All may not be quite as it seems

Allianz FL Division 1 final

In these days when it appears de rigueur for some managers to downplay the significance of the league, Mickey Harte has never once tried to shy away from his love affair with the bridesmaid of Gaelic Football.

It’s hard to believe it is 10 years since Tyrone actually won the league title but even in their worst days in 2010, when they lost five games on their way to relegation, they always appeared to be serious about the competition. Indeed it was only in the two seasons in Division 2, 2011 and 2012, that we began to understand how winning league matches in spring was index linked to how Tyrone performed in summer.