KEVIN CASSIDY: Ulster Club is the gift that keeps on giving

I AM fully aware that at this time of year I am like a broken record banging on about how good the Ulster Club Championship is.

Before I get accused of doing a Pat Spillane on things, I will just wrap up by congratulating both teams on the football they served up last weekend.

We now have the final that most people thought we would have, but before we get to that it we must comment on the effort and also the progress that this young exciting Newbridge have made in this year’s competition.

I covered the first game and I thought that Newbridge found it difficult to find their rhythm and could not impose their game plan on Scotstown.

This has obviously a lot to do with conditions, but to say they left it all out on the pitch last weekend wound be an understatement. They were superb and to lose on penalties was simply heartbreaking for them.

Once you sample this competition you become addicted to it, so although they have won back-to-back Derry titles I’m sure this defeat will last long into the winter.

Scotstown now have two weeks to prepare for a massive clash with Down kingpins Kilcoo in what should be an absolute cracker.

Both of these teams have probably been tipped by most to make it through to the decider from early on. The fact that both have manoeuvred their way to the final is a credit to both teams.

The only thing that goes against this competition is the time of year that it’s played but very little can be done about that. Still, let’s hope for a dry day so we get to see the best of both teams.

Touching on the football at this time of year, I’d like to congratulate Watty Graham’s GAC on their public stance on the split season.

Without getting too deeply into things, the easiest way to explain it is that the more we go down the route of time for the inter-county game, the less you will see of your own county players.

Here in Donegal, at the minute, county players do not play league football. Once their championship is over with Donegal, they then head off on a week or two’s break which is understandable given the pressure cooker they have been couped up inside.

When you put all that together, your county players might play for their clubs for five or six weeks of the year.

If you are lucky enough for your season to go beyond that, then they might be about for another week or two.

My question here is when we start coaching our kids at five years of age, are we coaching them to play for their clubs for years to come or are we coaching them to hand them over to the county team?

We all want the players to reach their full potential, but under no circumstances should this come at the cost of them playing less and less with their clubs.

Glen’s statement has received a lot of positive feedback so that goes to show you what the grassroots of the GAA think.