Messages

I live in North Belfast,  just over a mile from where this happened.  I regularly take my 6 year old to the Waterworks which is always full of a variety of nationals.  I run it myself at least 2-3 times weekly.  I know the faces and I talk with them regularly.  There are always different groups in the 4g playing football,  their wives,  sisters,  kids etc would be in the playparks with the younger ones.  Not once in the 6 years of my wee girls life,  and I have been there hundreds of times,  have I ever felt concerned,  intimated, ill at ease by any of the people there.  I have chatted and found out different stories over that time.  Apart from the odd kid that lifts her scooter my daughter has played away merrily with whatever child was climbing the bars or swinging on the swings. 

The only people I have ever had words with are the lads who sit drunk at the bench at the bottom pond who have a few too many drinks or the lads who are on scramblers/e-scooters and masked who are dangerous wee shits! 

Last week I was walking with my daughter and her friend and we stopped at the swans.  The place is stinking with goose shit and rubbish but a couple from Africa sat chatting with us and shared the stuff to feed the ducks and swans. (Probably shouldn't have been giving them bread but how and ever!)  The one thing that stood out was their humility and respect and that is my over riding actual experience as opposed to the BS that you see posted on line.  Today I ran the Waterworks and there was an eerie emptiness....

This is a horrific attack and there needs to be better management of people entering the island in whatever way it happens but do not demonise a whole group of people and actually have a thought for yourself.  Every group will have bad people,  and this man is an evil bastard,  but deal with this the proper way and not reactionary,  right wing mob attitudes.
[/quote

Well said

Obviously lashing rain in the 2nd half there, but if you put your umbrella up in a packed stand during the match, you are a tube.

There were plenty of them round me. Parts of the pitch people couldn't see at all. The rain wont melt ya fs

Or get out of your seat and stand in the aisle further back blocking everyone's view. Lucky there was no trouble near where I was

It's a textbook screen. I don't know if it's a black card or not but if you want to screen that's how to do it. Pass the ball and turn your back to the on coming defender.

It isn't that either. He passed the ball and had a split second before the Derry player collided with him. He turned his shoulders away from the player. Again I say watch the highlights. I didn't see it from my position in the ground and didn't even know Duffy had been black carded until he came back on. It is why I went and watched the incident on TV to see what happened. It was irrelevant in yesterday's game but it could decide a game further down the line - and you wouldn't want to be the team on the wrong end of it or the referee that made the decision.

Well done to the Boys tonight especially in horrendous conditions in 2nd half.
We gifted Derry 1.1 which brought them into the game.
Great atmosphere and huge Armagh support, Derry support barely visible.
Thought Duffy was really hard done by, and the least said about the ref the better - dreadful! He didn't seem to have any cards for Derry players.

McEvoy and Loughlin got booked for f**k all!!

Duffy clearly moved to check the Derry player.

I think you need to watch a replay of the Duffy black card. He actually turned away to try and avoid contact. As bad a black card decision as you are likely to see.

Disagree. Duffy knew exactly what he was doing as he stepped across and turned his back. Tried to disguise it as if he had no other option but he knew what he was at.
Not that it had any real impact on the result mind you. Slow, possession based football will not win you a game under the new rules. Derry, under Tally and Now Meenagh, have not adapted well. Zero pace in transition, long ball never considered and no interest in trying to manufacture 2 pointers.

If that is a black card Derry could have had half a dozen and the game is gone. Again watch the game highlights on Saturday game. If you still think it is a black card don't become a referee.

Well done to the Boys tonight especially in horrendous conditions in 2nd half.
We gifted Derry 1.1 which brought them into the game.
Great atmosphere and huge Armagh support, Derry support barely visible.
Thought Duffy was really hard done by, and the least said about the ref the better - dreadful! He didn't seem to have any cards for Derry players.

McEvoy and Loughlin got booked for f**k all!!

Duffy clearly moved to check the Derry player.

I think you need to watch a replay of the Duffy black card. He actually turned away to try and avoid contact. As bad a black card decision as you are likely to see.

Would like to see how much of that is going to people who are in work but are on such shite pay that they need benefits to top up their income to actually live? Definitely plenty of tossers too lazy to work who should be cut off but would guess they're a minority. "Welfare" includes state pension as well?

Think we all know welfare needs a serious looking at but labour hasn't the balls to look at it and cut it

This is a line peddled by many parties to excuse their incompetence/ self service. As Armagh18 says if people work full time and still don't have enough money to live on then their wages level is the problem. Who gains then? Primarily big business owners. In effect in these cases welfare is helping the better off. I also find it hard to consider cutting the pension for those who have worked all their lifes. But something also has to be done about the scroungers. Is it possible that people have to do some public service work to get benefits? Not sure how that would work but it might encourage people into employment. Obviously there also has to be a caveat for the medically unfit.

A big issue in the UK was the austerity from 2010. If you continue to cut costs, ignore infrastructure deficits etc. eventually the problems will worsen and the costs spiral. And this doesn't even consider the problems with Brexit. The Tories and the cheerleading from Farage has a lot to answer for. I'm no fan of Starmer etc but they have been put in a very deep hole without a ladder.

What did Jarly Og Burns do to deserve the black card? After watching the incident back and he's standing to one side and one of the Dublin players barged into him on his way off the field? He's then set upon by about four Dublin players. Strange decision.

Great second half performance.

Let's hope TSG go forensic on it 2nite and / or Gough  explains himself, looked clear as day Scully was the aggressor.

Allegedly he abused the ref in the tunnel

OK. That would make sense. He's a good ref but seems to have an ego and likes to be the centre of attention. He was all over the place last night though. Jarly Og gets a black for that but McKay got body checked off the ball and another Armagh player was rugby tackled and no card for either offence.

Again I severely doubt Burns said anything to referee. To add to my above post I am nearly certain the referees used the Cusack Stand changing rooms. When did Burns get the opportunity to abuse him? Too often in big games this referee gets involved in controversy - not just involving Armagh. We ask the referees to be consistent. Last night for both teams he refereed the advantage rule differently than every other referee. Again how is this good for the game.

What did Jarly Og Burns do to deserve the black card? After watching the incident back and he's standing to one side and one of the Dublin players barged into him on his way off the field? He's then set upon by about four Dublin players. Strange decision.

Great second half performance.

Let's hope TSG go forensic on it 2nite and / or Gough  explains himself, looked clear as day Scully was the aggressor.

Allegedly he abused the ref in the tunnel

Personally I think that is a pile of crap.If you watch on TV as the incident calms down you can see Burns is surrounded by the rest of the Armagh team. As the camera pans out the referee is in the middle of the field talking to Aaron McKay. I think it is unlikely that Burns waited - or was allowed to wait - for the referee to abuse him for an incident he had no involvement in. Seems that people are just looking for a reason to excuse the referee for making a mistake.

McGeary some player. Heard he's moving to Armagh though is he?

Mentioned that in commentary but no specifics. What's that about? He moving clubs or what?

Heard it a while back that he was supposed to be moving but heard nothing about it for a few months so thought it wasn't true. Presume he still plays with the Moy. Depending on where he lives he could well be from Armagh anyway

His dad played for Collegeland - just outside Moy- and Armagh. His mum is from Armagh City. Tyrone have enough good young footballers

What format would be suitable?

Players managers and supporters will call every tackle against them a foul so there can't be a format that allows this discussion in real time..

Not sure he meant real time.

If managers understand why decisions are made, and referees know what referees are trying to do, both may learn in long run.

It is of course difficult not to get angry with refereeing decisions in tight games.

But when your keeper has fluffed two goals, and your forwards kicked a dozen shots wide/short that we'd expect under-16 forwards to convert, making a big deal out of a single refereeing  decision is just daft.

The referee did not cost Armagh the game. Just repeat it a few times Geezer. Then regroup.

Refs need called out more on basic errors for sure. But it didn't cost us the game, had it in our own hands and made a balls of it.

Do they?

I'd suggest this. If a manager wants to to hang a referee for one decision, then he first has to hang any players of his who made a bad decision during the game.

Call out by all means. But don't hide behind your own facts.

Fair is fair.

Not sure McGeeney was calling out the referee more than he would his players - although maybe not in public! He did complain though that there was no proper format to discuss issues with referees.

It was 4th official who called breach and McGeeney did call him out because he knew exactly the reason for it. ( Sitting in the stand I called out rule error at time)

Aside from yesterday it is important that this is cleared up. It looked like McElroy had a head injury from an earlier foul - I feel referee got call wrong there too. If it was a more serious head injury players could be reluctant to call for help if rules forbid it. That could effect any team.

And before anyone suggests the Armagh medical team should have caught it earlier I'm not sure it is that easy. Besides I don't think even McGeeney is brave enough to call out the Armagh physio. 

O'Rourke is as good a minor I have seen for a while

I have seen a him play quite a few times with my involvement with another club and I would agree 100%

A good slap in the mouth will do McFadden Ferry no harm. He was due it. His Letterkenny antics in 2022 started off a sizable melee. I totally understand his emotions are high at the end of tight wins against a big rival, but humility in victory is a virtue that he lacks. Plenty of others lack it too, but just like many want to say Armagh are a common denominator in these skirmishes, he is personally and directly responsible for two of them against Armagh.

Was said player not involved in an incident in an Ulster Club against Crossmaglen a number of years ago too ?

While those that threw the digs will get a ban he deserves as big a one. I hate this mouthing crap. Needs stopped - full stop. I help with an underage team and if we catch any player mouthing he is dragged off.

What is it about Armagh and close games?

Even when playing against sides inferior to them (Tyrone in the semis and Antrim for a while in the quarters), they have this trait of having to win it down the home stretch.

Are the supporters immune to this now, as in expecting it?

I have supported Armagh 50 years but the last 10 or so have been the most entertaining. No use winning easy. It gets boring.

Some craic here. As good a game as you will see and people have more interest in a bit of handbags that lasted about 20 seconds. Not real football fans just interested in one upmanship to make them feel good. Well played Donegal. Hopefully we beat you next time