Kildare League Fixtures 2013

I think we've been sold a pup all the way through here. The Slattery report was commissioned by the GAA. This report reduced the capacity of St Conleth's. So it wasn't the fire officer, the Gardaí, some pen pusher from the county council or the Health & Safety crowd. It was the GAA. Then the GAA turns around and says here's a few bob now do what you're told.

What an absolute mess. Our chances of staying up - which is absolutely vital for our future and our young players' development - have taken a massive nosedive. In my view we're now very likely to get relegated.

And the basic fact is that it's perfectly safe for 12-13,000 to watch a match in Newbridge. This is just an absolute lack of common sense. I don't care about St Conleth's being a kip, I love the place, and we're very hard to beat there. Now we have to give up home advantage against the past two All-Ireland champions. Also very unfair on other teams in the division as it skews the fairness of the whole competition.

GAA president Liam O'Neill has issued a stark assessment of modern-day Ireland, claiming that rural communities are being ignored, while the country is governed by urbanites, using cost to justify decisions that may have other motives.

The Laois man, who started his three-year term in office last April, urged rural communities to fight for themselves at a time when their way of life is under severe threat.

"Cost is being used as an exercise to close down rural Ireland. We're being governed by urbanites, who don't understand the value of rural life. We've become a society that knows the cost of everything, but we're forgetting about the value of things that matter," he said.

Hypocritical??

I hope someone from Club Kildare is reading this. I won't be renewing mine either.

That's close to €1000 they are down.

Ohtoohtobe wrote:

What an absolute mess. Our chances of staying up - which is absolutely vital for our future and our young players' development - have taken a massive nosedive. In my view we're now very likely to get relegated.

And the basic fact is that it's perfectly safe for 12-13,000 to watch a match in Newbridge. This is just an absolute lack of common sense. I don't care about St Conleth's being a kip, I love the place, and we're very hard to beat there. Now we have to give up home advantage against the past two All-Ireland champions. Also very unfair on other teams in the division as it skews the fairness of the whole competition.

+1 on Everything you just said.

Anyone find it hard to believe that Conleths is perfectly fine to pack in 10,000+ for club championship match but not for a National League game. Where is the logic?

Johnny Maher wrote:

Ohtoohtobe wrote:

What an absolute mess. Our chances of staying up - which is absolutely vital for our future and our young players' development - have taken a massive nosedive. In my view we're now very likely to get relegated.

And the basic fact is that it's perfectly safe for 12-13,000 to watch a match in Newbridge. This is just an absolute lack of common sense. I don't care about St Conleth's being a kip, I love the place, and we're very hard to beat there. Now we have to give up home advantage against the past two All-Ireland champions. Also very unfair on other teams in the division as it skews the fairness of the whole competition.

+1 on Everything you just said.

Anyone find it hard to believe that Conleths is perfectly fine to pack in 10,000+ for club championship match but not for a National League game. Where is the logic?

Totally agree with all that. It looks like the GAA regard us a pawn to help Dublin to make more money. I f they can promise us €60K for 2 games this year then we were robbed last year to get just €12K for the Tyrone game. After fighting so hard tor promotion it looks like we have blown our chances before a ball is kicked. Croke Park doesnt hold too many good memories for this bunch of players after Meath and Cork..

There is no logic, safety concerns or any of that guff the PR dept puts out, it's been about money, money and more money from day one. The GAA has sacrificed it's grass roots people on the alter of greed. There is no turning back now.

As for ONeill's little speech, are you surprised by it. In Croke Park they are like the mythical Hydra, seven heads all saying different things to suit their need. The saying speaking with a fork tongue was never more appropriate.

Different i.p's.

Can we keep on topic lads. thanks.

That can happen but, when an Admin looks at a i.p address associated with a post it gives the members who have posted using it. So if you check a number of posts it will show if they have ever used the same computer. Since I've checked at least 20 posts, they would have to be changing computers a lot and never go back to one they have used. Not possible in my opinion unless you have over 20 different computers and use them only once.

That's that matter closed, back to the topic please.

lads to be honest im not a fan of conleths and never really was.i still go there in the pox of winter to see the lads play and that won't change.
lots here giving out about the GAA but like our own men had to sign up for this and agree to it. no matter what the pressure from Central Council.
They are the ones who agreed to take the money and run. And what do the players want in this or the manager? The CB don't do much without getting him on board.
it's a poxy state of affairs and we can point out the lunacy of how a club final is ok with around 10k at it but a league match isn't BUT we made our bed and now we've been lying in it without changing the sheets for years.
FFS it's not like Conleths needs something huge. Being honest I know a few families who would rather bring the kids to Croker.
As for Club Kildare that shit should have been sorted a long time ago re tickets to these matches.

Is that for 1 yellow card Admin ??

Can understand frustration at match being moved and people saying they are leaving Club Kildare over it which again is there own choice. My point on the matter is that by doing so they are hurting the people who have f**k all to do with this mess i.e The teams who line out. As far as I am aware the money from Club Kildare goes to the teams directly. For what it's worth I won't be cancelling my membership

I'd say anyway JJ the players are delighted with the switch. Where would you rather play? Conleths tight pitch and cramped dressing room where you play most of your club games or the world class venue that is croke park? thats an easy decision

There was a tweet from KFM this evening stating that Club Kildare members will be covered for the games in Croke Park. Only right.

They also tweeted that the County Board sold their soul and the supporters for a bargain bucket €60,000 and not €70,000 or the other outlandish figure of near €100,000 that was mentioned on here.
€60,000, I can here the laughing and sneering from Croke Park and Andy Kettle's house from here.
Pity full and shameful Kildare Gaa 2012

Once that money is ring fenced and HAS to be used to upgrade the ground to comply with the H&S concerns then its (reluctantly) ok with me...

Agree with you entirely there Highball, but can we be confident it will be?

Statement from Club Kildare released Today:

Pat Mangan has issued a statement regarding the upcoming Kildare League Matches moved to Croke Park:

"There has been a lot of confusion and disappointment about the decision to play Kildare's League matches against Donegal and Dublin in Croke Park.
The executive of Club Kildare have decided to honour the commitment to their members and provide all their paid up members with a ticket for these games. We very much appreciate the loyal support that our members have continued to give in these difficult times."

If we continue to accept being rode bareback they will dig in the spurs.

I have no doubt the threat of people cancelling Club Kildare membership's on this forum led to this statement being released. There were no tickets provided for the Tyrone game last year, or the Limerick game in Portlaoise because we simply accepted it.

Let this be a lesson.

Maybe after reading the forum today / they will offer us a refund for the 2 games you mentioned from last year.

Kildare v Donegal 5.15pm Feb 2nd
Kildare v Dublin 2pm March 10th

Johnny Maher wrote:

I have no doubt the threat of people cancelling Club Kildare membership's on this forum led to this statement being released. There were no tickets provided for the Tyrone game last year, or the Limerick game in Portlaoise because we simply accepted it.

Let this be a lesson.

flourman wrote:

Maybe after reading the forum today / they will offer us a refund for the 2 games you mentioned from last year.

Hopefully Sheikh Mohammed pops his head in here sometime soon and decides to take a punt and sponsor us for a few million so.

Only right that Club Kildare members are looked after for this, pity it took until now for it to be sorted though, should have been one of the main considerations when negotiations were taking place, as a lot of fans were going to be put outr just by having to travel to Dublin for it.

Highball wrote:

Once that money is ring fenced and HAS to be used to upgrade the ground to comply with the H&S concerns then its (reluctantly) ok with me...

Beginning to think along these lines too.

If the talk after the county board convention is true and that Croke Park have to approve any cheques we'll be writing, then maybe this is the only way the county board feel they can go about doing up the ground.

I'm guessing with the current level of debt, and the advances from Croke Park we've already received then they would have been very, very reluctant to sign off on any cheques for capital expenditure. From the GAA's point of view most of the money we'd make was probably earmarked as to going towards paying off the debt.

IF and it's a big IF, we get the go ahead to bring Conleths up to heath and safety standards, which results in us being allowed play home games; league, championship and qualifiers at home in future, then it could prove to be a good move. Certainly not a popular one at the moment with all fans but in time hopefully it works out for us.

Unfortunately though we all know how things can change.

Fair play to Club Kildare, pity it was not done last year.

I will never be happy about playing the games outside the County and I'm disappointed with those who made the decision while saying something else.

But and it is through gritted teeth, if it means not losing a Championship game like Limerick in the summer or in the future, then I have to accept that a couple of league games is just and I mean just about acceptable.
However, these must be the last games Newbridge lose. If come the summer and the qualifiers is our fate and we get a home draw but the GAA turn around and tell us we can't hold a match against who ever then I'm afraid a serious course of action needs to be taken by supporters.

How far will €60k go towards bringing St Conleth's Park up to scratch?

Does anyone know what exactly h&s have said needs to be improved and is this famous Slattery Report available to read anywhere online?

Well it won't fix the dressing rooms or the terraces, but it might with volunteerism sort out the toilets and improve entry and exits. That's about it, we won't get a bar anyway.