time to show why we are called the faithful

[Kemo Sabe]

its just over a week away lads to our first championship game of the year .i feel we have a very good chance of beating kildare and good support will help the lads make that happen .its not like portlaoise is far away from anywhere in offaly .lets go there in big numbers and loads of colour and prove why i think we are the best supporters in the country .come on the faithful .

[bula bula]

Hard to feel too confident about this game but it is a derby which should bring out a few extra from anywhere neighbouring Kildare. I like your optimism but I can see us being badly outnumbered by the lilys who unlike us are high on confidence and showing good form. We will get the usual die hards and a few sunshine supporters but would be very surprised if there was more than 3 or 4 thousand faithfuls there. We will sure make ourslves heard though!

[bracknaghboy]

I'll never forget what they did to us in 1993 at the same venue......they were 0-11 to 0-01 up at half time and despite Offaly getting back to within 4 after the break they pushed on to win 2-14 to 0-09. There was some woeful sneering going on by the lillies that day and I'll always remember it. We were well outnumbered in the crowd. 16 years later I'll be there again hoping that we can do it but my head says its beyond us. We will be taking them on without a recognised full back and with a midfield that will be lucky to get 40% of the ball. However I've great time for Niall Mc and games like this are right up his street and I reckon we wont let us down. Also Kildare put in the worst 70mins of football witnessed in many a championship last year against Wicklow. When they were not getting their way they handpassed themselves out of the championship proper. They did well in the qualifiers last year as the pressure was off but its back on again and they'll be expected to win sunday week.....that mightn't sit too well with them especially if we get a good start.

[Kemo Sabe]

i was there in 93 and there is no doubt it was a bad day for offaly football .i remember the sneering that went on also .the lillies wouldnt be the most humble of people in victory .i think they are there for the taking i really do .they had an ok league but lets not forget they didnd get promotion with was one of there main objectives .if we can stay with them for 60 minutes they will panic like they always do and we can push on for the win .

[naasmanxrhode]

I was there too, a very hot day, Offaly were poor, the kILDARE FANS were sneering all day, I hope we beat the F**K out of them, sneering shower of f**kers, its not as if they ever win anything, Uibh Fhaile abu.

[red exile]

simply, we will have to be at our very best to win this match ,we won't hammer them but the sweetest victory wud be by a goal or a point in the dying seconds to sicken the sh*te outta the flower sacks and dump them back on the curragh to play with the sheep

[Bord na Mona man]

Over the years Kildare have definitely been arrogant with not much reason. The O'Dwyer years saw a huge influx of well to do supporters jumping on board the bandwagon, emitting the sort braying and neighing that you'd hear in a Curragh stable yard.

Kildare matches looked more like conventions for fans of the TV series Dallas, with dozens of middle aged clad in white suits and wearing Stetsons. All roads would be jammed with Range Rovers and Mercs when the lilies were in town.

At the height of it, it looked like they were going to try and buy the All Ireland with imports like Brian Lacey, Karl O'Dwyer, Garvan Ware, Brian Murphy and the tapping up of Declan Browne.

They'll be favourites, but Offaly have no reason to fear them.

[faithful till I die]

Over the years Kildare have definitely been arrogant with not much reason. The O'Dwyer years saw a huge influx of well to do supporters jumping on board the bandwagon, emitting the sort braying and neighing that you'd hear in a Curragh stable yard.

Kildare matches looked more like conventions for fans of the TV series Dallas, with dozens of middle aged clad in white suits and wearing Stetsons. All roads would be jammed with Range Rovers and Mercs when the lilies were in town.

Ha Ha spot on ! No doubt we will be outnumbered as this shower always bring a good crowd, in particular when they are favourites. Our best hope is that they have peaked too early & we can sneak in under the radar a little bit although with that cute northern hoor at the helm that is unlikely. Its going to be very close but honestly believe if we can stay in the game until the last quarter all their old nagging self doubts will give us the edge.

[Plain of the Herbs]

They got their cumuppance from the Dubs in that year's Leinster final. Remember Tom Harris reversing the width of the pitch when Keith Barr faced up to him.

I was there too, a very hot day, Offaly were poor, the kILDARE FANS were sneering all day, I hope we beat the F**K out of them, sneering shower of f**kers, its not as if they ever win anything, Uibh Fhaile abu.

[OAK TREE]

ah lads come on and take off the blinkers,barring a miracle we wont beat kildare.willie heffernen alone would prob beat us at the moment....macnamee on form or not...
sorry to put a downer on it but its true.
and 93? 16 years ago lads and we've beatin them since...a few times.
look forward not back

[Lone Shark]

Right now Kildare have had the benefit of better preparation and have many more of their key positions settled (right now how many people would be confident of correctly guessing even two of the 6 lads to fill the shirts at 3, 6, 8, 9, 11, 14?) while their championship run through the qualifiers last year will have given them a lot of confidence. They are favourites and justifiably so - though I have to say i'm amazed that a county that has underachieved so spectacularly in recent years can be so cocky. Have a look at http://kildaregaa.proboards.com/index.c ... thread=567. The most pessimistic prediction so far is that they'll only win by one or two, while several are reckoning on a hammering. Now form may justify that, but if Offaly were playing Carlow or Wicklow in the championship tomorrow I'd be nervous as hell, they seem to have none of that. Maybe we need to remind them why they should.

There is no question but that Sunday looks like a big ask for our lads, however Tom Cribben seems to have them going the right way and they simply wouldn't be Offaly men if there wasn't some anger still in the blood from last Summer. Two outings, two disgraceful performances that can only have led to shame and disgust at what went on. For many of these lads who have gone through the mill for the county jersey since then, absolution can only come from the kind of performance that reminds people of why the Biffo is a special breed. We might not win, but by God we need to burst down walls in competing for every break, for every tackle and for every loose ball. Sunday will not be a day for lazy play, or for apathy in the face of real championship intensity. These lads were happy to stand up and fight to remove Richie Connor from his position - a stance that has since been vindicated in more ways than one. This Sunday they need to stand up for themselves and for what their jersey represents.

I think they will and I'd be surprised if we don't make the flourbags revise those ridiculously arrogant predictions once or twice during the game.

[Archangel]

I think they will and I'd be surprised if we don't make the flourbags revise those ridiculously arrogant predictions once or twice during the game.

If you were a Kildare supporter, would you not be confident given the relative form so far this year? Can you blame those posters for being positive. On the other hand would they put their house on the outcome? One difference on the day is that Kildare will be a bit more nervous than Offaly, given their recent championship starts. Offaly can win this, without question, but would you put your house on it?

[Lone Shark]

Offaly can win this, without question, but would you put your house on it?

Not my house, no. Mainly because I don't own a house. However the prices are wrong and I will be getting involved to a less-than-one-entire-dwelling extent.

http://betdiary.ie/kevinegan/2009/05/19 ... being-cut/

[Kemo Sabe]

just after reading some of the comments on that kildare site and the disrespect they show to offaly is disgraceful .i shoudnt be surprised as that is the way with them .i really cant wait for this game to start and if the players are have as pumped up as me kildare are in for a shock .COME ON OFFALY .

[the rat]

Good luck to all involved on Sunday... I hope to see a good crowd from the Faithful. Bring all the flags and Offaly gear you can because we are going to be outnumbered...