EXCLUSIVE NEWS: Tyrone GAA - SoN is Back!

[ziggysego]

I believe he still would have left the team. He has been suffering from recurring injuries and he knew if he had continued with the year, the injuries could have worsten for himself. He also wanted to be match fit, which at the time he admitted he wasn't. The media and and 'fans' with too with time on their hands them started a story about a falling out with MH, with snowballed as the year progressed.

[Onion Bag]

Thats fair enough, yous are obviously closer to the man than i am, so yous know the score.

[full back]

He also wanted to be match fit, which at the time he admitted he wasn't.

I am not against SoN, and admire his stance on this, but the above statement is a load of sh1te.
How many players are 'match fit' at this time of the year?

[under the bar]

Now, if only he could teach that to others in the Tyrone squad and their supporters, then I could maybe say that they were worthy winners, even for the fact that at several points I thought I was watching an Olympics swimming event

From 1984 to 1999 some Armagh supporters stood outside in the footballing wilderness throwing sour grapes at their superior neighbours.

Looks like its come full-circle again.  

Think positively lads and keep telling yourselves it won't be another 15 years until you are at the top table again.   

[nrico2006]

We have all been down this road before, in January-February time he turned his back on Tyrone and told them he was quitting, had he thought at that time Tyrone would now be sitting as All Ireland Champions, do you honestly think he would have quit? he doubted Tyrones ability to win a 3rd All Ireland, so he made the decision
The Tyrone season started slowly and then took off with some magnificent displays in croker, he liked what he was seeing, wanted a piece of it, and came crawling back,
So as i say, he might as well go the whole hog and pick up his medal!

Knocking on from what Ziggy said, SON had been battling away through 2006 and 2007 a shadow of himself due to knee and hamstring issues that everyone is aware off.  Imagine how demoralising it was for him to constantly face recurrence of the same injury over that period.  He would miss most games, be fired on as a sub here and there and when on he, as would the spectators, realised that he wasn't doing himself justice by attempting to play at 60%.  The man wanted to get away from the glare of the public eye and attempt to get a decent run this season with his club with the hope that he could recuperate in the background, and get back to his best.  

I am not against SoN, and admire his stance on this, but the above statement is a load of sh1te.
How many players are 'match fit' at this time of the year

I think you might be slightly misinterpretating how he is using the word 'fit' - I would say SON simply meant that he wanted to be back in a condition to play football, as opposed to having a constant battle with the aforementioned injuries.  A bit different than a lad in January struggling to run a mile after a winter of Chineses and bottles of Buckfast with an expanding waistline hitting 38 inches.

[SidelineKick]

Such gracious winners  

I agree with fullback, that time of year is used for fitness and getting your match fitness back so thats a bollix excuse.

It was clear that he was voted back in to the panel by the players which is fair enough, no fairer way of doing it!  However, the thing that annoyed me was that it was fine for all the defenders, the keepers, the midfielders and the forwards sure of their place to want him back, but those forwards who were on the bench with the hope of making an appearance must have found it hard to stomach, and obviously couldnt speak out against the majority.  Months and months of training for SoN to walk back in and ushered up the pecking order!

[SidelineKick]

We have all been down this road before, in January-February time he turned his back on Tyrone and told them he was quitting, had he thought at that time Tyrone would now be sitting as All Ireland Champions, do you honestly think he would have quit? he doubted Tyrones ability to win a 3rd All Ireland, so he made the decision
The Tyrone season started slowly and then took off with some magnificent displays in croker, he liked what he was seeing, wanted a piece of it, and came crawling back,
So as i say, he might as well go the whole hog and pick up his medal!

Knocking on from what Ziggy said, SON had been battling away through 2006 and 2007 a shadow of himself due to knee and hamstring issues that everyone is aware off.  Imagine how demoralising it was for him to constantly face recurrence of the same injury over that period.  He would miss most games, be fired on as a sub here and there and when on he, as would the spectators, realised that he wasn't doing himself justice by attempting to play at 60%.  The man wanted to get away from the glare of the public eye and attempt to get a decent run this season with his club with the hope that he could recuperate in the background, and get back to his best. 

I am not against SoN, and admire his stance on this, but the above statement is a load of sh1te.
How many players are 'match fit' at this time of the year

I think you might be slightly misinterpretating how he is using the word 'fit' - I would say SON simply meant that he wanted to be back in a condition to play football, as opposed to having a constant battle with the aforementioned injuries.  A bit different than a lad in January struggling to run a mile after a winter of Chineses and bottles of Buckfast with an expanding waistline hitting 38 inches.

So his intention was always to return later in the year after getting back to his best?

[Onion Bag]

Now, if only he could teach that to others in the Tyrone squad and their supporters, then I could maybe say that they were worthy winners, even for the fact that at several points I thought I was watching an Olympics swimming event

From 1984 to 1999 some Armagh supporters stood outside in the footballing wilderness throwing sour grapes at their superior neighbours.

Looks like its come full-circle again.  

Think positively lads and keep telling yourselves it won't be another 15 years until you are at the top table again.   

What is your problem UTB with all the snide comments, who is even talking about Armagh here, really do think you have a chip on your shoulder with Armagh

[nrico2006]

So his intention was always to return later in the year after getting back to his best?

Nobody but the man himself can inform us if he intended to come back or when but I think that he never permanently retired and he was probably hopeful of coming back into the squad for the summer if he hadn't encountered any injury problems again.  I would say it would have been difficult for him to attempt to rejoin the squad as the season progressed and if it hadn't been for the players asking him back, which he was reluctant to do, then he wouldn't have came back at all.  I think his decision was a brave one as he would have been aware of all the begrudgers out there, and to be honest its the way society is that people can't see a mans actions in a positive and benevolent light instead accusing him of being a glory hunter.  It took some cohones to brave the attention he did through his return to the panel in the circumstance it happened.

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

A woeful number of totally clueless and ignorant comments here about the man, from the usual suspects of course! 

[under the bar]

What is your problem UTB with all the snide comments, who is even talking about Armagh here, really do think you have a chip on your shoulder with Armagh

For a chip on the shoulder look to your right then to your countyman Ard Mhaca Abu.  It was 5 years ago, GET OVER IT!

[Onion Bag]

No idea what you are talking about, any possiblity you could enlighten me?

[ziggysego]

He also wanted to be match fit, which at the time he admitted he wasn't.

I am not against SoN, and admire his stance on this, but the above statement is a load of sh1te.
How many players are 'match fit' at this time of the year?

Sorry full back, didn't explain myself well there did I.

He had been under-performing in 2006 & 2007 due to injuries. He knew it, Tyrone knew it and the wider country knew it. He tried to recover from it, but playing constant inter-county football for 14 years or so, was bound to bring it's toll. When I said match fit, he knew with the injuries he never would be. So he pulled out for the good of his own health and for the good of Tyrone football.

[Zapatista]

This is the same argument which we had before. There is nothing new to be said we are just recycling here.


On the point about accepting the medal - it is a personal decision he made (it has nothing to do with anyone else) and therefore the right decision.

[SidelineKick]

Personally I don't think it is the right decision.  I don't have much of an issue with the entire saga and don't have any sort of problem with the man himself.  But if he came back for those last few weeks, trained and played a part in the final he may as well take the medal.  He will regret it in years to come.  I don't see how not accepting it or accepting it will change anything!