Football plan, Whats the story?

[Truth as i see it]

Ok so the hurling plan is up and running and will be put in place over the next few months, excellent stuff, the hurling side of the county has been taken care of to an extent, its not perfect but there's a plan in place to help grow the game over the next few years, fantastic and well done to every one involved in helping to set up the plan BUT....

What about the football plan?

Last i heard it was supposed to be discussed at the county board meeting at the start of this month and yet again, no info has been forthcoming about its progress, no updates on if the plan is in draft form yet, and yet again no one is asking questions (unless its like last time and i'm the only one who doesn't know what's going on) if someone does would you care to fill the rest of us in?

So to repeat the question, Whats the story?

[Truth as i see it]

Really??? no ones heard anything, ok? ya know sometimes i get the feeling that people on hear give f all about football, the footballers manage to win some games and there's hardly a peep, the hurlers lose one game and its the end of civilization as we know it, alright then w'e'll just carry on regardless with the football set up shall we and not ask why there isn't a football plan in place when we go out at the first round stage next year... Oh wait a minute, didn't we do that last season

[jimbob17]

Really??? no ones heard anything, ok? ya know sometimes i get the feeling that people on hear give f all about football, the footballers manage to win some games and there's hardly a peep, the hurlers lose one game and its the end of civilization as we know it, alright then w'e'll just carry on regardless with the football set up shall we and not ask why there isn't a football plan in place when we go out at the first round stage next year... Oh wait a minute, didn't we do that last season

In fairness, the hurling has fallen a lot more than the football. The hurling is so far off the mark that it really was and is an issue. The footballers have been competitive along similar lines to where they were 10 years ago. They havent dropped hugely and are in much better place than 3/4 years ago before present management took over. Underage also has done reasonably ok and they are competitive most years. Same couldnt be said for hurling. That said a review would be a good thing. Have heard that similar to hurling, there are plans in motion to deliver a document to address it but dont know any more than that.

[Truth as i see it]

Ok so i know that the football league is starting up and that and the hurling league will be the focus for the next few weeks but there's still no news on the football development plan and i haven't heard anything about this promotional officer we were supposed to be getting in. Is this going to be like the hurling plan where we have to wait another year before we hear anything about it, i'm sure many people reading this will say just drop it and leave it go but sorry i cant. The board have said time and time again that they have something in the works for Football in the county (contrary to popular belief i'm not ani hurling i just want to see football get a fair shake too), are we getting a football development plan or aren't we and does anyone know if this promotion officer role has been filled yet?

[private joker]

Is there even a hurling plan. Other than talk and a document released, what has actually happened? As far as I'm aware the development squads aren't even up and running. I stand to be corrected on this. Offaly in every regard both at club and county are way behind a lot of the counties they hope to one day match on the playing field.

[Cmon Offaly]

Private Joker, Offaly hurling development squads are a shambles this year. A guy from Dublin was brought in as the great white hope to develop a hurling plan and all he has done is make a balls of it. I heard this week last years under 15 and 16 development squads managements have all been got rid of despite both squads winning silverware last year. No reviews of the 14, 15, 16 or 17 squads was carried out until last weekend despite all squads finishing up last Aug/Sept. Now one management team has been given the u16 and 17 squads for this year. I personally know a coupler of guys that were in involved in managements last year and to hear the stories the have told me about what has gone on over the last few months and the behavior of people in authority is brutal. All these guys give of there time free of charge and get no expenses and this is how they are treated. At the end of the day it is the players that suffer and word on the street is that several of the top players of both squads are refusing to make themselves available to Offaly this year because of the treatment of managements.

[private joker]

That's very disappointing to hear. I thought with a director of hurling appointed that offaly might move in the right direction. But from what I can gather there are simply not enough quality people within the county to put a plan together and get hurling and football on the right road to success.

[Truth as i see it]

That's very disappointing to hear. I thought with a director of hurling appointed that offaly might move in the right direction. But from what I can gather there are simply not enough quality people within the county to put a plan together and get hurling and football on the right road to success.

I was talking to a friend of mine who happens to be a dub working in Roscommon and he inadvertently hit the nail on the head on Offaly's problem when he said that for years there were lads on the Dublin Board who were too wrapped up in the traditional way of doing things and wouldn't entertain any new ideas on the way to run the county setup, that all changed when some new blood came onto the board who saw all of the resources available to them in the capital and came up with the blue wave development plan that has led them to the success they have had, unfortunately i think we have a similar problem here in Offaly, the county board have a perfectly good plan in front of them but some of the traditionlists just cant see past the 1980's . Wicklow manager Johnny Mcgee made another good point yesterday in the star when he said that when you are a division 4 team in either hurling or football county boards tend to settle for low standards and are too accepting of their situation, this is the biggest problem we have in this county from both, players, fans and county board members

[Bord na Mona man]

That's very disappointing to hear. I thought with a director of hurling appointed that offaly might move in the right direction. But from what I can gather there are simply not enough quality people within the county to put a plan together and get hurling and football on the right road to success.

I was talking to a friend of mine who happens to be a dub working in Roscommon and he inadvertently hit the nail on the head on Offaly's problem when he said that for years there were lads on the Dublin Board who were too wrapped up in the traditional way of doing things and wouldn't entertain any new ideas on the way to run the county setup, that all changed when some new blood came onto the board who saw all of the resources available to them in the capital and came up with the blue wave development plan that has led them to the success they have had, unfortunately i think we have a similar problem here in Offaly, the county board have a perfectly good plan in front of them but some of the traditionlists just cant see past the 1980's .

That may well be the case, however there is no evidence that new blood is being thwarted in any way in Offaly. Quite the opposite. People just aren't putting themselves forward to take on jobs.

In Dublin's case, the seeds were sown well before the 'blue wave' the development plan though. Most of Dublin's best players were already developed by this stage.

[LooseCannon]

It turns out, Flanagan did one, and the county board wouldn't publish it

[Bord na Mona man]

It turns out, Flanagan did one, and the county board wouldn't publish it

It might eventually turn up on Wikileaks or the Fancy Bears site.