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Not sure if there has been a thread about this and I know it is a topic overly discussed these days, but I just wanted to find out how it has affected Offaly clubs personally? For instance, my own club has been hit very hard. 3 players from last years starting team have emigrated thus far and we have lost another 3 (1 from the starting 15) to retirement due to various reasons. We are a small club and have always only fielded one team, and are going to suffer as the numbers are just not there to replace these figures. I just wanted to know has any other club been affected like we have? Are any clubs helping out players unemployed with work locally etc?

It's a problem in all most every club but does hit the small clubs harder. I know off the top of my head 7 players from my club that have gone to oz or Canada 5 off which would be on the first team . It is some thing that is not going to ease any time soon.

One thing I’ve always been curious about is how many of the posters on this forum are abroad (for whatever reasons).

I gather Man from Ferbane , Kevin and AZ Offaly are all ‘out foreign’.

Who else is based abroad and where as a matter of interest?

I've recently joined the ranks of the diaspora - Abu Dhabi.
So thanks to everybody here for the previews, opinions and especially the first-hand accounts of the games.

Lean Times wrote:Not sure if there has been a thread about this and I know it is a topic overly discussed these days, but I just wanted to find out how it has affected Offaly clubs personally? For instance, my own club has been hit very hard. 3 players from last years starting team have emigrated thus far and we have lost another 3 (1 from the starting 15) to retirement due to various reasons. We are a small club and have always only fielded one team, and are going to suffer as the numbers are just not there to replace these figures. I just wanted to know has any other club been affected like we have? Are any clubs helping out players unemployed with work locally etc?

We have lost another one since I've written this! A recent junior player of the year as well! That makes 4 from the starting team last year are out of the country and a further 3 (1 from the starting 15) have retired from last years team.

durra1 wrote:One thing I’ve always been curious about is how many of the posters on this forum are abroad (for whatever reasons).

I gather Man from Ferbane , Kevin and AZ Offaly are all ‘out foreign’.

Who else is based abroad and where as a matter of interest?

Don't know what gave you that impression, I'm still in Ireland, working in Dublin and clocking in the miles up and back for football!

AZ Offaly is in Tipp I think?

Still, foreign enough I suppose?