Offaly Club Hurling C'ship 2016

A forum to air your views on Offaly GAA matters and beyond.
greenairfield
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Re: Offaly Club Hurling C'ship 2016

Post by greenairfield »

Would love to see a Birr v Banagher final...
All the pressure would be on the blue and gold...and they by god they fear the green and red.

On top of the added pressure how they crumbled last year with the same kind of form they have this year....

It's Birr for me

frankthetank
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Re: Offaly Club Hurling C'ship 2016

Post by frankthetank »

I have just seen that the Tipperary Senior Hurling Final is fixed for October 16th. Tipperary has 32 senior hurling teams, has the most convuleted championship structure you could imagine and won the senior and minor hurling All Irelands this year, yet can still manage to have their hurling final played before us.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, having our hurling final on October 23rd is a disgrace.

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The Magpie
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Re: Offaly Club Hurling C'ship 2016

Post by The Magpie »

I know it's difficult to understand Frank, but you've missed one vital point.

Offaly compete in both Hurling and Football and getting the fixtures right to suit both is not easy.

Tipp only have to worry about Hurling.
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Exiled in Connacht
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Re: Offaly Club Hurling C'ship 2016

Post by Exiled in Connacht »

The Magpie wrote:I know it's difficult to understand Frank, but you've missed one vital point.

Offaly compete in both Hurling and Football and getting the fixtures right to suit both is not easy.

Tipp only have to worry about Hurling.
Jays us Magpie but I seem to remember Tipp being in this years AI football semi final which we have achieved only once since 1982.

I can only assume you posted that to wind up Fifitrixibelle. I hope !

private joker
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Re: Offaly Club Hurling C'ship 2016

Post by private joker »

Not alone did Tipperary contest the all Ireland semi this year, they also are the current munster club champions with commercials winning in 2015. They have won and lost minor all irelands , and contested an u21 all ireland. A small county like offaly should have a far tighter championship timetable designed for their clubs to compete as strong as possible in leinster and beyond.

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joe bloggs
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Re: Offaly Club Hurling C'ship 2016

Post by joe bloggs »

private joker wrote:Not alone did Tipperary contest the all Ireland semi this year, they also are the current munster club champions with commercials winning in 2015. They have won and lost minor all irelands , and contested an u21 all ireland. A small county like offaly should have a far tighter championship timetable designed for their clubs to compete as strong as possible in leinster and beyond.
It's the plethora of games to be fitted in to OCP that is creating the hold up.
'if your not part of the solution, your part of the problem' J. McClean

greenairfield
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Re: Offaly Club Hurling C'ship 2016

Post by greenairfield »

Birr v Kinnitty
St.Rynaghs v k/k

I am going to go for a Birr v K/K final.

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Lone Shark
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Re: Offaly Club Hurling C'ship 2016

Post by Lone Shark »

joe bloggs wrote:
private joker wrote:Not alone did Tipperary contest the all Ireland semi this year, they also are the current munster club champions with commercials winning in 2015. They have won and lost minor all irelands , and contested an u21 all ireland. A small county like offaly should have a far tighter championship timetable designed for their clubs to compete as strong as possible in leinster and beyond.
It's the plethora of games to be fitted in to OCP that is creating the hold up.
Not at all. It's the decision that has been taken not to play senior championship games on the weekends of the two All Ireland intercounty finals that has led to three week as opposed to two week gaps. And when we see the excellent crowds that attended the games in both Birr and Tullamore last week, that decision appears to be vindicated.
Kevin Egan. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.

greenairfield
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Re: Offaly Club Hurling C'ship 2016

Post by greenairfield »

Your views on what came out of the CB meeting last night Kevin?

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Lone Shark
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Re: Offaly Club Hurling C'ship 2016

Post by Lone Shark »

Didn't get to attend, I was working elsewhere. Having said that, the case for Birr is stronger than ever - attendances at both double headers at the weekend were exceptional, but even allowing for the fact that more people are off work on Sunday, the fact that there was a bigger crowd in Birr is significant.

At the moment Birr's capacity (I'm told by the club) is around 6,000, with the scope for some short term work that would open another gate, making it 6,600. At that level, you'd still legally have to make the county final all-ticket, which tends to hurt attendances badly, based on studies all across the country. By announcing a game is all ticket, a lot of people who might decide on Saturday or Sunday to go in depending on the weather, or what else they have on, get the impression that they've no ticket so they can't go, and they make other plans. Usually it hits the walk-up crowd very, very hard. So for that reason, I'd be saying that the county final (and thus the county semi-finals, to be fair to the participants) should be played in OCP. However you'd have to say that the portfolio of games to go to Birr should be increased, in recognition for the work they've done down there.

If all four clubs agree to play the county semi-finals there, then I'd agree that it would be the thing to do, even though logic would suggest that semi-finals and finals should be in the one place. I don't think it's fair to do so if its 3 vs 1 however, and I believe that's the case right now.
Kevin Egan. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.

kaiserchief
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Re: Offaly Club Hurling C'ship 2016

Post by kaiserchief »

Very logical explaination and opinion Kevin and this is the way CB should be approach this.

I as a supporter would prefer if both are played in one location and everyone would be of the same opinion. An all ticket semi final or final will never work.

A decision for the semi final to be in Birr should be based on the attendance of the last 3 or 4 years.

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Lone Shark
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Re: Offaly Club Hurling C'ship 2016

Post by Lone Shark »

kaiserchief wrote:Very logical explaination and opinion Kevin and this is the way CB should be approach this.

I as a supporter would prefer if both are played in one location and everyone would be of the same opinion. An all ticket semi final or final will never work.

A decision for the semi final to be in Birr should be based on the attendance of the last 3 or 4 years.
Just to be clear - if the semi-finals were in Birr, it's unlikely that the double header would need to be all ticket. The rule as I understand it is that the Gardaí ask for all-ticket for any event where the expected attendance is two thirds of a ground's capacity or more. That would equate to 4,000 people for the semis and while I wouldn't be surprised if it went close to that or even narrowly exceeded it, you could certainly reasonably claim 3,500 as the "expected" based on previous years.

My issue, and the issue that a lot of clubs would have, would be that the semi-finals should be played in the same ground as the final - and the expected attendance for the final would be at least 6,000, possibly more. My understanding is that it has averaged around that over the past decade or so and if it was Birr vs KK or Birr vs Rynaghs, you'd definitely be expecting to meet that average at least, possibly more. Kinnitty (being a smaller catchment area) mightn't bring as many, but they'd still bring pretty much everyone in their parish all the same.

But as I said, if all four clubs want to play the semis in Birr and they do so in the full knowledge that the final will be in OCP, then I'd personally be inclined to respect the clubs' wishes on that.
Kevin Egan. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.

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Re: Offaly Club Hurling C'ship 2016

Post by Sharp Eye »

The work carried out by Birr Club on St Brendan's Park is excellent. St Brendan's Park should have hosted more of the senior hurling championship group games this year.
St Brendan's Park should be given both Co Senior Hurling Semi-Finals with the final being given to O'Connor Park. In the past few years O'Connor Park has hosted too many games in late September/October causing the pitch surface to cut up very badly.

SearingDrive
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Re: Offaly Club Hurling C'ship 2016

Post by SearingDrive »

[quote="Sharp Eye"]The work carried out by Birr Club on St Brendan's Park is excellent. St Brendan's Park should have hosted more of the senior hurling championship group games this year.
St Brendan's Park should be given both Co Senior Hurling Semi-Finals with the final being given to O'Connor Park. In the past few years O'Connor Park has hosted too many games in late September/October causing the pitch surface to cut up very badly.[/quote

I enjoyed the quarter finals in Birr last Sunday, 2 good matches. Something special about the venue. Could I suggest that the public address be improved, it was impossible to hear the announcements last Sunday, the other recommendation is a few extra turnstiles, there was a queue on Sunday, due to the large crowd.
A few extra gates would relieve the pressure.

frankthetank
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Re: Offaly Club Hurling C'ship 2016

Post by frankthetank »

I'm still not of the opinion that OCP should be guaranteed the county hurling final. If the attendance of SBP can be brought to 6,600 then it should be adequate. And as for making it all-ticket, that shouldn't be an issue. Every game in OCP is all ticket in that you have to go to the ticket window and by a ticket.

A full SPB on county final day is a far more appealing prospect than a 33% full OCP. It should at least be trialled either this year or next.

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