What has happened Ulster Football?

[Onlooker]

Bud Wiser, I don't understand what you are saying about Laois, possibly, being still in the Championship.  I am sure that I saw them losing to Tipperary in Thurles in the 1st Round of the qualifiers.  Tipp played Dublin in Croke Park the following week, so I don't see where Laois get back into the Championship.  Is it something like John Delaney's 33rd team?

[Zapatista]

I think Ulster are in a new period of reinventing how football is played. When this transition period is complete Ulster will be clocking up Sams again and the rest will soon adopt this new type of football. In the constant reinvention ulster is actually saving football. it's a small price to pay and in the meantime we have Tyrone anyway.

[johnneycool]

When you have people from Down and Antrim travelling to Thurles for a hurling match (see the hurling section) it tells you what the state of football in Ulster is like.

I don't see how you can draw that conclusion as the two aren't related.

I've been going to Munster finals since the early 90's when Ulster footballers were winning AI's and indeed my own county won two in that era. I've always loved the Munster final as a spectacle and my first love is hurling anyway and if it's anything in decline its the interest attendance wise of the Munster hurling championship nad that should be of concern more so than the performance of Ulster counties still in AI contention.

[Bud Wiser]

Bud Wiser, I don't understand what you are saying about Laois, possibly, being still in the Championship.  I am sure that I saw them losing to Tipperary in Thurles in the 1st Round of the qualifiers.  Tipp played Dublin in Croke Park the following week, so I don't see where Laois get back into the Championship.  Is it something like John Delaney's 33rd team?

In the replay against Meath in Tullamore Joe Sheridan very clearly threw the ball into the Laois net for the important goal that led to our lads putting their heads down.  (it was the goal where he received a pass across the goalmouth from the right hand side and he was standing in the square on the left) I tried to find it but I my understanding is that the LCB have it and are formulating an appeal but were just waiting the outcome of the Louth game before lodging it. I'd say it will be 2015 before the Leinster championship is sorted.

[lynchbhoy]

Jeez bud, theres a demise in ulster , leinster and connacht this year if some people and media are to believed ! (likewise a demise in leinster and ulster hurling given that only Kilkenny are of any use in leinster - Antrim beating Dubs ,Offaly improving but laois, meath etc all no hopers).

Thats football - standards are levelling off and only the big three remain at the top of the pile by some distance. Wheras some counties have the potential to catch up (ie Dublin, maybe Monaghan for the next season or so) other counties have the talent but will most likely never get close (Meath, kildare, louth,Down, Armagh, Derry, Donegal, Mayo, Galway).

Next season we may see Donegal and Galway get to the AI semi finals.
Its the unpredictability of football outwith the top three that keeps us going ot games in hope more than expectation.
With the top three you know they will usually produce on the big stage and what they are capable of. Only a bad day out (which happens every team at least once a season) can catch them cold.
Otherwise its a straight shoot out between Kerry, Cork and Tyrone.
With Cork peoples favourites but they have yet to hit form. Tyrone with their new 'anti-cork' defence tested last sunday wil be gunning for them, while champions Kerry will try to ambush one or both of these to regain their title.
Demise Bud ? Naw, its the beautiful unpredictibility of football.
Only one thing you can predict - Mickey hartes tactics will ensure the red arses arent far away at the end of it all !

[Bud Wiser]

When you have people from Down and Antrim travelling to Thurles for a hurling match (see the hurling section) it tells you what the state of football in Ulster is like.

I don't see how you can draw that conclusion as the two aren't related.

I've been going to Munster finals since the early 90's when Ulster footballers were winning AI's and indeed my own county won two in that era. I've always loved the Munster final as a spectacle and my first love is hurling anyway and if it's anything in decline its the interest attendance wise of the Munster hurling championship nad that should be of concern more so than the performance of Ulster counties still in AI contention.

That I have to admit is fair comment johnny.  Yep, fair comment enough.

[donelli]

Going on the national league tables 2010, Ulster still have 5 teams in the top 10.
We'll see what the representaion is like in the AI semi-finals come August..

[supersarsfields]

I am already trying to get my hands on a copy of the Connaught Final.  Best game of football this year.  Leinster would be good too only for the fact that, not being happy with foookin up your own provincial championship, ye send us down a referee to try and foook up ours as well and then when he is offered the courtesy of a Garda escort of the field he is supposed to have said "I don't want no f'n free state police protection"  and stays there dictating to all and sundry.

There is a chance that the football championship can be rescued and we might see another game of football like the Connaught final but it won't involve an Ulster team with their style of today. I am not taking cheap shots here at all or getting cocky as you put it, I am really really concerned about the demise of football in Ulster.

Well to be fair it looks like you are being cocky and taking cheap shots. especially your crap about a Sludden. How's that's relevant to the standard of football in Ulster?
As Zap said Ulster will continue taking the odd Sam of the Kerry boys, but maybe if you Leinster boys are done slapping each other on the back you might want to give that a go yourself or have ya's forgotten that there's life outside Leinster.

[A Quinn Martin Production]

Bud, are you Olly in disguise??

[Maguire01]

So how long will it be before we see personalized number plates around Croker again, or what has happened to football in Ulster?

Probably the weekend of the quarter finals when Tyrone roll in. Possibly joined by Down.

[Maguire01]

it is in the interest of the GAA in general to find out why has such a demise come about in Ulster. Apart from that, the attendances at GAA games this year is already a concern and if the downword slide continues the quality of games, in particular the Ulster Championship has to be questioned.

Yet attendances in Ulster have held up. And will no doubt continue to do so.

Not even the Dubs would turn up in Croke Park when they heard it was Armagh, I suspect their theory being, if they are good enough to beat us we (Dubs) are no good at all, or, we beat them it does not matter until we play an exciting team. 

Or maybe they are just fickle. They didn't turn up for Tipp either. They're not used to playing Saturday evening qualifiers. There are any amount of possible explanations - why you conclude that it's due to the standard of Ulster football, I don't know.

[Maguire01]

On that note, what has happened to fearon?  Has been banned ?

I'd say like thousands of others he has become totally disillusioned with Ulster football.

Not so - he's still to be found talking crap elsewhere.

[Maguire01]

When you have people from Down and Antrim travelling to Thurles for a hurling match (see the hurling section) it tells you what the state of football in Ulster is like.

There are plenty of stupid comments on this thread, but this is right up there. Surely this would tell you the state of Ulster hurling, no? They're not travellng to see the Munster football championship.
EDIT: Forgot to mention - you should check out the 'Ulster Final Virgin' thread. When you have have people from Leinster travelling to Clones for a football match...

If the slide continues at its present rate nobody will be going to a football game in Ulster in a few years.

What slide? Show me how attendences in Ulster are suffering disproportionately to any other province.

[armaghniac]

What slide? Show me how attendences in Ulster are suffering disproportionately to any other province.

There is a definite slide. For instance, Armagh v Monaghan had relatively few Armagh people at it and even fewer Monaghan people. I was Armagh v Monaghan games in the 80s with bigger crowds. 

[Dinny Breen]

EDIT: Forgot to mention - you should check out the 'Ulster Final Virgin' thread. When you have have people from Leinster travelling to Clones for a football match...

Very enjoyable too