Harte disappointed O’Neill made matter personal

Mickey Harte has challenged people to critique GAA president Liam O’Neill’s assertion that the Tyrone manager is negative.

Last week, O’Neill criticised Harte for his comments about the new rules in Gaelic football following the draw with Down.

He said: “If there’s something negative to be said, Mickey will say it and he’s consistent on that.”

Harte believes O’Neill should explain his comments — “it’s not an issue for me, it’s maybe one for him”.

He said he was disappointed the president had made the matter personal. “It probably wasn’t the right thing for him to say. From where I’m looking at it, I think he could have said different things. To personalise something like that, I don’t think it’s the right thing for the president to do. But he did it and he said it, and he’s the one you need to ask about whether it was the right thing to do or not.

“It’s not for me to comment or judge him. He said what he said and I said what I said. I believe I had good reason to say what I said.

“I think if anybody checks back on the records of what I say about this association that we belong to and what I say about the nature of our games they’ll find I’m as positive as anybody about what we have to offer as the two premier games within our sport. Just check the records and see if I’m really that negative. I don’t think I am.”

Harte is more concerned about the prospect of injuries to his players over the next week as Tyrone’s football championship throws in.

Following Saturday’s win in Newry, he aired his frustration that he wasn’t consulted about the games getting the go-ahead so soon after the replay.

“The entire club championship programme is on and we won’t have the players for 10 days. That’s not ideal but this is the argument that comes out that the club players don’t have a fair say.

“But there’s a few county players too who don’t get a fair say. They have to go back to the clubs and play championship football from Wednesday until the following Sunday and that’s difficult for them.

“I understand we want to give our club players every chance. In Tyrone, it’s knockout football as well so it’s more than vital that they perform in those as well. I wasn’t even asked for my opinion whether I liked that or not. Sometimes it’s aired that managers are all powerful, that they’re dictators.”