St. Vincent's Senior Team
Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2015 7:40 pm
I know there have been many threads on this in the past and I accept that many people will have no interest in rehashing same but I feel this must be discussed. Offaly football needs parish football and in this instance Daingean parish football and Offaly needs it competing at the top table. It needs young players pushing up from underage, challenging and competing and improving themselves and improving standards within the county.
The mentality of the old brigade within the 4 clubs still very much exists regardless of success for St. Vincent’s or regardless of the pleas from every player that comes out of the St. Vincent’s set up year after year. Their response – Say nothing. Let things blow over. And continue playing 3rd tier and 4th tier football in the county. Let potential county players wane in the depths of junior football. But it’s all worth it to win a junior title or win a division 3 title I suppose (I stress this is the attitude of all 4 clubs and I am not singling out any one team) I see, hear and read comments from people involved in the four clubs who they themselves have never played to any high standard and who are happy for today’s generation to ply their trade in a similar way. Not only is this wasting talent, it means player’s standards drop, they lose interest, preparation and training levels drop. Other players in the parish leave football altogether and play rugby or soccer instead where they can play at the highest level free of choice if they are good enough. The ‘old brigade’ should be ashamed of themselves and for the small minded stance they take.
I would propose the following options:
- Disband the four teams and join as one (Unlikely to ever happen)
- Senior Parish team while the 4 clubs remain in existence
- Divisional Competition for parish teams (not appealing to an already jammed fixture list)
- Enter a Senior Parish team for League only on a trial basis
- Set up a new parish club and work from bottom grade up (Just a notion. I do not even know if possible)
Further options if a senior team was made to make it work:
The 4 clubs agree to begin training in March. Leaving Dec, Jan and Feb for the senior team to get serious preparation under their belts. After this either allow designated nights for the senior team to train or work a system where it every alternative week the senior team has access to players. This does not stop the 4 clubs continuing with training. Dual teams work in the same way across the country – ‘’football week’’ and ‘’hurling week’’
I know one divisional team in West Cork who are made up of junior and intermediate clubs. How they work it is as follows – The club teams train on a designated night. The senior team train on the same night after the clubs on the same pitch. It does mean a heavy night for players involved with both but I am sure players who want to be involved would have no problem with this. Another option.
With regard to conflicting weekends for league, the senior team’s matches could be essentially held on ‘’hurling weekends’’ as an exception. There are not many Division 1 football teams who are competing in hurling and those that are fair enough. At the end of the day fixtures can be fit in somewhere.
Funding. A big issue for the old brigade. And it is an issue. A big sponsor would be required. I would also sense fundraising would be required from very early on so a strong committee would be required. Player membership would have to be in line with what Dublin clubs pay – circa €150 - €180. Many Offaly clubs still charge €50 which I feel is unbelievable value when you look at clubs across the country.
Outside management would also be required with selectors from each of the 4 clubs.
For all the nay-sayers and negative vibes, move over. Let the players play and let them play together and as a parish. There were some moving speeches at the St. Vincent’s Dinner Dance last weekend from Kevin Kilmurray and Eoin Carroll. Both spoke eloquently and passionately about a parish team. Kevin Kilmurray in particular spoke with huge admiration for the 2 in a row champions and what they could achieve together as a parish at senior level and encouraged them no end to make it happen. Eoin Carroll spoke of his team of brothers who he doesn’t want to split from, never mind play against. People across this county and across the country speak of Offaly’s demise from the top table. These same people complain about the barren period for county teams. Make a change or watch as Offaly remains a wastleland and Daingean parish remains the graveyard of ambition. I am not saying Daingean parish would win a senior overnight or that Offaly fortunes would change overnight but change is needed. I hope the County Board can see this and can facilitate in change and I hope the old brigade are washed aside.
The mentality of the old brigade within the 4 clubs still very much exists regardless of success for St. Vincent’s or regardless of the pleas from every player that comes out of the St. Vincent’s set up year after year. Their response – Say nothing. Let things blow over. And continue playing 3rd tier and 4th tier football in the county. Let potential county players wane in the depths of junior football. But it’s all worth it to win a junior title or win a division 3 title I suppose (I stress this is the attitude of all 4 clubs and I am not singling out any one team) I see, hear and read comments from people involved in the four clubs who they themselves have never played to any high standard and who are happy for today’s generation to ply their trade in a similar way. Not only is this wasting talent, it means player’s standards drop, they lose interest, preparation and training levels drop. Other players in the parish leave football altogether and play rugby or soccer instead where they can play at the highest level free of choice if they are good enough. The ‘old brigade’ should be ashamed of themselves and for the small minded stance they take.
I would propose the following options:
- Disband the four teams and join as one (Unlikely to ever happen)
- Senior Parish team while the 4 clubs remain in existence
- Divisional Competition for parish teams (not appealing to an already jammed fixture list)
- Enter a Senior Parish team for League only on a trial basis
- Set up a new parish club and work from bottom grade up (Just a notion. I do not even know if possible)
Further options if a senior team was made to make it work:
The 4 clubs agree to begin training in March. Leaving Dec, Jan and Feb for the senior team to get serious preparation under their belts. After this either allow designated nights for the senior team to train or work a system where it every alternative week the senior team has access to players. This does not stop the 4 clubs continuing with training. Dual teams work in the same way across the country – ‘’football week’’ and ‘’hurling week’’
I know one divisional team in West Cork who are made up of junior and intermediate clubs. How they work it is as follows – The club teams train on a designated night. The senior team train on the same night after the clubs on the same pitch. It does mean a heavy night for players involved with both but I am sure players who want to be involved would have no problem with this. Another option.
With regard to conflicting weekends for league, the senior team’s matches could be essentially held on ‘’hurling weekends’’ as an exception. There are not many Division 1 football teams who are competing in hurling and those that are fair enough. At the end of the day fixtures can be fit in somewhere.
Funding. A big issue for the old brigade. And it is an issue. A big sponsor would be required. I would also sense fundraising would be required from very early on so a strong committee would be required. Player membership would have to be in line with what Dublin clubs pay – circa €150 - €180. Many Offaly clubs still charge €50 which I feel is unbelievable value when you look at clubs across the country.
Outside management would also be required with selectors from each of the 4 clubs.
For all the nay-sayers and negative vibes, move over. Let the players play and let them play together and as a parish. There were some moving speeches at the St. Vincent’s Dinner Dance last weekend from Kevin Kilmurray and Eoin Carroll. Both spoke eloquently and passionately about a parish team. Kevin Kilmurray in particular spoke with huge admiration for the 2 in a row champions and what they could achieve together as a parish at senior level and encouraged them no end to make it happen. Eoin Carroll spoke of his team of brothers who he doesn’t want to split from, never mind play against. People across this county and across the country speak of Offaly’s demise from the top table. These same people complain about the barren period for county teams. Make a change or watch as Offaly remains a wastleland and Daingean parish remains the graveyard of ambition. I am not saying Daingean parish would win a senior overnight or that Offaly fortunes would change overnight but change is needed. I hope the County Board can see this and can facilitate in change and I hope the old brigade are washed aside.