Similar to the post by MesAmis, U21 Football in Tyrone seems to be a bit of a rushed job thrown together at the end of the year. We are still sitting with our Championship nowhere near complete and not looking like being finished now.

I still feel that U21, as a grade, can serve a purpose for teams trying to develop players as future Senior footballers. Unfortunately, development is superseded by success in the GAA at present - sometimes teams seem more interested in the silverware on offer than the long term benefits of bringing players through. I'm not sure if that's the right approach to take.

I wouldn't like to see U21 football/hurling scraped without something taking its place

EnolaGay (Tyrone) - Posts: 653 - 04/12/2010 12:47:52    827520

77981301 from UK: You say you are an U21 player and you would like to see it scrapped...

Clearly you are not an U21 player.... u21 players love playing it... thats the only reason the grade is still going... the GAA want to see it scrapped because there is not enough gate receipts to justify it and it does hinder their fixture planning. The only reason its still going because the players love it and at the end of the day the GAA is about the players....

If its such a hindrance why do you play it?

deisebhoy (Waterford) - Posts: 416 - 06/12/2010 13:28:33    828263

On what basis do you say that i'm not an under 21 player? I am an under 21 player deisebhoy and i do enjoy playing it as i enjoy playing every game i play but the point i have made that it is an unnecessary grade. I made the point that there is no need for it and it should be scrapped as it put a big load on players who play at many different grades. THe Gaa sadly is not all about the players as you say, they are constantly going on about player burnout so they have closed season for two months, but they have failed to realise that many people have championship matches 3 and 4 times a week in the summer. A perfect example of the GAA's hypocracy on the matter was this year when they expected the London county hurlers to play two championship matches in two days and refused to postpone one of them.

P.S Don't make statements such as "You are clearly not an under 21 player" and "Under 21 players love playing it" as you don't know what i am and you don't know whether all under 21 players do like playing it.

77981301 (UK) - Posts: 79 - 06/12/2010 16:05:34    828395

No Seamus. Back again. Hooples won't be seen for a while. A league title has to be celebrated.

Greengrass (Louth) - Posts: 6199 - 06/12/2010 18:13:33    828488

I'd support keeping the minor as it is.
I think the U21 should be revamped as a Youth Championship or something along those lines, being U23.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 9800 - 08/12/2010 19:49:41    829820

Cavan_Slasher
County: Cavan
Posts: 6641

827412 You might get a game then Ochonlir !!


Dell,

If you are good enough you can play senior at 17 !


Yes i agree however you will not get 8 or 9 17 year olds in a senior team .

Dellboypolecat (Tyrone) - Posts: 15069 - 10/12/2010 13:51:48    830796

Lads do tend to go away to Australia and America, be it for a summer or a year. Probably be longer now in the current climate. An advantage of an U23 level at inter-county level is that if lads around 20-22 are heading away for a summer or a year, when they come back, they can look to reignite their path to senior at a Youth level grade.
I've seen player go away to the US at the age of 21. If this U23 grade was there, they'd have made their respective teams on their return and it'd have gotten involved more.
For lads who don't head away, it'd be a good grade as well. There could be more lee-way on allowing some players focus more on playing at third level competitions and restricting these to U21.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 9800 - 11/12/2010 10:40:56    831172