We’re in the second season of the new rules and, while they have been well received, there is a hierarchy when it comes to their application. You have the gold standard deluxe model of County Championship. The referee has a team of officials that are miked up, and there’s a hooter and all the trimmings. […]
Before we delve into the possible demise of the provincials, I’ll make two points. Firstly, I hope they remain as important as they have been for the past 100 years, and secondly any observations or possible solutions I have are skewed by Kerry. Let’s take a look The GAA season has been condensed to an insanely […]
I’M going to try the impossible this week – and something a bit different to my usual coaching column – and pick my All-Star team for 2024. This comes with a health warning. I have two mates nominated and as an Armagh fan I am biased. Anyone that disagrees with me and thinks it’s a […]
IT may be a few weeks on, but there can only be one topic for this month’s article, and that’s Armagh’s fantastic All-Ireland success. I am going to describe my experience as a supporter over the past few years following the team to try and give you a flavour of how it was. Being occupied […]
By Declan McCoy THERE’S only one place to start this week’s article and that is to say a massive well done to Armagh on reaching the All-Ireland final. Whilst we haven’t yet got over the line, we sometimes take for granted the brilliant days out Geezer and the players have given us over the last […]
WHILE it’s great to have a fellow Armagh man as the new president of the GAA, I have to say I don’t envy his task in addressing the state of the game. A lot of games are turning into basketball and the entertainment value has dropped. This, in conjunction with the complete lack of jeopardy […]
AFTER a riveting weekend of football, it’s fair to say the Ulster Championship is alive and well. Whilst I may bemoan the lack of jeopardy and level of shadow boxing in the current format, I thoroughly enjoyed the games. Cavan just came up short in a spirited performance and Jim McGuinness has rejuvenated Donegal again. […]
WE are currently slap-bang in the middle of the GAA jargon evolution. Terms like ‘move the ball quickly,’ ‘keep your width’ and ‘get men behind the ball’ have been replaced by ‘transitions,’ ‘tips’ and ‘low block.’ I have even found myself using such terminology and I die a little inside each time I do. The […]
GAELIC football is gradually moving towards a reset in the fundamental make up of teams. We have two points to consider in this regard. Firstly, the standard programme lays out the 15 players in the traditional structure. They consist of a ‘keeper, six defenders, two midfielders and six forwards. I can’t for the life of […]
THE club championships are beginning to reach the business end in most counties. As with the new county format, a lot of counties have opted for group stage systems and as a result the blood and thunder has been diluted. It will no doubt return when competitions reach the knock-out phases, but the early stages […]
