Greatest Provincial Rivalry

[red hander]

The Tyrone fans gave just as bad abuse that Ulster Final day Red Hander. A family of Tyrone fans near me were a disgrace.

Having said that the bad blood had totally disappeared by the end of the semi and it was pretty much good losers and good winners that day.

Aye, there's gobshites on both sides ... i think with the semi it was a case of people knew they'd witnessed a classic by two teams who gave their absolute all ... going back to 2003 AIF, the orchard fans in armagh city on the sunday night we were on our way back to dungannon were brilliant  ...

[southdown]

Any Armagh poster who claims that there biggest rivals are Tyrone are clearly the fans who jumped on board in 2002. 

[Maguire01]

Cavan  V Monaghan is the traditionally big one in Ulster, ignore what the non free staters are blabbering about sure, Foot ball was only invented in Derry in 1993 and Tyrone in 2003 

It hasnt even been invented in Antrim yet isnt that right hardy?



Cavan Down was also fairly big. 

When did youse boys stop playing anyway? 

Exactly!  Cavan and Monaghan together wouldnt make a good team.

Cavan Pure Dung and will prob get beat by Antrim.

Monaghan have about to actual footballers and the rest are a crowd of savages who do nothing but foul and assault the opposition. They also have possibly the worst fans in terms of whinging, abusing the ref and having selective vision when their players step out of line but bay for blood at the slightest indication of contact from another team.  Armagh fans run them close though.

Billy the skid can't use the quote button and is attributing his words to Doire abú - i've fixed it.  He also doesn't know the difference between to and two.
He's also got a big downer on the Monaghan savages (not for the first time on this Board!) - possibly still a bit sore after last summer in Casement - then again, looking at recent posts, he doesn't have much time for Tyrone or Armagh either.

Tell me Billy, where are the examples of the whinging, ref abuse and selective vision from Monaghan? How bad is Monaghan's discipline problem (as opposed to any other team - for example, how many red/yellow cards did Monaghan rack up last year)? Where is the 'baying for blood', and whose blood would this be?

Anyway, Monaghan managed to get to the quarter finals last year with only two (or is that to?) footballers.  Word is, we may have sourced a third and should go all the way in 2008. 

[Son_of_Sam]

Croi na hEireann. My postal address is The Berries,  Kiltoom, Athlone, Co Roscommon. Which is the proven Heart of Ireland by the way. I was brought up in the belief that once you crossed the bridge in Athlone you entered Roscommon. However I believe some gobchite changed the boundary outside the town. However most people on the west side of the town regard themselves as Rossies, even the blow ins.

One thing that really grinds my gears is people who claim Hudson Bay Hotel is in Westmeath, now there you have a "mutually exclusive" statement.

Now you can understand how the Mayo people of occupied Ballagh & surroundings feal. I always consider myself in Connacht & Roscommon when I cross the Shannon @ Athlone, no way is there any part of Leinster in the fair West.

[AZOffaly]

I'm the same wrt Athlone. Once you cross the bridge, I consider myself in Roscommon or, more accurately, out of Westmeath.

[moysider]

Not really aware of any great rivalry in North Mayo. Apart from Sligo we re well away from boundaries and we would nt play Sligo too often for it to bitter and they have only beaten us twice in living memory in the championship. Leitrim too would nt be met too often and we would nt begrudge them any success they might have. In 1994 while livid with our defeat in Connacht final nobody begrudged them their win. Sometimes I wonder about how scathing Sligo and Leitrim can be about us. I ve always found that the neutral counties row in behind Galway when Mayo and Galway clash in championship. The Galway border is so far away that while we re aware they re the ones to hate we dont really. Any bitterness we have is reserved for Roscommon for some strange reason other then they re hateful cnts who always side with Galway when we play Galway. Or maybe it was their rabid triumphalism  in the 70s when they had their great team or their obvious delight in our frequent misfortunes in more recent times. Galway fans on the other hand are just glad when we lose so their position as kingpin is nt challenged.
 The upshot of all this is that in more recent years I could nt be bothered with any other team in Connacht anymore once we re gone in championship. Its every county for itself anymore.

[Death Valley]

Interesting point Son of Sam, I work with a lad from Ballagh, who considers himself a Mayo man. As he explained that it was originally in Mayo & the boundary was changed roughly 100 years ago, so there could be more large towns in Roscommon. So I can fully understand how Mayo people of that area feel.

The main problem that Rossies have with Ballagh, is the refusual of the local club to allow players who regard themselves as Rossies play for Roscommon - thats draconian. Led to believe Noel Durkan wanted to play for Ros, also Pierce Hanley & Andy Moran.

AZ - like it "out of Westmeath"

[Death Valley]

Not really aware of any great rivalry in North Mayo. Apart from Sligo we re well away from boundaries and we would nt play Sligo too often for it to bitter and they have only beaten us twice in living memory in the championship. Leitrim too would nt be met too often and we would nt begrudge them any success they might have. In 1994 while livid with our defeat in Connacht final nobody begrudged them their win. Sometimes I wonder about how scathing Sligo and Leitrim can be about us. I ve always found that the neutral counties row in behind Galway when Mayo and Galway clash in championship. The Galway border is so far away that while we re aware they re the ones to hate we dont really. Any bitterness we have is reserved for Roscommon for some strange reason other then they re hateful cnts who always side with Galway when we play Galway. Or maybe it was their rabid triumphalism  in the 70s when they had their great team or their obvious delight in our frequent misfortunes in more recent times. Galway fans on the other hand are just glad when we lose so their position as kingpin is nt challenged.




Those comments about Roscommon supporters are complete bollix. Rossies support Galway when the two of yee play, this year (probably because Galway beat Mayo last year) I will support Mayo. Always support any given Connacht team when they come out of the province . Look at the support the Rossies gave Mayo verses Dublin in that excellent semi final 2 years ago & in fairness Mayo supporters gave our minors good support in the final that year. Where I am form numerous locals went to Dublin in 96,97, 04 & 06 to lend their support to poor auld Mayo.
 

[Farrandeelin]

In North Mayo club rivalries take centre-stage.

[mackers]

Any Armagh poster who claims that there biggest rivals are Tyrone are clearly the fans who jumped on board in 2002. 

It depends where you live in the county as to who you think are the greatest rivals, not whether you are a bandwagon-jumper or not. Those from north of Armagh City would look on Tyrone as the rivals, there's no doubt that the South Armagh folk view Down as their rivals after going to school in Newry etc.,etc..

[moysider]

In North Mayo club rivalries take centre-stage.

Absolutely. Any pairing from Ballina, Knockmore and Crossmolina beats all else for hatred and is a high quality match as well. Knock the spots off most intercounty games. Think Cross/ Knockmore hate each other more. 2 rural teams. Ballina then brings the townie ingredient into the mix but while hated by the other two don't hate as much in return. Dont have the same rooted following and not as many.

[Farrandeelin]

Now for that club All-Ireland to even things up!

[stephenite]

Interesting point Son of Sam, I work with a lad from Ballagh, who considers himself a Mayo man. As he explained that it was originally in Mayo & the boundary was changed roughly 100 years ago, so there could be more large towns in Roscommon. So I can fully understand how Mayo people of that area feel.

The main problem that Rossies have with Ballagh, is the refusual of the local club to allow players who regard themselves as Rossies play for Roscommon - thats draconian. Led to believe Noel Durkan wanted to play for Ros, also Pierce Hanley & Andy Moran.
AZ - like it "out of Westmeath"

Pretty sure Noel Durkin considers himself a Mayo man - Pierce Hanley in an interview over here in Australia recently talked about his home town Ballagh in the county of Mayo, Andy Moran I believe is a dyed in the wool Rossie alright, although I always thought if he was that passionate he'd just transfer to a Rossie club

[the Deel Rover]

In North Mayo club rivalries take centre-stage.

Absolutely. Any pairing from Ballina, Knockmore and Crossmolina beats all else for hatred and is a high quality match as well. Knock the spots off most intercounty games. Think Cross/ Knockmore hate each other more. 2 rural teams. Ballina then brings the townie ingredient into the mix but while hated by the other two don't hate as much in return. Dont have the same rooted following and not as many.

Ah we don't hate Knockmore more we hate ballina and knockmore equally i'm only joking Farrenddelin and the ballina lads  nothing like a meeting against the auld enemy to get the old heart going. I think the fact that the semi's and finals are now gone to castlebar takes away fronm the atmosphere, IMO the bAYing crowd are too far away

[stephenite]

Nothing like waking up on a Sunday morning and having the neighbours in for a tussle back in the park - you could smell the anticipation (and the potential for blood) in the air prior to kick off - one thing that I always noticed was the regardless of the result the Knockmore lads would come up for a pint in the club house (provided the game didn't get too out of hand) but the Cross lads would generally always be back in the cars and heading for the Dolphin, some honourable exceptions to that rule mind you.

Think I'd agree with Moysider - the rivalry between Cross and Knockmore always seemed more pointed (to put it politely) than it would with either of them against Ballina.

It's like they were fighting between themselves for the right to be the second most successful team in the county