Whether you reckon winter has already begun or that it’s still autumn, there’s no doubt that November can be a pain.
It’s certainly the season of slips and minging footwear, due to the struggle to spot uncollected dog dirt under all those wet, fallen, leaves which already make pavements treacherous.
Hallowe’en is over, and the thought of Christmas shopping is looming already, but the holidays far away.
The greatest lift for the spirits this month is the Ulster Club Championship, especially the senior football competition.
No matter how bad inter-county football has been at times recently, the Ulster Club has often offered us some thrilling encounters, despite the more difficult playing conditions.
Admittedly, there does seem to be an imbalance about most of this year’s last eight ties.
Three of the four quarter-finals pit teams with good recent knowledge of the provincial competition against opponents who are relatively or completely inexperienced at this level.
The other involves the representatives of the two most successful counties, Derry and Armagh – but both of whom fall into that ‘relatively or completely inexperienced at this level’ category.
Yet all of them offer interest and intrigue.
With no hint of being patronising, participation will be a thrill for Cavan champs Crosserlough in the first quarter-final on Saturday night against Down kingpins Kilcoo.
This should be a second appearance in Ulster for many of their squad, but they were among those unlucky teams which won their county titles in 2020, the year when the Ulster Club did not take place due to Covid restrictions.
Crosserlough may feel unlucky too that the Ulster Club did not start a decade earlier, as they were Cavan champs in 1958 and 1961, followed by a seven-in-a-row streak from 1966 to 1972 inclusive. Yet they did have five consecutive Ulster appearances and only reached one final, losing out to Bryansford in 1970.
Indeed, no Cavan club has ever won this competition.
In contrast, Kilcoo have won it twice, in 2019 and 2021, even though they too had to sit it out in 2020.
Kilcoo have also won an astonishing 12 of the last 13 Down crowns, competing a second six-in-a-row this season. Rather remarkably, they reached the Ulster final at the start of that streak, in 2012, and again in 2016, but took their time to make the breakthrough.
The Magpies will be strong favourites to win through, but the lack of pressure on Crosserlough may allow them to play with freedom.
Sunday’s opening quarter-final is a similar scenario on the face of it. Cargin have won eight of the last 10 Antrim SFCs, and three-in-a-row, while Errigal Ciaran are in only their second Ulster campaign since 2012.
Tyrone teams would be fancied to beat Antrim opponents in football on most occasions – but in the Ulster Club context clubs from the Saffron County have had more overall success than Red Hand representatives.
One twist is that Errigal are relatively experienced as far as Tyrone teams go in Ulster, having also won in 2022. Another is their history in this competition - the only Tyrone club to have triumphed, and twice, in 1993 and 2002.
With the sons of the father, Darragh and Ruairi begotten of Peter ‘The Great’ Canavan, Errigal can hope to overcome a vastly experienced Cargin outfit. Hope, but not expect.
The record of Antrim clubs in Ulster since 2012 was awful, defeat after defeat - until Cargin finally made the breakthrough two years ago, beating Donegal’s Naomh Conaill on penalties after extra time.
Arguably just as importantly, they pushed eventual champions Glen hard in the subsequent semi-final, then troubled the Maghera men again in last year’s quarter-final, with the outcome of the game influenced by the subsequently rescinded red card for Cargin’s Tomas McCann.
Surely another close call on Sunday involves Armagh’s Clann Eireann and surprise Derry champions Newbridge.
Teams from these counties always enter the Ulster arena with justifiable hope.
Of course, Armagh’s second place on the Ulster Club roll of honour is largely due to the amazing achievements of Crossmaglen Rangers, who are the top individual club with 11 titles. Only four other Ulster successes have come to the Orchard County, with three to Clan na Gael in the Seventies and then Mullaghbawn spurring their south Armagh neighbours on in 1995.
However, the presence in the Clann Eireann side of stars from All-Ireland champions Armagh – Barry McCambridge, Conor Turbitt, and Tiernan Kelly – will make the Lurgan men believe they can progress again, after reaching the semi-finals on their only previous appearance, in 2021.
Newbridge are newbies on the provincial senior scene, at least in terms of this team, with a first appearance for the club since 1989, and only their third ever. Yet they did reach the final in 1970 and will know well the proud tradition of Derry clubs in Ulster: Bellaghy (4 wins), Ballerin, Ballinderry (3), Lavey (2), Dungiven, The Loup, Slaughtneil (3), and, most recently, Glen (2) have all triumphed, on a total of 17 occasions.
The other quarter-final presents a vast gulf in Ulster experience, with Monaghan’s Scotstown against Erne Gaels of Fermanagh.
Scotstown are surely the most motivated team in this year’s Ulster Club, given their history and their record of near misses.
It seems scarcely believable that it’s nine years since Scotstown lost a thrilling final after extra time against Crossmaglen in the Athletic Grounds. They suffered another ‘aet’ loss in 2018, pipped by a point by Donegal’s Gaoth Dobhair – then lost out again last year, by two points against Glen.
The desire of the Monaghan men to finally go one better must be massive – as well as to add to the club’s roll of honour, with four Ulster titles won between 1979 and 1989, including by some fathers of present-day players.
The last time Erne Gaels were in Ulster Scotstown were there too, as defending champs. The Belleek men have at least reached the last three Fermanagh finals, but until Saturday evening’s replay it was 43 years since they were county champions.
At least they will have ‘home’ advantage in Brewster Park – but whether they’ve been home often this week amid all their undoubted celebrations is another matter.
Overall then, it looks like two straightforward ties and two toss-ups – but part of the beauty of the Ulster Club is the constant chance of surprises, an even greater likelihood of exciting encounters, and perhaps some slip-ups.
