Travelling support for team.

Gone Backwards? - where do these guys come up with this drivel? Well said REX, - Game, set and Match

All I am saying is that playing better oposition every week in the league improves the quality of the squad and the levels the players get to. Its well known that the all-ireland winners rarley if ever come from outside of division 1. Have we actually bet any of the major teams in the championship in the last few years. I know we came close but we have not. I think playing at a higher level in the league might help us get over this problem. Otherwise it maybe a case of getting to quarter finals and semi finals every year. We don't even seem to be interested in winning Leinster any more. I think the Geezer wants an all-ireland and thats it. I would take a Leinster title now. We need a trophy.

It was not about you Botch, your argument was well put and had rationale to it, and I am inclined to agree with you in general. it was the "ridiculous "going backwards" comment by another poster, Merda taurorum if you ask me......

Botch wrote:

All I am saying is that playing better oposition every week in the league improves the quality of the squad and the levels the players get to. Its well known that the all-ireland winners rarley if ever come from outside of division 1. Have we actually bet any of the major teams in the championship in the last few years. I know we came close but we have not. I think playing at a higher level in the league might help us get over this problem. Otherwise it maybe a case of getting to quarter finals and semi finals every year. We don't even seem to be interested in winning Leinster any more. I think the Geezer wants an all-ireland and thats it. I would take a Leinster title now. We need a trophy.

Your hitting the nail on the head !!! maybe with the current squads ability your aiming to high , win a provincial1st is a more achievable goal , then everything after that is a bonus , And your 100% right in your assessment , Kildare need to operate in Div 1 and " that playing better oposition every week in the league improves the quality of the squad and the levels the players get to. Its well known that the all-ireland winners rarley if ever come from outside of division 1", until that is realised the hiatus remains the same

Does anyone think that the reason we might be in division 2 is because that is where we deserve to be????? Nobody plays their best team in the league, not us not any county. No county would take a good league run over a championship run.
If we have learned anything over the last few years is that we have a good team. A team that with a bit of luck may have won some silverware. What we dont have at the moment is a great team or a great squad. The only way the team/squad will get better is to introduce new players. That does not mean 5 or 6 players, 1 new player our even a change of position may be enough to get us over the line. I believe that is what Geezer is trying to do - improve the team.
I believe if we played our championship team through the league we would have got promoted but would that have made us better in the championship???? I dont think so. Nobody wants to loose a league match but if we learn from it and it makes us better that is the main aim.

The big question for me is are we as good as cork , Kerry Dublin or Tyrone at the moment, I do not think so I beleive we are very close and I hope we get a bit of luck this year, god we deserve it. I still think we have enough young players in the county who could make the break through if given the chance .

I've posted these before, but think they are relevant again here given the debate.

CHAMPIONSHIP BREAKDOWN FORM SINCE LEAGUE RESTRUCTURE
2008
Division One team championship wins: 21/35 = 60%
Division Two team championship wins: 16/29 = 55.1%
Division Three team championship wins: 11/23 = 47.8% (Leitrim and Sligo were in Murphy Cup)
Division Four team championship wins: 0/4 = 0% (Only Offaly and Leitrim reached qualifiers)

2009
Division One team championship wins: 25/37 = 67.6%
Division Two team championship wins: 16/31 = 51.6%
Division Three team championship wins: 9/26 = 34.6%
Division Four team championship wins: 7/23 = 30.4%

2010
Division One team championship wins: 22/35 = 62.9%
Division Two team championship wins: 20/35 = 57.1%
Division Three team championship wins: 14/29 = 48.3%
Division Four team championship wins: 4/20 = 20%

2011
Division One team championship wins: 23/33 = 69.7%
Division Two team championship wins: 22/37 = 59.5%
Division Three team championship wins: 8/24 = 33.3%
Division Four team championship wins: 7/23 = 30.4%

Total 2008-2011
Provincial winners: 9 Division One, 6 Division 2, 1 Division Three
All Ireland quarter-finalists: 17 Division One, 12 Division Two, 3 Division Three
All Ireland semi-finalists: 8 Division One, 5 Division Two, 1 Division Three
All Ireland finalists: 6 Division One, 2 Division Two
All Ireland champions: 4 Division One

Division One team championship wins: 70.8%
Division Two team championship wins: 56.1%
Division Three team championship wins: 43.1%
Division Four team championship wins: 25.8%

Good table TK seen this form you before

Then from this table is there a case , Kildare would benefit more from opperating at the highest division , yes other posters seem happy enough with div2 status , and concentrating on the champ , good reasoning it may seem , but your table conclusively proves div1 is more profitable , so it would make sense to instill a progressive plan ie:

Gain Div 1 status , by winning/promotion from div2 , everything after this is a bonus 2012 championship

Operate in div1 , build experience , playing the top grade teams contest a div1 final if possible everything after this is a bonus 2013 championship

Operate in div1 , build more experience , playing the top grade teams, contest a div1 final if possible, win leinster , then everything after this is a bonus 2014 championship

Operate in div1 , build more experience , playing the top grade teams, contest a div1 final win it, win leinster , then go and win 2015 championship

Now its a ambitious plan , and you may not achieve everything , but operating in div1 has the proven benefits as eluded to above

As it is , it just like i said "the hiatus remains the same"