Derry Club Football & Hurling original

[screenexile]

Is Martin Bradley injured?

Yeah think it's a quad issue not sure how he will be with the extra week.

[Derry Man]

Conceding Team   Number
Swatragh Reserves   7
Magherafelt Reserves   3
Castledawson Reserves   3
Slaughtneil Reserves   2
Ballinascreen Reserves   2
Lavey Reserves   1
Dungiven Reserves   1
Kilrea Reserves   1

How can Magherafelt & Screen not field 2 teams? Both have always had huge numbers

[jb77]

Magherafelt have been a top 3 reserve team for years now, couple of clubs played challenge games against Antrim sides at the weekend which is a sad commentary

[Wildweasel74]

Swatragh, Slaughtneil.Magherafelt had 3rd teams for yrs.

[LoughNeagh]

I agree that age for 3rds teams should be over 30. Great to see the recreational league so strong with so many club involved but it's having an impact on the reserves with capable young lads opting for the more casual game.

[jmcgdoire]

Might it just be a case of less players? Always seems like so many lads leaving for Australia or wherever.
Couple that with what is asked of club players these days. If youre not making the matchday 26 then you can see why a lot of lads would just quit rather than putting themselves through it 3-4 nights a week.

[Derry Optimist]

If we have all our short - term and long - term injured players fully recovered  for the beginning of next season we should have a very strong panel of at  least 35 players chomping at the bit for a starting position.

Team ONE                                       Team TWO
       O Lynch                                  B McKinless
D Baker E McEvoy  C McCloskey          R Mulholland D McDermott M Bradley
C Doherty C McKinless P McGrogan       P McGurk     R Forbes    D Gilmore
       C Glass B Rogers                      O McWilliams A Tohill
E Doherty C McFaul   P Cassidy         B McCarron    D Higgins   C Murphy
N Loughlin S McGuigan L Murray         N Toner       N O'Donnell C Devlin

Notable other panellists  F McEldowney T Rogers C Diamond K Quinn  C McMonagle

I suggest all of the above players along with four or five others who perform  very well in the Derry club championship this year should be earmarked  by Management  in the autumn  for League preparation for the county. They are all talented and committed individuals who can restore Derry county football to the top table if  they are fully fit and   free from injury. In the meantime Derry can beat Galway next Sunday provided that they play the whole game as they did  the closing 15 minutes last Saturday. The green shoots of recovery are about to develop  even further!!

[onefineday]

How many supporters did Derry have there yesterday? I was behind the left goals and I say it would been near 50+ to 1 supporters in that end.

Difficult to say. Certainly more than the League game v Armagh. But that was a pitiful crowd.

Was in the covered terrace close to the Niall's Crescent end. There was only a small handful in that area.

In fairness, I was surprised that they allowed free movement between the terraced areas. I thought the tickets were set for specific locations - and stile entry.

I was sitting in the same part of the ground too and bar the 3 or 4 sitting behind me, I didn't see or hear many other Derry fans about me.

The same fans that weren't at either game in the athletic grounds this year, will be the ones in early to the Galway game this weekend and putting their coats down on the decent seats to keep them for others.

Who cares if they were there last week or not, I'd be delighted if we got a good partisan crowd at the game, but I'd have thought we'd struggle to get more than 8,000 odd??
I really think this is our big chance to turn things around. We don't have the squad to win an all Ireland, but we can win this and hopefully go through and get another quarter final. The more we get into Celtic park this Sunday the better.

[THEALBION1878]

thought Derry should have brought a forward on quicker at the weekend especially with second half breeze. didn't use tohill inside at all.

[toby47]

Conceding Team    Number
Swatragh Reserves    7  8
Magherafelt Reserves    3  5
Castledawson Reserves    3 
Slaughtneil Reserves    2
Ballinascreen Reserves    2
Lavey Reserves            1
Dungiven Reserves    1
Kilrea Reserves            1

A couple of corrections at the top. Is reserve football close to dead?

I'm afraid it is, so sad to see this but the writing has been on the wall for the past couple of years.
Imo i honestly think it's a generation problem. Young fellas (not all) these days simply don't want to play but they happy to train and stand in gyms. But minute there a game there unavailable for selection, on the flip side 20 years ago you hated the site of training but never missed a game.
Also the recreation league should only be for players over 30.

I think it's a bit of the complete opposite.

The commitment is now through the roof, club sides now trying to run like intercounty sides.

Starting to train in December/January for a league that's month away. Attendance required at all sessions, trainings, gym, video analysis, team meetings, sports psychology sessions. Not very appealing for someone that knows their at reserve level, or living in Belfast at university, or wants a few pints at the weekend.

It's either you're 'in or out' at a lot of clubs, and 'in' is 3-4 nights a week for 10 months a year. Is the juice worth the squeeze for a reserve footballer. It's not as acceptable anymore to train 1 night a week and show up for a reserve match, or say I'll not be there this weekend I've a weekend away with the missus or a stag. Add that in with the fact that you might only get 7-8 league games in a reserve season with the amount of games conceded. After a few years of that, it's easy for fella's to opt out.

[lenny]

Conceding Team    Number
Swatragh Reserves    7  8
Magherafelt Reserves    3  5
Castledawson Reserves    3 
Slaughtneil Reserves    2
Ballinascreen Reserves    2
Lavey Reserves            1
Dungiven Reserves    1
Kilrea Reserves            1

A couple of corrections at the top. Is reserve football close to dead?

I'm afraid it is, so sad to see this but the writing has been on the wall for the past couple of years.
Imo i honestly think it's a generation problem. Young fellas (not all) these days simply don't want to play but they happy to train and stand in gyms. But minute there a game there unavailable for selection, on the flip side 20 years ago you hated the site of training but never missed a game.
Also the recreation league should only be for players over 30.

I think it's a bit of the complete opposite.

The commitment is now through the roof, club sides now trying to run like intercounty sides.

Starting to train in December/January for a league that's month away. Attendance required at all sessions, trainings, gym, video analysis, team meetings, sports psychology sessions. Not very appealing for someone that knows their at reserve level, or living in Belfast at university, or wants a few pints at the weekend.

It's either you're 'in or out' at a lot of clubs, and 'in' is 3-4 nights a week for 10 months a year. Is the juice worth the squeeze for a reserve footballer. It's not as acceptable anymore to train 1 night a week and show up for a reserve match, or say I'll not be there this weekend I've a weekend away with the missus or a stag. Add that in with the fact that you might only get 7-8 league games in a reserve season with the amount of games conceded. After a few years of that, it's easy for fella's to opt out.

All fair points in this discussion. We have plenty of players like a few clubs but a lot of our lads are used to starting on successful underage teams and it's not easy to accept playing on the reserves especially when the competition is devalued with games being called off, often with not much notice. Thats a reason I see for lads not committing.

[shamrocker12]

Biggest game of the year on Sunday, what's everyone's thoughts? Was in armagh last week and was expecting a more aggressive approach from us especially as we were 7 weeks without championship game. Was hoping to see us play high press on opposition kickouts but instead we conceded them to my frustration. We look like a team void of confidence and a team who are playing like they're hoping for something to click instead of pressing the opposition and actually forcing the mistakes to make something click. When armagh went 13 points up it seemed as though the players just decided to finally throw off the shackles and actually just go for it and low and behold we started looking like we could create chances again. Sunday is massive for this team. I really hope we see us going 100% after that galway kickout from the first whistle, run at the galway defence from first whistle and go out and make it happen instead of hoping it happens. Team selection will be interesting. Will loughlin, Murray or Bradley be back? Lynch and clucky?? If we can get the win on Sunday against one of the favourites for the all ireland then it gives us a free hit at the dubs as we will be in a preliminary quarter final. This team needs a confidence boost and with the likes of ruairi forbes, Danny mcdermott and Tommy Rodgers all being introduced it gives us a bit of youth too. Hopefully the injured players above can return if not this weekend then 2 weekends time against the dubs and all of a sudden derrys panel will start to look a lot stronger than it has been. Let's hope so 🙏

[lenny]

Biggest game of the year on Sunday, what's everyone's thoughts? Was in armagh last week and was expecting a more aggressive approach from us especially as we were 7 weeks without championship game. Was hoping to see us play high press on opposition kickouts but instead we conceded them to my frustration. We look like a team void of confidence and a team who are playing like they're hoping for something to click instead of pressing the opposition and actually forcing the mistakes to make something click. When armagh went 13 points up it seemed as though the players just decided to finally throw off the shackles and actually just go for it and low and behold we started looking like we could create chances again. Sunday is massive for this team. I really hope we see us going 100% after that galway kickout from the first whistle, run at the galway defence from first whistle and go out and make it happen instead of hoping it happens. Team selection will be interesting. Will loughlin, Murray or Bradley be back? Lynch and clucky?? If we can get the win on Sunday against one of the favourites for the all ireland then it gives us a free hit at the dubs as we will be in a preliminary quarter final. This team needs a confidence boost and with the likes of ruairi forbes, Danny mcdermott and Tommy Rodgers all being introduced it gives us a bit of youth too. Hopefully the injured players above can return if not this weekend then 2 weekends time against the dubs and all of a sudden derrys panel will start to look a lot stronger than it has been. Let's hope so 🙏

Totally agree with what you're saying but I don't think a win definitely puts us through. If Dublin beat Armagh and us and Galway beat Armagh then 3 teams would be on 2 points which would then come down to score difference. All of that is irrelevant though if we don't win. An Armagh win works better for us providing we get the win because that would rule out the 3 teams on 2 points scenario.

[shamrocker12]

Biggest game of the year on Sunday, what's everyone's thoughts? Was in armagh last week and was expecting a more aggressive approach from us especially as we were 7 weeks without championship game. Was hoping to see us play high press on opposition kickouts but instead we conceded them to my frustration. We look like a team void of confidence and a team who are playing like they're hoping for something to click instead of pressing the opposition and actually forcing the mistakes to make something click. When armagh went 13 points up it seemed as though the players just decided to finally throw off the shackles and actually just go for it and low and behold we started looking like we could create chances again. Sunday is massive for this team. I really hope we see us going 100% after that galway kickout from the first whistle, run at the galway defence from first whistle and go out and make it happen instead of hoping it happens. Team selection will be interesting. Will loughlin, Murray or Bradley be back? Lynch and clucky?? If we can get the win on Sunday against one of the favourites for the all ireland then it gives us a free hit at the dubs as we will be in a preliminary quarter final. This team needs a confidence boost and with the likes of ruairi forbes, Danny mcdermott and Tommy Rodgers all being introduced it gives us a bit of youth too. Hopefully the injured players above can return if not this weekend then 2 weekends time against the dubs and all of a sudden derrys panel will start to look a lot stronger than it has been. Let's hope so 🙏

Totally agree with what you're saying but I don't think a win definitely puts us through. If Dublin beat Armagh and us and Galway beat Armagh then 3 teams would be on 2 points which would then come down to score difference. All of that is irrelevant though if we don't win. An Armagh win works better for us providing we get the win because that would rule out the 3 teams on 2 points scenario.


Yeah your right lenny. Long way to go in this group yet. Good job we closed the losing margin to only 4 against armagh. That could be crucial but only if we get the win on Sunday. A win would put serious pressure on galway to go and beat armagh in game 3. Some craic if armagh and dubs drew. Would leave game week 3 nail biting if we managed to beat galway this week 🤣

[lenny]

Biggest game of the year on Sunday, what's everyone's thoughts? Was in armagh last week and was expecting a more aggressive approach from us especially as we were 7 weeks without championship game. Was hoping to see us play high press on opposition kickouts but instead we conceded them to my frustration. We look like a team void of confidence and a team who are playing like they're hoping for something to click instead of pressing the opposition and actually forcing the mistakes to make something click. When armagh went 13 points up it seemed as though the players just decided to finally throw off the shackles and actually just go for it and low and behold we started looking like we could create chances again. Sunday is massive for this team. I really hope we see us going 100% after that galway kickout from the first whistle, run at the galway defence from first whistle and go out and make it happen instead of hoping it happens. Team selection will be interesting. Will loughlin, Murray or Bradley be back? Lynch and clucky?? If we can get the win on Sunday against one of the favourites for the all ireland then it gives us a free hit at the dubs as we will be in a preliminary quarter final. This team needs a confidence boost and with the likes of ruairi forbes, Danny mcdermott and Tommy Rodgers all being introduced it gives us a bit of youth too. Hopefully the injured players above can return if not this weekend then 2 weekends time against the dubs and all of a sudden derrys panel will start to look a lot stronger than it has been. Let's hope so 🙏

Totally agree with what you're saying but I don't think a win definitely puts us through. If Dublin beat Armagh and us and Galway beat Armagh then 3 teams would be on 2 points which would then come down to score difference. All of that is irrelevant though if we don't win. An Armagh win works better for us providing we get the win because that would rule out the 3 teams on 2 points scenario.


Yeah your right lenny. Long way to go in this group yet. Good job we closed the losing margin to only 4 against armagh. That could be crucial but only if we get the win on Sunday. A win would put serious pressure on galway to go and beat armagh in game 3. Some craic if armagh and dubs drew. Would leave game week 3 nail biting if we managed to beat galway this week 🤣

Bottom line is we need to get a result or it's all over for us. I agree, we need to be more positive and press the kickouts, all the good teams are getting a lot of joy from that.