Interview with Sean Lowry

[True Red]

Continuing the great series of interviews that so far have included, Jack Sheedy,Finbarr Cullen,Seamus Darby,Gerry Carroll,Sean Foran and Padraig Dunne, there is a great (and hard hitting)interview published today on http://www.edenderrygaa.com featuring Ferbane and Offaly legend and treble All Ireland winner, Sean Lowry.

[Lone Shark]

No hanging back from Sean in that. It's pretty engaging reading, but I don't know if I'd necessarily agree with all of it - I'm sure that the trainers of forty years ago would have said that the kids were unmanageable too, for one thing. Still, there's no arguing with his record as a player, one of the best we ever had.

[Bord na Mona man]

I think Sean is being pessimistic about young players here. In every county you have the same issues with players and their lifestyles.
Good man managers can work around a lot of these issues. There might be plenty of problem players in Offaly, but I also suspect some of the coaches don't pitch themselves very well to the players either.

Its like Babs Keating complaining a couple of years back about how the modern Tipp day hurlers he was managing wouldn't listen to him. Yet Liam Sheedy seems to be getting his own message across to the very same players.

[offalyman08]

I think he is dead right. The younger lads these days are far to big for there boots. They need to be thought some manners. Out of a panel of maybe 24 or 25 players you only ever get 5 or 6 lads that just shut up and listen and do what there told.
I also agree with him regarding Offaly Seniors. Maybe Richie wasnt the ideal choice but deal the hand your dealt. Dont throw your toys out of the pram

[red exile]

these 3 or 4 'senior' players that were involved in richie connors sacking are ,yet again, cropping up in interviews.who are they and did they play any better under the new manager, can no one name them or is it against the law

[Bord na Mona man]

I could name 12 of the 4 ringleaders.
Probably best not to mention the war though.

[offalyman08]

I think 2 of them are fairly obvious their there a long time.. They probably cant be named without proof

[TheManFromFerbane]

Well whatever about the lads on that Offaly panel I think he's been fierce harsh on the young-fellas these days.

It was never the case the you'd get 15 minors progressing from minor to senior. Sure that would never work! You were always lucky to get just the 3-5 and if you got them every year you'd be delighted. It'd keep a nice spread on things. He's been fierce hard on our young-fellas too. Jesus they're winning all-round them in underage 'A' competitions. What more does he want? Instead of encouraging them he's beating them down and trying to lessen their achievements.

I know other people would say it happens in every club but I definitely think we have a bigger problem with people trying to beat our players down at every opportunity.

I'm very disappointed to be honest because being such a legend in the town his words carry more weight and are even more damaging.

[Lone Shark]

The simple truth of it is that it's hard keep young lads progressing full stop - however it's better to be working with a particularly talented bunch of young lads with a taste for success and with a culture of winning rather than working with poor teams for whom football means nothing only losing matches. All the distractions Seán refers to are in place for good and not-so-good footballers alike and while the teenagers in Ferbane who are currently going well might drift away, they might not either. One way or another, I'd prefer the chances of Ferbane holding on to a good share of them than some other clubs where the young lads in question share the same distractions, but might not have had the opportunity to build up the same fond memories from playing football.

The corollary to that point is that many of these distractions simply weren't in place in previous years. Seán appears to be referring to an age when other sports weren't on offer, when the majority of leaving cert graduates didn't automatically go to college, and when lads got married and settled down in their early twenties. It was simply a different culture and whatever about the rights and wrongs of it, bemoaning it missed the point that it's the same everywhere in Ireland.

[offalyman08]

"the man from ferbane". I think the young lads he was refering to are every club not ferbane's club. If you look at the question asked it doesnt appear to be about ferbane's minors or u16 its about that age group in general

[Lone Shark]

"the man from ferbane". I think the young lads he was refering to are every club not ferbane's club. If you look at the question asked it doesnt appear to be about ferbane's minors or u16 its about that age group in general

??? Not as it appears on site. The question is whether or not there will be a revival in Ferbane's fortunes, and Seán says no on the grounds that Jimmy Grennan was the leading senior light and that the underage teams can't be depended on, partially because of distractions and partially because there are Shannonbridge lads in there as well. (That could hardly apply to everyone!!)

[offalyman08]

Sorry i was refering to at the end of the report where he talked about u16's and minors. We were on different wave lenghts!!

[club125]

I think Lowry is on the money across the board. The man has seen it in both Deel Rovers Crossmolina and Ferbane. Anyone involved directly in a Club will vouch for what he is saying.

U16 and particularly Minor are very difficult to manage. Whilst the attitudes of 15-18 year olds has changes over the years for the worse. I believe at County Board level we have not responded effectively. Our competitions are based on formats drawn up over 20 years ago. We are not providing enough real games for our underage players. We have a Minor Championship that starts in May and finishes in Oct. (Dec last year) a competition that can be won in 7 games.

I believe that Offaly does not have enough quality individuals involved at County Board Level to have separate underage structures. This requires huge duplication of committees, including discipline. People are put forward to serve on committees without the adequate skills. I know of high ranking officials who don't know the rules they are supposed to be implementing. What in effect happens is that you get a mediocre Management Committee and a very poor Coiste na nOg. Neither knows what the other is doing to the determent of our games across the county.

Tyrone, a very successful County have the one management Committee dealing with all age groups. Their CCC deals with adult and underage fixtures, discipline etc.

Surely all we have to do is examine a good model and implement it

[Oceans 15]

I think this interview only enforces what was thought around the county about Richies appointment, it was a "done deal" before the interviews even took place. If Mickey Harte, Jack O'Connor and Mick O'Dwyer had been interviewd as a joint management team thay wouldn't have got a look in. Some how Sean forgets to mention the disgraceful manner in which the interview process was carried out....

[offalyman08]

Agree with club 125.. Minors are getting worse. Just look to our neighbours in westmeath. Rochfortbridge minor manager quit this week after some of his players egged his house? Now can you imagine Sean Foran or Sean Lowry doing that back in the 50's or 60's? Discipline needs to start at home first. If it doesnt come from there managers are wasting their time with them