Offaly Senior Football Club Championship 2011

[Long John]

Just read in the paper that Kevin Williamson has transferred to a Dublin club. Another blow to Tullamore. I know he wouldnt be classed as a top class footballer but he still would have been worth a couple of score to the Tullamore attack.

I really cant understand how easily these players show no loyalty to their clubs. I know some will argue the point that it involves alot of travel but theres alot of players living away from their clubs who do their own training during the week or train with a local club and then come home for games on weekends. Its not that big a deal if you genuinely had an interest in your club. Dublin is not a massive journey.

Its a worrying trend that these young lads just up sticks and move clubs when their own clubs are struggling. Different story if they were pushing for a county final.

[Lone Shark]

Unquestionably that's a blow to Tullamore, but it's possibly unfair to say that he could just come up and down. Tullamore might not be happy with just seeing him at weekends, he could have a job that occasionally requires weekend work, and it's very unfair to say that it's only a short trip down - it is if you're in one of the business parks along the M50, it's not if you're working in Ringsend, or up in Donabate, or Donnybrook. Lot of traffic there, enough to make sure that you'd have to leave before five to be sure of being down at seven.

Perhaps his job is contingent on the transfer either?

It does start to beg the question though - if Tullamore do lose to Tubber, as now looks likely, then the prospect of relegation looks very real. Am I the only one who thinks it unlikely that the county board would let Tullamore go down to Intermediate next year? Indeed should they let them go down?

[Long John]

I really think any club would much prefer to have these players even if it is just at weekends rather than not having them at all. Its not ideal but it still would make a big difference to clubs especially the ones that are struggling.

It might just be my harsh opinion but I think alot of these players dont like when things get tough in a club and use any excuse they can to jump ship.

Yes as LS pointed out there might be the prospect of Tullamore facing relegation but I really feel that Shamrocks are just fulfilling fixtures at this stage and will be relegated without question. Their last couple of results were just dreadful.

[True Red]

It does start to beg the question though - if Tullamore do lose to Tubber, as now looks likely, then the prospect of relegation looks very real.

Nothing set in stone as of yet as regards the outcome of that fixture and I wouldnt second guess the result for a second. Tullamore are quite capable of pulling a result out of the fire in that game.

Am I the only one who thinks it unlikely that the county board would let Tullamore go down to Intermediate next year? Indeed should they let them go down?

Ah here, that is an unreal statement. Now there is a lot of football to be played yet but If that is allowed to happen well then we may as well all throw our hats at it. If the county board decided on a whim that Tullamore should be allowed to stay up if they lost out in a relegation playoff, well do St Brigids not have a case to be allowed back into the SFC, (if they dont win the IFC this year) or Shannonbridge who were relegated the year before, or if Rynaghs hadnt won the IFC last year could they have looked to be re-instated because, well.......because they really really really want to be part of the SFC.

And i know that you are gonna tell me that the county's capital town are a massive outlet for all things GAA in the county, and it wouldnt do the county any good to have them down intermediate, and what about the young up and coming Offaly star's that need to be playing SFC and wont someone please, please think of the children that wont be able to travel to Clonbulloge to watch the Tullamore IFC team play Bracknagh in the 1st round next year(that is if they are relegated)

Well balls to all that. Them's the breaks and that is the format of the Championship agreed by the County Board and voted on by club delegates,a group of which would have contained Tullamore delegates. If the County Board decided, ah feck it sure we'll let Tullamore stay up even though they lost 6 games it brings the credibility of the Championship into question.

[toughtackler]

Am I the only one who thinks it unlikely that the county board would let Tullamore go down to Intermediate next year? Indeed should they let them go down?

Ah here, that is an unreal statement. Now there is a lot of football to be played yet but If that is allowed to happen well then we may as well all throw our hats at it. If the county board decided on a whim that Tullamore should be allowed to stay up if they lost out in a relegation playoff, well do St Brigids not have a case to be allowed back into the SFC, (if they dont win the IFC this year) or Shannonbridge who were relegated the year before, or if Rynaghs hadnt won the IFC last year could they have looked to be re-instated because, well.......because they really really really want to be part of the SFC.

And i know that you are gonna tell me that the county's capital town are a massive outlet for all things GAA in the county, and it wouldnt do the county any good to have them down intermediate, and what about the young up and coming Offaly star's that need to be playing SFC and wont someone please, please think of the children that wont be able to travel to Clonbulloge to watch the Tullamore IFC team play Bracknagh in the 1st round next year(that is if they are relegated)

Well balls to all that. Them's the breaks and that is the format of the Championship agreed by the County Board and voted on by club delegates,a group of which would have contained Tullamore delegates. If the County Board decided, ah feck it sure we'll let Tullamore stay up even though they lost 6 games it brings the credibility of the Championship into question.[/quote]


Have to agree with True Red here.....Why oh why let a club who has been relegated fairly and squarely stay senior 'for the good of the county'.There would be blue jaysus murder is this happened.....It's not going to happen unless the whole county board are willing to stand down immediately after allowing this to happen.....Tullamore are struggling,Shamrocks are in the same boat but if they're in the relegation battle well then thats not anyone elses fault only their own....Still think Tullamore will stay up due to the fact that they've too many decent footballers who on their day would do damage...As for shamrocks....well I think Babs Keatings "Sheep in a heap" would be a good way of describing their situation.....

[OffalyDub]

As it happens, I don't think Tullamore will be relegated. I think Shamrocks are more likely to be, although it is amazing the performances that can come from a team when the chips are down.

If Tullamore are in relegation playoff and lose, then they should go down next year. End of story. It is not like they are Intermediate anymore also which would really cause a problem for county board.

The other side of the coin I suppose is Rhode. They have a chance of winning Intermediate (as well as Senior obviously). Would the Intermediate runners up be promoted in this case? Or would this be the perfect solution for the county board, in that Rhode couldn't have two seniors teams, so the team which loses Senior relegation playoff stay up? Just a thought, and not entirely impossible.

[Lone Shark]

If Rhode intermediates win their championship then i think what happens is that the senior team down for relegation has the option of staying up.

By the way I'm not saying that Tullamore SHOULD be allowed stay up if they lose to Tubber and to Ballycumber/Shamrocks, but it's being naive to say that there wouldn't be a debate about it at county board level. Rest assured there would be.

[puzzled]

It does start to beg the question though - if Tullamore do lose to Tubber, as now looks likely, then the prospect of relegation looks very real. Am I the only one who thinks it unlikely that the county board would let Tullamore go down to Intermediate next year? Indeed should they let them go down?

I feel very strongly on this issue if relegation is there for one it is there for all whether its Rhode Ferbane Shamrocks or Tullamore if a club finds itself in trouble at the end of the year then NO exceptions can be made!
When Edenderry Shannonbridge or any other club were relegated the county board or no-one else worried about them,they just had to get on with playing football and trying to get back up to senior as quick as they could!
The same applies in the hurling relegation NO special treatment can be given to anyone and as far as i know even if a club has an intermediate team it doesnt save them,they would still be sent down with their intermediate team having to go back to junior A!
While i'm not a huge fan of relegating any club that wants to compete at senior level,the county board made the decision a few years ago to bring in relegation and while its there it applies to everyone!

[concrete]

williamson leaving is a massive blow to tullamore, i think its unfair to say he left when the going got tough, he didnt play in the defeats to edenderry or erin rovers as the tullamore selecters wouldnt allow him to tog out against edenderry as he hadnt trained as much as the rest of the players, yet allowed the 2 lads home from new zealand to tog out, i think if any player was treated like that they would do the same

[Doon Massive]

I also think its very unfair to question any players transfer or motives without knowing the full picture.
Bear in mind that even with a player available for weekends, many games are now played on weekday nights, making it extremely difficult on any player that has to travel

[jimbob17]

Apparently Williamson walked out of Tullamore over two months ago when things started going bad and was then disappointed that he wasnt selected for Edenderry game and decided to leave. Probably a good footballer but always seemed to be to be more interested in himself looking good than the team winning when he played with offaly or tullamore imo.

Looking ahead to the next round of games, with Edenderry rhode and pullough assured of relegation, either of the other three can still be relegated or get to quarters.
Tubber look most likely to make it through being hot favourites to beat tullamore who are in dissarray, while ferbane must topple Erin Rovers (favourites) or lose by a tiny margin and hope tullamore beat tubber by a small margin (less than 6 points) to make it through. Tullamore would have to win by at least nine points and hope that ferbane lose to make it to quarters. However a win v Tubber and ferbane getting a point would mean tubber are in the bottom. while a loss for ferbane by a large score > 6 points puts them in the mix for relegation if tullamore beat Tubber. Tullamore are obviously favourites to finish bottom at this stage but itll all boil down to what happens in the 2 games on the day.

On the other side, Ballycumber should account for shamrocks to avoid a relegation scrap though i think this game will be closer than people think. The other teams will fight it out for places in the top four with the top team to avoid rhode in the quarters.

[GOOFY]

Thought myself that if Tullamore win by 6 and rovers beat Ferbane then Tullamore are through?? If that is the case then its do - able for the town side imo. Dont think they're in as bad a mess as people are making out, they have been very competitive in every game with the exception of the ferbane match, so i for one wudnt rule them out just yet, its a long shot for them though.

[Lone Shark]

Thought myself that if Tullamore win by 6 and rovers beat Ferbane then Tullamore are through?? If that is the case then its do - able for the town side imo. Dont think they're in as bad a mess as people are making out, they have been very competitive in every game with the exception of the ferbane match, so i for one wudnt rule them out just yet, its a long shot for them though.

Ferbane would also have to lose by seven in that instance, though obviously reduce that for every point over six that Tullamore win by. Sadly on current form, that's do-able too.

[Long John]

I have to agree with Goofy and LS. Tullamore might be struggling a bit but they still have good numbers to pick from and alot of good younger lads are only breaking into the team now that others are unavailable. Whatever team they put out wont be too bad.

Yes they were terrible against Rovers but they were a bit unlucky not to get anything from the Edenderry game where they had enough chances to win the game. The same Edenderry team that are making good progress and some people claim will give Rhode a good fight. So Tullamore cant be that bad.

Tullamore always seem to pull out a good result when they need it.

[Over The Black Spot]

I also think its very unfair to question any players transfer or motives without knowing the full picture.
Bear in mind that even with a player available for weekends, many games are now played on weekday nights, making it extremely difficult on any player that has to travel

It's gotten very fashionable though of late to just up sticks and join a new club. I'm not saying that it was just an off the cuff decision in this case but fellas these days don't seem to have the same loyalty about them.

I, like I'm sure most others can, could tell you countless stories of fellas who are tavelling from all over the country, and indeed from overseas, to train and play with their clubs. There are some small clubs being kept alive because lads are willing to put in the miles to keep the show on the road. I just think it's a pity when someoe walks away from their own.