greenairfield wrote:BNM I ment majority as in delegates...take away the top table vote and Birr I am sure as hell would of won the vote.
It would be a strange form of democracy where the most active volunteers in the county don't get a vote on matters like this. I'm happy to accept the vote was close, but equally, the vote was lost - it's as simple as that.
greenairfield wrote:Kevin I am totally surprised at your opinion...its not about attendances it's about promoting offaly hurling all across the county.
There's a couple of aspects to this - firstly, I don't buy into this fundamental premise that 3,000 people attending a game in SBP is somehow better promotion for Offaly hurling than 3,000 people attending a game in OCP. Secondly, I've often argued for spreading the games around more - but that's not the same as spreading all the headline occasions around. I've long argued that club grounds should get more home games, and to be honest I'd love to see a situation next year in the Senior A/Senior B/Inter championships that every team gets at least two home games.
However I'd be far more concerned about the lack of games in Lusmagh, Clareen, Ballyskenach and Coolderry than I would about the lack of games in Birr.
greenairfield wrote:And I 100% don't like the way you say it's us v them because I know the approach Birr made and they were very conscious of the fact it's not an us v them issue...it's an offaly hurling issue.
If you cant or anybody else for that matter not see that some games need to come back this side of the county to benefit offaly hurling ye lads really don't know anything about hurling.
This was the point of my post - by calling a motion and thus by inviting a vote, Birr made it a divisive issue. The key here is to win people over with logic and diplomacy, not to make big speeches and to try and batter the other side into submission by bringing up the topic over and over. Subtlety and diplomacy will bring about change here, but it seems like grandstanding is preferred.
And as for divisiveness, the second line there sums up exactly what I'm talking about. I make a post saying that I think the time is right for the Offaly SHC semis to be played in SPB in 2018, with a view towards possibly hosting the county final there a year later, and all you give me in response is more of this nonsense about how only the traditional viewpoint is valid, and that anyone who can't see that just knows nothing about the sport. If you're relying on "ye just don't get it" as part of your argument, you're wasting your time.
Why is the idea of incremental progress, with research and consideration along the way, so anathema on this topic?
greenairfield wrote:Now on to the facilities we are aware tullamore have better dressing rooms but Birr are still upgrading there facilties and come semi final time this will be solved ...but the whole warm up area stroke is a bit silly for me plenty of grounds around the country don't have "warm up areas" and there is a pitch just across the road which works just fine if you need one anyway.
The attendance is fine 7,200 is plenty to host matches, yet again u take the side of the CB...They must be paying you at this rate.
This is one of those areas where Birr club needs to step up and show real clarity. In my capacity as a journalist I've asked, over and over, what the official capacity of SBP is right now. In the last three months along, I've been told (1) 10,000 - by Michael Verney on the We are Offaly podcast (2) 6,000, with the option to add another 600 if an additional turnstile is opened at the Tesco end - by another member of the club executive, and now (3) 7,200, by yourself. However all of these are unofficial. I've asked the club over and over to submit an official answer to this, and I never get an answer. Can you at least see why this makes it difficult to trust the answers given?
Similarly, the general rule with most Gardaí superintendents is that if the expected attendance is at two thirds of a ground's capacity or more, then they demand that it be made all ticket - which hurts the crowd in a big way. There are plenty of studies to back that up. Again, the unofficial answer I get from Birr on this is that the local superintendent would be amenable and would look the other way on this, but again, there is no official answer.
Likewise, if there are plans to renovate the dressing rooms and to put in four dressing rooms that are big enough for modern teams, then why has that not been made public?
I'm trying to stand in the middle ground here and to explain the different ways that Birr can make their case stronger, and all I get in return is a lot of vague "it'll be grand on the day" which doesn't provide any verifiable facts or details.
Kevin Egan. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.