Tyrone Club Football and Hurling

[square_ball]

I see Division 3 is getting going tonight. Fintona down for playing on Sunday as well. They've 3 in the u20 squad though 2 of them have never kicked a ball at senior level for them yet. They must have decided to just get on with it.

It does seem mad alright to be holding back hundreds of club players for the guts of 20 lads really.

[RedHand88]

Does everyone think that it is correct for Tyrone to hold back county minors and u20s from their clubs until the respective county sides are finished with their competitions.
Of course it's great to win Ulsters and All Irelands but how much does the average gaa member really care ?
How many supporters were in Breffni on Wednesday evening ?
I think we should try to win All Irelands without holding back players from playing with their clubs.
Surely club games can be organized to go ahead, and the U20s be all released to play league games with their clubs instead of having a training session with the u20 team. Even if that is only 1 game per fortnight.
I appreciate that we need to try to give teams the best possible chance to win, but for club football to be starting in June because of a competition that I believe, most people would go to a club game before a county U20 game is kinda mental.
I know the ship has sailed for 2026, but it is something that must be looked at going forward.

It's getting silly. No serious club football before June (potentially) is madness.
Tyrone will probably always have minors/U20/senior teams in the later stages of the championship and a better solution is needed.

[Jerome]

Does everyone think that it is correct for Tyrone to hold back county minors and u20s from their clubs until the respective county sides are finished with their competitions.
Of course it's great to win Ulsters and All Irelands but how much does the average gaa member really care ?
How many supporters were in Breffni on Wednesday evening ?
I think we should try to win All Irelands without holding back players from playing with their clubs.
Surely club games can be organized to go ahead, and the U20s be all released to play league games with their clubs instead of having a training session with the u20 team. Even if that is only 1 game per fortnight.
I appreciate that we need to try to give teams the best possible chance to win, but for club football to be starting in June because of a competition that I believe, most people would go to a club game before a county U20 game is kinda mental.
I know the ship has sailed for 2026, but it is something that must be looked at going forward.

It's getting silly. No serious club football before June (potentially) is madness.
Tyrone will probably always have minors/U20/senior teams in the later stages of the championship and a better solution is needed.

You'll find that the leagues only really matter for the first 8 games, after that teams have an eye on championship or calling in favours owed from years gone by. All really silly as you say. Leagues should start at the beginning of April regardless. If teams don't want to play without their players then DNF

[Goals_Will_Come]

There is probably a solution to be found by bringing back home and away fixtures in a 1A1B 2A2B structure and then doing 2 points for first fixture and 3 points for second fixture and including U20 players as part of the starred system.
But it is hard to be punishing clubs for producing good players who are making U20 panels.

[In hiding]

I am not saying that clubs play without their u20s.
I am saying that these players should be released back to their clubs once every fortnight to play a league game.
Surely the county u20s could accommodate that

[thewobbler]

There is probably a solution to be found by bringing back home and away fixtures in a 1A1B 2A2B structure and then doing 2 points for first fixture and 3 points for second fixture and including U20 players as part of the starred system.
But it is hard to be punishing clubs for producing good players who are making U20 panels.

Therein is the madness in GAA thinking.

When a player is good enough to play representative football, we don't wish him well, and don't say "enjoy the experience, see you when you come back". No, instead we do everything we can to ensure he doubles and triples his workload over the season.


It's clean cracking f**king insane.

——

When same young lads bugger off to America for the summer, games go on without them.

Think about that .

[RedHand88]

I am not saying that clubs play without their u20s.
I am saying that these players should be released back to their clubs once every fortnight to play a league game.
Surely the county u20s could accommodate that

They probably wouldn't. Not saying it isn't a good idea because it is.

[Bring back club football]

I am not saying that clubs play without their u20s.
I am saying that these players should be released back to their clubs once every fortnight to play a league game.
Surely the county u20s could accommodate that

They probably wouldn't. Not saying it isn't a good idea because it is.

There is no chance of the u20s releasing players back to the clubs, they are told they aren't allowed to play any club football until the county u20 season is over.

Similarly the players on the county u17 squad are not allowed to play in a number of club minor games either until the county u17 season is over.

[In hiding]

I am not saying that clubs play without their u20s.
I am saying that these players should be released back to their clubs once every fortnight to play a league game.
Surely the county u20s could accommodate that

They probably wouldn't. Not saying it isn't a good idea because it is.

There is no chance of the u20s releasing players back to the clubs, they are told they aren't allowed to play any club football until the county u20 season is over.

Similarly the players on the county u17 squad are not allowed to play in a number of club minor games either until the county u17 season is over.

I'm obviously not explaining myself properly. The management shouldn't have the authority to stop players from lining out for their clubs an odd time during the county u20 campaign

[GlenMan]

I am not saying that clubs play without their u20s.
I am saying that these players should be released back to their clubs once every fortnight to play a league game.
Surely the county u20s could accommodate that

They probably wouldn't. Not saying it isn't a good idea because it is.

There is no chance of the u20s releasing players back to the clubs, they are told they aren't allowed to play any club football until the county u20 season is over.

Similarly the players on the county u17 squad are not allowed to play in a number of club minor games either until the county u17 season is over.

I'm obviously not explaining myself properly. The management shouldn't have the authority to stop players from lining out for their clubs an odd time during the county u20 campaign

But then it'll just become a 'suggestion' from management.

"You can play for your club, but if you do you won't be starting the next Tyrone game" etc.

That's an even worse situation as it piles all the pressure onto the players themselves.

[thewobbler]

I am not saying that clubs play without their u20s.
I am saying that these players should be released back to their clubs once every fortnight to play a league game.
Surely the county u20s could accommodate that

They probably wouldn't. Not saying it isn't a good idea because it is.

There is no chance of the u20s releasing players back to the clubs, they are told they aren't allowed to play any club football until the county u20 season is over.

Similarly the players on the county u17 squad are not allowed to play in a number of club minor games either until the county u17 season is over.

I'm obviously not explaining myself properly. The management shouldn't have the authority to stop players from lining out for their clubs an odd time during the county u20 campaign

They do have the authority. This was the very basis of the split season. Shortened county season in return for guaranteed windows where county activity would progress uninterrupted.

And from what I'm reading on this thread, it wouldn't matter if they released the squad / minimal game time players - clubs would still call it unfair and down tools.

Sooner or later you folks will realise that your club's current and future ability to compete is not dependent on pulling apart a small cluster of current 19 year olds who will bugger off to America at the drop of a hat, and then bugger off to Australia for years at a time.

Then y'all can play football again.

[In hiding]

I am not saying that clubs play without their u20s.
I am saying that these players should be released back to their clubs once every fortnight to play a league game.
Surely the county u20s could accommodate that

They probably wouldn't. Not saying it isn't a good idea because it is.

There is no chance of the u20s releasing players back to the clubs, they are told they aren't allowed to play any club football until the county u20 season is over.

Similarly the players on the county u17 squad are not allowed to play in a number of club minor games either until the county u17 season is over.

I'm obviously not explaining myself properly. The management shouldn't have the authority to stop players from lining out for their clubs an odd time during the county u20 campaign

They do have the authority. This was the very basis of the split season. Shortened county season in return for guaranteed windows where county activity would progress uninterrupted.

And from what I'm reading on this thread, it wouldn't matter if they released the squad / minimal game time players - clubs would still call it unfair and down tools.

Sooner or later you folks will realise that your club's current and future ability to compete is not dependent on pulling apart a small cluster of current 19 year olds who will bugger off to America at the drop of a hat, and then bugger off to Australia for years at a time.

Then y'all can play football again.

What exactly are you talking about.
Are you saying there is no point trying because people go traveling?

[thewobbler]

No not at all.

What I'm trying to suggest is that if your club doesn't have the squad depth to manage playing senior league fixtures without a single crop of 19 year olds, at the same time when nobody else in the county currently has their significant 19 year olds, then what you're actually doing is looking for excuses.

And on the off chance this means you happen to drop from senior to intermediate for a season, then so be it. You weren't winning senior anyhow. And if the lads you're waiting so steadfastly upon genuinely are the difference, you'll be back to senior next year, and with each of those lads  a year older, better and more conditioned for senior football.

Do this for a handful of seasons and you'll realise that most 19 year olds - even the more talented ones - disappear for seasons at a time, or indeed completely from senior football. Meanwhile the real hardcore club players return season after season. Them's the ones who need to be playing football.

Just play sport. Stop making excuses. Play the game.

[In hiding]

No not at all.

What I'm trying to suggest is that if your club doesn't have the squad depth to manage playing senior league fixtures without a single crop of 19 year olds, at the same time when nobody else in the county currently has their significant 19 year olds, then what you're actually doing is looking for excuses.

And on the off chance this means you happen to drop from senior to intermediate for a season, then so be it. You weren't winning senior anyhow. And if the lads you're waiting so steadfastly upon genuinely are the difference, you'll be back to senior next year, and with each of those lads  a year older, better and more conditioned for senior football.

Do this for a handful of seasons and you'll realise that most 19 year olds - even the more talented ones - disappear for seasons at a time, or indeed completely from senior football. Meanwhile the real hardcore club players return season after season. Them's the ones who need to be playing football.

Just play sport. Stop making excuses. Play the game.

OK, but,
My club doesn't have anyone on the under 20 panel.
It looks like our club season will last between June and September

[Jam Givan]

One solution that could be tried is to not have any Tyrone clubs enter the Ulster Club competitions.

Before anyone starts I know they are brilliant in their own right but only 3 clubs make it into them and everything has  to be so rushed to finish the championships before they start.

So instead you could use that time more wisely to give all clubs a chance to breath during a league lasting from June to end of September. Have no league play offs of any kind and then into the championship with room to breath in it also.

The year culminating with the 3 championship finals at end of November (same weather as the brilliant Ulster Club games).

That way all players from every club would get a proper season of football and county players would be finished up and get a break before going back to county with none of them playing into January in club competitions.

Controversial i know but something has to give with the squeeze at one end from county at all grades and Ulster club at the other end