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Hurling and Helmets

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One thing that has always bothered me is, players on same team wearing different coloured helmets at inter co. level. If you line out with uniform jersey, shorts, socks at least keep it uniform with the head gear, it looks so tacky and unorganized even unprofessional . The county GAA needs to provide team colour helmets to the players, how big of a financial hit can it be to the organization. murrax (Wexford) - Posts: 90 - 07/05/2017 20:54:20 1985045 Link
No need for it. Different helmets make it easier to notice different players 890202 (Wexford) - Posts: 1278 - 07/05/2017 21:21:43 1985055 Link
Replying To 890202: "No need for it. Different helmets make it easier to notice different players" I never differentiate players by helmet colour, who does? there can be several players wearing the same head gear colour, I use their jersey number or playing gait or style to automatically know who I am looking at... murrax (Wexford) - Posts: 90 - 07/05/2017 23:55:29 1985080 Link
Replying To murrax: "One thing that has always bothered me is, players on same team wearing different coloured helmets at inter co. level. If you line out with uniform jersey, shorts, socks at least keep it uniform with the head gear, it looks so tacky and unorganized even unprofessional . The county GAA needs to provide team colour helmets to the players, how big of a financial hit can it be to the organization." Ha that's amazing, I was thinking the opposite, that the six forwards and backs should wear 6 different colour helmets. All the same helmets would be a nightmare for the commentators and spectators. Even when there's only two backs say with the same colour helmet people from the crowd and commentators both get it wrong. If your six forwards and six backs each wore green, black, yellow, red, white and blue helmets it would be great. HurlingSnob (Dublin) - Posts: 220 - 08/05/2017 01:12:35 1985083 Link
Cork tried it a couple of years ago but didn't continue with it. Different colour helmets can help you pick out players quicker especially if you are in a nose bleed seat. I see your point though. A lot of lads tend to wear the helmet they wear at club level where it matches that kit. I'm thinking of Sheflin and his green helmet that matched his Ballyhale kit better than his Kilkenny kit. Killarney.87 (Tipperary) - Posts: 2513 - 08/05/2017 01:33:14 1985084 Link
Can't see that happening, everybody wears their own favourite brand / style of helmet that suits them. It's like saying everybody should wear the same coloured boots. The Cork hurlers all wore the same red helmet with white trim for one match some years back and as last poster said it did make it difficult to see who was who. Bon (Kildare) - Posts: 1908 - 08/05/2017 07:12:50 1985088 Link
Don't be taking out the individuality of GAA players anymore than is already done, they're already drone like enough without having matching helmets. And by the way, they are amateurs at the end of the day. bricktop (Down) - Posts: 2503 - 08/05/2017 08:33:57 1985106 Link
I understand what your saying probably makes sense if boots/helmets are part of team colours they are not though - the reality is players use their club/favourite colour helmets and for fans it is probably sometimes the only way of identifying players. arock (Dublin) - Posts: 4896 - 08/05/2017 09:44:22 1985128 Link
I might be out on my own, but I would love to go back to the days before helmets. I wouldn't know half the guys on the Antrim team if they walked past me on the street due to wearing helmets from the changing room to the end of the match. Brian_Coyote (Antrim) - Posts: 346 - 08/05/2017 10:18:30 1985138 Link
I think anybody who played hurling knows, if you are midfield etc you pick out your key man by his helmet colour. Big difference between lifting your head and seeing Conor McDonald and some sub who has just came on. It would make it a complete nightmare for supporters also. I often mix up Harry Kehoe and Conor Mc in particular, I'd prefer more different colour helmets!! Pinkie (Wexford) - Posts: 4100 - 08/05/2017 10:39:51 1985144 Link
Replying To Brian_Coyote: "I might be out on my own, but I would love to go back to the days before helmets. I wouldn't know half the guys on the Antrim team if they walked past me on the street due to wearing helmets from the changing room to the end of the match." You're not out on your own anyway but those days are gone and are not returning. I wouldn't recognise many of the Galway players on the street either even though I go to most of their matches. The way I get around it is to hang around after matches when they have their helmets off and are signing autographs for the kids. Regarding the colour thing, I wish players would wear different coloured helmets as much as possible. Joe Canning used to wear a distinctive red helmet but this year he is wearing a white helmet like one of the other forwards who is the same size and build as himself. It's very easy to mix them up if you are in a part of the ground that is not close to the action. PoolSturgeon (Galway) - Posts: 1903 - 08/05/2017 11:17:02 1985158 Link
Replying To PoolSturgeon: "You're not out on your own anyway but those days are gone and are not returning. I wouldn't recognise many of the Galway players on the street either even though I go to most of their matches. The way I get around it is to hang around after matches when they have their helmets off and are signing autographs for the kids. Regarding the colour thing, I wish players would wear different coloured helmets as much as possible. Joe Canning used to wear a distinctive red helmet but this year he is wearing a white helmet like one of the other forwards who is the same size and build as himself. It's very easy to mix them up if you are in a part of the ground that is not close to the action." Players should keep the helmets off right up to throw in of both halves and take them off again at the final whistle. I there there were too many eye injuries coming through Kilkenny/Waterford hospital and the GAA decided it was unsafe to play without helmets. If safety wasn't an issue, I'd be all for lads playing without helmets too. Killarney.87 (Tipperary) - Posts: 2513 - 08/05/2017 14:13:05 1985201 Link
Replying To murrax: "One thing that has always bothered me is, players on same team wearing different coloured helmets at inter co. level. If you line out with uniform jersey, shorts, socks at least keep it uniform with the head gear, it looks so tacky and unorganized even unprofessional . The county GAA needs to provide team colour helmets to the players, how big of a financial hit can it be to the organization." I totally agree, it is "tacky and unorganized even unprofessional" The GAA may be made up of amateur sports, but hurling and football are on par, in many ways, with other professional sports. I see no reason why each county should not have all their players wear the same colour helmets. Look at other sports that require helmets, take American football and ice hockey for example; players in both wear the same colour helmets that match their team colours. After all, would anyone be ok with players wearing what ever colour socks they wanted. This needs to be enforced from the top. Cockney_Cat (UK) - Posts: 2461 - 08/05/2017 16:37:01 1985241 Link
Replying To Cockney_Cat: "I totally agree, it is "tacky and unorganized even unprofessional" The GAA may be made up of amateur sports, but hurling and football are on par, in many ways, with other professional sports. I see no reason why each county should not have all their players wear the same colour helmets. Look at other sports that require helmets, take American football and ice hockey for example; players in both wear the same colour helmets that match their team colours. After all, would anyone be ok with players wearing what ever colour socks they wanted. This needs to be enforced from the top." People at the bottom don't want it enforced (as the majority of comments here show) so if they want to enforce it from the top let them try but they will be wasting their time. Doubt if the media would take a positive view of it either so they would be creating a stick to beat themselves with. There are far far bigger fish to fry. PoolSturgeon (Galway) - Posts: 1903 - 08/05/2017 17:08:27 1985253 Link
Replying To murrax: "One thing that has always bothered me is, players on same team wearing different coloured helmets at inter co. level. If you line out with uniform jersey, shorts, socks at least keep it uniform with the head gear, it looks so tacky and unorganized even unprofessional . The county GAA needs to provide team colour helmets to the players, how big of a financial hit can it be to the organization." Are you for real!!!! Next up will be hurl with same colour grip and same colour boots.. Helmets can be very individual to a player with a lot of intercounty players using the same helmet since they were kids.. My young lad knows every player by their colour and make of helmet... tonydoranfan (Wexford) - Posts: 550 - 08/05/2017 17:11:36 1985255 Link
Replying To Cockney_Cat: "I totally agree, it is "tacky and unorganized even unprofessional" The GAA may be made up of amateur sports, but hurling and football are on par, in many ways, with other professional sports. I see no reason why each county should not have all their players wear the same colour helmets. Look at other sports that require helmets, take American football and ice hockey for example; players in both wear the same colour helmets that match their team colours. After all, would anyone be ok with players wearing what ever colour socks they wanted. This needs to be enforced from the top." Dont think you every played hurling.... Try and make 50% of hurlers wear anything but cooper!!! tonydoranfan (Wexford) - Posts: 550 - 08/05/2017 17:14:05 1985258 Link
Replying To Brian_Coyote: "I might be out on my own, but I would love to go back to the days before helmets. I wouldn't know half the guys on the Antrim team if they walked past me on the street due to wearing helmets from the changing room to the end of the match." same here.bring back the days of no helmets,real warriors with blood gushing out of their head after some fellah taking the head off him. perfect10 (Wexford) - Posts: 3929 - 08/05/2017 17:42:09 1985265 Link
Replying To tonydoranfan: "Dont think you every played hurling.... Try and make 50% of hurlers wear anything but cooper!!!" So American footballers, ice hockey players, lacrosse players can all get by wearing the same make and colour helmets, but the delicate hurlers of today can't? By the way, I did once play a bit of hurling, not a helmet in sight. Cockney_Cat (UK) - Posts: 2461 - 08/05/2017 17:47:31 1985268 Link
I can honestly say off the top of my head I've no idea what colour helmets any of the Limerick lads wear. I pick them out by their playing style and just seeing them regularly. Whether they wear the same or 15 different ones it makes no difference. Nobody picks out players based on what they have on their head. mike03 (Limerick) - Posts: 2000 - 08/05/2017 18:18:09 1985272 Link
Replying To PoolSturgeon: "People at the bottom don't want it enforced (as the majority of comments here show) so if they want to enforce it from the top let them try but they will be wasting their time. Doubt if the media would take a positive view of it either so they would be creating a stick to beat themselves with. There are far far bigger fish to fry." The mandatory wearing of helmets by all players was enforced from the top only a few years ago, even though it annoyed many. Were you out at the crossroads with your pike then? Cockney_Cat (UK) - Posts: 2461 - 08/05/2017 19:30:51 1985288 Link