Respect

[Toxicity234]

I never come on this site to disrespect anyone. Posters, Players, Managers or county boards official.

I started posting on this site for 2 reason.
I was living in Dublin. I spend most weekend watch matches in Dublin or Offaly. The thing that struck me was how much better the standard of skills in club hurling in Offaly was compared with Dublin. The only difference between club hurlers in Dublin and in Offaly was that Club hurlers in Dublin were training like inter county or professional rugby players.
When i came on here i keep reading that we were producing good hurler any more. To me this was hugely respectfully to the skills that the Hurlers in Offaly.

The other thing that struck me was the amount of money i heard Dublin clubs were spend on Coach's and manager form all over the country. I saw good teams in Dublin one years trying to playing nice hurling and doing well for a year and the following year i would watch them play the worst hurling i ever seen and lose by a lot. The reason was always the same. They have got a new coach or manager who want them to play a different way. a way that didn't suit their hurlers.
Coming to watch the Offaly inter-county team was a carbon copy of this at most level over the years.

I sure i have over step the mark in here sometime, frustration is a mean friend. If i do over step the mark feel free to call me on it.

The second reason i started posting here. is because i'm dyslexia and through school until i got to college ever time i had someone read something i wrote. the reaction would be less than good.
I'm still convinced that the only reason i passed English in the leaving cert was because i wrote my essay as a match report for the 1994 all Ireland final.
When i got to College it was spotted straight away and the list of things they said to me is do, was read and write a least once a day to improve my standard of writing English and grammar. I read a lot but i never did the writing until i started on this website.

While i won't sign my posts. If anyone want to know who i am. All you have to do is ask and i tell you.
If any Posters, Players, Managers or county boards official feels that i have disrespected them they can contact me and If i have i will apology for any offence cause.

I have to admit that i do love this site. even if i do lose every arguments, discussion or banter i get involved in.

Stand back = Legend. Looking forward to seen you in the Offaly jersey.

[Ahlethimoutwithit]

Fair play Tox, keep up the good work.

Tough battle you had and well done on your efforts.

To the point in hand, look lets not jump up and down. I think there is a little bit of over sensitivity by the players.
The argument that we dont have the facilities is a bit of a red herring, the guys have the use of gyms etc, S&C/Diet plans. But we had a shocking winter and were unable to train in some pitches. But as Joe Bergin said, Ballingarry is not too far away.
It is something that needs to be addressed for sure, and I would say that the fundraising is an area that needs to be overhauled by the County Board.

We will get no support from Leinster council to develop training facilities until we are in a position to help ourselves in terms of having a plan or strategy down on paper for how we are going to turn this mess around.

Keep posting lads, I would say no more than 10 people will put their names to their posts, and that is not a slight on the rest of us.

[Lone Shark]

I didn't decide to do this in an attempt to create a peer pressure element, and I'd be very disappointed if good posters like Kinnittyman and Over the Black Spot chose to walk away from the site on that basis. By the very act of thinking about this situation and responding to it, ye've proven that ye aren't the type of mindless mouths that are the issue here.

Honestly, I feel that this whole issue has become a little bit of a sideshow and I'm hoping that a handful of such posters taking this line might defuse the idea that everyone on here are keyboard warriors giving out from the sideline. It's not as if the concept is any different to a chat among friends in the pub, where there will be divergent views and where players, managers, administrators etc are often discussed. And just like in the pub discussion, there will be one or two gobdaws that everyone learns not to take too seriously. We can cut out anything libelous or abusive, but it's impossible to filter out all daft drivel - readers have to be able to cipher that for themselves.

The line we've always held here is that commentary on GAA matters is fair game. So if you're an Offaly hurler or footballer, it's fair to talk about what happens on the field of play, and within that there may be criticism occasionally. This isn't a Féile final where there is an unwritten rule of write nothing negative, ever. If a player has a bad day or appears out of his depth, it shouldn't be an issue to voice that opinion, and readers (players or otherwise) should be reasonable and bear in mind that this is just what it is - one commentator's opinion.

Equally managers and administrators can be judged based on their performances in their relevant GAA roles.

However when it goes beyond that, there is an issue. Talking about players' off the field habits, insinuating that people are taking money for volunteer roles, and certainly discussing private health issues, is all well beyond the pale. If newspapers wish to go down that road and break such stories then it's natural that they will be discussed, but this site was not intended to become a Perez Hilton of Offaly GAA.


My decision to sign my name to posts was taken on the basis that I want to be able to make what I feel are fair comments, and if anyone feels slighted by anything I write, then I want to be contactable. Every two or three weeks I'll get a call directly, or one will go into the offices of the Offaly Indo, and I'll always deal with that call or return it when I have time, and I don't write anything that I'm not happy to stand over.

However a lot of that comes from my role within the newspaper - most posters mightn't want to go down that road, and I certainly wouldn't blame them if they didn't. So I too, would air a call to posters not to walk away.

[uibhfhaili]

Unfortunately this isn't the first time on this board where the cult of "LoneShark" has been an issue. Unfortunately peer pressure and the close friendship of a few on here tends to make any sort of non-conforming voice fell very unwelcome.

[Lone Shark]

Unfortunately this isn't the first time on this board where the cult of "LoneShark" has been an issue. Unfortunately peer pressure and the close friendship of a few on here tends to make any sort of non-conforming voice fell very unwelcome.

I'm genuinely sorry that you feel this way and I am aware that other people have suggested that there is a closed shop mentality before, but frankly I don't see it. There are several posters on this board that know each other, and certainly I'm not ashamed to admit that there are a handful on here that I would count among my closest friends. However a friendship doesn't necessarily imply that we all think the same way, and I'd emphatically refute the idea that we've ever made any other viewpoints unwelcome. Buck Face, Offaly's Future and Great Day for the Parish are among those that I have no idea who they are and that I've disagreed with quite vehemently at various stages over the life of this board, but I've always enjoyed their contributions. In fact because they've put forward their opinions so passionately and so well, they've all caused me to rethink my own views to varying degrees. Whether I've managed to do the same for them or not, only they can tell you.

Honestly, I'm not really sure what you feel should be done differently. I've made it clear that because I'm going down the signature route, that's not a sign that I feel others should do the same. I've given my own reasons, but others will make up their own minds and that's as it should be. Of course I still expect people to post with consideration and respect for those that they are writing about, but I don't think anyone who doesn't want to conform to that particular way of thinking should expect to be indulged.

[uibhfhaili]

I don't think its an issue for just this board but Offaly GAA in general. We are far too respectful of low standards and incompetence in Offaly GAA. This whole thread could be construed as an attempt to stifle criticism. Not to be critical of senior players, managment or county board officals in the predicament Offaly hurling finds itself IMO is a disgrace.

[Buck Face]

With respect to anonymity I want to clarify the following -

For those that think they might now know me, I was not the one holding the 'Breaking News - Sky the Home of Sports, Birr the Home of Offaly Hurling' banner in the terrace last Saturday.

To the lads that were holding it - great effort but you need to try to position it at the bottom of the screen and if at all possible run across the terrace (there should be plenty room the next day) for maximum effect!

[babsandbond]

Think the banner was a great idea myself...on this whole issue I think people are getting carried away...people are allowed voice there own opinion and criticise if they want...A small bunch seem go get offended

[allstar2010]

Fair play to you Toxicity, please keep on posting I have always enjoyed reading your posts here which have always portrayed your passion and enthusiasm for your county.
Some lads ("journalists") on here would want you to pass a spelling and grammar test before you're allowed post comments, unreal!!

Regarding the players, these lads are not underage hurlers anymore. If lads are critical of players its borne out of frustration at consistently looking at them fail to performance to the level we know they can. The two players that have been getting a lot of criticism would walk on to any team in the country without a doubt. These lads have unreal ability but are just not producing it and it is so sad for us as fans that don't have an ounce of their talent to witness them underperform. I don't think anyone on here has any personal agenda against these lads (well I definitely hope not!). Its hard to believe these lads are concerned about with what is written instead of concentrating on their game.

Loughnane was completely within his rights to say it as it is. Truth hurts, simple as that. If them lads have anything in them they'll show us all the next day......

[substandard]

What Voltaire didn't say -"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it".
Next we''ll have Opinion Police out with Thought Cameras issuing on the spot fines...

[azoffaly]

I don't think anyone is saying that players have no right to be criticised, but it's the nature and the topic of the criticism that's important. I have no problem saying if I think x, y or z is playing badly or if I think the County Board should be doing a, b and c. What I don't like is when people personalise it, or talk about players' and officials' lives away from the GAA pitch. We've all heard stupid rumours that turn out to be exactly that, but if you write it on the internet, it can stay up for people to see and be upset by. I'm not talking about on field performance, I'm talking about what used to be known as their 'private lives'.

Anyway, not sure if people know me or not, it wouldn't matter a bit to me in terms of what I write here, and if you can't say the same then maybe you need to think about what you say here.

[bula bula]

This thread is the second reason I have posted again here after an absence. People feeling the need to leave that are contributing some excellent pieces doesn't feel right. I dont think that the people signing their name expected this either. It's a personal choice. I decided to stop posting after my site identity became known to some friends. It became just a bit weird for me so I can totally understand why some are unwilling to sign their names to posts. I would hope though that those that do feel they can't do it for whatever reason, don't stop posting. While I havent been posting I have been reading and some that are leaving because of this I have enjoyed reading most. So I hope ye re-think the decisions to leave and continue posting. Anonymity is a plus here if not abused. To those that are signing. Fair play.

[Toxicity234]

Well folks. It was such a lovely day( ) i though i head out to see the U16 finals.
Was in early and Moystown was looked well and settle in to watch the two matches.
Both match were well contested.
Your wondering why i'm posting in this forum.
Well its was a few things that got to me today. that upset me a bit in the 1st game. i don't mind manager and selector trying to influence the ref but i hear one of these come on to the field and call one of the young lads a fucker and after that was trying to keep an eye on him and i was really disappointed to see this man spend more time talking to the opposition players than his own and he wasn't respect them he was given them abuse. how the ref didn't send him off or someone from his club grab him and tell him to shut up is shocking.
CRC player got sent off for a dirty stroke in the last min and it was a bad stroke.

[townman]

i belive an ex offaly hurler also in trouble two weeks ago also in the under 16's championship as he went on to the field to sort things out with young lads he will never learn.

[mother 123]

I went to these games also I thought in thr first match there were a lot of Officials on the pitch throughout the game.It could be thought of as intimidating.I agree with you over the dirty stroke.Mindless