Offaly County Board Thread

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Lone Shark
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Re: Offaly County Board Thread

Post by Lone Shark »

joe bloggs wrote:It appears that the galway Co board offered to play offaly in ocp this weekend on the proviso this would start a home and away arrangement, and the Co board turned it down.
If true this is scandalous. We have been saddled for years now with a stadium we can't really afford, and an opportunity comes along to have a marquee fixture like this played at home and we turn it down. I know it would mean our next game with them would be Salthill, but every second time we would play them it would be at home in the future, but travelling to Galway would be a more straightforward trip than wexford park for example.
I may have even broken my boycott of watching offaly in Tullamore for this game! :D
If that is the case, and I'll certainly look into it, it wouldn't have been within the remit of the Offaly county board to agree to such a thing. As things stand, Leinster Council do not permit Galway to have any home games in this championship and if the two counties met again in 2017, Galway standing up and saying that Offaly agreed to come to Galway would mean nothing.

This is a provincial council fixture, so they decide where it goes - Offaly county board would have input, but no authority to decide.
Kevin Egan. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.

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Re: Offaly County Board Thread

Post by Toxicity234 »

It may be time for Galway to be given full admission to the Leinster Championship at all level.
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joe bloggs
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Re: Offaly County Board Thread

Post by joe bloggs »

Here is the article about the game not being fixed in Tullamore http://m.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-ga ... 05968.html
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Re: Offaly County Board Thread

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Galway dont say who "turned down" their proposals re Westmeat & Offaly games/venues......... So to say OY CB turned them down is reaching.......

They came into Leinster on the basis that their games would be played in Leinster and this is what Central & Leinster Councils agreed,,,,,,, so any change has to be agreed at Leinster Council first, may need Central Council approval & its only then the possibility of Home/Away arrangements could be considered by Leinster counties....

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joe bloggs
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Re: Offaly County Board Thread

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ryot wrote:Galway dont say who "turned down" their proposals re Westmeat & Offaly games/venues......... So to say OY CB turned them down is reaching.......

They came into Leinster on the basis that their games would be played in Leinster and this is what Central & Leinster Councils agreed,,,,,,, so any change has to be agreed at Leinster Council first, may need Central Council approval & its only then the possibility of Home/Away arrangements could be considered by Leinster counties....
My understanding is that this was the initial agreement for both Galway and Antrim when they joined Leinster, but i thought that was lifted after 3 years, but am open to correction.
We have seen Leinster round robin games now in both Kerry and Antrim, so I can't see how anyone could justify stopping Galway from playing at home. In fact had Westmeath beaten them then round robin games would have been in Galway next year.
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Re: Offaly County Board Thread

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joe bloggs wrote:
ryot wrote:Galway dont say who "turned down" their proposals re Westmeat & Offaly games/venues......... So to say OY CB turned them down is reaching.......

They came into Leinster on the basis that their games would be played in Leinster and this is what Central & Leinster Councils agreed,,,,,,, so any change has to be agreed at Leinster Council first, may need Central Council approval & its only then the possibility of Home/Away arrangements could be considered by Leinster counties....
My understanding is that this was the initial agreement for both Galway and Antrim when they joined Leinster, but i thought that was lifted after 3 years, but am open to correction.
We have seen Leinster round robin games now in both Kerry and Antrim, so I can't see how anyone could justify stopping Galway from playing at home. In fact had Westmeath beaten them then round robin games would have been in Galway next year.
I think that the Leinster Council made it clear last year that they have no objection to any county entering a "home & away" arrangement with Galway but that they will not force any county to enter such an agreement. Leinster Council want Galway to remain in Leinster for competition & revenue reasons, so they will not prevent any "home & away" agreements.
Offaly Co Board who have gained valued income from Galway's games in Tullamore have missed an opportunity to increase this income and give Offaly hurling supporters an attractive home championship game. Why was such a huge cost incurred in the re development of O'Connor Park if the Co Board refuse to host "Home Games" there.

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Re: Offaly County Board Thread

Post by Bord na Mona man »

Aye, but if Galway go into home and away arrangements with Kilkinny and Dublin, it will be less games in Tellamore.
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Re: Offaly County Board Thread

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Sharp Eye wrote: I think that the Leinster Council made it clear last year that they have no objection to any county entering a "home & away" arrangement with Galway but that they will not force any county to enter such an agreement. Leinster Council want Galway to remain in Leinster for competition & revenue reasons, so they will not prevent any "home & away" agreements.
Offaly Co Board who have gained valued income from Galway's games in Tullamore have missed an opportunity to increase this income and give Offaly hurling supporters an attractive home championship game. Why was such a huge cost incurred in the re development of O'Connor Park if the Co Board refuse to host "Home Games" there.
Genuine question - I saw something in the Irish Independent hinting at this from Leinster Council all right, though it didn't say it explicitly, but I couldn't get confirmation of it. At the time it was reported, the Offaly county board certainly hadn't received any correspondence. I suppose it's too much to ask that you have a reliable source for this decree from Leinster? Sadly the Indo ceased to be a reliable source several years ago, and certainly not in matters relating to Galway, where Martin Breheny is incredibly biased and one-eyed.

I know that when Galway went into Leinster first, they made extortionate demands, looking for far in excess of what the actual Leinster counties get from the pot, so they got a lot of people's backs up. I've no doubt that the demands are far more reasonable now, but Galway may have burned a few bridges - but that's just speculation on my part, with regard to the current situation I mean.

Also, let's just assume for a moment that the option is there for the Offaly county board to enter into a home and away arrangement. Now just to be clear, I have no evidence for any of this - I am speculating. If Offaly and Galway refuse to go into an arrangement, then it's reasonable to assume that all games between the two counties will be in Portlaoise, barring it's a Leinster final. And if Laois and Galway don't agree either, then all games between those two teams get played in Tullamore. Let's say that in a five year spell, Galway play Laois twice and Offaly twice. If Offaly and Laois hold firm, then O'Connor Park and O'Moore Park get two games each, all four games are played in venues where the Leinster counties would have a slight familiarity advantage, and all four games are played within an hour's drive of 95% of the county's supporters. If both counties enter into agreements, OCP and OMP get one game each while Salthill gets two, there is no familiarity advantage over the course of the two games and away trips for supporters of both counties become a complete nightmare. (Many readers of this site will never have been to Pearse Stadium on a championship Sunday - travelling to and from is a complete nightmare, nothing like a league game in the Spring.)

It would be entirely logical for Offaly and Laois to work together on this. As I said, I've no evidence that they are, but it is possible. Certainly I'd rather go to Portlaoise twice than go to O'Connor Park once and Salthill once - and I live in Roscommon now. If I lived in Kinnitty or Shinrone, the decision would be easier still.
Kevin Egan. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.

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Re: Offaly County Board Thread

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Lone Shark wrote:
Sharp Eye wrote: I think that the Leinster Council made it clear last year that they have no objection to any county entering a "home & away" arrangement with Galway but that they will not force any county to enter such an agreement. Leinster Council want Galway to remain in Leinster for competition & revenue reasons, so they will not prevent any "home & away" agreements.
Offaly Co Board who have gained valued income from Galway's games in Tullamore have missed an opportunity to increase this income and give Offaly hurling supporters an attractive home championship game. Why was such a huge cost incurred in the re development of O'Connor Park if the Co Board refuse to host "Home Games" there.
Genuine question - I saw something in the Irish Independent hinting at this from Leinster Council all right, though it didn't say it explicitly, but I couldn't get confirmation of it. At the time it was reported, the Offaly county board certainly hadn't received any correspondence. I suppose it's too much to ask that you have a reliable source for this decree from Leinster? Sadly the Indo ceased to be a reliable source several years ago, and certainly not in matters relating to Galway, where Martin Breheny is incredibly biased and one-eyed.

I know that when Galway went into Leinster first, they made extortionate demands, looking for far in excess of what the actual Leinster counties get from the pot, so they got a lot of people's backs up. I've no doubt that the demands are far more reasonable now, but Galway may have burned a few bridges - but that's just speculation on my part, with regard to the current situation I mean.

Also, let's just assume for a moment that the option is there for the Offaly county board to enter into a home and away arrangement. Now just to be clear, I have no evidence for any of this - I am speculating. If Offaly and Galway refuse to go into an arrangement, then it's reasonable to assume that all games between the two counties will be in Portlaoise, barring it's a Leinster final. And if Laois and Galway don't agree either, then all games between those two teams get played in Tullamore. Let's say that in a five year spell, Galway play Laois twice and Offaly twice. If Offaly and Laois hold firm, then O'Connor Park and O'Moore Park get two games each, all four games are played in venues where the Leinster counties would have a slight familiarity advantage, and all four games are played within an hour's drive of 95% of the county's supporters. If both counties enter into agreements, OCP and OMP get one game each while Salthill gets two, there is no familiarity advantage over the course of the two games and away trips for supporters of both counties become a complete nightmare. (Many readers of this site will never have been to Pearse Stadium on a championship Sunday - travelling to and from is a complete nightmare, nothing like a league game in the Spring.)

It would be entirely logical for Offaly and Laois to work together on this. As I said, I've no evidence that they are, but it is possible. Certainly I'd rather go to Portlaoise twice than go to O'Connor Park once and Salthill once - and I live in Roscommon now. If I lived in Kinnitty or Shinrone, the decision would be easier still.
I think that Offaly should have agreed to a "Home & Away" arrangement with Galway for badly needed hurling promotion reasons. I would expect a much greater number of underage supporters in Tullamore than in Portlaoise.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic- ... 71106.html

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Re: Offaly County Board Thread

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I'll agree that there's some merit in what you say, however from a sporting and a financial point of view, there would be a cost to that decision. You started off by making the point that Offaly could have increased their income, I merely made the point that if there is an understanding there to hold firm and for Laois to do the same, then going into a home/away arrangement would decrease this income.

My question though was if you had a source for your assertion that Leinster Council were now okay with the principle that SHC games could be held in Galway, and that the Offaly county board had the authority to enter into such an agreement even if they wanted to. I stress here that I'm not saying you're wrong, merely that I looked into this last year and it wasn't the case then (or so I was told).

I certainly wouldn't hang my hat on comments from Noel Treacy anyway.
Kevin Egan. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.

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Re: Offaly County Board Thread

Post by joe bloggs »

Lone Shark wrote:
Sharp Eye wrote: I think that the Leinster Council made it clear last year that they have no objection to any county entering a "home & away" arrangement with Galway but that they will not force any county to enter such an agreement. Leinster Council want Galway to remain in Leinster for competition & revenue reasons, so they will not prevent any "home & away" agreements.
Offaly Co Board who have gained valued income from Galway's games in Tullamore have missed an opportunity to increase this income and give Offaly hurling supporters an attractive home championship game. Why was such a huge cost incurred in the re development of O'Connor Park if the Co Board refuse to host "Home Games" there.




It would be entirely logical for Offaly and Laois to work together on this. As I said, I've no evidence that they are, but it is possible. Certainly I'd rather go to Portlaoise twice than go to O'Connor Park once and Salthill once - and I live in Roscommon now. If I lived in Kinnitty or Shinrone, the decision would be easier still.
I don't think any possible behind closed doors with Laois should be used in such a cynical manner. We probably have the 3rd best stadium in the province, and I for one along with many others i'm sure did not pony up €100 for draw tickets for OCP every year when they were on sale for us to then pass up the opportunity of staging a game such as this one . I didn't spend my hard earned cash just so Dublin and Roscommon could come to Tullamore for an under 21 game!

As sharp eye has stated the value of having a home tie like this for the promotion of the game is priceless, which may not come around again for many years.
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Re: Offaly County Board Thread

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Wing Back wrote:I believe that a revised version of the Hurling development report is finally being laid before the county board next week. Can anyone confirm this?

I accept many peoples views about it being a thankless position being on the board or being a delegate for that matter.........but even allowing for that.......It's still hard to credit what has gone on in relation to this. Hopefully some answers will be forthcoming.
Does anyone know anything about this and if anything is happening about it this week?
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