Brendan Devenny making some pretty terrible accusations on Hoganstand this morning about the current blight on our game " sledging ".
He has mentioned a few things but the main one being a Donegal Minor who's father died of cancer being taunted about his old mans death. Brendan didn't mention who player was or when this took place. No other county has been named.
Let me just say this I'll defend my county but if it comes out it had anything to do with Any Tyrone player I'll will wash my hands of them until such time the current setup is gone. There's too much negativity in Gaelic football these days, in my own opinion I don't think it's as bad as brolly and Spillane would have us believe but it's got to the stage where it's depressing to check in on Hoganstand which used to be fun atleast interesting.

duke_raul (Tyrone) - Posts: 993 - 21/05/2015 12:04:09    1726428

Before Devenney broke this nationally, I was told on Monday by a young lad who was out for the night on Sunday night with the young Donegal player involved that this indeed happened. Seemingly the Tyrone player kept asking the young Donegal player where his deceased dad was (by name)... really disgusting.

Donegal_abroad (Donegal) - Posts: 1319 - 21/05/2015 12:41:26    1726456

Heard this at an underage training session last night and couldn't believe it. I know the young lad in question and although he hasn't said it to me directly I was told by a close friend on his and it was during the minor match on Sunday. As a footballer if I had to resort to this to try to get an advantage I'd rather get beat!

Tir Conaill Abu (Donegal) - Posts: 1671 - 21/05/2015 12:57:18    1726478

Donegal_abroad
County: Donegal
Posts: 330

1726456
Before Devenney broke this nationally, I was told on Monday by a young lad who was out for the night on Sunday night with the young Donegal player involved that this indeed happened. Seemingly the Tyrone player kept asking the young Donegal player where his deceased dad was (by name)... really disgusting.


If that comes out to be true then I'm truly sorry for the young Donegal footballer and as for the Tyrone minor I'm glad he won't get another game for the county this year.
Tyrone for right or wrong are at the centre of all negativity involved in our game at the minute and im becoming disillusioned with what's going on. In my opinion a lot of it is unjust but at the same time I feel like we are giving the rest of the country a really big stick to beat is with.

duke_raul (Tyrone) - Posts: 993 - 21/05/2015 13:00:27    1726482

Not surprised by this sadly and as I mentioned on another thread a Mayo minor has received similar treatment in the past. I would find it very hard to believe that young players are being "coached" in this behavior. But where has it crept it or has it always been there? I think anyone that has to resort to slagging an opponent about a dead parent of family member is a pretty ****** up person probably in need of some help themselves.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11227 - 21/05/2015 13:05:31    1726489

Well said duke_raul, it is not acceptable and it doesn't matter what county is involved. It just adds to the general negativity surrounding gaelic football at the moment. Everybody must be fed up at this stage talking about the sledging rather than the football itself, I know I am.

JimTheLegend (Donegal) - Posts: 247 - 21/05/2015 13:07:08    1726491

unfortunatly these tactics have been used since around 2002 and 2003
no prizes for guessing which teams brought them in and won big games at the time
i remember jayo sherlock saying being marked by a certain tyrone corner back
that he spends more time talking to you about your wife than he does tackling you

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 21/05/2015 13:12:25    1726499

Tyrone player in question should be suspended but the manager of Tyrone needs suspending too in my opinion. He obvioulsly informed his player to behave that way. Pure disgusting

Brianmac78 (Dublin) - Posts: 1168 - 21/05/2015 13:29:52    1726513

It did happen. I like to think what goes around comes around.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9116 - 21/05/2015 13:31:15    1726516

While I don't normally defend Tyrone lads on here I think we need to be careful with this. This Tyrone lad can be fairly easily identified and could be made a scapegoat just for being impressionable. He was probably 6 when he saw Jordan feign injury to get a man sent off in their first All-Ireland win, would probably have idolised McMenamin growing up, seen Cavanagh rugby tackle an opponent because you do whatever is needed to win, watched the U-21 win a few weeks ago when opponents claimed there was lots of very personal sledging, and probably stayed around after his game Sunday to watch both senior sides endlessly shouting abuse into opponents faces. So if this happened on Sunday then it is fairly hypocritical of anyone to place all the blame on the lad, it needs to be shared out and much of it can be placed at the door of the only man he will have ever seen manage his senior team.

Soma (UK) - Posts: 2630 - 21/05/2015 13:34:35    1726520

words lost on me , when I heard it at first I was hoping it wasn't true , still not proven , but my oh my what thing to say .

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 21/05/2015 13:36:07    1726521

A very high profile Monaghan player with a very high profile father who was a Monaghan legend and was dying at the time - received very serious sledging about his dying father from a very high profile defender (recently retired) from Tyrone. That player also got man of the match in the game the abuse occured in.

Brolly (Monaghan) - Posts: 4472 - 21/05/2015 13:50:30    1726532

Disgusting treatment from Tyrone minor at the young Donegal lad .If this is what breeding a winning mentality is all about then it has to stop .My point is who is giving these guys the info on the young lads father and where is the management structures that are in place that allows this or is it more sinister they condone this I may add that the young Donegal lad in Question was certainly off his game on Sunday so was the result achieved You would have to ask The Young Tyrone lad that or some of the management team . We all know its happening at senior level but surely not at the age group where young lads should be expressing themselves skill wise. Tyrone GAA are aware of this incident so let us watch what action is taken

spoons2010 (Donegal) - Posts: 253 - 21/05/2015 13:50:52    1726533

Heard this on Monday evening too. It's a shocking low. I congratulate the young Donegal man for keeping his cool. I have lost my own father and would find it very difficult to listen to someone asking where he was during a game without reacting.

It raises a few questions; how would a Tyrone minor know a Donegal players father was dead? And how would he know his name?

irishtom (Donegal) - Posts: 219 - 21/05/2015 13:52:16    1726536

As I have said elsewhere this behaviour is unacceptable and must be eradicated.Lets not delude ourselves by thinking its a new development though.I know of two similar instances that happened over 20 years ago in big championship games , I daresay most of the more senior members on this site would be familiar with them.The GAA code of Omertà has a lot to answer for.

Barnowl94 (Galway) - Posts: 3150 - 21/05/2015 13:53:40    1726539

You gotta be seriously ****** up in the head to taunt someone over a dead parent/relative/friend - football field or not.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11227 - 21/05/2015 13:57:43    1726542

Not to add any more to what Duke has already said but if this is true, and there is no reason not to believe it isn't, then I am saddened beyond compare. To lose a parent at any age is heartbreaking as I know only too well but at such a young and vulnerable age is all the more tragic and I am appalled that anyone wearing the colours of my county and supposedly representing me would have said what has allegedly been said. If I could apologise to the young lad myself on behalf of my county I would do so without reserve. That's all I want to say on the matter, others no doubt will use it as yet another stick to beat Tyrone with but as long as the county footballers are given enough to rope to hang themselves with then others will have no need to do it for them.

brendtheredhand (Tyrone) - Posts: 10897 - 21/05/2015 14:05:21    1726550

This is true, it did happen and it's disgusting.......

Their is one common theme this last few weeks, from u-21, senior and now minor....... The common demoniter is Tyrone

ben1977 (Donegal) - Posts: 364 - 21/05/2015 14:06:13    1726551

Comments like this have been going on for years.

Appalling stuff but I heard this type of 'tactic' was used in mid 1980's hurling battles.

I too, would rather lose than resort to this.

However, let's see what comes out of him going public on this.

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6480 - 21/05/2015 14:10:45    1726555

Truly truly disgusting.
My god it seems it's win at all costs up there.

OhtobeARossie (Roscommon) - Posts: 1764 - 21/05/2015 14:16:54    1726559