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Andy McEntee Was Right To Tell A Reporter To Stick It - 21 Like(s)
Replying To Jackpot: "1 journalist was doing his job
2 mcentee threatened violence
3 a good question was asked. Club is the heartbeat of gaa and players should be released" 1. Journalist asked a stupid question for whatever reason.
2. McEntee told him off as I'm sure many of us would have.
3. The Chronicle have gone on a spectacular witchhunt with complete disregard for the Meath team in order to sell papers.
Saldy they'll probably get their apology to.
.....and all this while we're preparing to try and make the last 8 for the first time since 2010, thanks Meath Chronicle, top form.
Htaem (Meath) - 26/06/2019 21:47:35
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Meath V Carlow - 21 Like(s)
Be some discussion board in fairness if we weren't allowed to express any opinions. Apparently some here would like debate to be reduced to 2 options:
a) shut up and agree, no contrary views welcome.
or
b) see a.
Ps, UP DA ROYAL :-)
Htaem (Meath) - 18/05/2019 11:59:05
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Meath V Donegal - 20 Like(s)
Replying To bobkarlgees: "What a goalkeeping mess. Total mismanagement in this area.
https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/goalkeeping-woes-have-royals-in-need-of-safe-pair-of-hands-38912621.html?token=1575202168" I'm not sure our goalkeeping woes are all management's fault, granted we don't seem to have a clear strategy from kickouts other than the bog standard lump it up the field and try to win it, which is 50/50 at best.
But what can management do? All our keepers are either average or not willing to commit, we don't have an intercounty level keeper.
No offence intended to either Colgan or O'Rourke before him, but when those lads try to pick out their men they often miss the target and get us into deep trouble (think Mayo last year). Management can't kick the ball for them, they have to do it themselves.
Lumping the ball up field and hoping for the best is not a good tactic in this day and age (especially when you don't have brilliant natural fielders of a ball) but it's the lesser of 2 evils when you run the risk of going short and presenting the ball on a plate to opposition forwards.
Htaem (Meath) - 01/02/2020 13:11:11
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Meath V Dublin - 20 Like(s)
Let me tell yous a little underdog story from another sport I love, just to give the quitters and the Dubs a laugh.
This Leinster final reminds me a bit of the 2003 PDC world darts final between the unbeatable Phil Taylor and no hoper John Part.
Phil Taylor had won 8 world championships in a row heading into that final, he was on a 44 game winning streak in the tournament, absolutely unheard of domination of top players. Taylor had infact only been beaten once in the tournaments entire history, the very first final back in 1994.
Part on the other hand was a good player, a very good player infact but surely no match for the greatest of all time. He'd qualified for the PDC final once before, in 2001 where he was dismantled by Taylor 7-0, he'd only won 3 legs in the entire game, a humiliating effort.
Taylor turned up to the final in 2003 all set to retain his crown, it was a foregone conclusion, Part had zero chance, only problem was somebody forgot to send the script over to Canada this time.
Part stormed into a 4-1 lead much to everybodys shock, but the champion fought back and took the lead 5-4. Normal service had been restored, all Taylor had to do now was canter to a finish, but no, once again the Canadian forget he was supposed to lose.
He brought Taylor to the hill and lead 2-1 in the final set, Taylor missed an opportunity to level it 2-2 giving Part a shot at 77 to stun the world of darts, and that he did. He left himself double 20 with 1 dart in his hand and and with incredible nerve he smacked it into the target to stun the Circus Tavern, Part was world champion, he defeated the undefeatable Taylor 7-6.
Such was the confusion that the man who had been used to letting off an explosion of confetti to celebrate Taylor's win forgot to do the same for Part. This just wasn't supposed to happen.
The thing is Part believed in himself, he remained calm and wasn't overawed by his illustrious opponent, he never accepted failure throughout the challenge. Most importantly I suppose is that he took the majority of chances afforded to him by Taylor and Taylor didn't give away many chances so Part had to create his own.
Will Meath do the same? I don't know, but it can be done!
Htaem (Meath) - 15/06/2019 14:18:28
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Where Do We Go From Here? - 20 Like(s)
Replying To Young_gael: "https://play.acast.com/s/thegaahourwithcolmparkinson/tag%3Asoundcloud%2C2010%3Atracks%2F934547788
Here's a link to a website stream of the episode. Enjoy." Cheers Young_gael, very interesting listen.
I don't know what to say about Dublin's monopoly at this stage, perhaps I'm late to the party when it comes to admitting there is a huge problem. I always believed (perhaps naively) that we could overcome the odds and start beating Dublin again.
I grew up watching Meath consistently beating Dublin and even up until maybe 2014 you could say we were still giving them a good game (but not winning of course). However rather than close the gap we're very obviously falling further behind and I have to hold my hand up and admit that I was wrong in the belief that we could keep the pace without the resources to match.
I think other counties outside of Leinster have the same blindspot as me though, they seem to think that the 10 other Leinster counties are hopeless (with special hatred often reserved for us specifically), without giving proper consideration to the situation.
We have to play the Dubs early on each year and regularly ship heavy defeats which is very deflating. Whereas the likes of Kerry, Mayo and the Ulster teams have come through some good, hard battles beforehand against teams of a similar level, resulting in their confidence being much higher and the team generally being much more battled hardened.
But the worrying thing is they keep talking about all the 'close' championship games and moral victories, almost forgetting that every single one ultimately ended in defeat since all they way back to 2014!!! We taked about such things aswell back in 2005, 2007, 2009, 2012 and 2013 and look at us now!!
Now the Dubs themselves are proud of their team which is completely understandable and can get quite defensive when challenged. But I think they have to stop treating all of us as the enemy and realise that we all want a vibrat and competitive Leinster championship but it's consigned to history unless something drastic is done and done quickly.
Final thing I'd say is, I'd love to see an independent review as to what exactly happened to the Leinster championship from 2000-2020. Nothing biased, just facts and figures will do.
Htaem (Meath) - 24/11/2020 11:56:23
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Meath V Westmeath 2015 - 19 Like(s)
Replying To Proudroyal: "Yeah have to admit those two games were hard to take both games we had big leads, remember the Wexford game three points in it near the end and Brian Farrell missed a handy free which would have steady us at the time (not having a pop at him) great servent and a fine footballer and if I remember rightly we had a good goal ruled out in the game as well, having said that have to say fair play to Wexford that day they never gave up.The westmeath game yeah for me a big turning point was biggy getting the black card, they couldn't cope with him that day one of his better days for us(should have been alot more his talent for me is unquestionable but his consistently was) again though you have to say fair play to westmeath never gave up it some thing we done alot under Sean.The next day was v tryone in omagh(opened to correction) but I think we lost by two points, close enough a couple of calls in our favor who knows we may have won but omagh is one of the toughest places to go on top form never mind the demoralizing defeat we took v westmeath." Yes I remember the Farrell miss, he was a very talented player but I think the pressure used to get to him a bit, you could understand given the circumstances. Wasn't it Joe Sheridan who got the goal v Wexford that was ruled out because he'd apparently ripped the ball out of the Wexford Goalie's hands, I remember thinking it was a very harsh decision anyway.
Biggy was playing great stuff against Westmeath and I think his black card was the turning point, but given how well everybody was playing up to that point, it shouldn't have caused us to lose.
Also my apologies, it was Tyrone we played after the Westmeath defeat, I even drove up to the game! Must be getting forgetful in me auld age, it was a pure dogfight of a game and in the end we possibly could have gotten a result!
The Derry defeat was in 2016 I think, we'd been well beaten Dublin and then blew another big lead v Derry.
Htaem (Meath) - 03/05/2020 11:35:38
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Top 3 Meath Wins And Worst Defeats - 19 Like(s)
Thanks lads, some very good replies and some great memories.
Saldy we've had nothing really great to talk about over the last decade and we need to put that right.
In fairness last year we made great strides by getting promoted and making the super 8s (although I'm not a fan of the super 8s at all) but this year's been a write off in more ways than one.
We never got a proper stab at Div1 because of all the injuries (was it 11 players unavailable at one stage!), and the championship almost certainly won't go ahead this year either.
Htaem (Meath) - 16/05/2020 13:13:32
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Meath V Dublin - 19 Like(s)
Replying To waynoI: "Question.
Everyone knows what a win/narrow defeat will do for meath in terms of confidence going forward.
Meath have had a really good year and the progress has been clear for all to see, so what if Dublin dish out an absolute pasting.
What if Dublin start well, get a lead, as a result are drained of confidence, Dublin show no let up and win by upwards of 15 points. What affect does that have on yous as a fanbase but also to the team" As a fan I'll be disappointed but not surprised, Dublin have been consistently beating other Leinster teams by 10-20pts for the last 5 or so years now so it can't be considered a surprise.
I'd imagine the confidence of the team will be effected by a heavy defeat, I don't know many of the players personally but I'd hope their ambitions are to be Leinster champions and this is an opportunity, even if it is an outside one.
I rate McEntee as a manager, I have a lot of time for him, I think he's an ambitious, dogged determined sort who puts an emphasis on hard work and fitness. A heavy defeat will be a big blow to him but focus will be very quickly turned to the qualifiers.
But anyway look, I've resolved to doing a shot everytime Dublin scores a point, so if we hold them to a low score, we'll probably win and I'll be soberish enough to enjoy it and if Dublin go on a rampage I'll never know a thing about it, masterplan :-)
Htaem (Meath) - 18/06/2019 20:14:41
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Meath V Dublin - 19 Like(s)
Great win for the minors today and good performance from the seniors, vastly better than the shambles in last year's Leinster final.
Like many here I didn't grow up watching Meath simply pushing Dublin, I grew up watching Meath beating Dublin and that's where I'm sure we'd all like to return. Now tonight may have been a nothing game for us and I know we lost in the end anyway but it looked like progress, and progress is never a bad thing, we just have to try and build on it now.
Not a bad day's work overall lads, hopefully if the championship does go ahead (and that's a big if at the minute) we can put in a few more encouraging performances.
Htaem (Meath) - 17/10/2020 21:48:14
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Pairc Tailteann - 19 Like(s)
Replying To LeitrimRoyal99: "I believe the reason for doing the terrace first is for 2 reasons. 1. It means we can still play there/have club championship there. Also and crucially it's to realign the pitch. Right now there is way more space owned by Meath GAA behind the stand side. I think they are going realign the pitch and have it much closer to the stand (knocking the concrete seating below the current covered stand). The new stand has a bigger footprint than current terrace (just doing off the digital image produced). My two main concerns, Originally we are building a 4,000 stand. Firstly, I seen somewhere (I think the chronicle) that it was going to be 3,000 covered. Why are 1,000 uncovered. That seems idiotic. Secondly the end plan is for a 7,000 stand. How will we make it from a 4,000 seater with 1,000 covered to 7,000 all covered" Well look in fairness I'm not going to criticize the current administration as I believe the problems with PT pre-dates many of them. Also I haven't read the plans inside out so I'm not exactly sure what the plans are stage by stage, is there a link anywhere for that?
The main thing for me is that we commit 100% to full re-development, doesn't matter if it takes 10 years, just commit and get it done.
These projects aren't easy and funding is always a struggle but I where there's a will there's a way, we can do it.
Htaem (Meath) - 12/01/2020 18:33:40
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Best Ever Meath Line-Up From Players You Have Seen Play Live. - 19 Like(s)
Replying To royaldunne: "Yeah I'd have to go with that, as a young child I idolised Jack Quinn, but I would have to say that gg was the best I have ever seen. Followed by O'Connell and O'Rourke (Colm). They'd be my top 3.
As for this pandemic it's a bloody nightmare, herself and the kids haven't left the house in over a month , I go to get the essentials looking like something out of a space movie, when I get home clothes go into wash , I go into shower. It's crazy, but with our young fella and his health issues we have to make sure he doesn't get it. So this place is a bit of a release" 3 all time great players alright. I never seen Jack Quinn but my father often spoke about how great he was.
I know the pandemic is a nightmare, especially when you have someone vulnerable in the house but the extra precautions are worth it to keep your little man safe.
We're all good thanks, have to say I'm lucky living out in the country, plenty of space to move about and not a person in sight. But it is frustrating at the same time, the sooner we get on top of this virus the better!
Htaem (Meath) - 17/04/2020 20:02:01
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Meath V Carlow - 19 Like(s)
Replying To TakeYourPoints6: "Couldn't agree more. Always get such a laugh on here at the amount of apparent S & C coaches/Physios/Skills coaches that are kind enough to share their knowledge with us" Ah don't mind southmeathgael, he's prone to the odd little outburst. He's just not himself when he's hungry, needs to have a Snickers :-)
Htaem (Meath) - 17/05/2019 14:11:06
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Pairc Tailteann - 19 Like(s)
Lads the stand badly needs to be knocked and a new one built, this is a matter of urgency.
The grass banks are unsightly and also need to be done, not as urgent as the stand but they cannot be ignored. The very fact that they are still there is an indictment of the complacency and incompetence of our county boards going back decades.
The terrace is fine for now, it serves a purpose but the plans to replace it should be seen through before it becomes a problem.
Htaem (Meath) - 12/01/2020 17:03:29
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Meath V Mayo - 19 Like(s)
Disappointing not to get the win, our lack of experience at this level is really showing but look it's all a learning curve.
I thought we needed something from our first 2 games to be in with a chance of survival but 0 out of 6 points more or less condemns us.
6pts is generally the safety mark, and we could possibly take Galway in Navan but with away games to come against Kerry, Dublin and Monaghan I think it's safe to say Div2 football will be returning to Navan in 2021.
Htaem (Meath) - 10/02/2020 16:31:15
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Meath V Laois - 19 Like(s)
Replying To royaldunne: "Nah not been televised, but I'm sure there's a dead rubber hurling match that will be on, with extended coverage of same hurling match on Sunday game, and of course plenty on dubs. With brolly going apoplectic about them and how we need a second tier and that Kildare are the second best team in Leinster , we will then might if we lucky get 90 seconds, and over to dartagh Ose to say how unlucky Laois were, and Meath are a poor team and were booed off the field, and if they can keep Dublin to double digits (less than a 100) points would be best t we could hope for. Then more hurling." Haha yep, that's pretty much the sunday game, cutting edge sports coverage.
Htaem (Meath) - 05/06/2019 17:31:28
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Best Ever Meath Line-Up From Players You Have Seen Play Live. - 19 Like(s)
Replying To royaldunne: "Good team and subs." Thanks royaldunne, hope all is well with you and yours in this bloody pandemic.
We've had some superstar players over the years, unforgettable memories and hopefully we'll come good again in future.
Just for what it's worth, I think Graham Geragthy is the best Meath player I've ever seen and that includes the 80s team. How about you?
Htaem (Meath) - 13/04/2020 16:45:59
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Meath V Donegal - 19 Like(s)
Look we had a bad day at the office, very poor performance, but this is the level we want to reach, we want to be playing in Div1 consistently.
This is our first time at the top level since 2006 (first standalone Div1 since 1997!!), and while we all hoped we could go toe to toe, it's just not happening for us yet. We have a lot to learn and hopefully we will learn.
I know the injuries are a bit of an excuse but to be fair we are missing half our defense and some key forwards as well. To have any real chance we needed to be at or near full strength, but we're a mile off that.
Anyway the year is young yet, we can't abandon ship this early just because things aren't going well.
Htaem (Meath) - 02/02/2020 17:56:24
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Best Ever Meath Line-Up From Players You Have Seen Play Live. - 19 Like(s)
I started going to Meath games in 1996 (not a bad year to start!), so that excludes largely the great team of the 80s for me but anyway here goes
1. Brendan Murphy
2. Mark O'Reilly
3. Darren Fay
4. Martin O'Connell
5. Donal Keogan
6. Enda McManus
7. Anthony Moyles
8. Conor Gillespie (Crawford unlucky but I thought Gillespie was excellent before injury robbed him of career)
9. John McDermott
10. Tommy Dowd
11. Trevor Giles
12. Cian Ward
13. Stephen Bray
14. Graham Geraghty
15. Ollie Murphy
Lots of players unlucky to lose out, such as Evan Kelly, Joe Sheridan, Graham Reilly, Donnacha Tobin, Shane O'Rourke, Cormac Sullivan, Eoin Harrington and a few others but I'm happy enough with that selection.
Even taking away the team of the 80s, we've had some fcukin savage forwards!
Htaem (Meath) - 12/04/2020 11:29:23
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Meath V Westmeath 2015 - 19 Like(s)
It was a stunning defeat, I'd have it down as the joint worst I've seen for Meath along with Wexford in 2008, although I took that defeat much harder simply because I was younger, I couldn't believe it.
In fact it was the Wexford defeat that changed my attitude towards defeats, I decided never to get so angry/upset by a defeat again because it's not worth it and thankfully I've remained that way ever since.
So basically that's why I didn't take the Westmeath defeat as badly in 2015, it was very disappointing no question but sadly that was a Meath team which was very prone to losing leads. When Westmeath got a run at is that day it was all over, we could have been 15pts up and still would have lost, you could see the white flags rising and the heads dropping all over the park. We then went on to lose a big lead against Derry and exit the championship.
But anyway that's 5 years ago now, nothing can be done about it, just look forward to hopefully better days.
Htaem (Meath) - 03/05/2020 09:54:30
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Top 3 Meath Wins And Worst Defeats - 19 Like(s)
For me championship football is absolutely magic, the anticipation of big games, the sunny days, road trips, exhilerating wins, crushing defeats, they're all part of it and getting to share these moments with family and friends creates priceless memories.
With this in mind and given we're unlikely to get a championship this year for obvious reasons I'm curious to know, what are your favourite 3 Meath wins and most painful 3 Meath defeats? preferably from games you've attended.
Specifically how the games made you feel immediately afterwards, not with the benefit of hindsight or post game analysis etc. Also please give a reason for your selections.
My Top 3 favourite wins (I attended all 3 games):
1. Beating Cork in the All-Ireland final 1999, it was the first AI final I'd attended, I got to share it with my dad and one of my best mates so this one will be hard to knock off top spot for me, I'm very lucky to have experienced this game, it was dreamland stuff.
2. 5 past Cluxton 2010. We'd waited 9 years to beat the Dubs, which felt like a lifetime for someone who was 13 when we last beat them in 2001. So to do it by smashing 5 goals past your arch enemy in a sun soaked Croker was only short of an AI win feeling.
3. Leinster win v Louth 2010. Ok ok, this is the cuckoo in the nest and I certainly don't look back on this as an occasion to be celebrated but when the green flag went up and we were champions for the first time in 9 years I felt ecstatic and that's what what this is about = 'how I felt at that moment'. Myself and my my oldest mate hugged each other and started jumping up and down when the flag went up, must have looked like a right pair of wallies :-)
My 3 worst defeats (again I attended all these ganes):
1. Galway 2001, devasted wasn't the word, I was 13 and had unwavering, blind confidence in Meath, I never even considered we could lose, nevermind would lose!
2. Dublin 2002, by no means is this the worst defeat Meath have suffered to Dublin, but I didn't really remember 1995, so essentially I'd only ever seen Meath defeat the old enemy and this was a seismic blow.
3. Wexford in 2008, this is the one that finished me off taking defeats to heart so much. I was stunned after the game, it was a brilliant comeback and must have been a thrilling watch for neutrals but I was incredibly down after it, I thought we were on the way back up and this felt like a killer blow. I literally decided on the Monday after the game that while I love Gaa and Meath, it is just sport and I shouldn't be getting so upset by defeats. Now I savour the wins and move on quickly and calmly from loses and it's serving me much better.
Htaem (Meath) - 14/05/2020 11:03:25
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