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Any word on if the early stages of the championship will be streamed online? naomh_conaill_4 (Donegal) - Posts: 504 - 06/08/2025 15:57:11 2630293 Link 0 |
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It begs the question, how are the CCC approving these lists? https://donegalnews.com/grant-transfers-to-ballymun-kickhams/ Local media often cover the transfers, and I'm pretty sure transfers pass through the county board or CCC as well, so they have oversight of it. Northwest90 (Donegal) - Posts: 11 - 06/08/2025 16:16:22 2630299 Link 0 |
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The early stages of the championship aren't really treated with any respect by the county board. They could have put it back a week as there's a 4 week gap between the final ThroughTheGap (Donegal) - Posts: 92 - 07/08/2025 17:27:01 2630464 Link 0 |
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It's clear now the CCC's claim there wasn't room to move it was either: a) lies b) bull The structure probably needs a revisit anyway, 32 games to eliminate 4 teams is why the county players feel there's no jeopardy youd imagine! donegalgael-12 (Donegal) - Posts: 30 - 08/08/2025 10:26:46 2630514 Link 0 |
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Yeah I get the sense that the first two rounds of championship aren't much above league football in terms of intensity. Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9970 - 08/08/2025 11:01:08 2630523 Link 0 |
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I went to my club's first championship match last year and the difference in attendance between that and league was mind blowing, all because our county man was there. The other team had no county men. I've been to most home league games this year and there was more atmosphere at at a behind closed door club challenge match from 10 years ago. ThroughTheGap (Donegal) - Posts: 92 - 08/08/2025 12:50:05 2630543 Link 0 |
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The real question is, what are the alternatives? In Donegal, the league is decoupled from the county scene, meaning county players don't feature in league games when donegal do well. lf we go for a straight knockout system like Tyrone, then county players may only get to play one game for their clubs all year - which isn't realistic either. Another option is to delay the league to mirror Tyrone's approach and link league and championship. But is that ideal? In Tyrone, club players waited until June just to start their league, with no breaks for summer holidays. If Tyrone had reached the All-Ireland final, their league would likely have been paused again. Some might prefer that structure, but it's not perfect. With Donegal's model, club players get a fixed league schedule that's unaffected by inter-county commitments. While some people are overly critical of the league, I think it's undervalued. For clubs with county players, it's a great chance to develop younger talent, and for clubs like Termon or Four Masters, it's a genuine opportunity to compete for silverware. The championship may start off a bit low-key, but the Donegal structure builds in space to allow county players time to reintegrate with their clubs. The knockout stage still happens - just a little later in the season. Could the county board have delayed the championship start slightly? Probably, particularly if county players are not able to commit this weekend. But on the flip side, no club pushed for that either, so perhaps the current setup works for most. Ulsterchamps_32 (Donegal) - Posts: 929 - 08/08/2025 13:19:21 2630558 Link 3 |
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Great post. You have summed it up well. The reality is that you can't please everyone. We all want to see Donegal going well, but that has meant that the players haven't featured for their clubs this year, bar the lads that were on the extended panel. This was exacerbated this year given the great run the county went on. The lads are not machines. Mentally and physically it must be extremely difficult for them to just switch to club-mode and go hell for leather again. Hopefully we will see some good displays from club men that will give Jim McGuinness food for thought. Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9970 - 08/08/2025 15:30:09 2630606 Link 0 |
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It's hard to disagree with anything you say. But if that is the case, say the likes of Langan, Gallen, Mogan, who will be on the team for a decade, are we happy that they will barely play 40 games for their club during that decade? I think that is fundamentally wrong given we have a split season. Like, what's the split season supposed to be for? Would it have been easier on those lads to keep the old system with the final in September? At least they wouldn't be flogged in the same way they were this year and last year. But, as you say, maybe it's the price to pay for being successful. But club football really is in a sorry state in this county.
ThroughTheGap (Donegal) - Posts: 92 - 08/08/2025 20:30:14 2630651 Link 0 |
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Well I suppose the GPA were the main group lobbying for the split season. It definitely suits county players. But if they're not togging regularly for the club, then that's an issue as well. With the way things went this year for Donegal, it's the price we're paying unfortunately. If we'd been knocked out in the group stage, I doubt any of us would be having this conversation. Every county player would be on club duty this weekend. It's a tricky balancing act if your county goes deep into the All Ireland. I'm not sure how it could be rectified in 2026, if please God, Donegal go well again. Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9970 - 08/08/2025 21:04:55 2630657 Link 0 |
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Evan Broderick back in action for Killybegs today, but given he was a St Finbarrs player since 28/1/2025 I hope he transferred back in time or Killybegs superb win today could be all in vain.. Nothing up yet on the GAA live transfer list! Northwest90 (Donegal) - Posts: 11 - 09/08/2025 21:47:14 2630797 Link 0 |
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Fair play to David Clifford, playing for his club this evening. He gets it. ThroughTheGap (Donegal) - Posts: 92 - 09/08/2025 22:43:21 2630804 Link 1 |
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When has club championship ever given Jim food for thought? He'll still fill out his panel with 20 Naomh Conaill, Kilcar, St Michael's, Gaoth Dobhair players and then see only 5 of them in Croke Park.
SurelyToGod (Donegal) - Posts: 501 - 10/08/2025 09:14:36 2630822 Link 0 |
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Another Jim hater
Scenicparish (Donegal) - Posts: 737 - 10/08/2025 10:24:05 2630824 Link 0 |
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Not sure I get your point. There are three St. Nauls lads on the panel A player from a junior club was our man of the match in the All Ireland final. We have players from intermediate clubs who have represented us brilliantly since Jim's return. Ciaran Moore wasn't on too many people's radars before Jim came back. Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9970 - 10/08/2025 11:04:52 2630826 Link 1 |
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Not a bother to Clifford togging out for the club last night, no holiday rush for that man! Whyme923 (Donegal) - Posts: 65 - 10/08/2025 11:55:44 2630834 Link 0 |
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Not a Jim hater. I have great respect for his achievements and ability as a man and as a coach. I am comfortable in levelling criticism at Jim because of the high-level of performance he provides for the county. The criticisms that I've made on this forum of McGuinness have been consistent since the start of his latest tenure. McGuinness certainly and indeed other posters on this forum have more experience and exposure than I to the inner workings of county football, so I won't claim that every critique I have made is correct. My point is that impressive club championship campaigns don't register with Jim when it comes to squad and team selection. I understand it's about more than good performances at club level, but Jim has a history of choosing good club players from his own preferred clubs ahead of great club players from rival Div1/senior clubs like Dungloe, Naomh Muire, Ardara, Four Masters, Aodh Ruadh, Glenfin. Each of these clubs have had strong senior/intermediate championship campaigns during Jim's tenures but in 6 seasons how many players in total has he used in Championship from those 6 clubs? Adrian Hanlon, Mark Curran, Paddy McGrath, Lacey, Durcan, Frank McGlynn. All established in Championship before McGuinness. More players from Naomh Conaill were on the squad this year alone than those 6 teams combined in 6 years. The bar is so much higher for those clubs because in my opinion Jim is blinkered. I still think Naomh Conaill will be top 8 but this could all be to Naomh Conaill, Kilcar, Michaels detriment. After last night N.C. really need a good draw for round 3 and 4. McGuinness didn't add the Nauls boys to panel. Mogan and McCole both All Star nominees and Mulreany was number 2 before Jim took over. Conor O'Donnell was starting corner forward before Jim took over. All credit to Jim for backing Moore and Roarty as they're excellent footballers, but it wasn't club form that brought them into the setup. SurelyToGod (Donegal) - Posts: 501 - 10/08/2025 12:24:54 2630840 Link 1 |
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farneygael3 (Monaghan) - Posts: 349 - 10/08/2025 12:48:49 2630847 Link 0 |
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I'd say it will be up eventually, they normally just update it every few weeks rather than it being a live document. I don't think Killybegs would be that stupid. Any word on how Downings new man showed up last night? Seemed to be a spicy game. peiledoir20 (Donegal) - Posts: 1321 - 10/08/2025 15:28:07 2630864 Link 0 |
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Can you name the players he has supposed to have overlooked in his time as Donegal manager? That you believe are good enough. I believe The Donegal manager would pick a Div 4 player if he was good enough. And the Donegal manager has no rival clubs. If you knew the Manager you would know it's all about winning and picking players he trusts. The same with his backroom team. But any top management only have people they trust in the setup, players and backroom. I am sure if there were players from ardara, glenfin and the other clubs you named good enough, they would be in the setup. I suppose there is always one, that no matter what success you bring, will not be happy. I personally would love to see the manager stay on for an extra few years with some of the young talent from four masters coming into the panel, a long with other players. Because if he goes, I dread to think where we will go after him. On the club scene, was at naomh conail v glenswilly, glenswilly fully deserved there victory. Both teams missing players. A lot of work to do for my own club naomh conail, need to get players back. Unfortunately I believe Ethan O'Donnell will not be coming back from Australia this season, which is a massive loss. But these players have several county medals already, so you can't blame them for enjoying a year out. The keeper (Donegal) - Posts: 715 - 10/08/2025 16:16:44 2630872 Link 0 |