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I've said it before but I feel Gaelic is going to die a death if it continues on this trend of professionalism. Lads want a life and the younger boys have a different mentality if not elite players. It's a struggle when it is almost full time 7 days a week between gym, actual training, matches and recovery for an amateur sport 

Divisions 1 & 2 commencing May 24th.
Division 3 commencing May 5th (Sunday), all Fridays after this. Reserve league commencing Sunday March 10th.

Any idea how reserves work? Will it be a game a week or every two weeks? Will they always be Sunday?

Any teams back out yet for their 19 week pre season?

I know my own club aren't neighbours and we did have a post up but just like other clubs our PRO hasn't been great in the last few years - a hard job to fill. It could be a young person that wasn't aware of posting for it.
I do feel someone within the club - chairperson, secretary etc should have told them to post but it could be something simple.
Without being 100% certain on the club, I'm sure plenty went to the wake, said prayers for the family etc. it was and still is a horrendous situation for everyone involved that will hurt for a long time - I don't think a lack of social media post should come into it however.

Again, thoughts remain with Kildress and all clubs who suffered loss this year. I know it's been a tight 2023 where football means little for some. I hope 2024 can be a better, brighter life helping the memory of those gone before us

Heartbreaking stuff. He hasn't left my head since I heard, the poor family and girlfriend and of course all who knew him. A terrible tragedy, life is so cruel at times and it's hard to get your head round things like this when a young lad had everything in front of him. Look after yourselves up there and know that Kildress are in the minds of many

Still doesn't feel real.

In my time on this board I've had lots of opinions and craic but the day has come where I never thought I'd be typing something so hard.

Matty has left us.

On occasion I was accused of being Matty and when he would read posters saying that him and I would laugh – that was the type of lad he was he took it all in his stride.

He would read this board and text do you see what they are talking about now! 😊 Write you something on there for the craic.

The Tones have lost their Star
A family has lost such a good Lad
A girlfriend has lost the love of her life from they where 15
And I've lost my best friend!

RIP Matty! Til we meet again!!!

[having been in division 1 not so long ago]

Flew under the radar but the div 2 relegation playoff was a couple weeks ago.

Great win for killeeshil, looks like they will be too strong for anyone in div 3 so should stay up.

Not many in Division 2 sad to see Tattyreagh go down. Some fall from grace having been in division 1 not so long ago.

were they?

2019

Seems to have happened a few of the smaller clubs like Killyman, Eskra, Urney and now Tattyreagh.
getting to Division 1 a great achievement at the time but long term it probably knocked the stuffing out of them as they all ended up back in Junior a few years later.

Can't forget the giant clubs like Augher and Strabane

is north tyrone gaa in trouble

Why?

I think it's the fact that every club in it is Div 3 or maybe heading that way. I seen Owen Roes twice this year, early on the were brilliant, towards end of year the wheels seemed to fall off. When you look at the youth Divisions are there any of them occupying a spot in Div 2 or 1 at any age? It's a bleak spot. School seems to be playing at the lower levels but that's hard to track with no real updated fixtures website.

Owen Roes missed out on play offs on head to head with the Moy. Poor enough championship showings but again were without McShane. I think they'll be ok in D2 for another few years yet - worth remembering where Owen Roes were in 2010-12 - worst team in the county. Naomh Eoghain more than capable of picking up points in D2 and are close enough to midtable - higher if they had mayse or mcsorley for the full seasons.
As for Strabane, they will be up around the top next year and will be a tip for many for league or championship. Glenelly threw away the championship game against Drumragh this year and now look where they are - 60 mins from intermediate.
Granted Urney and Clan na Gael are not up to much these days with poor youth coming through. But Norh Tyrone is mainly smaller rural clubs bar Strabane so I wouldn't say crisis - maybe underperforming in a way but not a crisis.

I honestly think Gortin have been shafted two weeks in a row and now Owen Roes and Pomeroy as well. There is no reason a game couldn't be played on Saturday evening after the Edendork game? And a standalone game on the Sunday could be fitted in at a reasonable time at least?

Gortin and Strabane started close to 8:30 last night and only for a great score at the end by the Clogher half back, that game would've went to extra time and the second game would not have got underway to after 9pm on a Sunday night! No respect for players, management or fans.

We want our youth to look up to our senior teams but some can't even see them play in the biggest games of the year. Wouldn't see many u10s there on a Sunday night for a game not over to 10pm, or even Friday night when Trillick and Loughmacrory finished up close to 11. A joke to be honest

Should we expect times and venues to be released tonight even with two games still to play after tonight in intermediate ?

A more worrying statistic from Junior is that 74 ** Reserve **games were conceded from a potential 136, over 50%. Even if we exclude Killyman who conceded all 16 we would have 58/120 conceded, still approaching 50%.

According to the results in the website Killyman conceded 16, Urney 10, Donaghmore 9, Errigal & Aghaloo 8, Brocagh 7, Clan na Gael 4, Brackaville & Derrytresk 3, Drumquin & Castlederg 2, Fintona & Augher 1.
Only Cookstown, Eskra, Glenelly &Drumragh did not concede a game.

Are you looking at the reserve fixtures? Find it hard to believe Killyman never fielded in any games.

Sorry, yes. I was talking about Junior Reserves. It is a lot of games not played and a lot of players missing out on football.

Serious amount of games - I do believe reserve leagues need looked at, or at the least the junior reserve. A lot of these clubs rely on reserves beefing out the senior squad and often have players playing in 2 games.

I like the Friday night football but it is almost impossible to get a reserve team to the other side of the county for 6.45pm throw in when alot of reserves work to 5 and 5.30pm.

An east/west reserve league maybe an option. or if the fixtures committee sit down at the beginning of the year and split games between Fridays and Sundays in all grades. The "derby" or neighbouring games could all be friday nights and anything over an hours spin for any team it should be Sunday automatically. Then you'll see a-lot less games conceded. - This will also solve the refereeing issue when the games are splt between friday and sunday. IMO

Club footballers do not want Sunday football any more. There would be more numbers leaving if it went back to that on a more regular basis

Remaining games are Sundays. This Sunday 2:15/3:45 and the following 2 Sundays are standalone senior games at 2pm.

Big win for Omagh in Ardboe last night.
3rd bottom could be between the Fianna and Ardboe.

A lot of the teams in around the mix all play each other. Eglish play Edendork, Ardboe, Coalisland and are just 2 ahead of them

Clonoe very impressive last night, they will walk the league and championship.

How are the ex county boys moving ie. McClure, Skeet, D McNulty?

Well skeet has scored 3-12 in his last two games against Owen Roes and the Moy so you would have to say he's not doing too badly 🤐

Last league game 8th Sep. If a team goes out first round of champo, and make the play offs, it'll be a long slog 1 game in 7 weeks

Do Tyrone finish league before the championship starts?

Round 8 - Friday 28th July
Round 9 - Friday 4th August
Round 10 - Friday 11th August
Round 11 - Friday 18th August
Round 12 - Sunday 20th August
Round 13 - Sunday 27th August
Round 14 - Friday 1st September
Round 15 - Friday 8th Septmeber
Championship 1st Round - Thursday 21st - Monday 25th September

Which means the final playoff last game will be 18th weekend in November? Is there even a better way this system to work without removing playoff so teams dont have a big break

I think it's impossible due to possibility of a team already in play offs winning championship etc. I think it's a good idea having league wrapped up before championship, far better for teams to have their season over when beat in championship. But not ideal for teams in play off that go out early on

Same last year.

That's why I thought when chance came to get rid of play offs it would be a better idea. Obviously pros and cons for it