National Football League 2024

[Peter grimes]

No doubt that McBrearty and McHugh picked up knocks but I wouldn’t be rushing to believe everything the Donegal camp tell us. We got caught out very badly doing that very thing when McGuinness was last involved.

As for armagh being “bad nordies” I don’t get that impression. When Armagh play positive football then most football fans back us.

Bad news about McElroy if true. Hopefully not too serious as he had hit a purple patch.

 

[Armaghball]

No doubt that McBrearty and McHugh picked up knocks but I wouldn’t be rushing to believe everything the Donegal camp tell us. We got caught out very badly doing that very thing when McGuinness was last involved.

As for armagh being “bad nordies” I don’t get that impression. When Armagh play positive football then most football fans back us.

Bad news about McElroy if true. Hopefully not too serious as he had hit a purple patch.

Yeah would take anything coming from Donegal camp with a pinch of salt although their main focus has got to be Derry so doubt the 2 lads will be risked if theres any issue at all.

We do get negative press although a lot of it down to ourselves getting involved in “melees“, but yeah when we play on the front foot and kick the ball a lot of pundits be singing our praises.

Ourselves and especially Tyrone got a lot of bad press in the noughties because we were too rough for the Kerry boys. On that McGuigan bite on Rian last year- if the shoe was on the other foot and one of our boys did that- he’d have been hung drawn and quartered in the media.

 

[thecritic]

No doubt that McBrearty and McHugh picked up knocks but I wouldn’t be rushing to believe everything the Donegal camp tell us. We got caught out very badly doing that very thing when McGuinness was last involved.

As for armagh being “bad nordies” I don’t get that impression. When Armagh play positive football then most football fans back us.

Bad news about McElroy if true. Hopefully not too serious as he had hit a purple patch.

It's interesting - we have been involved in some classics over the last few years - RTE game of the year on a couple of occasions - vs Roscommon & vs Mayo I think (when we're bate). Then there was Galway, then Derry last year and Monaghan to a lesser degree (bate again in all). We are box office and you never know what you'll get. We, the supporters, play a massive part in that. Ourselves and Tyrone are the 2 big plum draws north of the border in terms of interest but we are also the hateful nordies when we are winning and you can't get away from that. Tyrone do get it slightly worse than us but there's no doubt there's a bias there.

 

[Ard Mhacha 13]

It's interesting - we have been involved in some classics over the last few years - RTE game of the year on a couple of occasions - vs Roscommon & vs Mayo I think (when we're bate). Then there was Galway, then Derry last year and Monaghan to a lesser degree (bate again in all). We are box office and you never know what you'll get. We, the supporters, play a massive part in that. Ourselves and Tyrone are the 2 big plum draws north of the border in terms of interest but we are also the hateful nordies when we are winning and you can't get away from that. Tyrone do get it slightly worse than us but there's no doubt there's a bias there.

As they should

 

[Armaghball]

It's interesting - we have been involved in some classics over the last few years - RTE game of the year on a couple of occasions - vs Roscommon & vs Mayo I think (when we're bate). Then there was Galway, then Derry last year and Monaghan to a lesser degree (bate again in all). We are box office and you never know what you'll get. We, the supporters, play a massive part in that. Ourselves and Tyrone are the 2 big plum draws north of the border in terms of interest but we are also the hateful nordies when we are winning and you can't get away from that. Tyrone do get it slightly worse than us but there's no doubt there's a bias there.

We’re never boring thats for sure. Looking forward to the proper football starting soon. Hopefully the rain leaves us soon and Rian (see what I did there) starts shining again.

 

[pablo]

It's interesting - we have been involved in some classics over the last few years - RTE game of the year on a couple of occasions - vs Roscommon & vs Mayo I think (when we're bate). Then there was Galway, then Derry last year and Monaghan to a lesser degree (bate again in all). We are box office and you never know what you'll get. We, the supporters, play a massive part in that. Ourselves and Tyrone are the 2 big plum draws north of the border in terms of interest but we are also the hateful nordies when we are winning and you can't get away from that. Tyrone do get it slightly worse than us but there's no doubt there's a bias there.

I do not think it was an imagined perception that the level of resentment towards Armagh grew the more successful we became and when that success looked like it could be sustainable. They considered us colourful and cuddly when we won Ulster in 99, and there was genuine delight at our AI, although underscored with a mixture of bemusement and surprise. Not that we cared. The plain old begrudgery and ill will took hold in 2003 and intensified in the build up to the final that year. Media painted a picture of us as a cynical, brutal team that posed actual physical risk to health of opposition (some journalists actually took that line). A drip, drip, drip feed of accusations. Eased off a little after that, but the most prized ridiculous and outrageous example of that attitude was Eamonn Sweeney’s article just after 2005 Ulster Final replay. A shocking piece of journalism, especially considering it was aimed at amateur sportsmen and written to play to a closed mindset regarding Armagh teams.

 

[Hoops]

Eased off a little after that, but the most prized ridiculous and outrageous example of that attitude was Eamonn Sweeney’s article just after 2005 Ulster Final replay. A shocking piece of journalism, especially considering it was aimed at amateur sportsmen and written to play to a closed mindset regarding Armagh teams.

take the orange glasses off for a second, thats the game mcgrane got away with punching jordan in the mouth and kneeing gormley in the face, then there was the whole row ending with canavans jersey being ripped off. All a bit of craic for us at the time, especially when it ended in a win against tyrone near the peak of the rivalry, but it was totally out of hand. The reputation didn't come from nowhere.

 

[Big Jim]

excellent overview of that final. It was indeed a tough one to take.

Derry = good nordies
Armagh/Tyrone = bad nordies

It's only because the mexicans think Derry is in the 26 and Londonderry is in the 6!!!

 

[PatMustard]

We have also been involv

take the orange glasses off for a second, thats the game mcgrane got away with punching jordan in the mouth and kneeing gormley in the face, then there was the whole row ending with canavans jersey being ripped off. All a bit of craic for us at the time, especially when it ended in a win against tyrone near the peak of the rivalry, but it was totally out of hand. The reputation didn't come from nowhere.

As far as I recall, the abuse we got was for the Donegal replay. Bear in mind Donegal had 3 men sent off that day. We had 1 sent off, Francie Bellew. Which was rescinded as far as I remember. So, take from that what you will.

 

[Big Jim]

I do not think it was an imagined perception that the level of resentment towards Armagh grew the more successful we became and when that success looked like it could be sustainable. They considered us colourful and cuddly when we won Ulster in 99, and there was genuine delight at our AI, although underscored with a mixture of bemusement and surprise. Not that we cared. The plain old begrudgery and ill will took hold in 2003 and intensified in the build up to the final that year. Media painted a picture of us as a cynical, brutal team that posed actual physical risk to health of opposition (some journalists actually took that line). A drip, drip, drip feed of accusations. Eased off a little after that, but the most prized ridiculous and outrageous example of that attitude was Eamonn Sweeney’s article just after 2005 Ulster Final replay. A shocking piece of journalism, especially considering it was aimed at amateur sportsmen and written to play to a closed mindset regarding Armagh teams.

And don't forget, it was around that time that the nonsensical talk of support segregation was heavily mooted around. Got lots of "prominent" pundits and broadsheets proverbial egg on the face when they turned out to be classic heard hitting and hard played but extremely noisily supported affairs with both sets of supporters from Armagh and them uns showing just how bitter rivals we can be across the line, but that is where it ends - even if we love to be down on them because they were more successful than us in that period. The massive stupidity around that was highlighted around the loss of such a great player as Cormac McAnallen and the tragic loss of Michaela McAreavey with the very vocal support from our county towards them at times like that. We love to "hate" someone, but honestly don't believe it's true loathing. In honesty, it always feels like jealousy.

I note with a smile, that our least carded player gets a mention for "punching in the mouth" which was proven as nothing by the same media that had wanted him hung out, when it was properly analysed from a reverse angle and shown to have "nothing in it" - nothing tinted about that as the piece on the facts in the aftermath are on the web if anyone cares to have a little look. Kneeing Gormley was different though and did genuinely get away with that as that ref took the view it was a playing incident. It would have been nice however if a balance was made with mention of the career ending "tackle" on John Toal or the manufactured sending off of Diarmuid Marsden which was rescinded. There are numerous other examples on both sides. Still, having their "kids" hammered by 21 against Dublin last weekend raises a smile!








Ok we hate them (NOT)

 

[pablo]

take the orange glasses off for a second, thats the game mcgrane got away with punching jordan in the mouth and kneeing gormley in the face, then there was the whole row ending with canavans jersey being ripped off. All a bit of craic for us at the time, especially when it ended in a win against tyrone near the peak of the rivalry, but it was totally out of hand. The reputation didn't come from nowhere.

Ah Jeez No!

Not the ripping of Peter’s jersey
The Horror! The Horror!
Worse than the Turin Shroud getting torn apart
It was a spiteful game between two teams that really did not like each other. We didn't have the monopoly on hard hits, but we were the ones who got hammered in the media- that imbalance BJ refers to above. McMenamins dropping of the knees on McEntee anyone? An act that pales compared to the ripping of the sacred jersey

 

[stevie_06]

Ah Jeez No!

Not the ripping of Peter’s jersey
The Horror! The Horror!
Worse than the Turin Shroud getting torn apart
It was a spiteful game between two teams that really did not like each other. We didn't have the monopoly on hard hits, but we were the ones who got hammered in the media- that imbalance BJ refers to above. McMenamins dropping of the knees on McEntee anyone? An act that pales compared to the ripping of the sacred jersey

Always worth a rewatch

 

[Hoops]

I note with a smile, that our least carded player gets a mention for "punching in the mouth" which was proven as nothing by the same media that had wanted him hung out, when it was properly analysed from a reverse angle and shown to have "nothing in it" - nothing tinted about that as the piece on the facts in the aftermath are on the web if anyone cares to have a little look. Kneeing Gormley was different though and did genuinely get away with that as that ref took the view it was a playing incident. It would have been nice however if a balance was made with mention of the career ending "tackle" on John Toal or the manufactured sending off of Diarmuid Marsden which was rescinded. There are numerous other examples on both sides. Still, having their "kids" hammered by 21 against Dublin last weekend raises a smile!

I don't know about reverse angles, but yes mcgrane had a month's ban lifted on appeal. Mcmenamin also had his ban lifted on appeal for dropping the knee in mcentee, and we don't need a reverse angle to see that was as deliberate as can be. It's safe to say that having a ban lifted on appeal doesn't equate to innocence in the gaa. In any case, regardless of whatever technicality that later got the ban lifted, the reputational damage was done by what people saw on the Sunday game.

Both yourself and Pablo are going on about balance, completely missing the point. Tyrone also have a bad reputation, that is the balance. There's chatter here as if we got a bad reputation out of nowhere, as if the sneering southerners couldn't bear to see a northern team doing well so they invented this narrative to knock us down, which is totally false. And as I said, the canavan jersey thing and that whole game was great craic for us, but it pretty obviously wouldn't help our reputation to a neutral.

We're also only talking about one game which has 3 fairly bad incidents on our part and we're wondering where the bad reputation might have come from. From the top of my head I can think of john toal punching galvin in the mouth, the cavan parade riot, tk vs galway, findon emptying the Donegal "dochtuir", and a number of other more moderate skirmishes since 2000. I'm not saying our opponents were innocent in any of those situations, but we have clearly earned this reputation and it'll take a fair period of good behaviour before we get rid of it.

 

[Big Jim]

I hope we never get rid of it and we go on to win 10 all Irelands knocking 10 shades of black out of everyone along the way. They'll learn not to mess with us eventually. Snowflakes need not apply!

 

[thecritic]

I don't know about reverse angles, but yes mcgrane had a month's ban lifted on appeal. Mcmenamin also had his ban lifted on appeal for dropping the knee in mcentee, and we don't need a reverse angle to see that was as deliberate as can be. It's safe to say that having a ban lifted on appeal doesn't equate to innocence in the gaa. In any case, regardless of whatever technicality that later got the ban lifted, the reputational damage was done by what people saw on the Sunday game.

Both yourself and Pablo are going on about balance, completely missing the point. Tyrone also have a bad reputation, that is the balance. There's chatter here as if we got a bad reputation out of nowhere, as if the sneering southerners couldn't bear to see a northern team doing well so they invented this narrative to knock us down, which is totally false. And as I said, the canavan jersey thing and that whole game was great craic for us, but it pretty obviously wouldn't help our reputation to a neutral.

We're also only talking about one game which has 3 fairly bad incidents on our part and we're wondering where the bad reputation might have come from. From the top of my head I can think of john toal punching galvin in the mouth, the cavan parade riot, tk vs galway, findon emptying the Donegal "dochtuir", and a number of other more moderate skirmishes since 2000. I'm not saying our opponents were innocent in any of those situations, but we have clearly earned this reputation and it'll take a fair period of good behaviour before we get rid of it.

There's no doubt that we don't ourselves any favours at times but I don't think we're any worse than any other side - that's where the unfair bias comes into play.
The TK thing was really disappointing as we were slated for that as a county which was a pitty as I thought we played really fairly that year and brought so much to the year as a whole. It definitely looked worse than it was - thankfully long gone and hopefully we'll see TK lifting some silverware in Croker tomorrow!

 

[Ard Mhacha 13]

And don't forget, it was around that time that the nonsensical talk of support segregation was heavily mooted around. Got lots of "prominent" pundits and broadsheets proverbial egg on the face when they turned out to be classic heard hitting and hard played but extremely noisily supported affairs with both sets of supporters from Armagh and them uns showing just how bitter rivals we can be across the line, but that is where it ends - even if we love to be down on them because they were more successful than us in that period. The massive stupidity around that was highlighted around the loss of such a great player as Cormac McAnallen and the tragic loss of Michaela McAreavey with the very vocal support from our county towards them at times like that. We love to "hate" someone, but honestly don't believe it's true loathing. In honesty, it always feels like jealousy.

I note with a smile, that our least carded player gets a mention for "punching in the mouth" which was proven as nothing by the same media that had wanted him hung out, when it was properly analysed from a reverse angle and shown to have "nothing in it" - nothing tinted about that as the piece on the facts in the aftermath are on the web if anyone cares to have a little look. Kneeing Gormley was different though and did genuinely get away with that as that ref took the view it was a playing incident. It would have been nice however if a balance was made with mention of the career ending "tackle" on John Toal or the manufactured sending off of Diarmuid Marsden which was rescinded. There are numerous other examples on both sides. Still, having their "kids" hammered by 21 against Dublin last weekend raises a smile!








Ok we hate them (NOT)

Nope, it is pure loathing on my part

 

[Ard Mhacha 13]

There's no doubt that we don't ourselves any favours at times but I don't think we're any worse than any other side - that's where the unfair bias comes into play.
The TK thing was really disappointing as we were slated for that as a county which was a pitty as I thought we played really fairly that year and brought so much to the year as a whole. It definitely looked worse than it was - thankfully long gone and hopefully we'll see TK lifting some silverware in Croker tomorrow!

I know the clocks go back this week-end but you're getting slightly ahead of yourself here

 

[ShiftYa]

There's no doubt that we don't ourselves any favours at times but I don't think we're any worse than any other side - that's where the unfair bias comes into play.
The TK thing was really disappointing as we were slated for that as a county which was a pitty as I thought we played really fairly that year and brought so much to the year as a whole. It definitely looked worse than it was - thankfully long gone and hopefully we'll see TK lifting some silverware in Croker tomorrow!

Baffles me people still try to down play eye gouging.
Do you reckon when Tiernan McCann stuck his finger in Stephen McMenamin eye it looked worse than it was?

Needs to be recognised for what it was, downplaying stuff like that doesn’t help the cause.

 

[Ard Mhacha 13]

take the orange glasses off for a second, thats the game mcgrane got away with punching jordan in the mouth and kneeing gormley in the face, then there was the whole row ending with canavans jersey being ripped off. All a bit of craic for us at the time, especially when it ended in a win against tyrone near the peak of the rivalry, but it was totally out of hand. The reputation didn't come from nowhere.

I always knew there was a reason I was especially fond of Paul

 

[Bringyourboots]

Whilst we haven't always helped ourselves the narrative is slightly unfair. Thinking back to that period would we have any players that would make a top ten of dirty players? Hard yes but not dirty.

Many opposition teams at that time feared or knew that they were inferior to us. They had to drag us to their level and engage in the dark arts to disrupt us but unfortunately we were happy to be there - perhaps one of our biggest failings in an era that could have yielded so much more and an example of our naivety.

Let's face it we all know the rallying crys ahead of a game against superior opposition. "Hit them hard! Let them know you're there". If you've played the game at any level that's descended into the physicality as an equal to or greater than the football spectacle you've loved it and for supporters watching on those are the best games too. The media and pundits are in the same boat but have to spout piety and sanctimonious bullshit as if the likes have never been seen before.

We are no better or worse than most but have allowed ourselves to be drawn into a series of unsavoury incidents without sufficient gaps that allows the media narrative to be that such behaviour is inherent rather than sporadic.

Anyway the current crop, Galway game aside are practically saints!