So...on the opening day of the championship season some very interesting stats have already been thrown up, which most so-called experts have chosen to ignore as they pedal their stereotypical rubbish about how Donegal are bringing the game into disrepute and after one game Galway are the golden boys of gaelic football;

Yesterdays Louth and Westmeath game had the highest foul count with a whopping 55 frees awarded, which was very closely followed by the Galway and Roscommon game with 52 fouls...Donegal and Cavan had the lowly figure of 35 frees in their game with Longford and Laois providing us with 34 fouls.

Westmeath were the biggest culprits on the day commiting 29 fouls and were closely followed by louth (26) and Galway (25). Which team had the lowest fouls count?..yes you've guessed it Donegal on 14 fouls with Longford coming a close second on 15 fouls.

So, then what did Mr Spillane and his colleagues have to say about this...nothing of course!

We're only one day into the championship, and its not the Ulster teams serving up the cynical fouling, and slowing the game up...no...yesterday that honour went to Westmeath Louth and Galway!

mayotyroneman (Tyrone) - Posts: 1821 - 21/05/2012 18:47:45    1177502

Well said. The frees that Cavan conceded were just poor tackling. Another year to berate ulster football Donegal and Tyrone especially

red1980 (Donegal) - Posts: 106 - 21/05/2012 19:12:54    1177530

Its not fouls, it's their incessant hand-passing that's the problem. Any count there? Not necessary, I suppose. I will not watch them. Don't have an issue with Ulster football, never had; but I do have an issue with Donegal and the way they play.

Said it before and will say it again - handpass all you like, but you can't handpass forward. Sorted. Game would be transformed, tactically and as a spectacle.

Solo Run (None) - Posts: 316 - 21/05/2012 19:15:14    1177533

Solo run don't think Donegal going to lose sleep that you not watching them.

red1980 (Donegal) - Posts: 106 - 21/05/2012 19:23:49    1177540

come off it solo run..plenty of kick passing from donegal yesterday..as "analysed" on the sunday game...so does dublin not over use the handpass, does dublin not incessantly pass the ball backwards? what do you want to see instead?.. teams kicking the ball backwards..the reason why teams handpass the ball backwards is because of the screen defences in front of them as donegal came up against in last years all-ireland semi-final...fact was that the fouling all happened outside the ulster championship yesterday.

mayotyroneman (Tyrone) - Posts: 1821 - 21/05/2012 19:25:24    1177545

"Can't handpass forward"?? Where in God's name do people get this these ideas?? It's so frustrating to so the same lazy analysis trotted out time and time again. Persistent fouling is a much greater blight on Gaelic football than handpassing. So, maybe retry the sinbin (properly this time), penalize teams for reaching a certain number of personal fouls (give a 21 yard free), introduce match suspensions for persistent yellow card offences...

football first (None) - Posts: 1259 - 21/05/2012 19:27:00    1177549

red1980, its not me or Donegal losing sleep; it's them putting everyone else to sleep.

(Also, when I first heard the suggestion you shouldn't be able to handpass forward I dismissed it straightaway too. Started to think about it, heard out the rationale behind it and what would happen - and was converted. Brilliant idea - simple and would transform the game. Think it through without prejudice, what would you do as a manager?, style of play? selections?).

Solo Run (None) - Posts: 316 - 21/05/2012 19:40:04    1177560

mayotyroneman; I accept your point insofar as I didn't watch them and maybe I should leave last year's feelings towards them behind me. I'll watch it if its on again during the week, anyone know where?

Solo Run (None) - Posts: 316 - 21/05/2012 19:44:49    1177564

The ref in the Longford game tried to let the play flow. This was sometimes frustrating when a player didn't make the most of the "advantage" given but overall he was consistent. Picked up a lot of the off-the-ball stuff & got the crucial square ball call correct so fair play to him & his officials.

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 21/05/2012 19:47:14    1177567

Got it, Wednesday 8pm Setanta Ireland. Got it recorded, will watch with an open unprejudiced mind!! (Also agree about Dublin's overuse of handpass as well, can be just as hard to watch).

Solo Run (None) - Posts: 316 - 21/05/2012 19:49:23    1177570

I was at the Louth Westmeath game yesterday. I didn't notice a marked increase in fouling. I did think the ref was a bit fussy though. Declaring it as "puke football" from 2 minutes worth of Sunday game coverage and a match report is a bit watery. Besides 1 stop start game wont equate to years of defensive maulings in Ulster.

ged (Louth) - Posts: 296 - 21/05/2012 20:04:27    1177587

Solorun Donegal Scored 1:16 that's 17 scores roughly a score every four minutes not to boring. You just a band wagon jumper

red1980 (Donegal) - Posts: 106 - 21/05/2012 20:06:29    1177589

We'll see if you're so quick to point out cynical fouls as the Ulster championship progresses. On past form you'll have plenty to highlight should you choose to do so.

Ailteoir (Galway) - Posts: 861 - 21/05/2012 20:11:01    1177599

Solorun, there's already a game that doesn't allow forward passes with the hand...it's called rugby.

football first (None) - Posts: 1259 - 21/05/2012 20:44:29    1177642

What has foul count got to do with the 15 men behind the ball, defensive brand of football you're trying to defend? You've established a strawman arguement; well done.

festinog (Galway) - Posts: 3097 - 21/05/2012 20:58:26    1177654

Trying to make a point, or attempting to be witty? Not clear. But, on the same vein, Rugby is a superior game to 15-a-side Basketball which we're on the verge of having....if you want to continue the analogy......gets us nowhere though.

Solo Run (None) - Posts: 316 - 21/05/2012 21:04:54    1177661

Donegal were very impressive for a team in third gear, their link up play and support running has moved up a notch from last year, when they get Murphy back and they click they'll give some team an awful hammering. The only downside for me was Neil Gallagher constantly raking his boot down the achilles of Gibney at kickouts, nasty and cynical and unnecessary, could cause some player a serious injury.

Giles (Cavan) - Posts: 13 - 21/05/2012 21:26:37    1177684

Well solo run, I think we'll have to disagree on that one: I'd much prefer to watch a game of modern Gaelic football to a game of rugby football, where usually only one player gets to kick the ball and the game is becoming a succession of "crash, bang wallop" preordained moves.

football first (None) - Posts: 1259 - 21/05/2012 21:32:45    1177697

what's the issue with handpassing? It's within the rules so what's the problem? If teams go out trying to play 15 man on man "traditional" football with the likes of Kerry they will get hammered. Donegal and others know this so they come up with a system to play to their own strengths and if its within the rules then good luck to them.

Sports evolve so its up to other counties to counter-act this. Persistent and off the ball fouling is the biggest problem in football, not handpassing.

county man (Limerick) - Posts: 1102 - 21/05/2012 21:38:22    1177706

Yes, we will have to disagree, as I'd prefer to watch Gaelic Football rather than watching 15-a-side Basketball, with players semi-throwing a ball around the pitch (under the guise of hand-passing) with little exhibition of skills you'd pay to watch - high-fielding, accurate kicking, intercepting balls, men challenging for balls - a more manly game.

I agree that persistent fouling is an issue, but talk to anyone (particularly neutrals, who are important) and they'll tell you that they find it hard to watch - the biggest problem in Gaelic Football. Of course the game should evolve, but evolution implies improvement. The handpass rule has been abused. The complaint re: Donegal was never about foul-play - it was about never-ending hand-passing (throwing).

Solo Run (None) - Posts: 316 - 21/05/2012 22:01:03    1177737