Does anyone else agree that this is slightly ridiculous. The GAA need to allow them to come back home and get a few challenge matches..bit of common sense needed it seems!

offtheground1 (Down) - Posts: 128 - 07/05/2013 11:34:57    1379836

Common sense and the GAA don't get me started..

Greenwood (Meath) - Posts: 210 - 07/05/2013 11:46:16    1379842

Ireland will win the world cup before the gaa show some common sense

kerryluck (Kerry) - Posts: 2517 - 07/05/2013 11:54:14    1379846

It's a lousy decision by the GAA. How many challenge games do you think Sligo will have played by the time they play London? They'll be much sharper.

scruff (UK) - Posts: 467 - 07/05/2013 11:59:40    1379848

I read about that decision - it is just ludicrous, and extremely unfair.

Letter of the law, spirit of the law?!!!!

Solo_Run (Leitrim) - Posts: 227 - 07/05/2013 12:23:35    1379858

To be fair to thee GAA hierarchy, (and I am not usually kindly disposed to them), they are just enforcing the rules.
The rule itself is ludicrous, whether applied to London or to anyone else. Why shouldn't a team go away on a training weekend. Its their time, and their money that is being spent. Effectively, a team can train for 4 hours a day, 7 days a week, so long as they go home to their own beds every night. But they can't head away for a weekend training camp? Absolute nonsense.
I don't know the history of this rule. Perhaps someone can enlighten us as to when it was introduced. Presumably it was introduced at congress and voted in by county delegates. In which case, that is where the problem lies for this silly, poorly thought out rule.

anfearbeag (Meath) - Posts: 1134 - 07/05/2013 12:27:28    1379860

This is completely unfair on London, now they will have to resort to playing challenges against vastly inferior opposition, hardly good preparation for their opener against Sligo.

PK57 (Louth) - Posts: 1664 - 07/05/2013 12:48:54    1379872

London travelling home isnt the issue, they can freely move around as both countries are in the EU. The GAA are stopping teams travelling home for games its immigration in the case of New York, US authorites dont care about the GAA and why should they in all fairness. If your illegal your illegal and if you leave the US as a team or on your own you cant get back.

crossfieldball (Galway) - Posts: 650 - 07/05/2013 13:13:04    1379895

Ehmm, just to act the clown completely but if I was London I would raise an objection, on the same technicality, if Antrim, Down, Tyrone, (London!!)Derry, Armagh and Fermanagh played in a challenge across the border?! That would be "abroad" by the same definition they are applying to London GAA.

Perfectly entitled to do so if you ask me......won't be long getting the law amended or applied as it was meant.

Solo_Run (Leitrim) - Posts: 227 - 07/05/2013 13:13:05    1379896

crossfieldball, i'm sorry I don't get the point you are trying to make in relation to London. The GAA authorities have no right to stop irishmen from playing a challenge match against their fellow irishmen in ireland. As pointed above if they say that London are moving to a different country then the 6 counties are moving to a different country if playing a challenge match against a member of the 26 counties. This is just symtomatic of the GAA's attitude to London county board. It's a disgrace. I'm sure when delegates voted for this they didn't envisage this particular scenario and if they did they wouldn't have voted. shame on you GAA headquarters.

s goldrick (Cavan) - Posts: 5524 - 07/05/2013 13:35:23    1379921

s goldrick apologises I only read the article there and was assuming it was the same situation as New York. GAA are living in the stone ages there continusiously resisting change and refusing to push the organsiation forward. Why ban training weekends or whatever, if they want to have London in the AL then give them the privilages of all other counties. Does this mean that Kilenny could throw a football team togather tomorrow if the mood hit them and organise a challenge despite the fact they dont even compete and London cant...as i dunno anymore

crossfieldball (Galway) - Posts: 650 - 07/05/2013 14:05:59    1379946

I stand to be corrected on this but I believe this rule was introduced some years back during the Celtic Tiger. The GAA had no objection to any county heading abroad on training week/weekend but they decided to put a date sometime around when the National Leagues finshed to be the cut-off date that no team could arrange to travel after this. This was a sensible ruling and it was intended to protect the clubs from within those counties who were trying to run championships etc. but surely a case can be made for London to travel here and play some challenges. I know they are sticking to the rules but surely an exception can be made here..

Greenwood (Meath) - Posts: 210 - 07/05/2013 14:26:33    1379962

what about going to a colder climate like rocky did? that ok?

loyal82royal (Meath) - Posts: 260 - 07/05/2013 14:56:09    1379994

Crossfieldball your previos comment reminded me of this lol......We can't bust heads like we used to, but we have our ways. One trick is to tell 'em stories that don't go anywhere - like the time I caught the ferry over to Shelbyville. I needed a new heel for my shoe, so, I decided to go to Morganville, which is what they called Shelbyville in those days. So I tied an onion to my belt, which was the style at the time. Now, to take the ferry cost a nickel, and in those days, nickels had pictures of bumblebees on 'em. Give me five bees for a quarter, you'd say.

Now where were we? Oh yeah: the important thing was I had an onion on my belt, which was the style at the time. They didn't have white onions because of the war. The only thing you could get was those big yellow ones...

loyal82royal (Meath) - Posts: 260 - 07/05/2013 15:00:42    1379997

the GAA do not seem to be helping Lonodn in anyway at the moment, we now have this ruling and the Sean Johnson law hindering the London County team (quite a few new players in London were not elligible to play for London this year until they have played a club championship game here, so as a result the clun championship started in January!).
Its a shame that Coggins and his team are not being given a helping hand by headquarters as they have become more competitive the last couple of years.

Rosineri1 (UK) - Posts: 2099 - 07/05/2013 17:26:01    1380117

Solo Run: Great point (and I don't want anyone to think that I am in any way advocating for a 26-county organization!). Banning London from coming back makes as much sense as banning Tyrone; none.

festinog (Galway) - Posts: 3154 - 07/05/2013 17:39:48    1380124

Incredible this. Silly

waynoI (Dublin) - Posts: 13659 - 07/05/2013 19:00:19    1380176

Absolutely crazy.

tyroneed (Tyrone) - Posts: 753 - 07/05/2013 20:25:51    1380231

The GAA is a typical large organisation; chocoblock with red tape, too many needless committees and numerous jobsworths enforcing ridiculous rules.

Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9840 - 07/05/2013 21:33:37    1380273

Rules are rules. If they get to travel for their challenege games to a different country will they gain an advantage.

Yes.

daytona11 (Kildare) - Posts: 4012 - 08/05/2013 14:47:43    1380615