Reserve Chamionships?

What is the opinion of people on the reserve championships?
My opinion is that the county board has little to no interest in them and as much of an inconvenience as anything due to fixtures etc. Myself having being playing in them over the last number of years am of a different opinion- to a lot of people in the twilight of their career or just coming off minor level it is a means to keeping in touch with the GAA and the club, and some of these players can offer quite a lot in many ways t their club and often will train all year to be at they're best just to play at whatever level they can.
I guess the biggest fault that I have with the competitions is that the finals seem to be played out on a pitch somewhere in the middle of nowhere on a date and time that is of no importance. Could the county board find time to play these finals at a better venue with perhaps 2 or 3 of them on the same day creating a sense of occasion, and in a small way a feeling of achievement to those who participate. From memory I believe the last final to be played in st conleths was reserve D featuring eadestown & Niall Quinn!
Or am I off the mark with this should it just be a fixture and a result for the record.

Seeing as we're giving out about the reserve champ I'd just like to complain that all our league fixtures this year have been on a Monday evening, our first 2 championship games were on a Monday evening, 3 of the quarter finals are on next Monday but our game is fixed for next Wednesday.

Not a big thing but makes it awkward for arranging time off work.

does any1 really care????

grabber wrote:

does any1 really care????

The hundreds of players taking part do. Of course the GAA administration doesn't care. The administration doesn't care about junior, reserve, B & C championships, divisions 4, 5 and 6 etc. etc. Sure we know that. The thing is, the GAA is about more than the first team, it's about more than senior and it's about more than inter-county. All those other teams, mentors etc ARE the GAA as much as what's happening in Croker this weekend. The grassroots care. The passing supporter, the supporter from the senior club, the inter-county supporter who doesn't support a club (the new Kildare supporter) and administration don't.

JohnSmyth

You have made a very fair point. And to be honest , i think that the GAA have very little respect for the reserve championships.

The games are a bit of a nuisance to the GAA so they put them on a Monday night.Not fair. And then you have the senior players in the club coming with a condescending attitude to the junior players and throwing the odd jibe etc. And I wouldn't mind but these senior players have probably never won a thing in their lives.

I was at a game this year and the manager of the senior team commented to me that junior players are useful for selling lottery tickets.And I said ' you overpaid little bollix'. And this is in a county like Kildare where the senior champions for the past three years have not got past the first round in the Leinster. So the lack of respect even extends to the club officials and senior players.

In essence , every player is as important to the club as the next.Maybe they are not considered good enough for the first team but everyone should get the same respect A club is a club and that is why I go to as many matches as I can in the year to see all our teams and to support all the players.

So John keep on playing and realise that there are some genuine supporters out there who follow all teams in the club and who enjoy seeing the 3rd or 4th team winning as much as the 1st.

Keep the chin up John. While the Co. Board may not appreciate the players in the Reserve Championships and lower Divisions there are plenty of Club members that do. You see many of the same faces that will go to your Clubs first team Championship game at the Reserve Championship matches as well.

Personally, I love this time of year. Between the first team, two Junior teams and a Minor team I'm getting to see our Club play 3-4 Championship matches a week. And some of the most entertaining games have been in the Reserve Championships. The players in the Reserve Championship, while not putting the same efforts in training wise, still take these matches seriously and are just as disappointed as any Senior player when they lose.

I think you're right though regarding the location of the finals. These teams should be given a day out in St. Conleths if they reach their final, instead of being put on a back pitch somewhere, where maybe the grass hasn't been cut or worse still has been cut but not collected (as I've witnessed in the past).

All county championship finals should be played in County grounds, as has been said earlier anyone who pulls on a jersey and plays our national game, hurling or football derserves respect. The Gaa was founded to promote football and hurling for ALL who want to play it, regardless of ability. In my club our second team players get the same support and treatment as lads on the first team, we love to see young lads togging out and activly encourage guys who may be thinking of retiring to stay involved and bring these young lads along. We will probably never win a senior championship but we will have approx 50 adult players who want to play for and support the club and bring it as far as THEY can, a club cannot ask for any more.

tom if our first team manager passed a comment like that he'd be out the gate

we had a manager in our club about 7 years ago when down at training you'd get the odd 25 down training he used to take 16 of to one side after the warm up and train them and left the rest playing a silly hand passing game for the rest of the night.At a match he'd make the subs go outside for the team talk and giving out the jerseys we'd come back in a the end to get a jersey. one year we got into the county final and he made the subs go into the shower to tog in away from the first 15 trying to get your socks on and somebody tryiing to take a piss beside you was cat..He moved on to bigger and better things so did we we're in the semi final this year and the quarter of the junior and when the talk goes on at training its not just about the seniors semi final he gies the juniors a good talking about getting riled up for the quarter and winning it. he wants 2 cups this year..

That manager and me would have had words, without question!

Agree re the venue too. I played in a reserve county final two years ago in Rathcoffey - the back pitch, grass was a bit long, it was a joke, which of course, is what many thought of the thing anyway. But not the clubs, not the players involved, not the mentors. Of course if we'd won, I wouldn't have given two shites where twas played, I'd have really enjoyed it, even though I've won many county titles at higher levels. I used to get as much enjoyment out of playing reserve as I ever did playing minor A, U21 A, senior and intermediate. Fuck the begrudgers, even if they are sitting at the top table.

My question again, does anyone really care??? its only junior...

grabber wrote:

My question again, does anyone really care??? its only junior...

the answer to your question would be yes at the very least junior players care!

naked-lilly wrote:

grabber wrote:

My question again, does anyone really care??? its only junior...

the answer to your question would be yes at the very least junior players care!

Ah god are there lads out there that don't care about Reserve/Junior football???

Without the 2nd or 3rd team clubs would fall apart. It keep the pre madonna's happy on the first team and gives the lads who actually want to keep playing something to look forward to.

Grabber your 'question' is your opinion not everyones. sure there are plenty of people who dont care, but there are also plenty of people who dont give a crap about the junior intermediate and senior championships and support kildare county teams only. If all clubs had only one team i'd say the gaa would struggle to exist, likewise for rugby and soccer clubs. Look at it this way if the finals were played in hawkfield as an annual given without much fuss and with maybe a couple of finals each day on one weekend it would be enough to give respect to those who compete. It wouldnt take much and after all there are a lot of ex county players, future trainers, future first team players and genuine grassroot gaa people who would rather keep playing than stand with all the other former greats:-) talking up their memories/illusions. Anyway i'll retire when i have to and at least for this week i'll be looking forward to our quarter final. Best of luck to all who are playing throughout the week.

grabber wrote:

My question again, does anyone really care??? its only junior...

he's ball-hopping

got it in one ogie, course these grades are important for the GAA

Anyone got any of the results from Tuesday nights games?

Res E
Cappagh 1 11 Ellistown 0 07

Res d cloughs 11 ballykelly 07

Rev a- Moorefield B 1-17 Celbridge 1-06

Res E Nurney beat Grange not sure of the score

Res B Q/F Kevins beat Rathangan by 6pts

Semi Final Draws are out.

Reserve A
Moorefield V Maynooth

Naas V Leixlip

Reserve B
Castledermot V Johnstownbridge

St Kevins V Raheens

Reserve C
Sallins V Kildangan

Ellistown V Maynooth

Reserve D
Winners Leixlip/Kill V Robertstown

Winners Sarsfields/Naas V Clogherinkoe

Reserve E
Athy V Nurney

Cappagh V St Laurence's

Dates and venues to be assigned

Have Moorefield won the Reserve A for the last couple of years or did Sarsfields win it 2 years ago?

Sarsfields won it the last three years beating moorefield in the final each time

realmoore wrote:

Sarsfields won it the last three years beating moorefield in the final each time

Cheers realmoore I didn't realise that.