TG4 / BBC2 NI re-runs of old Armagh matches

bcb1

Well-Known Member
Living in a house of divided loyalties between Ussuns and Themmuns Sunday was great craic.

Remember who won the AI
O Neill was unlucky
St. Peter is a Saint
McKeever is a dirty tramp
McGrane’s a dirty hallion
Remember who won the AI

Ad finitum....and the baby in a half and half jersey too!!!!

I just remind her you may have 3 but we showed you how to win it....always the follower, never the leader...as Jack O’Connor said the ‘Noveau Rich’!

Craic was great though
 

pablo

Well-Known Member
The only possible gripe Tyrone could have had from the game was the Canavan sending off. Maybe the ref or linesman saw him strike somebody but I couldn't see it from the footage. Tyrone ones always made out that they were robbed but they don't mention McMenavermin being a very lucky boy to get a yellow for kneeing John Mc in the throat. He was possibly their best player that day. Can't remember whether O'Neill was already on a yellow or not but his 'tackle' on Andy Mallon was typically dangerous and reckless - a bit too close to the jaw and late - and I remember the moment it happened the crowd reaction to it. We were sitting in line with in, on the hogan side. It looked at the time that he saw a chance to take Andy out of it. Concussion territory if he had connected.

Cracking game. Played at a blistering pace, from end to end with 2 teams leaving everything they had. It's aged well. So hard to believe it's 15 years ago though.
Stephen O'Neill was immensely talented. Like our own Stevie, shot on pure instinct and could score from outrageous angles. You don't really see much of that type of player in this current era with its emphasis on working possession into high percentage areas before attempting a shot.
But he was a petulant bollox with a poor and dangerous approach to tackling. In my opinion, that combination made him a real hazard to players and sometimes to himself. Tyronies went on and on and on about the injustices of those games. But not much is said about perhaps the most pointed event that occurred over those two games in that a late and poorly executed attempt at a block by O'Neill inflicted on John Toal an injury that was not only career ending, but life changing. O'Neill probably didn't mean to go out and cause such a catastrophic injury but it was typical of his sloppy and dangerous approach. What was unforgivable is with that in the background from the first game, as you point out @Armamike, O'Neill had no hesitation in lining up Andy Mallon for a dangerous and late charge that could have inflicted severe concussion. Never really brought up much that, always the tragedy/injustice of O'Neill
 

PatMustard

Well-Known Member
@pablo I agree about O’Neill. That tackle on Mallon was dangerous and very late. Never mind this nonsense about not being booked beforehand, that was a red card offence.

I doubt he wanted Toal seriously injured, but from what I recall, he was very late that day too.

What was the outcome regarding the appeals from that match? Wasn’t McGrane banned but then was overturned, along with those other shites?
 

pablo

Well-Known Member
@pablo I agree about O’Neill. That tackle on Mallon was dangerous and very late. Never mind this nonsense about not being booked beforehand, that was a red card offence.

I doubt he wanted Toal seriously injured, but from what I recall, he was very late that day too.

What was the outcome regarding the appeals from that match? Wasn’t McGrane banned but then was overturned, along with those other shites?
Think all of them got off. Can't remember legal twists and turns. Am I correct that John Mc wrote a supporting letter for Ricey in his appeal? Very big of John Mc if true and a gesture I very much doubt would have occurred if situation was reversed. But who can say
Its how the narrative at those times always seemed to lean towards Tyrone in terms of sympathy and their constant wailing for weeks, years afterwards

Imagine if the circumstances in relation to O'Neill were reversed and in drawn game, Francie, McKeever or any Armagh player had come in late with a clumsy tackle on O'Neill that not only ended his career but left him facing extensive physiotherapy just to be able to get around. Not intentional, bit of a freak accident but the poor execution of the tackle didn't help. Then in replay, the same Armagh player eyed up another Tyronie and hit with an intentional, pointless and dangerous charge that could have caused serious injury? Do you think there would have been the same outpourings of sympathy and cries of victimhood for that Armagh player when he got his red card? Tyronies would have bombarded the media and discussion boards for years afterwards and the media would have demonized that player.
 
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Big Jim

Well-Known Member
Not quite following this.
Thought the most successful Tyronie to venture into a career on the silver screen was Cathal McCarron?
Oooops, nothing really to follow. Just the usual messing shite suggesting his acting would be more appropriate to a certain genre of filmwhen he breaks a finger nail! :D
 

PatMustard

Well-Known Member
Oooops, nothing really to follow. Just the usual messing shite suggesting his acting would be more appropriate to a certain genre of filmwhen he breaks a finger nail! :D

I thought the BB Mountain thing was about him “pushing” the “dress” off that “Cavan” fella.

Edit: Phew, think I got away with that.
 
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PatMustard

Well-Known Member
Think all of them got off. Can't remember legal twists and turns. Am I correct that John Mc wrote a supporting letter for Ricey in his appeal? Very big of John Mc if true and a gesture I very much doubt would have occurred if situation was reversed. But who can say
Its how the narrative at those times always seemed to lean towards Tyrone in terms of sympathy and their constant wailing for weeks, years afterwards

Imagine if the circumstances in relation to O'Neill were reversed and in drawn game, Francie, McKeever or any Armagh player had come in late with a clumsy tackle on O'Neill that not only ended his career but left him facing extensive physiotherapy just to be able to get around. Not intentional, bit of a freak accident but the poor execution of the tackle didn't help. Then in replay, the same Armagh player eyed up another Tyronie and hit with an intentional, pointless and dangerous charge that could have caused serious injury? Do you think there would have been the same outpourings of sympathy and cries of victimhood for that Armagh player when he got his red card? Tyronies would have bombarded the media and discussion boards for years afterwards and the media would have demonized that player.

Didn’t some journalist from a Dublin rag write a column about us in 2005 after the Donegal match (4 men sent off, 3 were Donegal). It definitely affected how referees refereed our matches. It carried on for a few years, that supposed reputation did.

I remember Francie and McNulty getting booked for nothing in 2006 v Kerry. Meanwhile, Kerry’s defenders got away with all sorts.
 
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Throwball

Well-Known Member
Didn’t some journalist from a Dublin rag write a column about us in 2005 after the Donegal match (4 men sent off, 3 were Donegal). It definitely affected how referees refereed our matches. It carried on for a few years, that supposed reputation did.

I remember Francie and McNulty getting booked for nothing in 2006 v Kerry. Meanwhile, Kerry’s defenders got away with all sorts.

Never bought that paper again.
 

pablo

Well-Known Member
Oooops, nothing really to follow. Just the usual messing shite suggesting his acting would be more appropriate to a certain genre of filmwhen he breaks a finger nail! :D
Got ya.
Apparently Big Sean is patron for a new course in Sporting Histrionics. Excerpt below from a coursework assignment based on classic Big Sean dive and roll over. Student failed. Not dramatic enough
 

pablo

Well-Known Member
Me neither. Sweeney was the writer. Struck me at the time as someone looking a bit of attention. Strange piece.
It was like a letter sent to the editor from the Father of a fairly useless kid that had just got their arse kicked in an U-12 tournament
 
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