Delegate slams 'sub-standard' Offaly football team

[bracknaghboy]

http://www.offalyexpress.ie/sport/Deleg ... 6347620.jp

DESPITE the best efforts of County Board Chairman Pat Teehan to avert the debate, two disgruntled delegates had their say on what one of them described as a 'sub-standard' Offaly Senior football team at the June meeting of the County Board.
Clara delegate Mick Sheridan started the debate when talking about the availability of county players for clubs and how it clashed with county training and he remarked that there was not much need for the county team to train after what he saw in Portlaoise.

County Board Chairman Pat Teehan stated that county teams were not usually discussed while they were still in the championships adding that delegates had to be fair to the teams.

At this point Andy Kelly interjected saying he supported what Mr Sheridan had to say. He said that if a club team performed as the Offaly footballers had, 'heads would be rolling'.

He said it was 'disgraceful what went on in Portlaoise' and he said there was 'no more effort put in that day than there would be at a Junior C Championship match'.

He was referring to Offaly's defeat in the Leinster Championship at the hands of Division 2 side Meath who were All Ireland semi-finalists for the past two year.

County Board Chairman Pat Teehan said that was a very unfair comment but Mr Kelly persisted and he paid tribute to the efforts of the Offaly hurlers saying it was a credit to watch them play.

Division 1 side Offaly needed two points in injury time to force a draw against Antrim who had only won two games in Division 2.

Mr Kelly then said that Offaly had 'a substandard team' out in Portlaoise against Meath adding that it was 'a total disgrace'. He said that the players would go out in the qualifiers and no matter who they played 'would put in no effort at all'.

County Board Chairman Pat Teehan completely rejected Mr Kelly's comments. He said whether the team was good enough or not was a separate issue but he said he had absolutely no doubt that every player who put on the Offaly jersey in Portlaoise put in an effort.

Mr Kelly said that the Chairman should put a group of people together to see how the problem he sees with the football team could be solved. He said there was no point doing it next September and things needed to be sorted now.

Mr Teehan responded saying if he were to do what Mr Kelly was suggesting, he would be pre-empting the team's result in the next round and he said strongly that he was not going to do that.

In response to a question from Mick Sheridan, Mr Teehan confirmed that there would be a discussion on the floor regarding the county teams whenever they exited the championship.

[Bord na Mona man]

Good to see delegates speaking their mind anyway.
They might be barking up the wrong tree and not addressing the root cause though.

[beirut]

[quote="bracknaghboy"]He said it was 'disgraceful what went on in Portlaoise' and he said there was 'no more effort put in that day than there would be at a Junior C Championship match'.[/quote]

I object to this statement. From last year I've seem more effort and determination in the Junior 'C' Championship!!

[Phoenix]

I really like the reporter's commentary (Offaly footballers losing to All-Ireland semi-finalists Meath and Offaly hurlers scraping past Antrim who only won two games in Division 2). Nice droll way of reporting the criticisms while poking fun at them a little at the same time.

[the bare biffo]

He said it was 'disgraceful what went on in Portlaoise' and he said there was 'no more effort put in that day than there would be at a Junior C Championship match'.

I object to this statement. From last year I've seem more effort and determination in the Junior 'C' Championship!!

I think this is a little unfair on the footballers. I thought the performance in general was better than last years. Yes they were going to lose but if Coughlan had kept his own head and not tried to take Moyles' it would have been closer. The free kicking issue was not a general performance because there hasnt been a real free taker since McManus and Colm Quinn used to share them, and they were far from 100% merchants. Also I think Meath have a forward line that will trouble most teams, Sheridan, O'Rourke and Ward are top class and on the day Wards free taking was phenomenal.

To say "what went on in Portlaoise was disgraceful" sounds to me like he was reading too many posts here and jumping on the band wagon.

[GOOFY]

Just goes to show ya what Andy Kelly knows about football - sweet feck all.
I took the liberty of watchin a re run of the Meath game and one thing is for sure - Offaly tried.
The simple fact is were not good enough but instead of tryin to get to the root of why this is so, all we get is general sweeping statements from fools such as, the didnt try, no effort, no passion - bla bla bla.
These epople conveniently forget the time and effort the players make to prepare for county football, is it any wonder we cant get our best team out.
Maybe Tommo etc are right after all, jasus if we ever won a match the county board would be congratulating themselves on a job well done

[TheManFromFerbane]

I really like the reporter's commentary (Offaly footballers losing to All-Ireland semi-finalists Meath and Offaly hurlers scraping past Antrim who only won two games in Division 2). Nice droll way of reporting the criticisms while poking fun at them a little at the same time.

Spotted that myself, nicely done I thought.

[My Left Foot]

have to agree that andy kelly was talking hoo ha - i was at both matches - (how many of us claim that - not a huge amount methinks)

Offaly footballers tried but were unsuccessful against Meath
an accurate freetaker and 15 men for the whole game would have made it tighter - yes some players looked cumbersome yes changes could have been made yes we're missing one or two, yes sideline could have done more
but they did try - i will certainly give them their due for that

the hurlers got sucked into a dogfight and just escaped - credit to Antrim for making it that - they were not just hungry but starving for it and it took us a long long time to match them - i hope lessons have been learned or will pay a heavy price against Galway

[naasmanxrhode]

Lads, I was at the Meath game, we were sh~t, Cribben + Co have nothing to offer, we've gone backways again, kelly is right.
How did Stephen Darby not get the Offaly job a few years ago?, we'd be in Division 2 at least and have a fighting chance of winning a Leinster each year.

[offalyman08]

Naasmanrhode

"How did Stephen Darby not get the Offaly job a few years ago?, we'd be in Division 2 at least and have a fighting chance of winning a Leinster each year."


The simple answer to that is POLITICS..... disgraceful

[GOOFY]

Agreed Darby should have got the job but he still would struggle with the current crop of players lads.
It cant be the managers fault all the time, look, our back line is poor, so is our midfield, but we have a reasonable forward line when going well, were not gonna compete for leinster titles with those players though, Meath & Dublin are a long ways ahead of us

[Kevin]

I really like the reporter's commentary (Offaly footballers losing to All-Ireland semi-finalists Meath and Offaly hurlers scraping past Antrim who only won two games in Division 2). Nice droll way of reporting the criticisms while poking fun at them a little at the same time.

Spotted that myself, nicely done I thought.

Puts everything into context. They must have been boiling over. Good journalism in bringing this irony to the fore.

[Georgio1]

Left Foot, I was at the 2 games myself, (should we get an award?).
In fairness to the delegates, there must be a level of frustration with our lack of progress on the football & hurling front. We have serious issues which the County Board dont seem to be aware of or willing to face up to. Dont tell me the hurlers have progressed, Wednesday night was chilling, and who was appointed to take charge? A man with no experience.
However to say the effort was akin to a Junior C match and accuse players of not trying is not on. Some players are not up to it and thats a different argument, and some players are there for the wrong reasons.
Their motives in seeking some answers and causing a stir is admirable, the arguments are not.

But lets not kid ourselves, the GAA in Offaly has about as much credibility as Fianna Fail, it is rotten, and we are all responsible to some degree.
We choose not to attend all training with our club, we dont provide financial suport, we dont volunteer to help out in clubs, we dont volunteer our names to go forward at CB level, we are not even travelling to suport our teams.(By the way i am guilty of some of the above by times!) Whats needed is a club template to be drawn up to encourage best practice, in order to develope a better class of Intercounty player in Offaly.

Take the 2 clubs involved from the delegates (have their best players been encouraged to play for their county? or available?), I know in Kilclonfert there may not be too many, but still, must be one lad capable of going through a trial game.

[GreatDayForTheParish]

I'm firmly with Pat Teehan on this one and I disappointed to say the least that the comments of the delegates haven't been met with more disdain.

To denigrate the county teams while the season is in progress and still redeemable is nothing short of scandalous. It undermines the management, the players and the supporters. Who could blame the players for throwing in the towel in the qualifiers when they feel as if their own board have the knives out for them.

Have a cut, within reason, when the season is done and next year is being planned, but at this stage I find it nothing short of abhorrant and highly ignorant.

Anyway, these comments are all the more easy to disregard when one considers the source. Michael Sheridan? Please....

[Long John]

I think the delegates were dead right to tear into the teams. They are a joke, a laughing stock in GAA circles.

Like it or lump it the majority of the lads playing with the county are doing it out of ego trips for themselves, they dont give a damn about their county team mates, the county itself, winning, or their management. They are going to try look after themselves first and foremost, get a bit of free gear to wear around the place, and be seen as a county player. The only problem now is that to be seen as an Offaly county player would be on a par with been seen as a Junior C footballer. I could go and name names, and quiet alot of names at that of the players that have completely the wrong attitude and reasons for playing county football but ye all could have a fair rattle at who they are.

Yes theres not a massive amount of talent in this little county of ours but there certainly is enough to be competitive with 75 % of the counties. Theres no excuse for not been competitive.

When Offaly teams fall a bit behind, the towel is thrown in completely, sure what about it we'll head to the tap and stick the chests out and that will be great.

Possibly the most guttless, depressing Offaly football performance I saw was against Westmeath in O' Connor park not too long ago. On our own patch against a piss poor Westmeath team, they were hammered. I saw the players after that evening and I can guarantee you here and now only two of them were absolutely gutted. A ballycumber man, and a gracefield man. The rest were in buoyant mood. Now McNamee and Mcmanus were not to be seen but knowing them and their winning attitude and pride for the county jersey I'd say they just went home in disgust straight from O' Connor park.

The attitude is wrong, vey very wrong.