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Questions need to be asked from the top down

Questions need to be asked from the bottom up.

We are never going to win Sam with the current generation*, but we might win an All-Ireland with the 8-10 year olds in the county if they were prepared right.

Its already been talked about in here already to a degree. But we need to examine every step from when a kid first kicks a football right up to the senior county squad and ask
- is this step fit for purpose?
- could we do it better?
- should we be doing it at all, or something else entirely?
- what are everyone else doing?


*barring a fluke of monumental proportions - to which I'd be absolutely fuking delighted!

Moving the u13 grade to go games on a smaller field is, I believe a remarkably bad decision. It might help a few weaker players maintain interest and progress to their maximum ability. But at same time it's tying a chain around the development of stronger players.

I have to disagree on that as the best players will get to play u15 for their clubs. Lobbing 10 plus goals into a massive net with a wee 3 ft keeper standing there serves no one any good. u13 football last year was really poor to watch as the best players totally dominated. Getting the ball and running 70 meteres to score and crap like that. u13 this year should be better.

That depends on your club.

We had 2 x u13 sides last year and only one player (who is exceptional) played u15 grade.

If that was this year, we'd have almost 40 boys playing two-touch football. And the better ones, learning sweet FA from it.

How many times in a senior game would you see a player take more than 2 touches. move the ball quickly. Do you think young McGovern learned much by scoring 10 goals a game versus players who are no where as good as him both technicaly and physically.

How many players do you think strive at senior football without the ability to open the legs, or walk out of a tackle, or work their way out of a tackle?

How many defenders do you think strive at senior football when they opt to back off a ball carrier after they've had two solos?

There's two sides to this coin.

Tyrone have players coming of 5-6 macrory cup schools at present. They're playing grade A, full sized football at school from 11 years old. That's where I'll look for my evidence for which side to choose.

U13 football in Tyrone is two touch, as U14 was before that. Your point in general is correct though.

[Shows what can be done with forward vision and a bit of hard work]

Following on our discussion last week re schools development, Holy Trinity Cookstown continue to break the mould for smashing tradition and creating their own by beating St Pat's Maghera and making it through to their first ever McRory cup final.

It's John McKeever and Peter Canavan versus Kevin Brady and Ronan Devlin in the battle along the line. Plenty of Antrim interest going on there too!

Shows what can be done with forward vision and a bit of hard work. Maybe some of our schools can channel that energy into something positive in next few years.

And an "interesting" recruitment policy.

Seems like a "well known Irish celebrity in his 40s" has been arrested for presenting fake covid certs to travel.

Cor blimey - that sort of craic would leave you breathless.............

Did he not manage to runaway....

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/northern-ireland/60173526

[He dummied the ball from one hand to the other]

How the Kilcoo goal was allowed to stand is baffling. Clearly fouled the ball and ref fairly close to it. Not that it will matter it appears.

What was the foul?

think he took like 6 steps would have been harsh to disallow it

If you include the steps he fouled it twice. He dummied the ball from one hand to the other. It's irrelevant in the grander scale of things.

not a foul because he didnt lose contact of the ball between going from one hand to the other

Yeah I've looked at it twice there, would have been the slightest of transfers if it was. Cheeky and clever to do that

I haven't watched it back but I would have called him for it.

How the Kilcoo goal was allowed to stand is baffling. Clearly fouled the ball and ref fairly close to it. Not that it will matter it appears.

What was the foul?

think he took like 6 steps would have been harsh to disallow it

If you include the steps he fouled it twice. He dummied the ball from one hand to the other. It's irrelevant in the grander scale of things.

How the Kilcoo goal was allowed to stand is baffling. Clearly fouled the ball and ref fairly close to it. Not that it will matter it appears.