Absolutely Derry were massively underachieving. In the last 10 years…
6 Ulster Club titles across three separate clubs.
6 Ulster Minor final appearances - winning 3
6 MacRory Cup titles.
There is serious winning talent in Derry. Gallagher has a lot to work with.
Look at Tyrone, Monaghan and even Cavan at underage. Have a look at what our county has achieved in this time.
I’ve said many times on the various formats of this forum that Tyrone club football is like factions of the Taliban fighting: 11 different clubs could win the O’Neill Cup in any given year. On any given Sunday there’s a reserve game before a senior game across the county.
Throw in Omagh CBS winning the Hogan Cup and you’ll infer that the feeder system to Tyrone County football is alive and healthy.
How do we play catch up?
Francie, I am also an exile from the fair orchard and have been living in the Oakleaf County for just over 20 years. Its a land that Tyronies unfairly and inaccurately mock for the percieved shallowness of its gene pool, but underneath that ridicule, Tyronies are very conscious and nervous of the potential for Derry to be a dominant force when they get their act together.
The club scene here is intense. There are relatively fewer football clubs than other counties and while Slaughtneil and more recently Glen have dominated, all the clubs are very strong and of an excellent standard. I think that feeds into the schools-and that is a point made by other posters for what can help bring success to a county, good communication between clubs and schools that will ultimately produce excellent MacRory and county minor teams.
The club rivalries are off the scale. They intensely hate each other. I've never seen Cul Camps here, but it wouldn't surprise me to attend one and see them beating the heads of each other. I know all counties have noted club rivalries-but here, it is something else. I remember watching Slaughtneil and Cross play some years back and beside me was a Father and his young lad roaring and encouraging Cross on with a red faced passion. It looked like Slaughtneil were going to get across the line, only for McConville to equalize in the last few seconds with a jammy enough goal. The two of them almost had a seizure such was their joy when the goal went in. To make conversation afterwards I asked them if it would itake long for them to drive back to Cross. Turns out they were from Bellaghy.
For many here, the club scene is the only thing that matters. I have spoken with many committed Gaels who are passionate about their clubs but almost totally uninterested in the county team. The recent success has changed that a little-but this is a county that does not bring the same crowds following as Armagh.
The intense local rivalries has driven a great club scene but it also has proven at times to be bit of a pitfall for the county. The panel through the years has been notorious for rows and falling out with each other. It seems they have had a hard time leaving local grudges behind when coming together. At minor and schools not so much the case. Oddly, their minor record does not feed as well as might be expected into U21/U20 county grade-possibly reflecting at that age the players are more buying into their clubs.
Gallagher has done a great job. I know many do not like him-but he has done well with a difficult task in getting Derry to buy into what he brings. There is unity, but I would not be surprised that after a year or sooner, it comes apart again.
I still think we would beat Derry
