ASK any Gaelic Games follower what the initials NFL represent and, until this week, the odds were heavily stacked in favour of National Football League being the answer you’d get. But, if the Ulster Council have their way, very soon the sport’s second most important competition will not be quite as instantly recognised by those initials.

That’s because they’ve launched a new initiative which uses those precise letters, because they spell out exactly the message they are striving to get across to all those involved in the sport.

NFL stand for No Foul Language and the laudable ambition is to rid the sport of the nasty expletives, whether they be uttered by players, coaches, managers, officials supporters - or even referees!

Patrons supporting Tyrone in the McKenna Cup matches at Healy Park last week were given rubber wristbands free, these publicising the scheme. Black, with yellow script, they merely said ‘NFL No Foul Language’ and carried the Ulster Council’s website address.

And, says county chairman, it’s an eminently laudable scheme which will be given the full backing of the officialdom in Tyrone.

No Foul Language

“We’re trying, and I would have to say very successfully so, to encourage women and family groupings to come to our games and that wouldn’t be helped by people effing and blinding, whether the culprits are players, coaches, managers, supporters or anybody else” explained Pat Darcy, left.

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