Roe, Offaly Football, Parishes and Waffles

[Blue and White]

Football in the county needs huge restructuring. It's not working and hasn't worked for a long long time. The talent at senior level is just not there. The lads who togged out on Sunday are poor inter county footballers. Couple this with a complete disinterest and lack of effort its no wonder that the likes of Tony Davis speculates that we might be at our lowest ebb ever. The management have been rightly critisised but with the exception of one or two lads who dropped themselves off the panel they are working with the best that is out there. They have shown themselves to be tactically naive and (along with the last 3 managers) very poor motivators but they haven't much to work with.

When the county championship resumes in a couple of weeks these same players will be the best players in most of the games. But the standard of these games is the problem. Club football has been neglected for a long time. Offaly have had relative success at minor level in the past few years but without a strong club system in place many of these players will fail to make the step up to intercounty level. It's rare that a player of 19 progresses straight onto the senior county team and there is nothing for them in the meantime. Players mature at different times but while they wait they need to be challanged to improve through strong competition. We are looking for replacements to what is there but if we take the 30 or 40 minor players of the last 3 years I ask the question what football are they getting and at what level. No doubt somebody will produce a list of the players and cite the various reasons why each of them is no good but I am not looking for someone right now to be plucked from obscurity and thrown into the fullback line. It's not about who is there right now. It's about creating something that is very strong that caters for those we don't yet know about, those we will never find out about if they aren't allowed progress.

To wrap county players in cotton wool for the last 6-8 weeks and to then observe what went on Saturday and for the last number of years is depressing and I personally don't see the benefit in it. I believe the county team should be given every chance of doing well but calling a halt to championships and holding the rest of the players to hostage is not working. Two weeks. Two weeks is all I think should be allocated as free periods. As far as I'm aware the successful counties do not do what we do and we are now one of the minnows of football.

Ideally I would love to see us revert to the amalgamation structure that ended in the 80's. It was under this system that Offaly's county teams had success. Maybe it was a coincidence that all those great players emerged in the 60's, 70s and 80s but if you look at the likes of Daingean Parish. There are 3 or 4 teams operating there at Junior level. A talented player on one of those teams has no chance of making real progress by playing against other Junior players. Daingean have a good tradition and have produced some greats like Tommy Greene and Kevin Kilmurry. Does it not make sense to join at senior level and compete also in their own grades.
Likewise Edenderry, its almost unthinkable that a town of their size found themselves competing last year at the Intermediate level. Would it not make more sense for Edenderry to also have the pick of Ballyfore's best whilst Ballyfore continue to operate at Intermediate. There are countless examples of these combinations throughout the county and its been talked about on this board before.

South Kerry have won three championships in Kerry in recent years and are made up of 9 (count em) teams. Individually they are teams from Intermediate, Junior and even Novice grades but together they are the best team in the best county in Ireland.

Imagine a county championship made up of 8 to 10 teams of the absolute best the county has to offer. Teams where the corner backs aren't just there to make up the numbers. Someone really good can mark Niall McNamee without taking from one of there other positions. Where there is real compition for places and fighting to get on one of these teams. Develop in players a fighting spirit that can be transferred to their battling for intercounty places.


If the legs are weak the body will fall and as we look to rebuild I hope we have the power to get back up.

[azoffaly]

I'm an advocate of Divisional teams in Offaly, on the premise that a rising tide lifts all boats. What transpired last Saturday was more than a lack of talent, or a low standard in club football, it was as much attitude as aptitude.

However, I agree, and there was at least 1 thread on here where we discussed this a lot. I'll see if I can find it..

[Archangel]

Yes, we had a thread on this before and I was a advocate of amalgamations. The Daingean one as mentioned should happen, sure don't all the underage operate as St. Vincents, grow up playing together and once they get past minor head off to play with one Inter & 3 junior clubs... doesn't make sense???

A whole new approach to inspire younger players, to believe in the possibility of success, not the god-given right to wear ones county jersey, and you are only a county player for the 70 minutes you are on the field, after that you are back to being a clubman and not prance around like you are a premiership player.

[Archangel]

Just noticed that this year in the Kildare Senior Hurling championship, an amalgamated team has entered.
5 clubs have entered a team as 'South Kildare'. Fair play for trying something new.
More of the same should happen here. Might shake up the lethargy and apathy that seems to exist on the senior field of play.
The Daingean area is one possibility as mentioned above, another maybe from one of the hurling strongholds, and there are plenty of other combinations workable.
We need new ideas, fresh thinking, a bit of drive, shake up the system!!!

Maybe there could be a tournament held April - May, excusing any senior panelists, made up of say 8 regional sides, giving every player the possibility to play good football.

[TheManFromFerbane]

Maybe there could be a tournament held April - May, excusing any senior panelists, made up of say 8 regional sides, giving every player the possibility to play good football.

Or May-July when the senior clubs are left to rot anyways????

[Archangel]

Or May-July when the senior clubs are left to rot anyways????

Actually, you're right! It would be a good idea, but that would require lateral thinking from the county board.

[Lone Shark]

Would such a tournament work though if it was just a competition that one or two sides would take seriously, while others wouldn't? I think it has to be integrated into the senior championship in order to have any effect, in order to give the teams any continuity. This is also why it has to be bigger than just parish teams - after all, there is no guarantee that a Daingean parish team would be good enough to play senior. I'd have my doubts in fact.

I agree completely that there needs to be more football throughout the summer months - whether that means a league that clubs have to take more seriously or something, I don't know, but something has to give. Unfortunately the key to any solution would be to shorten the intercounty season, but I don't think that there is any appetite for that. Sadly.