jack sheedy

I for one would have no problem with Niall McNamee if he decided to declare for us, just because he has a high profile does not matter.

Kildare are well known having outsiders (Lacey, Murphy, Tompkins.) so whats different about this one???

I couldn't disagree more! Sit in front of a television and watch championship football or play a part in it......? I'd give my left foot (and it's a sweet left foot at that) to play for Kildare but if I did everything and still couldn't get the nod I'd definitely play elsewhere. I couldn't care who it is!!! I'd probably even play for the Dubs. Everyone on here is football crazy. We would all love to play senior inter county football!!!

Ah jaysus were very fussy in Dublin as far as our footballers are concerned , unless you have a D stamped to your backside when your born your outha luck my friend, One bit of advice , dont be sitting by the phone waiting on a call from a Dalkia rep

We have hurlers who are not trueblue bloods plying their trade with us , mainly Tipp lads , so anything can happen and they are warmly welcome , Do ya hurl

On that note I remember outsiders successfully playing for Kildare in the past !! If the commitment , desire, & passion is there, I reckon everyone should be given a chance , its common in every county to have a few heinz 57s sure its going on for the last 127yrs

The issue of players switching allegiances is always going to divide. All i'll say is that this may not be as far fetched as some people on here think and that it may be further down the tracks than is believed. I have no concrete evidence to prove this but I am hearing a few rumblings from people who's opinions I would respect.

Sorry, but in this instance, he'd be a bit of a scumbag if he switched. I'd rather fail without him than win with him. The GAA is built on rivalry and switching to your arch rivals when there's no good reason to do so is unacceptable.
Imagine we poached McNamee and then he was instrumental in some kind of success? There'd always be a little asterisk beside it, and we'd lose a lot of respect around the country.

Having said all that, I still reckon it's a non-story to start with.

jj wrote:

The issue of players switching allegiances is always going to divide. All i'll say is that this may not be as far fetched as some people on here think and that it may be further down the tracks than is believed. I have no concrete evidence to prove this but I am hearing a few rumblings from people who's opinions I would respect.

Would he not have to be playing his club football in Kildare also. Be some addition to Moorefield if he were to join them, what they really lack at the moment is a quality forward.

My understanding is that if it was to happen he would switch clubs too fionn. Not neccessarily Moorefield either

jj wrote:

My understanding is that if it was to happen he would switch clubs too fionn. Not neccessarily Moorefield either

El G have you any spare cash in your betting fund for an aul gaf for him in the Lip?

It's about time we got a few more blow ins into the club again.

What a loada shite. Guys can transfer from Real Madrid to Barca, Man Utd to Man City. Rugby players can even switch codes from Union to League and back, does that make all those scumbags aswell??
Did it make Tomkins and Fahy scumbags for transferring to Cork and winning All-Irelands?

Kildare county board have always had officials from other counties. JJ Walsh (Mayo), Andrew O'Sullivan (Kerry), Kathleen O'Neill (Mayo). Are they scymbags aswell??

If a guy is willing and able to declare for Kildare and there are no rules broken along the way, then so be it.
I wouldnt see too many people complaining in Croker if he came aboard and helped us win silverware in 2012

"What a loada shite. Guys can transfer from Real Madrid to Barca, Man Utd to Man City. Rugby players can even switch codes from Union to League and back"

This is GAA. There's a difference.

"Did it make Tomkins and Fahy scumbags for transferring to Cork and winning All-Irelands?"

No, because Cork aren't our neighbours and arch-rivals, though I'll admit it doesn't raise those two players in my estimation, and it didn't fill my heart with joy to see Tompkins wearing Cork colours for the 08 All-Ireland quarter-final.

"Kildare county board have always had officials from other counties. JJ Walsh (Mayo), Andrew O'Sullivan (Kerry), Kathleen O'Neill (Mayo). Are they scymbags aswell?"

Of course not, don't be ridiculous. You're not comparing like with like. They were living here and hardly going to commute to Mayo or Kerry to be administrators. Niall McNamee, in this hypothetical instance, would be living 30 miles from where he's from. And he's a player.

"If a guy is willing and able to declare for Kildare and there are no rules broken along the way, then so be it."

So you'd have no problem if John Doyle had transferred to Dublin when we were at a low ebb because he wanted to win an All-Ireland? You wouldn't have held anything against Meath if they'd poached Dermot Earley?

"I wouldnt see too many people complaining in Croker if he came aboard and helped us win silverware in 2012"
Ah, so it's irrelevant where the players are from in terms of local pride. Here's my suggested Kildare line-up for 2012 then: Cluxton; O Se, McGee, Foley; O Se, Lacey, Bolton; Earley, Cavanagh; A Brogan, D O'Sullivan, Doyle; Cooper, O'Connor, McNamee.
Wouldn't we be proud if they could bring Sam home!

Do me a favour future's white. If you like the soccer model so much, head off and watch English corporation A v English corporation B every Sunday instead.

The last point of your post Ohtoohtobe is ridiculous we are talking about 1 player who may or may not want to play for Kildare. If he was to come he certainly would not have been 'poached' as you put it.
Should he not be allowed to play for Kildare if he so wishes to do so within the rules of the game? Appreciate this is an area that will clearly cause division but it wouldnt be the first time a player has jumped to a neighbouring county and it wont be the last. Sligo currently have a mayo man playing, Mayo had a sligo man and Wicklow took a Carlow man all in recent years

If I want to go watch English, Scottish or outer Mongolian soccer, I will. It has nothing to do with you or anybody else. We weren't whinging in the 90's when we benfitted greatly from players committing to our cause.
Did you forget I mentioned rugby aswell? God forbid Irish people would enjoy some 'foreign sports'. Imagine - we might even eat stuff like pasta or lasagne aswell.
But you stick to your staple diet of GAA and bacon and cabbage. Whatever you do, dont let the rest of the world into your bubble.

The way you go on there you'd swear the GAA was a bastion for sports models, where everything is perfect and done by the book. Wake up!
It has been done in the past and will be done again.

If McNamee - and its a huge if - decided to declare for Kildare. Decided to commit his life to the Kildare cause. And do THE EXACT SAME endless hours training that the current Kildare lads do. Then good on him.

The way you're talking its like he's gonna swan in, do no training and take one of the lads places without ever doing any work.

As for your suggested lineup,

Ohtoohtobe wrote:

Sorry, but in this instance, he'd be a bit of a scumbag if he switched. I'd rather fail without him than win with him. The GAA is built on rivalry and switching to your arch rivals when there's no good reason to do so is unacceptable.
Imagine we poached McNamee and then he was instrumental in some kind of success? There'd always be a little asterisk beside it, and we'd lose a lot of respect around the country.

Having said all that, I still reckon it's a non-story to start with.

To be honest, I dont think anybody would care!! Would there be some kind of asterik against us if we did win, with an Armagh man at the helm?? or in 98 with a Kerry man??

i thought the title of the forum was jack sheedy?? no???
think we may have ventured abit west...

FW you've an awful habit of putting words in my mouth. It would be easier to debate with you if you address what I actually said.

For example, you seem to have decided I hate 'foreign sports' and am close-minded. I don't even live in Ireland. I watch rugby and the Premiership and many other sports.
I made the comment about English soccer to illustate the difference between the Premiership and the GAA. One is entertainment, entertainment I sometimes enjoy, but it has nothing to do with pride in where you are from; the other is all about where you are from and is something that has a much deeper meaning to me and most people involved in the GAA.

You also seem to think the amount of training is somehow an issue. I've no doubt Niall McNamee would train as hard as anyone - he didn't get to be the genius he is without working at it. That's not the point though. That's not even close to the point.

JJ the examples you give such as Austin O'Malley are all different, apart from Thomas Walsh, and I'm not going to get into that, apart to say that in my belief that was poaching of the highest order.

The main difference here is that he is Offaly's best player by a long way; there is no reason he couldn't live in Kildare and play for Offaly (travel, etc). He would purely be moving because at the moment Kildare have a better chance of success than Offaly. It is against the entire ethos of the GAA.

It doesn't matter if it's legal or not, it's morally wrong. It would be exactly the same as if in 2006 John Doyle decided enough was enough, he wanted some medals, and transferred to Dublin.

So please answer the question (not questions that I haven't asked): It that had happened, would you have had a problem with Doyle, or with Dublin?

Of course we would be upset and disgusted if JD or Dermot transferred to Dublin or Meath.
But would it stop me watching the game? No.
Would it make him a scumbag in my eyes? No
Would it make me dislike Dublin or Meath? I already dislike them both!

You speak of there being no reason why he couldn't live in Kildare and play for Offaly. The only thing that would stop him doing that is him. And if he chooses not to do that and chooses to play for Kildare. Who are you or anybody else to say he can't?

Of course I couldn't stop him FW. That doesn't make them right. Maybe scumbag is a bit strong, but I'll put it to you this way. The respect and pride that Niall McNamee's friends, family and neighbours would have for him for sticking with his own and giving his best for Rhode and Offaly is worth a hell of a lot more than any medal.
Same as the pride we have in Doyle or Earley.

jj I sent you a private message there.

I genuinely cannot see Niall McNamee in a Kildare jersey. Would I say no to him playing with Kildare. Not a chance would I.

Wow.............................. touchy touchy there lads...... and me thinking that the fecking rain was going to be the main topic of conversation today......!!!!!!!!! I hear the gooch was seen footing turf with the sullivans in robertstown, think he's related........... what if the gooch and mcnamee wore the white for the lillies....... wow, now thats a tall story

More chance of Jack Sheedy playing for Kildare I reckon

Interesting discussion. As O2 says, it's a non-story. But the principle is what's really being discussed. O2 is right in that most transfers are not between bordering counties.

The point raised though about it being morally wrong is what attracts my interest. I agree. And yet, it goes on in clubs all teh time and is generally accepted and encouraged along the lines of - Sure he's entitled to win something or he needs to be operating at a higher level to be a success with the county. I think that's all shite.

To me, you're from where you're from. If you move, well and good and I'm not talking 50 miles down the road.

But I can never understand a lad missing a county final or semi-final for his club because he's on holiday, regardless of what other commitments he had all year.

I can never understand why there was even a debate over whether a guy would go IR or club championship? In fairness, that was probably more a media thing. There is no debate. The choice is simple. You'd be gutted to miss out on the trip to Oz and the chance to play down there, but these are your neighbours, your friends, the people you went to school with, the lads taught you the hand-pass when you were five, your father, your mother.

And that's the huge thing. Whatever about Offaly, McNamee is Rhode to the core.

Ironically, lads going between counties doesn't bother me as much at all and if McNamee kicked the winning point for Kildare in teh Leinster final, I'd be delighted! But as I said, to do that, he'd have to leave Rhode and barring he moves to Cork or Donegal or some place, that is never gonna happen.

I do think exonerating the Brian Lacey recruitment on geography is a bit fresh. Tipp isn't too far away. And he was able to go back to them.

Ironically, with the road the motorway, Shea Fahy might have been able to stay with Kildare, if he had been that way inclined. To be fair, not every county had sponsors like Kepak to helicopter the likes of Kevin Foley to training from Cork!

the geography thing doesn bite with me either, lacey could easily have found a job in teaching nearer to tipp at the time and as ogie said he could still have commuted from kildare town, there are mayo lads getting from dublin to mayo for training.
aidan dunne switched to robertstown this year didnt hear anyone complaining, darroch mullhall plays with athy his family are castlemitchell there are plenty of examples out there probably in every club and county, this loyalty thing in the gaa isn`t as strong as you make it out to be o2.

It's the fact it's not as strong as it could be that concerns me. Yes, I suppose Lacey lived close enough to commute, I have to concede that.
I have less of a problem with Niall Browne going to Clare or Aidan Dunne to Robertstown; they were surplus to requirements with Kildare and Clane respectively.

As for other examples, look, it's a free country and you can't outlaw people switching teams.
But I will always respect, say, Kevin O'Brien over Larry Tompkins, or Johnny Nevin over Thomas Walsh, or Derek McCormack and Tadhg Fennin over lads who switched clubs 'to play at a higher level'. And I'd never switch meself - not that any inter-county teams would be looking for me!

Some interesting opinions on this topic here.
I understand the pride in the GAA etc but that comes down to the player himself in my opinion. This is all still hypothetical of course. I'm not sure if he has any intentions to come to us but if Niall McNamee makes up his mind that he's finished with Offaly and wants to come play for Kildare well then that's his choice. If he gets the transfer from the GAA then he's not breaking any rules and should be accepted. I could understand Offaly people being disappointed that he's leaving but didn't think Kildare people would be so against it when it's us that would be benefiting from it. To say he's a scumbag if he did move is just ridiculous.

People seem to be shocked at the possibility of this but transfers are happening all the time in the GAA as we've seen with the names mentioned here already. I wouldn't agree with the ones who said they'd rather fail without him than win with him either. I'd give anything to see our players get an All Ireland medal. If they did so with an Offaly man on the team I wouldn't mind one bit.

Ohtoohtobe wrote:

It's the fact it's not as strong as it could be that concerns me. Yes, I suppose Lacey lived close enough to commute, I have to concede that.
I have less of a problem with Niall Browne going to Clare or Aidan Dunne to Robertstown; they were surplus to requirements with Kildare and Clane respectively.

As for other examples, look, it's a free country and you can't outlaw people switching teams.
But I will always respect, say, Kevin O'Brien over Larry Tompkins, or Johnny Nevin over Thomas Walsh, or Derek McCormack and Tadhg Fennin over lads who switched clubs 'to play at a higher level'. And I'd never switch meself - not that any inter-county teams would be looking for me!

thats fair enough ohtoo i can respect your attitude thats good for you and your club and i have to say your one of the genuine lads here that can have a proper debate without going over the top so il compliament ya on that awell, its a great point about tadhg fennin and derck mccormack they deserve great respect for sticking to there clubs when big clubs were crying out for them but id be of the opinion if they had changed i wouldn`t hold it against them just like niall browne aidan dunne or eddie o`brein

centreback wrote:

the geography thing doesn bite with me either, lacey could easily have found a job in teaching nearer to tipp at the time and as ogie said he could still have commuted from kildare town, there are mayo lads getting from dublin to mayo for training.
aidan dunne switched to robertstown this year didnt hear anyone complaining, darroch mullhall plays with athy his family are castlemitchell there are plenty of examples out there probably in every club and county, this loyalty thing in the gaa isn`t as strong as you make it out to be o2.

to be fair aidan dunne couldn't get a game with clane and had falling outs with numerous management teams and darroch mulhall has played with athy all his life