Fermanagh Football & Hurling

[inisceithleann]

Lads, any idea when Mal O'Rourke starts to cut his squad. There's a serious number of players who have got trials and are nowhere near county ctandard. He's hardly going to keep them on the panel? IMO we should keep the current squad and just add a few new faces. Lets face it, aparts from a few Belcoo players, Mulgrew had picked the best 30 for the panel in the last few seasons. Keeping the same close knit group together is the best way forward in my opinion. There's no point changing it for the sake of proving that he's doing things his way.

[ExiledGael]

Agree that the squads Mulgrew had been naming in recent years is pretty much the best we've got for now, with the exception of maybe Shane McCabe and Ryan McCluskey after the fall-out. Hoganstand is full of crap about those deserving of call ups, but the woeful performance of all our clubs on the Ulster stage shows you how shallow the talent pool really is.
Just needs to freshen up things with the squad and get them back to enjoying football and trying to score more than ten points in a game! Any word on how Marty McGrath recovered from the head injury? Sounded very serious at the time?
Looks like we'll never see Stevie Maguire in the Fermanagh shirt again, judging by his quotes after league final

[FermPundit]

I know most most people feel that the trails are a waste of time but I honestly believe O'Rourke is right to hold them. Charlie Mulgrew constantly got criticised for not attending club games. The management team are starting with a clean slate with them asking clubs to put forward players to attend the trails. I agree that the majority of these guys are average club players but if Malachy O'Rourke finds one or two players for the squad then the trails will have been a worthwhile exercise.

I've been chatting to couple of guys who attended the trails and they have said one or two players have surprised everyone with their performances.

I wouldn't read too much into Fermanagh's awful record in this years Ulster Club. We don't really have any strong clubs at the moment but we do have two or three decent players from every club in the county. With limited resources such as ours we need to exhaust every available avenue to unearth talent for the county squad. If that means holding trails like the one held in a very wet Derrygonnelly yesterday then so be it. At least if there is no success next year no one can be blamed for a lack of effort!!

[FermPundit]

U21s
Sunday 18th November 2007
U-21 FL Rnd 2

Section A
Maguiresbridge 4-9, Lisnaskea 0-7
Tempo 3-4, Devenish 2-9

Section B
St. Josephs 3-18, Teemore 0-6
Aghadrumsee 0-14, Enniskillen 1-2

Section C
Derrygonnelly 2-14, Derrylin 3-7
St.Patricks 1-14, Erne Gaels 2-6

[tintin25]

I know most most people feel that the trails are a waste of time but I honestly believe O'Rourke is right to hold them. Charlie Mulgrew constantly got criticised for not attending club games. The management team are starting with a clean slate with them asking clubs to put forward players to attend the trails. I agree that the majority of these guys are average club players but if Malachy O'Rourke finds one or two players for the squad then the trails will have been a worthwhile exercise.

I've been chatting to couple of guys who attended the trails and they have said one or two players have surprised everyone with their performances.

I wouldn't read too much into Fermanagh's awful record in this years Ulster Club. We don't really have any strong clubs at the moment but we do have two or three decent players from every club in the county. With limited resources such as ours we need to exhaust every available avenue to unearth talent for the county squad. If that means holding trails like the one held in a very wet Derrygonnelly yesterday then so be it. At least if there is no success next year no one can be blamed for a lack of effort!!

Would agree with this. How do we know that some guys aren't county standard, unless they are given a chance?? Yes, there are some players who haven't a hope in hell of making the squad but I believe there are a few players who perhaps were just overlooked in the past or for one reason or another didn't want to commit to the county set-up. Anyone know when the panel will be trimmed down?

[inisceithleann]

I think O'Rourke is keeping 40 on the panel until after the Mckenna cup.

[FermGael]

Any word on what the 40 man panel is??  Any surprises??

Great news that Ciaran Donnelly and Peter McGinnity are taking the minor team this year.
They are a very talented group of players and with this management team they should be in with a
real chance of a Ulster minor titile this year.  Of the current McRory squad, only young Keenan is overage.  Add to that a few more of the vocational players and others around the county then we should give it a real rattle. 

[OdoSkimodo]

I know most most people feel that the trails are a waste of time but I honestly believe O'Rourke is right to hold them. Charlie Mulgrew constantly got criticised for not attending club games. The management team are starting with a clean slate with them asking clubs to put forward players to attend the trails. I agree that the majority of these guys are average club players but if Malachy O'Rourke finds one or two players for the squad then the trails will have been a worthwhile exercise.

I've been chatting to couple of guys who attended the trails and they have said one or two players have surprised everyone with their performances.

I wouldn't read too much into Fermanagh's awful record in this years Ulster Club. We don't really have any strong clubs at the moment but we do have two or three decent players from every club in the county. With limited resources such as ours we need to exhaust every available avenue to unearth talent for the county squad. If that means holding trails like the one held in a very wet Derrygonnelly yesterday then so be it. At least if there is no success next year no one can be blamed for a lack of effort!!


Any word on who impressed?

Agree that McGinnity and Donnelly as minor managers is a v. positive appointment

[FermPundit]

Yeah, great minor management appointment. Looking at the players available I reckon this is probably the strongest minor squad the county has had since 2001/2002 when the likes of James Sherry, Shaun Doherty and Ciaran O'Reilly were at that age level. Kieran Donnelly appears to be a good young coach who brought success to Omagh CBS and Peter McGinnity has plenty of managerial experience. Hopefully it'll be a successful year for our minors.

Turning to our seniors, what does everyone think of the McKenna cup draw?

SUNDAY 6th JANUARY 2008
2 pm AT LISNASKEA
FERMANAGH v. ST MARY'S

WEDNESDAY 9th JANUARY 2008
8 pm AT BREFFNI PARK, CAVAN
FERMANAGH v. ARMAGH

SUNDAY 13th JANUARY 2008
2 pm AT CELTIC PARK
DERRY v. FERMANAGH

Like every year the competition will probably be used to give players the opportunity to show what they can do at inter county level. The only problem with the McKenna cup is that it is played in the middle of winter in poor weather and on bad pitches. These conditions don't suit the type of football Fermanagh like to play and it certainly doesn't suit the high number of small light forwards that Fermanagh clubs only ever seem to produce!! I hope O'Rourke doesn't judge any player solely on the McKenna cup and the early stages of the NFL. I really think he needs to get to as many club games as he can later on in the year to see all players play in better conditions and on drier pitches. I don't think the door should be closed on the senior squad this season. Players should be drafted in and out and given their opportunity if they are performing well for their clubs. Fermanagh football is at a rebuilding stage and hopefully this season we can enjoy a wee bit of success and start 2008 in a positive manner unlike the doom and gloom that was associated with the NFL campaign of last year.

[FermGael]

heard this evening that Niall and Matthew Keenan have both made the final 40.
Now tell me what club do they play for again?? 

[FermPundit]

I thought only Niall had left. Have both of them moved to new clubs??

[FermGael]

I thought only Niall had left. Have both of them moved to new clubs??

Nobody has left yet but i would be shocked to see either of them in a Gaels jersey again.
Its a real pity because they are two very talented footballers

[inisceithleann]

I thought only Niall had left. Have both of them moved to new clubs??

Nobody has left yet but i would be shocked to see either of them in a Gaels jersey again.
Its a real pity because they are two very talented footballers

Totally agree FermGael but no doubt they'll be back playing for the Gaels.

[ExiledGael]

After a disastrous few years there must be some major work done behind the scenes for the Gaels. Are they doing anything to invest in their future or are they becoming more divided than ever?

[FermGael]

After a disastrous few years there must be some major work done behind the scenes for the Gaels. Are they doing anything to invest in their future or are they becoming more divided than ever?

Define disastrous.  This year our reserves got promoted back to division 1, Ok our seniors nearly got relegated but remember due to the development work in Brewster park we did not play one league at home this year.  Most senior teams would have struggled with this obstacle as well .

At underage, We made the minor semi finals. made the final of the league and championship at U-16, and our U-14's did the treble.
if you look at the above i think that most teams in the county would be happy enough with that.

It was only last year that we won the Fermanagh championship and took Errigal Ciaran to a point in Omagh in the Ulster club championship.  The success we have achieved over the last decade was going to wane at some time but we still have players within the club who are more than capable of bringing us success again
Yes for a couple of years our underage setup was ignored to some extent because of the success of our senior team, but that mistake is being sorted our.
As for being more divided than ever, every club has their own internal politics to deal with and we are no different in that extent.
Name me one club that does not!!!