LAST weekend saw the return to action on the GAA fields of Tyrone. What has struck me most about this is that the vast majority of people have really welcomed the fact that matches have been able to take place again, even with the restrictions on the attendance of spectators.

Obviously players will have been really anxious to get out onto the field again for a competitive match. Now supporters were asked to stay away from matches and this has largely been the case, except for a few who managed to be flexible with the regulations in terms of remaining outside the perimeter of grounds.

The guidance is out there, the GAA have issued their advice, but the reality is that banning spectators doesn’t make sense in an outdoor setting. It is also in contrast to the situation down south.

What has to be remembered in all of this is that people have a great love for their clubs. Most of them are working as coaches, officials and in terms of fundraising. They have followed their clubs over the years through good times and lean times. Yes, we know the risks, but this is all about being mature when you go to a ground by adhering to the guidelines in a safe manner.

There was a lot of talk about the first round of fixtures and thankfully everything went according to plan, not only in Tyrone, but also across Ulster.

It has been an extremely important development, not just in relation to the resumption of matches. There is also an aspect of health and wellbeing about all of this.

As a GAA person and clubman, last weekend was a relative success. Let’s hope things continue in that vein as the action picks up in the coming weeks.

One of the most important developments of that return at adult level was the fact that the vast majority of reserve games took place. Now, this has been a grade that has struggled in recent years. But all that changed at the weekend, which is important in terms of providing football for as many players as possible on a regular basis.

That’s something that hasn’t happened too often in recent years. It’s important in keeping the game vibrant and there has been a lot of concern in the past decade about the gradual diminishing of reserve fixtures. In fact, it got to the stage where figures showed things had almost spiraled out of control.

Through the reserve leagues, young lads are able to take that step into senior football. It also gets people out, is good for their physical health and hopefully reserve football will enjoy a revival.

The glamour of the first league matches of the year, be that in Tyrone, Armagh or whatever county, is the potential for surprise results. We saw the Tyrone champions, Trillick, being well beaten by Clonoe and it’s good to see the upsets.

The removal of the threat of relegation has been a bonus and the crucial thing is that players at this time are able to concentrate on playing, without the added pressure of relegation. That’s especially important in light of the coronavirus pandemic when health and safety have to be paramount.

For most counties now, the club championships are looming large on the horizon. As a result, teams will want to be hitting the ground running in terms of their league fixtures to be peaking at the right time for the championship.

A lot of results have caught the eye, and let’s hope that everything can add up and present us with intriguing club championships.

While individual counties have made their own separate organisational arrangements, the simple fact remains that there will, hopefully, be county titles to be won in the autumn of 2020.

Now, as we all know, this is a year like no other. As a result, if a club can win a county title this year, it will have special historical significance and I don’t think anything will take away from the thrill and excitement of just such a success.

There is silverware there to be won. Everyone aspires to winning a county title and most clubs will have put in a vast amount of work on preparations pre-pandemic up until March. The pandemic hit on the eve of fixtures beginning. The fact is that the teams who have started well last weekend will relish what’s ahead.

The beauty of club football is that it’s very competitive across the board. Let’s hope that the time we have with the clubs from now until September will be very fruitful in terms of matches being played and enjoyable.

Another factor, of course, is that the clubs are able to avail of their county players. These games are vitally important for them in terms of competitive match practise ahead of the start of the inter-county season. It’s about getting them game-time because nothing beats that, not even all the training you want.

The next few weeks will gear them up very well for the Ulster Championship and the hope will be that injuries are kept to the very minimum and that everyone will come through the next few weeks without too many disruptions.

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