|
Westmeath Football thread - 3 Like(s)
Replying To iarmhiabu: "There were no dead rubber games in the Senior A Championship last year, all 6 teams had something to play for going into the last round. Caulry could be effectively eliminated after just 3 games if they lose this weekend, having already lost their opening two rounds. But the Championship structure was a farce before a ball was kicked. The issue isn't simply that a team can be eliminated after 3 defeats, it's the imbalance between Section A and B. If Section A is supposed to be the elite section, how can 50% of its teams progress while 50% of Section B also progress? Historically, Section B teams have an extremely poor record when they come up against the leading Section A sides in the knockout stages. Sending 3 of them into the Quarter Finals (1 will make the Semis) while eliminating the 4th best team in the grade risks producing exactly what nobody wants at that stage of the Championship, one sided games. If there's one thing to take from this farcical Championship structure, it's the importance of Clubs having representation at Committee level. One Section B Club alone has 3 representatives on the Committee. Make of that what you will." Have to agree wholeheartedly here. It beggars belief that this format made it through and that it is actually underway. Did nobody shout stop? How on earth could any delegate vote for this structure?
Every structure has its flaws of course but this is the most ridiculous of any of the possible options. Farcical is indeed the best word for it. Obviously this will change for next years championship as it simply cannot continue.
I think we will end up with the best teams in the final but because of this madness anything can happen.
Iarmhisamhi (National) - 13/08/2026 20:15:40
|
|
Man Utd V Leeds Utd - Croke Park - 2 Like(s)
Replying To Pikeman96: "The young lad here is a big Man United fan so I brought him to the match last night. My own view on soccer is I can take it or leave it.
My ticket cost €72 and his was €42. Upper Cusack, not too far from the halfway line.
Last month I paid €200 for two tickets, also for Upper Cusack, to bring him to an All-Ireland Final. Please tell me where I'd have got these All-Ireland tickets cheaper???" 200 for 2 tickets for the Pinnacle of the Gaelic football season was great value.
Yesterday evening you gave over half that to see basically 2 junior teams playing. Neither side was at full strength and there was nothing at stake
eoinog (National) - 13/08/2026 16:57:50
|
|
Man Utd V Leeds Utd - Croke Park - 2 Like(s)
Replying To ulsterrules: "Here is another way of looking at it.
Professional Football pays its players , Bruno Fernandez gets £300,000 per week alone, yet they charged less than €100 for a ticket to Croke park
GAA NOT professional , David Clifford get paid €0.00 per week, yet Croke Park charge €100 a ticket for the all Ireland" One was a friendly, the other was the pinnacle of our game. Try getting the best champions league final ticket for €100.
WanPintWin (National) - 14/08/2026 09:18:00
|
|
Galway Hurling thread - 1 Like(s)
Replying To Pope_Benedict: "I don't buy this theory that falling to Junior impedes the route back to Senior. Why should it set a team back years? That's just cliche really. If your talent capacity for a spell drops you to Junior, it won't greatly delay the route back to senior, once a senior calibre roster emerges from underage at some point. Portumna are enthusiastic enough about their u13/u14 groups at the moment, according to a GBFM report I heard recently. That's not to say they'll be senior in 10 years time, but it's not to say they won't be either. Either way, if they come with a senior calibre bunch at some point, they'll likely emerge from junior just as quickly as intermediate imo." Exactly. A team will generally end up at a level where their talent at the time determines they should be.
If they develop some strong groups from underage, then they have a chance to progress again.
It often actually helps a young group coming through to graduate into Junior or Intermediate initially at adult level, rather than being thrown into senior.
Portumna were junior in the past for many years and intermediate for around a decade, before finally getting to senior in the early 90s. That's where their level was at the time. They're competing very well at U14 A, so if they keep that team together and a few more to add to it, they'll build again.
WanPintWin (National) - 14/08/2026 09:16:35
|
|
Man Utd V Leeds Utd - Croke Park - 1 Like(s)
Am i the only one here who think that Croke park is being OVERUSED for gaelic games?
Yes the united game was a meaningless farce,and yes i would personally agree that the fact it sold out is a bit embarrassing, but the fact is it sold out,and it makes more sense to schedule a sellout concert or soccer/boxing match there than it does to schedule a sparsely attended Leinster championship match or league match there,with no atmosphere and an ocean of empty seats.
Seniorleague (National) - 14/08/2026 15:11:56
|
|
Man Utd V Leeds Utd - Croke Park - 1 Like(s)
Replying To GreenandRed: "Rugby is professional and is well run. Amateur or professional doesn't determine if a sport is run well or badly. Some League of Ireland clubs are well run. Our county board taxed our clubs because they paid too much to upgrade McHale Park, a stadout that will never be full to it's oversized capacity for a football match." County boards are by no means perfect and plenty of mistakes made, we ended up in big debt a while back as well. But at the end of the day they are volunteers, the organisation remains community based no matter what happens and no US investor is discarding the teams when all goes wrong. I'm not sure if it unique to Ireland but professional rugby in Ireland seems to be controlled by the governing body with only four teams to manage where producing players for the national team is the main objective. Fair play to them but I feel absolutely no affinity with Connacht rugby. Following the GAA is an antidote to aloof nature of professional sport that lacks the community feel which the GAA has. I think going pro will eliminate that.
FullOfPorter (National) - 14/08/2026 14:35:45
|
|
Monaghan GAA thread - 1 Like(s)
Replying To Farney: "I would be sorry to see a change, GB was able to turn around several matches this year from losing positions. we had a seriously good year considering the injuries that we had. And as for the Louth match.. we just didn't have the midfielders to challenge them on their kickout and they were guaranteed possession in our half of the pitch. Karl Gallagher was a serious loss along with Beggan." Totally agree
Farneyblueandwhite (National) - 14/08/2026 12:32:48
|
|
Man Utd V Leeds Utd - Croke Park - 1 Like(s)
Replying To ulsterrules: "One is a professional sport that takes in millions from gate receipts and sponsors etc and pays players millions a year
the other is a volunteer led organisation that takes in millions from gate receipts and sponsors and pay the players nothing." All Ireland final our pinnacle sporting event.....Man Utd v Leeds in a meaningless friendly. Bruno Fernandez, like all of the pro soccer players, plays for a soulless multi million sporting investment franchise with no real ties to their clubs bar the lucrative contract...you can't actually put a price on what the GAA has with the club and county scene when it comes to local loyalties and players being ordinary local lads. That 100 euro gets redistributed back to the clubs and allows our game to avoid all the grubbiness that comes with professionalism.
Look at League of Ireland for a window into how things can go when it comes to professional sport in Ireland. No doubt it is entertaining and the quality has dramatically improved, but you have Derry shambolically run. Dundalk huge fall from grace and nearly ran into the ground. The successes and failures of a club determined by the competency of their owners, many of who are just looking at it from an investment point of view. Is that what we really want in the GAA?
FullOfPorter (National) - 14/08/2026 11:58:25
|
|
Man Utd V Leeds Utd - Croke Park - 1 Like(s)
Replying To Viking66: "Ive a feeling hes talking about the hurling final." Good man Viking66. You're one of our own.
Saynothing (National) - 14/08/2026 11:05:50
|
|
Westmeath Football thread - 1 Like(s)
Replying To fizzygravy: "There reality is that this change was passed following a vote - there were objections from the floor on the evening of the planning meeting. However, there wasn't enough support to retain the structure when it came to voting. The county board management have quite a lot of votes but not enough to get a majority by themselves. Many hurling clubs abstained from voting which is understandable; they had no skin in the game. Some football clubs didn't vote surprisingly and others voted in favour of change. All that meant that the proposed change was ratified and 2026 has a new qualification structure for Senior and Intermediate championships. The CCC is tasked with planning competitions. These plans need to be accepted at a management meeting and then proposed to clubs for acceptance. All due process was carried out. I agree it's flawed but there is nobody at fault except perhaps club delegates not representing their clubs and members better." the county board have enough votes to make the difference. All clubs, naturally, voted for what suited their clubs in the coming year. So close to 50/50. County board votes tipped the balance. They wanted a different format , failed to ram it through, so used this as a stepping stone. If you want to remove something people like, make it worse first, and then they'll agree. The whole charade is bad faith.
Flawed is the wrong word to use. It's utterly farcical.
The club delegates are not at fault. The county board is. They are supposed to show leadership.
jamsie (National) - 14/08/2026 10:19:11
|
|
Westmeath Football thread - 1 Like(s)
Replying To Iarmhisamhi: "Have to agree wholeheartedly here. It beggars belief that this format made it through and that it is actually underway. Did nobody shout stop? How on earth could any delegate vote for this structure?
Every structure has its flaws of course but this is the most ridiculous of any of the possible options. Farcical is indeed the best word for it. Obviously this will change for next years championship as it simply cannot continue.
I think we will end up with the best teams in the final but because of this madness anything can happen." There reality is that this change was passed following a vote - there were objections from the floor on the evening of the planning meeting. However, there wasn't enough support to retain the structure when it came to voting. The county board management have quite a lot of votes but not enough to get a majority by themselves. Many hurling clubs abstained from voting which is understandable; they had no skin in the game. Some football clubs didn't vote surprisingly and others voted in favour of change. All that meant that the proposed change was ratified and 2026 has a new qualification structure for Senior and Intermediate championships. The CCC is tasked with planning competitions. These plans need to be accepted at a management meeting and then proposed to clubs for acceptance. All due process was carried out. I agree it's flawed but there is nobody at fault except perhaps club delegates not representing their clubs and members better.
fizzygravy (National) - 14/08/2026 09:55:46
|
|
Monaghan GAA thread - 1 Like(s)
Replying To MonaghanMan44life: "Main coach under Banty for 3-4 years also?" Just on that stint as the main man over the u20s. They were heavy favourites to beat Cavan in a quarter final and lost 1-11 to 0-03. 14 of the lads that played that day have went on to be involved with the Monaghan senior setup since. 1-11 to 0-03.
As for the club medals with Scotstown, you could leave the Scotstown players to manage the team themselves and they'd have no fewer medals over the past 10+ years.
HB245 (National) - 13/08/2026 16:22:07
|
|
Man Utd V Leeds Utd - Croke Park - 1 Like(s)
Replying To eoinog: "200 for 2 tickets for the Pinnacle of the Gaelic football season was great value.
Yesterday evening you gave over half that to see basically 2 junior teams playing. Neither side was at full strength and there was nothing at stake" Here is another way of looking at it.
Professional Football pays its players , Bruno Fernandez gets £300,000 per week alone, yet they charged less than €100 for a ticket to Croke park
GAA NOT professional , David Clifford get paid €0.00 per week, yet Croke Park charge €100 a ticket for the all Ireland
ulsterrules (National) - 14/08/2026 08:32:47
|
|
Man Utd V Leeds Utd - Croke Park - 1 Like(s)
Replying To CastleBravo: "The 2nd Wednesday in August used to be all about the All Ireland final. Now they're playing soccer in Croke Park instead.
Is this what the men of 1916 died for?" They didnt die for any sports ground. Sadly we still dont all have what they died for.
Viking66 (National) - 14/08/2026 07:07:45
|
|
Man Utd V Leeds Utd - Croke Park - 1 Like(s)
Replying To CastleBravo: "The 2nd Wednesday in August used to be all about the All Ireland final. Now they're playing soccer in Croke Park instead.
Is this what the men of 1916 died for?" embarrasing going on about 1916 in relation to this.
this game, the katie taylor fight and the concerts bring in huge revenue to the GAA.
The more condensed inter county season is better for inter county players, and club players.
club players have better structure to their season. get to play more top level championship games in the better months of the year and can plan their year and lives better.
KillingFields (National) - 14/08/2026 00:29:38
|
|
Man Utd V Leeds Utd - Croke Park - 1 Like(s)
I see Bruno Fernandes joined the pantheon of greats to have the great honour of walking up the steps of the Hogan to lift the trophy after the presentation, except he didn't even bother lifting he just walked back down with it (not to mention no speech out of him with a few pre-rehearsed words of Gaelige!). I'm joking about the lat bit but I'm glad he didn't lift it tbh. It was all a bit much for me but l'm old fashioned I know. We should reserve these privileges for our own in my opinion.
Onion Breath (National) - 13/08/2026 18:15:02
|
|
Man Utd V Leeds Utd - Croke Park - 1 Like(s)
I was there, great occasion
DuhallowRed (National) - 13/08/2026 18:13:29
|
|
Man Utd V Leeds Utd - Croke Park - 1 Like(s)
Replying To Cockney_Cat: "Where do you think the money Leitrim gets from the GAA every year comes from?" Same place as it did when finals were in September.
Saynothing (National) - 13/08/2026 17:15:39
|
|
Westmeath Football thread - 1 Like(s)
Replying To 2maroonjerseys: "At least the county board is trying to do something. For years people cribbing about not having one and now it's going ahead people are cribbing about paying for it.
They can't win. Tis all me me me and nothing about improving Westmeath football as a whole sure as long as the big teams are winning it's the attitude sure we're fine and don't mind anyone else. Yer either supporting the county boards effort to improve hurling and football for all age groups or yer just worried about yer own club . Typical like all the auld lads at clubs down thru the years who wouldn't change anything because we've always done things this way.
There's no JP in Westmeath coming to save us. So shoulder to the wheel or we will still be here in 20yrs time." I'd suggest you do your homework before typing that stuff, there's several reasons why people feel skeptical where the funding will come from. The previous fundraiser for a COE was spent on other stuff that it wasn't advertised for. Now I'm pretty sure people who put their hand in their pocket for a COE were delighted the money was spent on expenses etc. Every club will benefit from it and I'm sure they'll gladly do so but a fundraiser has to be a strategic joint effort not throwing it at the clubs to fund shortfalls if they don't sell X amount of tickets.
DelaneyCup2026 (National) - 13/08/2026 17:10:28
|
|
Galway Hurling thread - 1 Like(s)
Replying To katser: "I know Portumna have been falling for a few years, but when JC retires from Club hurling they have absolutely nothing coming through.
If they get relegated to Junior it could set Portumna back years and it could be 15yrs before they get back upto Senior." I don't buy this theory that falling to Junior impedes the route back to Senior. Why should it set a team back years? That's just cliche really. If your talent capacity for a spell drops you to Junior, it won't greatly delay the route back to senior, once a senior calibre roster emerges from underage at some point. Portumna are enthusiastic enough about their u13/u14 groups at the moment, according to a GBFM report I heard recently. That's not to say they'll be senior in 10 years time, but it's not to say they won't be either. Either way, if they come with a senior calibre bunch at some point, they'll likely emerge from junior just as quickly as intermediate imo.
Pope_Benedict (National) - 13/08/2026 16:47:28
|