The most competitive club Championship in the country gets under way this week with the first round of the Tyrone SFC throwing up some titanic battles.
No team has retained the O’Neill Cup since Carrickmore in 2005. Since then, eight different teams have been crowned county champions and there have been six different winners in the last six seasons.
Defending champions Dromore won the 2021 title after beating Coalisland in the final, but they’ll have to overcome Killyclogher in what is one of the outstanding first round ties.
Read more: Tyrone legend Conor Gormley says the Red Hands will rise again in 2023
There’s also a repeat of the historic 2020 final which ended in penalties with Dungannon seeking to repeat their victory over 2019 champions Trillick.
Last year’s beaten finalists Coalisland also have a tough first round draw as they face 2021 Division One League winners Carrickmore while Omagh versus Ardboe promises to be another close affair.
Perennial favourites Errigal Ciaran appear to have a more straight-forward task in the first round and they’re strongly fancied to get the better of a relegation-threatened Moy - although nothing is certain in the knockout format.
First round draw and fixtures
Thursday, September 22
Trillick v Dungannon (Healy Park, 7.30pm)
Friday, September 23
Greencastle v Donaghmore (Healy Park, 6.45pm)
Dromore v Killyclogher (Healy Park, 8.15pm)
Saturday, September 24
Ardboe v Omagh (Pomeroy, 1.30pm)
Moy v Errigal Ciaran (Galbally, 4pm)
Sunday, September 25
Moortown v Clonoe (Edendork, 1.30pm)
Loughmacrory v Derrylaughan, Edendork, 3.30pm)
Monday, September 26
Carrickmore v Coalisland (Healy Park, 7.30pm)
Championship format and dates
The Tyrone Senior Football Championship is a straight knock-out from the off with no back-door or group games.
It makes for an intriguing Championship as it is also an open draw the whole way through and the 2022 renewal has pitted several of the top teams against each other in the first round.
Quarter-finals:
Saturday, October 8
Clonoe v Donaghmore (Edendork, 1pm)
Carrickmore v Loughmacrory (Pomeroy, 3.45pm)
Sunday, October 9
Omagh v Dromore (Loughmacrory, 1pm)
Dungannon v Errigal Ciaran (Carrickmore, 3.4pm)
Semi-finals:
Carrickmore v Clonoe (Pomeroy, 3pm)
Errigal Ciaran v Dromore (Healy Park, 7pm)
Final: Sunday, October 30
TV and Stream info
All Tyrone Senior Football Championship games will be streamed live by Tyrone GAA TV while all Junior and Intermediate games are also available to stream.
The cost will be £1 more that the actual admission charges to the game. For a single Championship game the price will be set at £8 and a double fixture cost will be £10. As the competitions progress to the later stages the costs will again be £1 more than what the Admission prices set to attend these games.
Betting
Errigal Ciaran 9/4, Trillick 6/1, Carrickmore 13/1, Dromore 15/2, Killyclogher 8/1, Dungannon 9/1, Coalisland 9/1, Omagh 10/1, Ardboe 25/1, Loughmacrory 25/1, Clonoe 25/1, Donaghmore 25/1, 33/1 BAR.
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