Carmen hope for early visit from Santa but question ACL format

CARRICKMORE have the opportunity of bagging an important piece of silverware on the cusp of Christmas in Saturday’s Division One final against Dungannon – but joint-manager Ciaran McBride firmly believes that the All County Leagues should have been wrapped up months ago.

Carmen understandably showed signs of ring-rustiness in Sunday’s semi-final clash against Errigal Ciaran, their first competitive outing in nearly three full months, winning by a single point on their opponents’ home patch.

Tyrone chairperson Martin Sludden and Competition Controls Committee chief Raymond Monteith have publicly endorsed the sentiment behind recommendations – one of which was put forward by the Carrickmore club – pointing to significant league and championship structural changes on the club front.

And Ciaran McBride, who manages their senior men’s footballers with Noel Slane, says that the proper thing to do would be to award the Division One title to whomever finishes top of the table.

“I’m not trying to show my age, but when I was playing football as a teen, I was top of the league. Look, there’s an argument for and against.

“Errigal were handicapped this year, or hamstrung this year, they had so many county men.

“And they still ended up top of the league, and they got a trophy, a shield, for coming top of the league. To me, that would be more sensible.

He continued: “The team at the top wins the league. What’s the reward for busting yourself and winning the league?  To me, that was always the way.

“And the league should be wrapped up before the Championship. It should be wrapped up, and they go to their counties and let the Championship play through. And they’ll have player welfare, it will let them have a break.”

Carmen’s Division One final opponents Dungannon qualified for the final by virtue of a last-four win over Galbally in the middle of October, another challenging period of competitive inactivity.

McBride commented: “They went ahead and played Galbally. And that was the smart thing to do, at that time, to let one of the two clubs at least get their break.

“Look, it has to be looked at. Anybody with any ounce of brains has to look at this thing and say, we shouldn’t be playing at this time of the year

“And, if you want to have a league final, have a league final, have an actual league final. I don’t think anybody would object to that between the two teams at the top, and that’s it. But it should be long gone and wrapped up before the Championship, really.”

In spite of his reservations, McBride still recognises Saturday as an important day out for Carrickmore. They can point to a rich tradition of winning league finals and will hope to make amends for last year’s one-point defeat to Trillick.

“Usually people that scorn league titles, never played in them, it will be treated as a final.

“It’s a big opportunity to get silverware, it doesn’t come around too often.

“Dungannon will be the same, they’ll be ready to go. They’re a good team Dungannon and probably underachieved in the Championship this year.

“They were probably one of the better teams I saw playing when they played Carrickmore in the league, they were excellent.

“Paul Donaghy put on a show that night.”

He concluded: “I assume Santa will be presenting the league trophy on Saturday.”