The referee is Joe McQuillan.

To the usual agenda posters on here I among others categorically defended Donegal's right to defend their title at home. It is the right and appropriate thing to do. For those in doubt read back on that thread who wrote what.
As for the return of tickets - they were terrace tickets not suitable for families though more should have done to utilise given Mickey and some others lobbied for a larger venue. Last year in the athletic grounds it was sell-out and I was with my nephews and their friends - great atmosphere but poor for the kids on the terrace.

Donegal ordinary team? Nonsense extraordinary more like. McFadden, Murphy, Lacey, Gallagher, McGlynn,McBrearty, the McGee's all top quality.
Tyrone an ordinary team and Mickey transformed? Mickey like Jim gets the best out these gouys but the Tyrone team of 2003 had a team of exceptional footballers with one of the best forward lines I've ever or will see. Canavan, Mulligan, McGuigan, Cavlan, O'Neill, Dooher, Cavanagh - it was an embarrasment of riches - if the team hadn't met with targedy and a litany of injuries they would have delivered 5 AI's and not the respectable 3.

Tyronetim (Tyrone) - Posts: 1254 - 24/05/2013 11:28:21    1390351

Really looking forward to this one. Sip a few pints in Killarney after the Kerry game and sit back and relax, and watch these 2 tear strips out of each other. Toss of a coin as to who will win, sneaky feeling for Donegal as they are slightly under the radar.

Cute_Kerry_Hoor (Kerry) - Posts: 2518 - 24/05/2013 12:11:19    1390390

MourneArmy, in fairness ger cafferkey done a good job on murphy once he was switched onto him in the AI final.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 24/05/2013 12:27:06    1390400

With all due respect master, murphy had his days work done at that stage!

fatfrog (Donegal) - Posts: 200 - 24/05/2013 13:09:53    1390453

Cute_Kerry_Hoor
County: Kerry
Posts: 1893

1390390
Really looking forward to this one. Sip a few pints in Killarney after the Kerry game and sit back and relax, and watch these 2 tear strips out of each other. Toss of a coin as to who will win, sneaky feeling for Donegal as they are slightly under the radar.
________________________
The reigning All Ireland champions!

brendtheredhand (Tyrone) - Posts: 10897 - 24/05/2013 13:14:12    1390457

fatfrog
County: Donegal
Posts: 136

1390453 With all due respect master, murphy had his days work done at that stage!

Yes indeed. Thank you to James Horans naivety and the big mans brilliance.

DLGael (Donegal) - Posts: 111 - 24/05/2013 13:16:57    1390461

This game will be an absolute dog fight, not sure what the entertainment value for neutrals will be like but it will be interesting to see how these two counties are shaping up for the summer.

Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 24/05/2013 13:24:58    1390472

Tactics going to be fascinating in this. Last year both teams came out very cagey in the first half, Donegal really stepped up the pace in the first 20/25 minutes in the second half and shouldn't have been hanging on in the last 5minutes. Donegal like a lot of the top teams like to play in surges, so it will be interesting to see if Tyrone try to keep a high tempo from the start. Tyrone did this quite well in the national league final but ran out of steam in the last 5minutes. Tyrone look stronger than last year with Sean Cavanagh back and O'Neill flying, add in the improvement of players like the Donnellys and the availability of Kyle Coney and thinks look promising. However Donegal are a very formidable team and have a knack of getting the job done, home advantage could be the difference.

MB1 (Tyrone) - Posts: 360 - 24/05/2013 13:34:50    1390482

Hi guys,

Tactical preview of Donegal vs Tyrone now up
http://action81.com/blog/?p=7274

Emmet

emmetryan (Dublin) - Posts: 154 - 24/05/2013 13:38:21    1390487

have to laugh at people saying terraces are not suitable for familys asi have been going to the hill since i was 3 and have never had any problems and its generaly always packed,the only thing i can see is kids today must be too lazy to stand for the whole game.

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 24/05/2013 14:14:36    1390554

hill16no1man
County: Dublin
Posts: 4513

1390554
have to laugh at people saying terraces are not suitable for familys asi have been going to the hill since i was 3 and have never had any problems and its generaly always packed,the only thing i can see is kids today must be too lazy to stand for the whole game.
_______________________
People expect a bit more for the cost of their ticket these days hill16no1man, like visibility and most of all safety for their kids for starters. Please spare us the old back in the day lecture, things have moved on considerably since you were a 3 year old.

brendtheredhand (Tyrone) - Posts: 10897 - 24/05/2013 14:20:59    1390565

brendtheredhand
County: Tyrone
Posts: 7243

1390457
Cute_Kerry_Hoor
County: Kerry
Posts: 1893

1390390
Really looking forward to this one. Sip a few pints in Killarney after the Kerry game and sit back and relax, and watch these 2 tear strips out of each other. Toss of a coin as to who will win, sneaky feeling for Donegal as they are slightly under the radar.
________________________
The reigning All Ireland champions!


You know what I mean Brend. There hasn't been a cush out of Donegal since the league, whereas Tyrone were involved in the latter stages of the league.

Cute_Kerry_Hoor (Kerry) - Posts: 2518 - 24/05/2013 14:24:46    1390571

Come Sunday evening I have a feeling that Jimmy will still be winning matches CKH!

brendtheredhand (Tyrone) - Posts: 10897 - 24/05/2013 14:26:59    1390575

Glad to hear you laugh about something Hill you dont strike me as the frivolous type.
Croke pairc's terracing is not Ballybofey or the Atletic grounds it's teered gradually and offers much better vantage points. When these terraces are packed it's not safe for kids and they envitably drift to the wire where you can't be sure of their safety. The get justled and knocked about ant the back and their heads are level with the crush barriers. Even the legendary Hill16 is no place for a 3 year old though a daily coddle diet renders you Dubs of sterner stuff.

Tyronetim (Tyrone) - Posts: 1254 - 24/05/2013 14:27:56    1390578

Really starting to look forward to this now.

waynoI (Dublin) - Posts: 13659 - 24/05/2013 14:29:59    1390584

as difficult a game to call as any in recent memory, more so due to it being a first round game. one decision will swing it i think, one wrong call by either manager e.g putting the wrong defender on the wrong forward. not in the country for this one and im devastated! but will be shouting from the local irish bar. Mon tyrone!

passerby (Tyrone) - Posts: 724 - 24/05/2013 15:08:16    1390630

If u asked me 2 months ago about this game I would have been afraid. But I think we have improved a lot and are ready as we will ever be. All on the day.

Donegalman (None) - Posts: 3858 - 24/05/2013 15:54:40    1390679

The more I think about this game the more I'm convinced we'll win, not being cocky I just think that this Tyrone team really struggle with our lads. Much in the same way we couldn't get to grips with Armagh in the 00's.

Dublin seemed to waltz through the Tyrone defence with ease in the league final. In fact the defending in that game from both teams was ridiculous I can't believe more wasn't made of it, at least 6-7 times there were two on one situations where one of the full back line went walk about haven't seen that in an intercounty match in a while!

SeanieSense (Donegal) - Posts: 328 - 24/05/2013 18:11:38    1390798

Dublin seemed to waltz through the Tyrone defence with ease in the league final

That's total rubbish

MichaelO (Tyrone) - Posts: 820 - 24/05/2013 18:46:50    1390816

I wouldn't judge Tyrone's performance in the league final as an indicator of how well they will play against Donegal.

lilywhite1 (Kildare) - Posts: 3070 - 24/05/2013 18:56:33    1390825