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Ach sure theres no fun in that

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cx2l0wgk71po

Hopefully more to follow. FAI need to get the finger out and not focus exclusively on Dublin.

Last squad.

Dublin 3
Cork 4
Meath 2
Kildare 2
Donegal 1
Wicklow 1
Louth 1
Wexford 1
Kerry 1
Galway 1
Limerick 1
Sligo 1
Overseas 5

When will the Dublin bias end?

Gimme a breakdown of the underage squads there

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cx2l0wgk71po

Hopefully more to follow. FAI need to get the finger out and not focus exclusively on Dublin.

MOR is not getting sack. People will look very silly when Tyrone land back with silverware at end of the year.

The McKenna Cup is finished lad!

Trillick is right on the Fermanagh border, and much socialising / shopping happens naturally in Enniskillen. St. Micks is a bit closer, but the switch to my old school Omagh CBS happened because the pupils were following the football. In previous decades, St. Micks (Enniskillen) and Omagh CBS were closely matched in football terms; but Omagh has stolen a march in more recent years.  It's a mix of Trillick youngsters being brought up to want to win all the time, and they now perceive that there's a better chance of doing so at the CBS; that, and the fact that one of the Trillick youth coaches is on the football coaching staff at the CBS.  He's very well respected in the club, so him being a known quantity does no harm.  But it's primarily about winning.  If St. Micks was to start winning titles, the fashion could swing back to St Micks again.  But def no county board involvement, just lads of their own volition wanting to go where they'll get the best chance of winning. 

Cheers for that update. Sport does matter to kids/parents when choosing schools. It appears Aquinas and Knock are both leading the way in terms of Belfast schools - backboned by Bredagh, Carryduff and St Brigids players.

So I thought you were being a bit hyperbolic (I gather you don't have your 11+ so feel free to Google it) but you're actually serious?

Never mind education reform, accessibility, rising tides lifting all boats etc, you genuinely think a school board should be looking at "how can we have a better football team?" when considering this?!

lol I enjoy you Gallsman

We need the people more than investment.  We do not have enough good football men in the county to make anything happen at the minute. 
When it comes to time and volunteering, who will make the sacrifices to do the hard yards when it doesn't involve their own child or club.
The best counties have these people, currently we don't.

Get Ulster GAA to pay their wages! There cannot be any stone left unturned and yes I include 11+ grades in that. Omagh CBS and St Pats Armagh/Downpatrick became non selective. Ballymena could follow.

Whatever about the debate over academic selection, "so we can hopefully get better at football" absolutely shouldn't be a part of it.

Spoken like a true product of the 11+ system

We need the people more than investment.  We do not have enough good football men in the county to make anything happen at the minute. 
When it comes to time and volunteering, who will make the sacrifices to do the hard yards when it doesn't involve their own child or club.
The best counties have these people, currently we don't.

Get Ulster GAA to pay their wages! There cannot be any stone left unturned and yes I include 11+ grades in that. Omagh CBS and St Pats Armagh/Downpatrick became non selective. Ballymena could follow.

Local clubs doing heavy lifting in that part of Tyrone. Comparing to SW Antrim/Ballymena very difficult. Something has to change though with lads playing for Derry schools and a result being whether intentional or not apathy towards playing for Antrim

Yeah I see where you're coming from - my only counter would be that most of the best players you see coming out of the south west seem to have went to derry schools which I doubt is coincidence in terms of mindset / coaching etc. That's how it shouldn't be mind you...

you also need to invest in a high school in the vicinity of st louis for natural school rivalry in addition to providing a route for the kids who didnt pass the transfer test.    pumping money into st louis alone is throwing good money after bad and neglecting the majority of the playing base

Who are Omaghs rivals?

Yeah I see where you're coming from - my only counter would be that most of the best players you see coming out of the south west seem to have went to derry schools which I doubt is coincidence in terms of mindset / coaching etc. That's how it shouldn't be mind you...

I get your point totally, bit of a conundrum because the parents wont send their kids to schools they feel are inferior and the schools can't get out of that rut without the kids.

There needs to be investment into the schools and development squads on a level we've not seen before and a realisation that this is the only way to improve things, not your flashy senior managers etc etc.

It is generational work in schools and clubs to lift the standard and playing pool across the board.

Genuinely isnt rocket science but will be expensive and it will be hard work.

Totally but the Convent are St Louis are on a par academically - understand if lads attend Maghera/St Pius. Antrim have to think outside the box and pairing the school with a county academy might be one way of doing it. I reference Trillick lads previously attending St Michaels Enniskillen. That doesn't appear to happen anymore going by Omagh teamsheets. Not sure if its by chance or Tyrone GAA keen to keep lads within the county??

Regarding costs - Ulster GAA have shafted Antrim this past 10 years or more over Casement. The county board should be demanding huge investment in structures in return!

Surely getting trained in the derry schools is doing them good not harm...

Not if you are trying to create an Antrim club like culture...IMO

After falling into Div 4 in 2020 Louth GAA implemented a strategic overhaul involving elite coaching, administrative reform and major infrastructure investment. One of the items focused on was strategic planning, with a review to streamline player pathways, improve retention in Urban clubs and enhance commercial self sufficiency through initiatives like An Lu.
Instead of all the money spent on big name managers like Davy Fitz (im sure Doran quite expensive also) could we not focus on the above?

Sounds great. So how do we streamline player pathways and retain players at club level using methods that havent been tried to date?

I'm like a stuck record player but you could start by trying to retain players from travelling to and playing for Derry schools??  Invest in St Louis and get lads from Cargin/Creggan/M'Glass and PG1 going there. I dunno twin it with some Antrim sub academy or that!

If theres one man who could torpedo the united rebuild its this man. Everything to date has been a disaster!

Could you not start by investing in say St Louis Ballymena? The aim being competitive in McRory level football. Start to actively address the player drain from Portglenone, Cargin, Creggan, Moneyglass etc to Maghera and Magherafelt.