Mickey Harte joins the Irish News

[The GAA]

International rules, trial by tv and some boy that died who used to clean his windows.

[orangeman]

International rules, trial by tv and some boy that died who used to clean his windows.

That's different.

[Archie Mitchell]

What's Harte on about today in the Irish News?

His suggested new system for the qualifers. Got a bit lost half way through it though.

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

The seed of an idea for fairer Qualifiers
By MICKEY HARTE

As the new Championship season gets underway, the debate as to whether the provincial series have been devalued because of the current Qualifying system gathers momentum.

The fact that both last year's All-Ireland finalists came through the non-conventional route, allied to the statistic that shows in the eight years since the inception of the 'back door' system, four qualifying teams  (Galway in 2001, Tyrone in 2005, Kerry in 2006 and Tyrone again in 2008) have actually won the Sam Maguire.

The two counties who could most justifiably feel aggrieved are Armagh and Dublin, who between them have 10 provincial titles during this period, and only that single All-Ireland won by Armagh in 2002. Though we in Tyrone have been the beneficiaries of the system in 2005 and 2008, I definitely believe that the current weighting is disadvantageous to the provincial champions.

That four qualifiers can regain equal status in the last eight, after having lost a game, while the champions currently have no second chance, is grossly unfair. I have already suggested that I believe the provincial winners should play-off, as in the old style All-Ireland semi-finals, and the two losers await the two best qualifiers. I would like to elaborate a little on that view and allude to another deficiency in our current League system.

Because only the top two qualify for the NFL final, and very soon that reality is out of the reach of many, it becomes a case of avoiding relegation. This necessarily detracts from the competitive nature of the second most important gaelic football competition. Connecting League position to each championship draw and a re-structuring of the Qualifying system would address both these deficiencies simultaneously. This would take the format of a seeding process where the counties in each province would be rated according to their League finishing position.

For example, based on the League just completed, Ulster would read:

1 Derry; 2 Tyrone; 3 Monaghan

4 Donegal; 5 Armagh; 6 Down; 7 Fermanagh; 8 Cavan and 9 Antrim.   Therefore, in the preliminary round Cavan would play Antrim and the winner would go into the quarter-final where they would play Derry. Accordingly, Tyrone (2), would play Fermanagh (7), Monaghan (3) would meet Down (6) and Donegal (4) would play Armagh (5).

The loser of the preliminary game would enter the first round of the Qualifiers. In Leinster, the competing teams would be rated one to 11, in Munster one to 6 and in Connacht one to 6. New York would be accommodated on a rotational basis as at present.

In a new departure, I would suggest that the preliminary round losers, which would be eight in total (one in Ulster, three in Leinster, and two from both Connacht and Munster) should play off in an open draw and the four winners go forward to the second round where they would be in the same pool as the losing quarter-finalists in Ulster and Leinster (totalling eight) and the losing semi-finalists in the other two provinces (totalling four), thus making a total of 16 teams in the second round of the Qualifiers.

In theory, this should result in the 16 bottom teams according to current League form making up the second round of the Qualifiers. Of course, there could be a number of 'upsets' or giantkilling acts, and consequently a highly ranked team could find themselves in the Qualifiers at this stage, but it is likely that the majority would follow the expected pattern. This method would have the distinct advantage of giving developing counties a realistic chance of making progress and not suffering any humiliating defeats. The eight winners would then play each other in an open draw (third round) and again the four winners play in the fourth round to leave two successful teams.

Meanwhile, there would be two beaten semi-finalists in Ulster and Leinster plus the beaten finalists in Munster and Connacht to join them in making a total of eight again. An open draw for the fifth round would reduce this to four and the sixth round would reduce this to two and then the beaten finalists in Ulster and Leinster would provide their opposition (seventh round) to eventually leave the two best qualifiers who would have to meet the beaten provincial champions (eighth round) in order to re-enter the All Ireland series proper.

I know you might be thinking this appears complicated, but, I assure you, there is a degree of logic in the proposal. I understand the overall logistics in making any system work is fraught with much difficulty but, nevertheless, I believe this system could address some of the deficiencies often attributed to the current All-Ireland football structures. The benefits could be (a) higher value placed on League positions   equally valid across each province; (b) better weighting given to provincial success and, consequently, more of a 'knock-out' mentality prevailing within the provinces; (c) more realistic chance for developing teams to make progress without the risk of demoralising defeats; (d) it would create a more level playing field for teams from Ulster and Leinster, where their beaten finalists enter at a more advanced stage than those from the provinces with a smaller number of counties.

As in all such innovative thinking I am very well aware that the devil is often in the detail and, no doubt, I may have overlooked some critical factors in this thought process. However, it might serve to initiate some solutions rather than re-iterate the problems inherent in the current system.

Walking together for worthy causes

A cross-community 10km Fun Run & Walk will take place in the village of Dromore, County Tyrone on Saturday June 13.

The Fields of Life Trust, set up by the Reverend Trevor Stevenson in 1995, in conjunction with The Spirit of Paul McGirr Trust (initiated in 2007 by the family and friends of Paul), have joined forces to raise funds for their on-going charitable work in Africa.

Aid work in Africa is central to both these charities, with volunteers from across the North spending time in Uganda and Zambia working on projects such as building schools and medical clinics. The two charities have raised thousands of pounds and built almost a hundred schools across Africa. Launching the new 10km run, the charities are hoping to raise a substantial amount of money to further aid these ongoing projects. This event will be a huge boost to the two local charities and to the village itself. The organisers are hoping to attract almost 700 runners to the streets of Dromore and a huge amount of preparation has gone into organising the event.

The route has been carefully thought out and is based on the shape of a four leafed clover, comprising four loops, and will also take in the new Dromore Riverside Walk, which will be opened on the same day. Registration for the race costs £10 and all monies will go directly to the local charities.

Northern Ireland football star Kyle Lafferty, who currently plays for the Scottish Premier League side Rangers, along with Tyrone players – several of whom played with Paul – pledged their support for this inaugural event.

To enter, download the entry form from www.niathletics.org. Alternatively please contact committee members Michael McGirr (028 82897744) or David Graham (028 82898651).

[GrandMasterFlash]

The seed of an idea for fairer Qualifiers
By MICKEY HARTE

As the new Championship season gets underway, the debate as to whether the provincial series have been devalued because of the current Qualifying system gathers momentum.

The fact that both last year's All-Ireland finalists came through the non-conventional route, allied to the statistic that shows in the eight years since the inception of the 'back door' system, four qualifying teams  (Galway in 2001, Tyrone in 2005, Kerry in 2006 and Tyrone again in 2008) have actually won the Sam Maguire.

The two counties who could most justifiably feel aggrieved are Armagh and Dublin, who between them have 10 provincial titles during this period, and only that single All-Ireland won by Armagh in 2002. Though we in Tyrone have been the beneficiaries of the system in 2005 and 2008, I definitely believe that the current weighting is disadvantageous to the provincial champions.

That four qualifiers can regain equal status in the last eight, after having lost a game, while the champions currently have no second chance, is grossly unfair. I have already suggested that I believe the provincial winners should play-off, as in the old style All-Ireland semi-finals, and the two losers await the two best qualifiers. I would like to elaborate a little on that view and allude to another deficiency in our current League system.

Because only the top two qualify for the NFL final, and very soon that reality is out of the reach of many, it becomes a case of avoiding relegation. This necessarily detracts from the competitive nature of the second most important gaelic football competition. Connecting League position to each championship draw and a re-structuring of the Qualifying system would address both these deficiencies simultaneously. This would take the format of a seeding process where the counties in each province would be rated according to their League finishing position.

For example, based on the League just completed, Ulster would read:

1 Derry; 2 Tyrone; 3 Monaghan

4 Donegal; 5 Armagh; 6 Down; 7 Fermanagh; 8 Cavan and 9 Antrim.   Therefore, in the preliminary round Cavan would play Antrim and the winner would go into the quarter-final where they would play Derry. Accordingly, Tyrone (2), would play Fermanagh (7), Monaghan (3) would meet Down (6) and Donegal (4) would play Armagh (5).

The loser of the preliminary game would enter the first round of the Qualifiers. In Leinster, the competing teams would be rated one to 11, in Munster one to 6 and in Connacht one to 6. New York would be accommodated on a rotational basis as at present.

In a new departure, I would suggest that the preliminary round losers, which would be eight in total (one in Ulster, three in Leinster, and two from both Connacht and Munster) should play off in an open draw and the four winners go forward to the second round where they would be in the same pool as the losing quarter-finalists in Ulster and Leinster (totalling eight) and the losing semi-finalists in the other two provinces (totalling four), thus making a total of 16 teams in the second round of the Qualifiers.

In theory, this should result in the 16 bottom teams according to current League form making up the second round of the Qualifiers. Of course, there could be a number of 'upsets' or giantkilling acts, and consequently a highly ranked team could find themselves in the Qualifiers at this stage, but it is likely that the majority would follow the expected pattern. This method would have the distinct advantage of giving developing counties a realistic chance of making progress and not suffering any humiliating defeats. The eight winners would then play each other in an open draw (third round) and again the four winners play in the fourth round to leave two successful teams.

Meanwhile, there would be two beaten semi-finalists in Ulster and Leinster plus the beaten finalists in Munster and Connacht to join them in making a total of eight again. An open draw for the fifth round would reduce this to four and the sixth round would reduce this to two and then the beaten finalists in Ulster and Leinster would provide their opposition (seventh round) to eventually leave the two best qualifiers who would have to meet the beaten provincial champions (eighth round) in order to re-enter the All Ireland series proper.

I know you might be thinking this appears complicated, but, I assure you, there is a degree of logic in the proposal. I understand the overall logistics in making any system work is fraught with much difficulty but, nevertheless, I believe this system could address some of the deficiencies often attributed to the current All-Ireland football structures. The benefits could be (a) higher value placed on League positions   equally valid across each province; (b) better weighting given to provincial success and, consequently, more of a 'knock-out' mentality prevailing within the provinces; (c) more realistic chance for developing teams to make progress without the risk of demoralising defeats; (d) it would create a more level playing field for teams from Ulster and Leinster, where their beaten finalists enter at a more advanced stage than those from the provinces with a smaller number of counties.

As in all such innovative thinking I am very well aware that the devil is often in the detail and, no doubt, I may have overlooked some critical factors in this thought process. However, it might serve to initiate some solutions rather than re-iterate the problems inherent in the current system.

Walking together for worthy causes

A cross-community 10km Fun Run & Walk will take place in the village of Dromore, County Tyrone on Saturday June 13.

The Fields of Life Trust, set up by the Reverend Trevor Stevenson in 1995, in conjunction with The Spirit of Paul McGirr Trust (initiated in 2007 by the family and friends of Paul), have joined forces to raise funds for their on-going charitable work in Africa.

Aid work in Africa is central to both these charities, with volunteers from across the North spending time in Uganda and Zambia working on projects such as building schools and medical clinics. The two charities have raised thousands of pounds and built almost a hundred schools across Africa. Launching the new 10km run, the charities are hoping to raise a substantial amount of money to further aid these ongoing projects. This event will be a huge boost to the two local charities and to the village itself. The organisers are hoping to attract almost 700 runners to the streets of Dromore and a huge amount of preparation has gone into organising the event.

The route has been carefully thought out and is based on the shape of a four leafed clover, comprising four loops, and will also take in the new Dromore Riverside Walk, which will be opened on the same day. Registration for the race costs £10 and all monies will go directly to the local charities.

Northern Ireland football star Kyle Lafferty, who currently plays for the Scottish Premier League side Rangers, along with Tyrone players – several of whom played with Paul – pledged their support for this inaugural event.

To enter, download the entry form from www.niathletics.org. Alternatively please contact committee members Michael McGirr (028 82897744) or David Graham (028 82898651).

COPYRIGHT POLICE!!! Not even a reference link to the article, shame!! 

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

COPYRIGHT POLICE!!! Not even a reference link to the article, shame!! 

Title of thread:  Mickey Harte joins the Irish News D'oh!

[bigpaul]

I enjoyed Mickey's piece today.He has obviously put a lot of thought into that format and at first glance it seems to have a lot of merit,certainly a fairer system than what constitutes a 'championship' at present (and thank God he kept it in the 'plain man's' terminology,if he hadn't, that series of matches would have taken some understanding!).However, the one thing that always strikes me, when a new format is discussed,is the extremes we have to go to in order to propose a system that accommodates the provincial championships and therefore have even a remote possibility of being acceptable!

[Minder]

If Mickey Harte told some of youse horses balls were onions it would be lauded as "deep thinking" and "original thought".

[bigpaul]

How did you turn 'a lot of thought' into 'deep thinking'? Of all the propositions I have seen for a c'ship format that would be more equitable and have a chance of being accepted this would be the best in my opinion.I don't know Mickey's capacity for 'deep thinking' but I would be pretty sure he didn't come up with that on a thursday evening between his tea and Tyrone training and in time for the Friday deadline.
How the f$%k did I finish up on Mickey's side in this topic?

[Our Nail Loney]

Time to support GAA exiles
Mickey Harte
By Mickey Harte
29/05/09

AS we celebrate with justifiable pride the development and growth of the GAA over the past 125 years, it is incumbent on us all to bring the good news of our games and culture to even more diverse fields.

As I have already alluded to and acknowledged in a previous column, GAA missionaries are hard at work all over the globe promoting our games.

As we begin the journey towards 150 years of gaelic games, I believe we as an organisation should prioritise supporting our foreign units with a view to having football and hurling, camogie and ladies football introduced officially to the sports curricula of primary and secondary schools.

The template for such support could be initiated close to home with a concerted effort to engage with schools in Britain. The British Universities' Gaelic Association, which has been gradually evolving and expanding since its inception in 1991, will provide an invaluable link for the delivery of such an initiative.

The BUGAA, now in its 18th year, provides an essential forum for the continuation of gaelic games and Irish culture for those relatively large numbers of students who, through choice or necessity, find themselves having to cross the Irish Sea to pursue their third level education.

From a modest base of five male football teams, the BUGAA currently boasts a total of 69 teams (38 mens, 19 ladies, 12 hurling).

In the 2008/09 academic year, new teams have registered from universities in Southampton, Northumbria, Aberystwyth and Liverpool. Indeed, you can now find GAA clubs in universities from Aberdeen in the north to Brighton in the south.

While the BUGAA is to be lauded for the platform they afford young Irish people to continue their development of and participation in gaelic games, they deserve additional recognition for the fact that they are a significant force embracing the internationalisation of our core activities.

Through their links with the European County Board and with Daniel Hannon and others in the New York, North American and Canadian Minor Boards (channelled through Seamus Howlin's overseas development committee), the BUGAA has been successfully involved in setting up a University Gaelic Football Qualifiers League in France. The winners of this French league are invited to play in the British championships.

I know from speaking to many young students who have studied in Britain that the GAA unit in their place of study has been a critical factor in their ability to adapt quickly and confidently to their new environment. Even students who had no particular interest in playing gaelic games found themselves attracted to the activities of the club from a positive socially interactive perspective.

Equally, at the higher participation end of the scale, the BUGAA has proved a crucial outlet for many of our players of inter-county standard. Having organised collective sessions two or three times per week, in addition to competitive matches during the academic year, enables those more gifted players to maintain the requisite performance levels on their return.

A glance at some of the well known inter-county players who have come through the British university system – John Finucane, Paul Close (Antrim), Mossie Lyons (Kerry), Ryan McCloskey (Fermanagh), Ollie Murphy (Meath), Stephen O'Neill (below), John Devine, Declan McCrossan and Seamus Mulgrew (Tyrone) – highlights the diversity and quality of players from Ireland availing of the structures put in place by Professor Peter Mossey, with the assistance of George O'Rourke.

As indicated in the list above, there is a massive pool of talent going across from this country to the British universities and while their playing participation will certainly promote gaelic games amongst their University colleagues, perhaps their added value has yet to be tapped.

The BUGAA, in conjunction with the British Provincial Council, (made up of the county boards from Gloucestershire, Hertfordshire, London, Lancashire, Scotland, Warwickshire and Yorkshire) believes this talent could be utilised for coaching in the schools as envisaged by the Five Year Strategic Plan of both bodies.

The essence of this plan, which has achieved financial support from the GAA Central Council and the Department of Foreign Affairs, is to: introduce a structured approach to gaelic games in schools; build links between primary/ secondary schools and clubs; retain and build on the number of players in their teenage years; improve standards at every level and discourage alcohol and substance abuse through the promotion of our sport.

Sometimes trojan and innovative work on behalf of our Association goes unnoticed. Since 2005, the BUGAA has been providing a lifeline for senior football in New York as a result of an invitation to join their university tournament.

Likewise, the French model, which they have encouraged and adopted, has brought a group of non-Irish students into the game and they are now hosting their own tournament, to which university teams will be invited in October each year.

Thanks to the vision of Peter Mossey, who played in the 1991 games and became chairman of the BUGAA in 1994, the British university sector is one of the most potentially important development sectors of the Association in the world.

Anyone who finds himself/herself attending a university in Britain should be aware that he/she will always have helpful contacts available through this GAA network.

CONFERENCE TO RAISE AWARENESS OF SUICIDE

THE GAA has provided a lifeline to many communities and individuals since its inception in 1884.

Support in times of tragedy has always been a hallmark of the Association. Unfortunately, within that social network individuals (often young) fall victim to one of the greatest tragedies of our times – suicide.

The Northern Region of the Secular Franciscan Order is organising a conference in Dundalk on

Saturday, June 13 where speakers from the Samaritans and the Niamh Louise Foundation will give presentations on suicide awareness and prevention.

The conference will be led by John Murray, a retired Garda Sergeant, who is justice and peace spokesman for the SFO in Ireland. To obtain further information on this conference, please phone 02887749512/02887740636 or email sfo7joys@hotmail.com



Anthony called big game right

I WOULD like to compliment Anthony Tohill on his controlled and objective assessment of Sunday's Ulster Senior Football Championship quarter-final.

Despite the fact that his own county was involved in some incidents not entirely of a footballing nature, he didn't shy away from giving his opinion.

Perhaps more importantly, he didn't become emotionally hijacked and run for the cover of the new rules.

He accurately stated that there were sufficient sanctions within the existing rules to deal with any indiscretions which may have occurred.

Martin McHugh endorsed this view when he stated that last year's All-Ireland final, universally accepted as a great spectacle, was played under the very same rules.

[Sandy Hill]

Martin McHugh endorsed this view when he stated that last year's All-Ireland final, universally accepted as a great spectacle, was played under the very same rules.

[Archie Mitchell]

Martin McHugh endorsed this view when he stated that last year's All-Ireland final, universally accepted as a great spectacle, was played under the very same rules.

Do you not agree?

[EC Unique]

Anyone who thinks last years AIF was not a 'great spectacle' needs to think about following a different sport because they do not appreciate this one.

[orangeman]

Anyone who thinks last years AIF was not a 'great spectacle' needs to think about following a different sport because they do not appreciate this one.

Super final - it had everything you would want to see and more. Great spectacle - result was good as well.

[Our Nail Loney]

Purists wide of mark in handpass debate

By Mickey Harte

05/06/09

The amount of handpassing now prevalent in gaelic football often incurs the displeasure of certain well-known pundits and others in the world of sports journalism.

The most simplistic argument invariably espoused is that if the sport is called Gaelic football, how can it be deemed appropriate that a player could play for an entire 70 minutes without kicking the ball?

The ability and legality of outfield players to handle the ball distinguishes Gaelic football as a sport distinct from soccer, for example.

Those who experience difficulty with the current style of playing often decry the fact that, in their opinion, players cannot kick the ball accurately in the modern era.

Some have even been known to go as far as to suggest that kicking is becoming a dying art, the inference here being that there was some

previous utopian era when everything was perfectly executed.

I think not. All-Ireland Gold on TG4 endorses that truth.

The Kerry 'Golden Years' in the '70s will always be remembered and appreciated by those of us fortunate enough to have been present for their titanic struggles with the equally exciting Dubs.

Despite the fact that handpassing was rampant – indeed it was legitimate to handpass (throw) goals at that time – there was never any such adverse interpretations of this style proffered by the pundits or sports journalists of the day.

While the anti-handpassing proponents regularly furnish us with 'damning' statistics of the amount of handpasses versus kick passes in a modern day game of football, the 'Golden Years' are exempt from such scrutiny.

Another argument often levied against the current style of play is that over-use of the handpass detracts from the game as a spectacle.

Surely this is a matter of opinion – would it be more aesthetically pleasing to observe players kick the ball ping-pong style up and down the field, or have them retain possession with accurate, controlled hand/fist passes until the time was appropriate to deliver a kick pass?

Some interpreters have the audacity to declare that we are distorting gaelic football and turning it into a form of compromised basketball.

They bemoan the fact the game now demands huge levels of fitness and suggest that players spend more time topping up on endurance than kicking skills.

Cheap shots.

I would recommend they carry out some in-depth analysis of games from previous 'golden eras' and furnish us with the handpass/accurate kick pass ratio.

Even the terminology used – 'distorting' gaelic football – infers that there is some perfect blueprint for the game. How limiting would that be?

Those idealists often endorse their views by informing us that half-forwards are not

scoring enough in the modern game.

Who ever declared that to be their chief role on a 15-player team?

If we were to return to the strict interpretations of the anti-handpass proponents who declare that because the game is termed gaelic 'football' it should be dominated by the foot (kicking), then what should a half-forward be doing to fulfil the other half of his/her role in the game?

An examination of every position on the field further highlights the futility of an argument that suggests because our sport is named gaelic 'football', handpassing does the game a disservice.

Of course, it would be naive to suggest that there aren't times when the handpass is overused.

The tactical nous and work-rate of opponents, rather than a change of rules, will very quickly sort that problem out.

Those who believe that a change in the rules is the only way to 'sanitise' the game to their ideal blueprint take huge liberties and often suggest that a coach's sole objective is to win and that they

really don't care how they achieve that. Wrong.

A coach's sole objective is to facilitate players to deliver the best of themselves within the ethos of the team, and if that can be achieved, winning is sometimes a natural by-product.

On occasion, a coach will gladly preside over an 'ugly win' and will prefer that to a 'pretty defeat'.

However, it is more often every coach's desire to win with style.

The greatest danger posed by those who feel the need to interfere with the handpass aspect of our game is that through their constant drip feed of fault finding, many might begin to believe that overuse of the handpass is the cause of all the ails in gaelic football at the moment.

While even they agree that it could not be scrapped altogether, they are encouraging a limit of one handpass and then an obligatory kick to follow. This would make for a much worse spectacle as players would be forced to use a kick pass when another handpass would be more appropriate.

We would then be exposed to players kicking the ball four and five metres to their team-mates simply because they received a handpass.

Gaelic football is a multi-skilled sport. In the past, big was 'king' and positions were almost sacrosanct.

Many lament the lack of high fielding and often suggest that it should be a protected skill by affording the exponent a clear chance to deliver.

In essence, this suggests giving a further advantage to someone who is already blessed with superior stature – how fair is that?

Thankfully, the evolution of our game rewards a variety of individual skills which, when combined to best effect, create winning teams.

Respect in boxing offers a lesson to all sports

I had the pleasure of attending a boxing tournament in Bellaghy last Saturday night at the invitation of club coach Patsy Hurl and Colm Scullion, a friend and sponsor of the Toome Amateur Boxing Club.

Patsy, who played gaelic games in his younger days, was more drawn to the ring at the Ardboe Boxing Club, which was then run by his father.

Unfortunately, Patsy's own very promising career in the sport was cut short due to an ear injury. However, this didn't deter him from his love of the sport and the thrill of seeing many young people under his care develop into champions in their own right.

On the night, Toome club took on an Ulster select, including boxers from St Canice's, Errigal, Ring, Immaculata, Cairn Lodge and Clonoe ABC in various weight categories ranging from 31kg to 57kg.

All contests were fought in a sporting manner and the MC for the night, Jim Noonan, set the tone when he told the spectators that booing was not acceptable.

All of the youngsters acquitted themselves with dignity and both contestants in each bout received trophies of equal standard.

The presence of two of the north's current and most distinguished boxers, Olympic bronze medallist Paddy Barnes and British featherweight champion Martin Lindsay, graced the occasion and both gentlemen shared in the trophy presentations.

I would like to congratulate Patsy Hurl, all the coaches in Toome ABC, and all the visiting coaches who give up so much of their time for the benefit of the younger generation.

The discipline and respect shown in the ring stretches far beyond that and I am reliably informed by Patsy that the sport transcends the political and religious divides, where boxers and coaches from all clubs are equally welcome in the Shankill or Falls Road boxing clubs.

Yet another example of the positive power of sport.