree that Harte's lack of phsicality was his main downfall but intercounty football is a tough business, you aren't going to get 5 yards of space to take a shot against the best sides. harte was a very accurate point taker but you always felt that when his marker stuck tight he wouldnt cause that much trouble.

corn02 · July 07, 2007, 09:55:32 PM

Ahh Declan McCrossan, always looked like he was in a bad mood. Great player, what age would he be now?

Norf Tyrone · July 07, 2007, 10:54:07 PM

QuoteAhh Declan McCrossan, always looked like he was in a bad mood. Great player, what age would he be now?

About 28........

armawman · July 08, 2007, 12:21:14 AM

If Mark Harte isn't county standard, how come he was Tyrone's top scorer in the 2004 Championship? Of course he was county standard. Anyone who ends up top scorer in the championship for their county is obviously county standard.

In 2005, Mark Harte was just recovering from injury and the Ulster Final against Armagh was his first game in a long while. Its impossible to be match sharp after such a long lay off. What did the people of Tyrone expect him to do ? Come on and score five or six points off Francie Bellew? The entire Tyrone team, despite owning the ball for the whole of the first half, only scored five points in that first half. Eoin Mulligan also came on at half time and did very little as he was also just recovering from injury, but the Tyrone fans didn't criticise him like they criticised Mark Harte.

In 2006, with Mark Harte off the panel, Tyrone lost in the first round to Derry after missing umpteen frees that would have suited a left footed kicker. If Mark Harte had still been on the panel, he would have kicked every one of them and could have spared Tyrone's blushes.