Clubs in the doldrums

[Lone Shark]

If Daingean has 30 players at every grade, it makes absolutely no sense to not field their own team. If go games is a success because it gives each player an equal opportunity to compete and improve, surely daingean having 15 rather than 5 players on the pitch at any one time makes more sense??

This aspect is critical to me. I'm fully in favour of clubs joining up to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to play, whether that's as amalgamations or as permission players. However the object at all times should be to maximise the number of teams on the field. If there are 50 potential players at a certain grade in Daingean parish, or any other parish for that matter, it's a shocking waste if there is only one team - there really should be two. That could be addressed one of two ways - either by way of a "reserve" championship, or as part of the "B" competition. It's hardly a surprise if Ballycommon or Kilclonfert can't put out an under-14 team by themselves, but if there are kids not bothering because the standard required to get a game is too high, then that's a real problem. Perhaps if there was a weaker grade for reserve teams, then maybe we'd even see teams fielded by clubs in hurling areas like Drumcullen, CRC, Kinnitty etc.

However only those within the areas know the real truth of it. However it could be a good exercise to take on board - to do an audit of numbers in the various secondary schools to ascertain participation levels at under-14 and under-16. Then it would be easier to ascertain if the current system is working or not.

[Lone Shark]

Im not a football man so I can only take the example of Brosna Gaels, clearly a number of clubs joined together, a number of whom have the numbers to sustain their own club team, however they have sacrificed this in order to gain success. It is patently unfair on the other clubs in the county and could lead to other clubs joining up to try and compete back which will end up in less clubs, less participation.

At the risk of taking this topic off on a tangent, I find this to be an incredible view. This might be a number of clubs, but it's still just one parish with permission players from Tubber, or which there are usually one or two. That's no different to a lot of clubs. Do we still regard Kilcormac/Killoughey as an unfair amalgamation?

Secondly, it's not like existing hurling teams from Doon, Ballycumber and Erin Rovers were disbanded - none of them fielded in recent times, previous to the existence of Brosna Gaels. Offaly hurling was getting nothing from that area - and now they provide a smattering of county players at every age group, they play a different style which adds to the championship and they nearly beat Birr in a straight knockout fixture. That's a great result for Offaly hurling in general and I'm amazed that anyone sees it as unfair.

[allsorts]

Im not a football man so I can only take the example of Brosna Gaels, clearly a number of clubs joined together, a number of whom have the numbers to sustain their own club team, however they have sacrificed this in order to gain success. It is patently unfair on the other clubs in the county and could lead to other clubs joining up to try and compete back which will end up in less clubs, less participation.

this to be fair is factually incorrect, none of the football clubs involved with Brosna Gaels, Doon, Pullough, Ballycumber and Tubber would be able to field a hurling team at any age level. The numbers playing hurling in the area are just not there, they are all struggling to field football teams at times!!

backofthenet, take a look at this years Brosna Gaels senior hurling team, 3 from Doon, 2 from Tubber, 5 from Pullough and 5 from Ballycumber, the junior team is the same, a few from each club and thats it!! There are no other hurlers in the area!! None of the clubs involved could field a hurling team at any level!!

If Brosna Gaels ceased to existing in the morning, there would be no hurling in Doon, Ballycumber, Pullough or Tubber. This is a far cry from the situation with St. Vincents.

[Daleamar]

Im not a football man so I can only take the example of Brosna Gaels, clearly a number of clubs joined together, a number of whom have the numbers to sustain their own club team, however they have sacrificed this in order to gain success. It is patently unfair on the other clubs in the county and could lead to other clubs joining up to try and compete back which will end up in less clubs, less participation.

this to be fair is factually incorrect, none of the football clubs involved with Brosna Gaels, Doon, Pullough, Ballycumber and Tubber would be able to field a hurling team at any age level. The numbers playing hurling in the area are just not there, they are all struggling to field football teams at times!!

backofthenet, take a look at this years Brosna Gaels senior hurling team, 3 from Doon, 2 from Tubber, 5 from Pullough and 5 from Ballycumber, the junior team is the same, a few from each club and thats it!! There are no other hurlers in the area!! None of the clubs involved could field a hurling team at any level!!

If Brosna Gaels ceased to existing in the morning, there would be no hurling in Doon, Ballycumber, Pullough or Tubber. This is a far cry from the situation with St. Vincents.

The situation with St. Vincents is?.... Your assuming the guy living in Kilkenny has the full facts about Daingeans abundance of players. This, to my knowledge, is not the case.

[Ahlethimoutwithit]

Cant believe lads are listening to this Fargo chap, (strangely enough this sort of talk was conveyed to me a couple of weeks ago by a Daingean man who heard it in a pub!!!)

1 Daingean NS were hammered by Croghan NS the other day, they have 6 boys in 6th class, 3 of which play football.
They are consistently well beaten in the NS competition, and often rely on a couple of lads from 3rd class.
2 They had 2 lads on the u14 team, 1 on the minor and rightly so as a neutal observer
3 They struggle to get lads to get involved in coaching teams, and have no one on the Vincents commmittee from what I know of.
4 Last year they voted as a club to get a senior team going on the basis that they would train once a week together and could not play in the league (laughable), so they want to disband at underage.

Daingean could go out on their own but would not have the numbers, Kilclonfert & Ballycommon together would not have the numbers.

But the issue that needs to be resolved is setting up C championships for A grade clubs second team. The B championship is not an option for Vincents or other teams second teams as the grade is too strong.

So Fargo, make a phone call to Brendan Donagher and he will tell you the true story on the numbers in Daingean

[Fargo Boyle]

You can't make an omellete without breaking some eggs.

A complete review is the first step required. The aim has to be get as many Daingean players onto the field. Even if they struggle to get the numbers it has to be the only option to improve the club. If the standard of these teams are poor and they are only playing B standard and not very good at it either, so what! The aim of an underage setup is to produce a steady stream of talent for the adult setup. For me Vincents has failed in this aspect for Daingean. Vincents lack an identity and the constant tension between the adult clubs does not improve the situation. Daingean need to get their thinking hats on and get something in motion.

[Daleamar]

You can't make an omellete without breaking some eggs.

A complete review is the first step required. The aim has to be get as many Daingean players onto the field. Even if they struggle to get the numbers it has to be the only option to improve the club. If the standard of these teams are poor and they are only playing B standard and not very good at it either, so what! The aim of an underage setup is to produce a steady stream of talent for the adult setup. For me Vincents has failed in this aspect for Daingean. Vincents lack an identity and the constant tension between the adult clubs does not improve the situation. Daingean need to get their thinking hats on and get something in motion.

So your blaming Vincents for Daingeans shortcomings.... I think you have talked enough shite now. You havent a clue.

[Fargo Boyle]

No I am not blaming Vincent's at all. I am not blaming anyone, what's the point, that is not constructive. What I am saying is that the structure/model is not fit for purpose. As a product of the regime myself I see the amount of players lost due to lack of opportunities to play not because of any other reason other than lack of game time.

What I see in kk is that no club would allow this underage system. Children need role models and because Vincents does not have an adult set up there is a no direct link between the adult clubs and Vincent's. The pride a young lad gets from putting on a Village jersey or Ballyhale jersey is the fact that his heros also wear the same jersey. Unless there is a vincents adult team on the cards in the near future then the current structure is doomed to fail the young people of the Daingean parish

[Ahlethimoutwithit]

Final word on this from me. The points I made are fact earlier on. DAingean have not the numbers to go on there own. They have not got anybody working to drive underage with Vincents.
Danny Mangan, Jamie MCCabe, Paul O'Rourke, Jamie Hayes,, all key members of St Vincents underage who were competitive enough. Yet they could not get a kick of it against KK. Yet their issue is that they all see themselves as capable of playing senior football when they were asked about it last year. Daingean need to get the finger out, realise they need to put more into the underage setup, and the adult guys need to work harder.

Daingean can go on their own, but a lot of parents in DAingean would not be happy, and they would not have the numbers, FACT.

[Greenwhiteandgold]

I would actually like to see some of the weaker teams in both hurling and football joining up to form senior clubs. it would add extra spice to the group stages of the senior hurling championship and football championships. With 14 teams in a senior championship it would make it that bit more difficult to qualify for a quarter final.
For example In hurling:
Ballyskenagh + Killavilla + Riverstown + Crinkle
Killeigh + Raheen + Killurin + Edenderry + Gracefield

In football:
Look at making St. Vincents a senior club
Amalgamate hurling clubs to try and do a similiar job to brosna gaels in hurling

Obviously the difficulty would be club funding, travelling and the fixtures but it would give good players playing at intermediate and junior the chance to improve by playing against good players.