Availability of county players

All-Star Posts : 2216 Join date : 2011-01-10

Quote :: Larries infuriated by county situation

09 May 2012

St Laurence's have made a complaint to the Kildare GAA board over the availability of their county players.

The club are dismayed that they will only have their county players training with them a week before the start of the senior football championship.

The 2012 SFC begins on Sunday week and St Laurence's feel that they should have access to their five county players more than a week before the match.

Shane Connolly, Padraig O'Neill, Padraig Fogarty, Tommy O'Neill and Dessie Lawlor are all St Laurence's players involved in the county and club delegate John Joe Walsh explained their fears at the most recent meeting of the county board.

"We are playing the championship on the 18th, 19th and 20th of this month. We'd like to have our county players back at the clubs two weeks before that," stated Walsh.

"I don't think that two weeks is excessive in a long year. There are kids in our place who don't know the lads, it's like a father that has deserted them down there. I'd ask you to talk to Mr McGeeney about it."

I know there is a lot of posters on here that have no affiliation with clubs and thats fine with me but I want to ask the posters that are involved with a club, what is their opinion on this issue?

I think it's madness giving clubs with county players only one week to prepare for the club championships.

The club game is slowly dying IMO.

Subject: Re: Availability of county players Mon May 14, 2012 7:35 am

Saying that the club game is dying is a bit sensationalist. There will always be a healthy club scene regardless of whether the elite county players are available.

However, I would agree that county players should see more club action. It has reached farcical levels in Kildare at this stage. Counties like Cork and Kerry successfully run their club championships during the summer yet ours will grind to a halt until the county team's interest in the All-Ireland is ended. I think it would actually be of benefit to the county players and therefore boost Kildare's chances.

Take Alan Smith as an example. Everyone knows he's a confidence player yet every second game for Kildare he's the first man subbed and he's probably marking the likes of Peter Kelly and Hugh McGrillen night after night at training. He'd get more benefit out of playing a few games with Sarsfields where he'd be notching up five or six points every game. It would build his confidence and that would be beneficial to Kildare when he pulls on the white jersey.

Everyone knows this current Kildare team are extremely well prepared and nothing is left to chance. Is the whole thing too intense though? For all the benefits of early morning training sessions and all the team bonding exercises, they generate their own pressures on lads. Is there a point when it all becomes a bit counter-productive? I think that maybe increased involvement with their clubs would do no harm. I wouldn't be holding my breath on it happening however.

All-Star Posts : 580 Join date : 2010-07-05

Taibi, I think you and Mikey C need to talk this one through....there's obviously a lot of tension.

All-Star Posts : 2216 Join date : 2011-01-10

It certainly won't happen under McGeeney KK. I suppose looking at the progress Kildare have made since he took over, his decision to curb his players club involvement is justified to certain degree.

All-Star Posts : 1723 Join date : 2010-07-31

The teams winning All-Irelands in both hurling and football are the counties with incredibly strong club scenes in that county players see plenty of action with their clubs. This is obviously not the case in Kildare at the moment, every county has to go about winning things at county level in their own way but what make us so different to the Kerry, Corks, Dublins, Tyrones who are the counties who have won all-irelands in the last 10 years

All-Star Posts : 838 Join date : 2010-01-31

Spot on there topcat........being saying that for years....why cant we copy the successful counties who have won all irelands in the last few years......they let there county players play as often as possible with there clubs and this in turn brings these players on and up to match speed.......

Intercounty Posts : 388 Join date : 2011-01-04

to be fair its a joke you cant have your county players for one league match the week before the championship.

Intercounty Posts : 354 Join date : 2010-09-27

were county players not allowed to play for their clubs in the league yesterday.

Intercounty Posts : 388 Join date : 2011-01-04

lastline wrote:: were county players not allowed to play for their clubs in the league yesterday.

not for my club anyway

Junior A Posts : 41 Join date : 2012-02-13

fat full forward wrote:

lastline wrote:: were county players not allowed to play for their clubs in the league yesterday.

not for my club anyway

they were allowed play for most clubs bar any players with an injury

Guest

It is much easier for Cork Kerry And Kilkenny to play their club champ then leinster or ulster teams as they have a game less at least, if not 2 given the imbalance in the provincial championships.

If Kildare were to progress through the front door they have the following shcedule...

June 17th Leinster QF

Two weeks Later... Semi

Two weeks Later Final

Two weeks Later AI quarter....

there is no opportunity to fit a round in between. There would be a 4 week gap to an all ireland semi final and at that stage people are going to understand not playing a round at that stage as if we got that far the bandwagon would be in full swing!

All-Star Posts : 1017 Join date : 2011-08-10

They were allowed to play yesterday

Junior A Posts : 41 Join date : 2012-02-13

seems to work out well for all them young lads that go away to america for the summer, they can arrive back having missed nothing but a few league games in the summer!

Subject: Re: Availability of county players Mon May 14, 2012 9:44 pm

Club game is dying, what plannet are you on. The club scene is very strong , maybe not in your club but in a lot of clubs. My understanding from reports in the papers over the last year is that players were allowed to play for their clubs , it was their own decission to play or not, club players. go away for stags etc, do they worry about playing for their clubs. Dont think so It happens all the time. Why just pick on the county players, have a long hard look at the commitment of some club players.

All-Star Posts : 858 Join date : 2011-07-18

I dont think we can look at the systems employed by Cork, Kilkenny, Tyrone or Kerry. Firstly - as was pointed out here already - they have less rounds to negotiate in their respective provinces. But more importantly, they have far more top class players than we have. Its taken Geezer and co 4 + years to build a panel of 30 lads who are capable of competing at the top level. We are now in a position where we have adequate cover for most positions on the pitch.

I am also pissed off listening to people like JJ Walshe, Peter Whyte and co pissing and moaning about the amount of county players they have. 3 years ago it was Moorefield who were looking for excuses for not winning championships, up poped Peter Whyte to have a go at management and everybody else outside their club. Now its the bowld John Joe looking for a scape goat for their short comings.

And only a few short months ago we had the exact opposite argument. Athy cheerleaders calling for their subs to become regulars on the county team.

A lot of the time its the players themselves who opt not to play games in the run up to big matches and who could blame them

Junior A Posts : 41 Join date : 2012-02-13

Gaffer wrote:: Club game is dying, what plannet are you on. The club scene is very strong , maybe not in your club but in a lot of clubs. My understanding from reports in the papers over the last year is that players were allowed to play for their clubs , it was their own decission to play or not, club players. go away for stags etc, do they worry about playing for their clubs. Dont think so It happens all the time. Why just pick on the county players, have a long hard look at the commitment of some club players.

you seem to be making a vaild point there for most of what you said but i think its not all so black and white on the issue of county players been left to decide themselves if they line out for there club team. most of them still fear geezer and so dont want to go off playing extra games away from the county scene without everyone else doing it. iv heard when he does tell them that they can play with theit clubs, he also says thats its their decision and gives them enough of a reminder as to what this year is all about (championship..leinster..all ireland) to put them off playing for there clubs and risk failing behind with the county should they get injured

All-Star Posts : 858 Join date : 2011-07-18

FreshMixer wrote:

Gaffer wrote:: Club game is dying, what plannet are you on. The club scene is very strong , maybe not in your club but in a lot of clubs. My understanding from reports in the papers over the last year is that players were allowed to play for their clubs , it was their own decission to play or not, club players. go away for stags etc, do they worry about playing for their clubs. Dont think so It happens all the time. Why just pick on the county players, have a long hard look at the commitment of some club players.

you seem to be making a vaild point there for most of what you said but i think its not all so black and white on the issue of county players been left to decide themselves if they line out for there club team. most of them still fear geezer and so dont want to go off playing extra games away from the county scene without everyone else doing it. iv heard when he does tell them that they can play with theit clubs, he also says thats its their decision and gives them enough of a reminder as to what this year is all about (championship..leinster..all ireland) to put them off playing for there clubs and risk failing behind with the county should they get injured

I suppose you've heard that the world wide recession is because of Geezer aswell. Not to mention the global warming epidemic. And rumour has it, keep this to yourself now, but word is - it was Geezer who was behind the wheel of the Costa Concordia a few weeks back!! Shhhhhhhhhhh

Junior A Posts : 41 Join date : 2012-02-13

another person that believe geezer is god and cant take any critism against him i see! Im a fan of what he has done with the county team but dont be so blind to the fact that he isnt perfect and the main problem behind club players availabilty is him!..but on ur point of geezer causing a world wide recession i think that is a little to far, he has fairly manage to spend all he can with kildare tho! i just hope the underage teams wont suffer because of it

All-Star Posts : 858 Join date : 2011-07-18

FreshMixer - I may be what you refer to as "another one" alright. BUt its another one who can see youyr agenda. Every oppertunity you get your caving a go at the county setup.

I dont believe Geezer is flawless. But I do recognise how much he has improved things in this county. He has made some mistakes and had some pretty awful results. But look back at how we have regrouped, learned and improved from all thos bad results. Or are you choosing to ignore all that?

County players are fully grown adults, they make their own decisions. Do you honestly think JD is going against Geezers wishes by playing every game he plays for Allenwood??

Id be interested to hear you regurgitate the amounts of money that Geezer has spent. LEts have some facts from you for a change??

Seriously - you need to get off the bar stool and stop believeing all you hear in the pub!

Junior A Posts : 41 Join date : 2012-02-13

are you joking?? the whole country knows the kildare is spending at a rate which it can clearly not afford. im not saying geezer isnt right to get what he can to achieve success but your blind if you havnt seen the problems kildare gaa are suffering with the bank manager!! whats your defense of this 300,00 bailout by croke park, or you can feel free to call what ever you instead of a bailout!!..what are hear are mostly facts, im just not afraid to back kildare and yet also draw attention to our problems!! why are you so in favour of not saying anything against kildare county board?? are you on the committee or something???

All-Star Posts : 858 Join date : 2011-07-18

Freshmixer you obv havent a fucking clue what your on about. I've had countless wranings from Admin in here over having a go at the CB for various things.

Of course everybody in Ireland is aware of the 300k deficet which Kildare CB find themselves in. But I am asking you to back yp your claim that Geezer

Quote :: has fairly manage to spend all he can with kildare tho!

. Are you saying that figure is down to the senior manager??

You have also chosen to ignore points about senior county stars not playing for their clubs. Do you honestly believe that these guys are being told not to play championship matches for their clubs?

You also chose to ignore the tight scheedule of Leinster championship matches that was pointed out by Umpireontheditch.

LEts see you come up with some proper facts an figures to back the shite that you've been dribbling Mad

Subject: Re: Availability of county players Mon May 14, 2012 11:09 pm

Granted the Leinster Championship is quite condensed but there was a seven week gap between the Tyrone and Offaly matches. Why was only one round of county championship scheduled when there was ample time for at least two rounds, if not three?

Junior C Posts : 18 Join date : 2011-05-06

Well said KK

Nonsensical really. I think it shows the contempt for the club game. 7 weeks and county players only available for 1 of those weeks, what's all that about??

Guest

I'm sick of lads going on about what the County Board are spending on the Senior team. Sick to my teeth of it.

Its the Senior County team, McGeeney and all the players that have interest in Football within Kildare at an all time high.

In Galway, Louth, Meath we out numbered the locals. In galway i say it was at least 2 to one, could even have been 3 or 4.

They are generating big money for the county board also. I was at an O'Byrne cup game at Newbridge in January and there was at least 3/4k at it. Next year we will be entertaining the likes of Dublin, Cork and Kerry for the League.

All with that Freshmixer our spending on our Senior County team is not even on a par with other counties in Ireland, but yet you still can't resist having a dig. It fairly obvious you haven't a notion what you're talking about.

Would you not go back to winding up your JTB buddies or talk about how all the lads in Athy are emigrating in the summer.

kickingking mentioned there is a 7 week wait. I agree its not Ideal. What people fail to realise is McGeeney is the Senior Kildare manger. Not Moorefield, Not Athy, Not Sarsfield. He cares for no other than the Kildare Senior football team and its players. Do you think anyone in Athy gives a toss about the moorefield players - I think not. Its competitive football. Everyone looks after their own.

After that its up to the County Board and the club delegates to sort out the fixtures. McGeeney will fight his corner, the rest will fight theirs.

Intercounty Posts : 361 Join date : 2010-06-29

Freshmixer why don't you hightail it back to where you came from.
I doubt if you're even a Kildare man !

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