Accountability

[Heshs Umpire]

just your point on Sid over Camross did they not get to the county final the year he was there and the year he left they didn't win it either,

He trained Camross two years - 2010 they were well beaten in the final, 2011 did nothing. Did not win it the year after he left though, it was last year they won it.

[Ahlethimoutwithit]

Fair enough points True Supporter.

Stewarding games is a thankless job and again if anyone passed a comment against any of the guys who steward the games in OCP, they should be ashamed as these guys get nothing out of it, and without proper stewarding the games would not be held in Tullamore.

Now, onto the other points. I would tend to agree with Sunday, the players did not seem to want it enough and it was obvious that BW was bitterly disappointed with the fadeout in the second half. But unfortunately the players are the only players we have, and the one thing that we expected with BW was that the players would rediscover the self belief and pride in playing for Offaly. Remember, all our forwards had scored from play after 20mins last Sunday...so we were up for it at the start, tactically we were set up well......but when the pressure came on during the final 10minutes of the first half....no response from the players and only 2 subs introduced.
Ultimately CB appointed BW and it appears that he is losing the players early with some guys leaving the panel. We are now a county where the going gets tough, we all bugger off and blame someone else.
Lets look at this rationally though, Brian applied for the minor job, and sometime towards the end of November he was appointed as Senior mgr. He appointed his physical coach, Joe Quinn sometime around December 8th. Laois, for example had 3 mths start on us with a settled mgt team, never mind the rest of the division.
How could we compete, or how could lads who have only joined the Senior panel step up to the mark that quick?

So what next?? Brian should meet with someone that he sees as a mentor and look at what has happened in the games so far. (A Michael Bond type, or whoever has county experience that he trusts)
What is he trying to achieve tactically, why is it not working and what needs to change. Sit with his physical coach, and see what levels his players are at, are they where they need to be, why not, whats the plan to rectify this.
PLayers need to man up and admit that their behaviour is not right, I cant speak for all of them, but some of them are not living the life of an inter county player. I know they need a social life, but some of them are taking it too far. Brian needs to talk to them and assure lads who have not featured so far that they have a role to play.
Are they doing what is asked of them.

Where do the CB fit into this? God only knows! WHat brief did they give Brian, what measurements are put in place? Do they bury their head in the sand and say "well if Brian can't solve this then who can?"
Personally, I dont have much faith in them to provide the support net work to help pull the team and players through this crisis at the moment.
They need to ensure that BW is not left hung out to dry at the end of this season, they put in 2 rookies to management at a time when experience was needed.

What Truesupporter is correct, how many of us put ourselves in the firing line with GAA clubs up and down the county? Lads coming on here not having a clue about the finance involved in running Offaly inc, lads assuming the CB get all the proceeds from Inter county league and championship games. We only have to think back to the glory days and the drunken louts who followed Offaly to Croke park (like a pint myself) but I remember being disgusted with some of the behaviour. That band wagon wasn't long emptying out down the years.
In fact, we took all that for granted, players,supporters and CB.

We need new blood in the County Board, we need to go after the right people and offer some financial compensation to the right Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer. I am not totally ruling out the current Chairman, but Colm Cummins would be a starting point. But who is the we? Unfortunately it is us.......and we reap what we sow!
Think we all know what the problems are by now, time for solutions based arguments methinks from here on in

[Buck Face]

Truesupporter – a very reasoned post compared to much of the shameful stuff that is going on here at the minute.

And yes it is very easy to criticise managers and county board members under a pseudonym here but the same goes for the players and your post smacks of the unhelpful divide that exists between players and officials where the officials feel they have granted the players some form of nirvana only to be given two fingers in salute.

From your post you could easily be led to believe that the players were a bunch of prima donnas dreaming of free membership (whatever that gets them), pristine changing rooms, a pitch the size of Croke Park and all this without the will to succeed. Whereas in fact these lads are the salt of the earth, making untold sacrifices to even get to training alone and they would not be able to sustain it without an ache for success, driven by the likes of Limerick last year, and not just for themselves to succeed but for their ‘county’.

I think you are out of touch with reality by suggesting players, who are volunteers too by the way, are simply in it for some shiny gear or other perks and to suggest that this ‘attitude’ is a major player in holding Offaly back further exposes the narrow mindedness that exists within the county and also at board level when the focus should be elsewhere.

I would strongly dispute the context of your post in relation to OCP and I think you’ll find more than just ‘South Offaly people’ disagreeing with you on this one.

However, I do fully agree with you that people should shut up or put up when it comes to the ‘board’ or officials. It is anything but a closed shop so no one should be simply pointing fingers and taking cheap shots.

As for the question of accountability – each and every one of us is accountable for the position we are in.

[Truesupporter]

In relation to buck face, I stressed in my post that SOME of the players are not stepping up to the mark and do have a what's in it for me attitude. This is very hard for those players that are in it for the right reasons. I don't think though that there is enough hunger and want in either squad to get them to any All-Ireland finals and this is quite sad, as the players have a fire burning within them to get to the summit. Just to make it clear to you , I am not an official, just a volunteer in O Connor Park, so when you talk about the gap between players and officials, that's not me. I would say that I am able make observations having seen all matches in both codes.

[Daleamar]

I would strongly dispute the context of your post in relation to OCP and I think you’ll find more than just ‘South Offaly people’ disagreeing with you on this one.

Thats everything that is/has been wrong with offaly for the past 20 years. Think by moving the game to a 'tighter' pitch that we will be much better. Such nonsense.

Thats like saying, 'sure we have more tradition than Laois, sure they never won an All Ireland', such utter nonsense.

[Buck Face]

Where did I mention a 'tighter' pitch? You'll be accusing me of being in favour of moving hurling indoors next.

And if you think that is 'everything that is/has been wrong with Offaly for the past 20 years' then I suggest you delve a little deeper.

Nonsense is right.

[Daleamar]

Where did I mention a 'tighter' pitch? You'll be accusing me of being in favour of moving hurling indoors next.

And if you think that is 'everything that is/has been wrong with Offaly for the past 20 years' then I suggest you delve a little deeper.

Nonsense is right.

You werent refering to moving the hurling back to St Brendans park then?

[Buck Face]

I was referring to a lot of things but benefiting from playing hurling on a 'tighter' pitch was not one of them.

[Daleamar]

I was referring to a lot of things but benefiting from playing hurling on a 'tighter' pitch was not one of them.

Fair enough. My mistake... I'd be compelled to know what you were refering to.

[Truth as i see it]

I think if we are ever to fix the problems within the county first of all we have to find a way of motivating the the administrators and county board delegates first, they have to be made to understand that their mindset and attitude to being involved in the county board dictates the progress and development of the county teams in terms of the final end product (on the pitch) if they are just going through the motions then they are wasting everyone's time to begin with, its a failed project right from the start.

We also have to find a way of enticing new blood into the county board scene but there needs to be a an example set by the existing members to be willing to welcome them in and to show them the ropes, to encourage people to get involved and bring a new energy to the county

Before we try to fix what is happening on the field in both the football and hurling teams we must find away to fix the mindset at board level first

The board members must feel sometimes that they are on their own to bear the load of constantly keeping the show on the road, i think that we have to take it upon ourselves as fans to show the board members that we appreciate their efforts and to make them believe that change is possible if they are willing to work for it and that they will have the appreciation of the fans behind them all the way

In other words-Motivate the board=a harder working board=more belief to in what they are doing=better coaching structures for both the Hurlers and Footballers