I think a lot of the fault is down to the team manager and the demands they [place on the county board. I remember as a young lad growing up the club always had the county players available for selection and also that club championships be played while the county was still in the championship. Its only been in the last 20/15 years that we have seen the managers come in and ask for champiosnhsip to be delayed until team is out of the All Ireland etc.
I don't know if the GAA can come up with a dedicated calendar say, first two weeks of May Intercounty Hurling and Club football, 2nd two weeks of May Intercounty Football and Club Hurling. Just an idea, not really thought it out

Rosineri1 (UK) - Posts: 2099 - 31/10/2013 12:37:57    1507718

Lads suggesting that clubs play without county players for championship really havnt got a clue.
Why should they? Clubs brought these players up to be the players they are and where were they spotted by the county manger only playing for their clubs.

Over the last few weeks Iv seen pictures of county players winning county finals with their clubs and the joy in their faces. I dont think they'd be impressed if they werent allowed to play club.

Joe_Bloggs (Tipperary) - Posts: 186 - 31/10/2013 13:03:50    1507742

I fine example of how important the club is and how much it means to players,I have a lot of time for Kilkenny he is an outstanding player but also knows what the GAA is all about, and has shown how much he loves it.

http://www.hoganstand.com/Hurling/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=203670

Rosineri1 (UK) - Posts: 2099 - 31/10/2013 16:43:55    1507857

Martin Breheny was at it again in the Indo talking about how an Ulster club hurling fixture should have been put back in order to facilitate Chrissy McKagues participation in the shinty/hurling match.
So there you have it, in the mind of one of the GAAs most respected analysts, about 40 or 50 players, as well as coaches, backroom staff and supporters should change their plans (again) so an inter county player can play in a match that almost no one cares about.
Perfectly sums up the attitude of some people toward the club scene, which is the bedrock of the association.

joncarter (Galway) - Posts: 2692 - 02/11/2013 18:09:56    1508465

31/10/2013 13:03:50
Joe_Bloggs
Lads suggesting that clubs play without county players for championship really havnt got a clue.
Why should they? Clubs brought these players up to be the players they are and where were they spotted by the county manger only playing for their clubs.

Over the last few weeks Iv seen pictures of county players winning county finals with their clubs and the joy in their faces. I dont think they'd be impressed if they werent allowed to play club. Or maybe they've more of a clue than you.
Yes clubs have helped bring players up to where they are but why should dozens of club players play feck all because county managers determine county players cant play and clubs wont play without those players

Intercounty players shouldn't be stopped from playing with their clubs but a proper season structure that gives players championship games throughout the season and throughout the summer needs to be put in place.
There is too many club games played in april/may/October/November and more need to be played in june/july/august/september

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 02/11/2013 18:25:21    1508467

Joncarter - I guarantee if you ask any of McKaigue's club mates they would be happy to move the game to allow him the honour of representing his country. County boards seem to be going out of their way to fix matches to clash with the International Rules. Whether people like it or not, it is part of the GAA calendar and county boards knew about it months ago. The players see it as a big thing. Counties like Derry, Donegal etc have no excuse as they were out of the championship relatively early. Tyrone even decided to move fixtures from the normal Sunday slot to Saturday knowing that Sean Cavanagh had been selected. Disgraceful stuff.

MB1 (Tyrone) - Posts: 360 - 03/11/2013 08:57:35    1508537

Unfortunately there does not seem to be enough weeks in a year to facilitate an ever growing fixture list that makes fixtures committees tasks up and down the country more and more difficult. Add into this the case of a dual county then the job becomes even more difficult.
Every year a County will produce their calender based on dates available to them from HQ and from April to the start of October fixtures have to be allocated for Minor Leagues, Minor Championships, U.21 Championships, Senior Leagues and Senior championships for BOTH codes.
Obstacles that occur then are County matches, possible replays, back door games, possible club championship replays, and you realise that the dates start to dwindle. Midweek games are no longer easy to arrange as a lot of clubs, particularly the smaller ones rely on players returning from work abroad and universities for their teams. Add to that the request of postponement of club games by clubs for various reasons, some legitimate, some not and you will realise the problems that Counties face in this day and age arranging games.

Take a dual club that has 5 or 6 minors on it's Senior panels and add the demands of clubs, schools and perhaps counties and you can see the problems clubs have with the idea of cramming everything into June-Sept. There are only 20 or so weeks to accommodate the perfect world. Not easy!!

kingpuck71 (Derry) - Posts: 691 - 03/11/2013 13:08:23    1508589

MB1 I guarantee you that a lot of McKagues clubmates, as well as the countless club players around the country who see their matches postponed and delayed during the Summer to suit inter county players are quite unhappy about the situation, even if they wont admit it in public.
You say that county boards knew about the IRS game well in advance, I would argue that the organisers of the IRS knew about the club championships well in advance (they ought to, seeing as how most of them have been going on for well over a century), so that argument of yours works both ways. The club championships are part of the GAA calendar, whether the International rules players like it or not.

joncarter (Galway) - Posts: 2692 - 04/11/2013 11:16:04    1508947

Joncarter I think you will find that was the Ulster final that he was talking about. Considering the winners will not be playing again until Feburary I'm sure they could have put it back 1 week. I don't think it would have created a logistical nightmare. Do you?

gotmilk (Fermanagh) - Posts: 4971 - 04/11/2013 11:26:23    1508950

Orandbanner man has it summed up perfectly.Why train all year to play in a pissing wet miserable sunday in November.It would be different if it was a few league games being run off but we are talking about county finals ect.The intercounty scene as enjoyable as it is has made a complete balls of the club scene in my opinion.Look at the standard of some of the club games we have seen over the last few days.Imagine them games in July or August?

Jagerbombs (Galway) - Posts: 59 - 04/11/2013 12:03:21    1508977