2015 Club Championships - the lads are STILL at it

[Nembo_Kid]

Yes.

Cross have been the best club team in Ireland over the past 20 years by a mile. Despite many management team changes over the years they still haven’t dropped off.

You seem to equate success with pedigree when it comes to assessing a manger’s standing. I’d pay more attention to the guys who bring teams from nowhere to relative success rather than the ones who achieve expected targets with their team.

In terms of Armagh football, Cross have a huge pick relative to other teams in Armagh, only Harps and Ogs can compete with them in terms of playing resources. They’ve done a bit of poaching from other clubs in recent years too - example being Rico Kelly being a former Ogs player, Johnny Murtagh was a former Cullyhana player etc.

They also have a culture where club comes first. There are players in that Cross team more than good enough to get their place on the county team if they are patient and work hard at it. Guys like Hanratty, Carragher and Hughes have dropped off the county team in recent years because they did not have the patience to wait it out as it may cost them game time at their club and possibly their place.

Management teams come and go at Cross, success is sustained.

[Big_Dan_Campbell]

I think @Nembo_Kid would do a fine job managing Crossmaglen

[Nembo_Kid]

First matter of business would be retiring Aaron Kernan.

[Spidey]

That would damage his well crafted media profile

[anon25556527]

is he the lad that plays rugby that you hate?

[Bisto]

@myboyblue

.

So, Kevin McStay and his men swallowed hard and decided the only thing for it was to abandon their principles, temporarily. So, from the start, they systematically dragged down and tripped the Cross men every time they took possession. It was before the black card, so there was nothing the referee could do. It worked. In the final, St. Brigid’s went back to football and played superbly, winning an electrifying game.

Karol strongly advocates fair, honest football. I asked him how he felt about that semi-final.

“Not great, but we won. It was the only way.”

did crossmaglen not have 2 lads sent off that day? definitely one…Cross are no strangers to the dark arts themselves…

[Nembo_Kid]

Yes. Same lad who embarrassed himself against a bunch of 12 year olds from the North of England.

[Nembo_Kid]

Well versed in indiscipline. Two off against Omagh last year, two against Kilcoo the year before.

[myboyblue]

@Bisto

@myboyblue

.

So, Kevin McStay and his men swallowed hard and decided the only thing for it was to abandon their principles, temporarily. So, from the start, they systematically dragged down and tripped the Cross men every time they took possession. It was before the black card, so there was nothing the referee could do. It worked. In the final, St. Brigid’s went back to football and played superbly, winning an electrifying game.

Karol strongly advocates fair, honest football. I asked him how he felt about that semi-final.

“Not great, but we won. It was the only way.”

did crossmaglen not have 2 lads sent off that day? definitely one…Cross are no strangers to the dark arts themselves…

One lad was sent off for slapping Curran who had ran a lap of the large rectangle celebrating a late Brigids score (may have been a goal). Eddie Kinsella was reffing it, had his attention drawn to the incident and issued the red.

[Bisto]

was john Donaldson from Cross originally? I remember him joining them after playing with Louth for a bit…

[Nembo_Kid]

Cullyhana. Transferred back to Cross after playing in Louth for a few years.

[Bisto]

from what i’ve seen of them they rarely finish with 15 when losing…that’s not to take away form them being miles ahead of every gaa club in producing great football teams that play great football…but they are far from angels…

[myboyblue]

@Bisto

from what i’ve seen of them they rarely finish with 15 when losing.

That can happen with a team that isn’t used to losing

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Since 1996, Crossmaglen have played in 36 county, provincial and All-Ireland finals. They have won 35 of those

[Bisto]

You’ve a hell of a long way to go before you can look down your noses at brigids…

[Bisto]

jesus ! so crokes the only team to beat them in a final in 2009??

[downyourthroats]

@Nembo_Kid. What is the population of Crossmaglen?

[Nembo_Kid]

Around 2k I’d say but the club takes in a fair bit of the rural environs. It’s not a huge club but it’s huge compared to the size of most of the other clubs in Armagh.

[caoimhaoin]

you are living in la la land.

[thedancingbaby]

Try this Kev

[Bandage]

I have a sneaky feeling Oulart will beat Cuala on Sunday. Could Cuala do an Oulart and lose the final after beating the Offaly and Kilkenny champions? They’ve had a harder slog to get to this position than Oulart. The absence of Paul Schutte and my fellow 51 regular Shane Stapleton might catch up with them.