Tyrone Club Football and Hurling

[square_ball]

I have always said it - split the county in 2 for reserve football. 2 divisions in both east and west. Play the games on a separate night during the week. To have reserve players hanging around waiting weeks for games based on the progress of the county team is ridiculous. Worth a go anyway in my opinion because at the moment the current structure is not working.

[GetOverTheBar]

What are peoples views on the current state of reserve football within the county?
I feel it is dying a  death with a huge number of fixtures not being fulfilled and this seems to get worse every year.
Is there any appetite for change in the way the whole thing is structured?

It is the same every year, everything ok until about June then as soon as teams go out of the Championship, unfulfilled fixtures galore. Very difficult to see a solution. It does seem to be that Reserve teams are increasing made up of  older players who have stepped down from the seniors. These guys have family/work commitments and committing to being around every Sunday in the summer on the off chance of a game is a problem from a family perspective. Especially if the game is called off on the morning of the match. 

There will usually be 3-4 younger men in every reserve  team who are pushing for a senior spot and will always be around. The balance of the team, the  "recreational" younger players who have no real ambitions of breaking into the senior team will also get pissed off with sitting in on a Saturday night and then have the match called off Sunday morning. Becomes a vicious circle then.

I know people have talked about playing the Reserves separately to seniors, maybe on a Friday night which I think they do in other counties. Might be worth a rattle to run the Reserve league off over a four month period, say on Friday nights/Saturday evenings from Apr-August with only set July holidays. Players know what they are signing up for and have all day Sunday free if they want.

Will also get rid of the  scenario where someone plays a full reserve game then comes on after 10 minutes in the senior game as a sub!

Seems as good an idea as any, but you'll end up with senior teams maybe training that same night with limited numbers which will cause trouble too. If it's anything like my own club in recent years, you'd be looking at at least half of every Tue/Fri training session what you would label 'reserve players'.

You aren't going to please everyone with regards to reserves, but get it nailed down and run off - play the games on a Friday night, weekends are free and maybe leave the reserve Championship to August which would keep numbers up at training over the summer and help people push on if they want to try and break into senior team for championship?

[TabClear]

What are peoples views on the current state of reserve football within the county?
I feel it is dying a  death with a huge number of fixtures not being fulfilled and this seems to get worse every year.
Is there any appetite for change in the way the whole thing is structured?

It is the same every year, everything ok until about June then as soon as teams go out of the Championship, unfulfilled fixtures galore. Very difficult to see a solution. It does seem to be that Reserve teams are increasing made up of  older players who have stepped down from the seniors. These guys have family/work commitments and committing to being around every Sunday in the summer on the off chance of a game is a problem from a family perspective. Especially if the game is called off on the morning of the match. 

There will usually be 3-4 younger men in every reserve  team who are pushing for a senior spot and will always be around. The balance of the team, the  "recreational" younger players who have no real ambitions of breaking into the senior team will also get pissed off with sitting in on a Saturday night and then have the match called off Sunday morning. Becomes a vicious circle then.

I know people have talked about playing the Reserves separately to seniors, maybe on a Friday night which I think they do in other counties. Might be worth a rattle to run the Reserve league off over a four month period, say on Friday nights/Saturday evenings from Apr-August with only set July holidays. Players know what they are signing up for and have all day Sunday free if they want.

Will also get rid of the  scenario where someone plays a full reserve game then comes on after 10 minutes in the senior game as a sub!

Seems as good an idea as any, but you'll end up with senior teams maybe training that same night with limited numbers which will cause trouble too. If it's anything like my own club in recent years, you'd be looking at at least half of every Tue/Fri training session what you would label 'reserve players'.

You aren't going to please everyone with regards to reserves, but get it nailed down and run off - play the games on a Friday night, weekends are free and maybe leave the reserve Championship to August which would keep numbers up at training over the summer and help people push on if they want to try and break into senior team for championship?

Yeah that is the big problem. If  a senior team trains on Friday night as well it kind off limits them to a maximum of 15 assuming everyone shows up. Less of a problem later in the year when you can could the number of reserves training on one hand which is part of the problem!

[Under Lights]

I've said the same about reserve football on here loads of times, no changes will ever be made. The fixture committee can't even sort out one set of fixtures. They care not for reserve fixtures.
Playing it a separate night would make a lot of sense, run it off over a couple of months. Would help with the shortage of refs as well.

[Tyrone Gaa]

I reckon it'll be a big enough task for any of the intermediate teams to beat the Senior teams in a play off.....assuming the Senior team wants to stay there.

I reckon any of them intermediate sides would beat Strabane or Urney. I've seen Strabane and Urney play this year and to call them poor would be complimentary. I believe a third team will go up who ever that maybe.

[GetOverTheBar]

I reckon it'll be a big enough task for any of the intermediate teams to beat the Senior teams in a play off.....assuming the Senior team wants to stay there.

I reckon any of them intermediate sides would beat Strabane or Urney. I've seen Strabane and Urney play this year and to call them poor would be complimentary. I believe a third team will go up who ever that maybe.

Strabane and Urney aren't that bad - Strabane were very young when our club played them - that kind of thing is ruthlessly exposed in Division 1 against the best. Trillick in the Championship, might have been beat mentally before the ball was thrown in on that one tbh.

Urney are Urney, on their day they've no fear of anyone and can rack up big scores - Jonny Lafferty availability is obviously vital - no idea what the story is there.

I don't see why any intermediate team would fear them, I agree with you they could win. I just think if a Senior Team wants to stay there, they should have that bit of class to stay up. Will remain to be seen but definitely wouldn't be putting any money on results of playoff games at this time of year.

[Club boi]

Heard Jonny Laverty was asked to come in in their Championship defeat and refused. Any truth??

Also heard Kennedy, Derrylaughin was hit by a member of the managements family, wonder had it anything to do with his Son not starting in goals and him maybe running his mouth at the defeat??

(stand to be corrected on both)

[driveherin]

Ah for gods sake!!! That would be an awful pity if someone hit Petesy (and/or the Son!!!) 

[redzone]

What are peoples views on the current state of reserve football within the county?
I feel it is dying a  death with a huge number of fixtures not being fulfilled and this seems to get worse every year.
Is there any appetite for change in the way the whole thing is structured?

Just had a look at the reserve tables on the website.  Are they wrong. Seems to me like most games were played across all divisions

[StGallsGAA]

Anyone know TG4 will show the county final Sunday? 

[skeog]

No county final from TG 4, 2008 last time i think it was aired tasty affair that it was.

[barelegs]

TG4 showed the drawn game last year...

See Damian Cassidy confirmed on Twitter he's left Clonoe

[redzone]

What are peoples views on the current state of reserve football within the county?
I feel it is dying a  death with a huge number of fixtures not being fulfilled and this seems to get worse every year.
Is there any appetite for change in the way the whole thing is structured?

Just had a look at the reserve tables on the website.  Are they wrong. Seems to me like most games were played across all divisions

Correction; ure right quite a few called off.

[GetOverTheBar]

TG4 showed the drawn game last year...

See Damian Cassidy confirmed on Twitter he's left Clonoe

Quite a few of my Clonoe friends have got their wish.

Who next I wonder. Big appointment for Clonoe ahead.

[an léirmheastóir]

It'll take a good man to come in and get similar success to Cassidy,especially with some of the clonoe players getting on in years

Success aye. Wise up lost more than he won.