In fairness, that's a pretty ideal draw for both teams. If you can't beat London home or away, you may as well give up - which means that of your six meaningful games, four are at home. That's exactly what you want.
For the hurlers, Dublin started slow last year as they were training to peak later in the season - getting them in week one is ideal. You get to bring both Wexford and Limerick to OCP, and there's a good chance Antrim could be out of the running and have nothing to play for by Easter. That way a fixture that is a huge banana skin for other teams becomes a lot more winnable for us. If you handpicked that draw, you'd struggle to do better. Maybe Waterford at home and Carlow away in the football, or a double header somewhere, but otherwise it's all good.
Actually, just looking at the fixture list, here's a suggestion for somebody on the county board. Approach Carlow and Leitrim. The fixtures between the three counties are:
3rd March Carlow vs Leitrim
10th March Leitrim vs Offaly
16th March Offaly vs Carlow
If we swap home advantage for all three games, all three counties gain.
(1) Leitrim travel to Offaly instead of Carlow, which is a much shorter trip.
(2) Offaly get to play a home double header on the 10th, vs Leitrim in football and Wexford in hurling. Maximise home support, maximise attendance.
(3) Carlow now have two home games against Offaly on the 16th/18th in both football and hurling, which presumably can now be played as a double header in Dr Cullen Park on whichever date suits best. Again, bigger crowd, more value for supporters, more home revenue for Carlow.
Everyone wins - or am I missing something?
Kevin Egan. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.
Pat Donegan. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.
"Offaly's hurling is exact and abrasive: full of assurance on the ball, devoid of fumbling and slicing and sod-busting". Kevin Cashman RIP (September 1994).
Although the idea of Friday night matches is great if you are an armchair supporter for people who actually go to games I woudl think it is a pain in the hole.Have the Leisnter council considered that alot of people in both couinties commute to work and so may not be able to get to Portloaise in time for the game .I'll have to atke the day off that Friday.
Although the idea of Friday night matches is great if you are an armchair supporter for people who actually go to games I woudl think it is a pain in the hole.Have the Leisnter council considered that alot of people in both counties commute to work and so may not be able to get to Portloaise in time for the game .I'll have to take the day off that Friday.
in fairness, there's no time of week that suits everyone, and the reason that the Leinster Council are suggesting this experiment is because (a) there is some evidence that supporters like night games under lights, and (b) they have to try it some time. In fairness, the limited evidence we have in the GAA from O'Byrne Cup, McKenna Cup, U21 etc is that these games are popular and well supported.
Secondly, and I'll be the first to say that this is touching on a personal beef of mine, the GAA can sometimes go too far is setting themselves up to suit 9 to 5.30 people. I've never played at a high level but I have been involved in some management teams and I've experienced a lot of intolerance towards those who don't work office hours, as if that kind of employment is somehow less worthy and should be more flexible. No manager would set up a training session for 3pm of a Tuesday and give out when players don't skip work, yet I've seen it time and again that there is an expectancy that if you need to be in the office till 10pm, or if you need to work on a Saturday or Sunday, it should be within your power to rework your hours and come training anyway.
It's the same thing with attending games - the world is set up to accommodate office hours people - but maybe there is a case to be made for thinking outside the box and bearing in mind that it's becoming a 24 hour society now and we need to be open minded about how to provide for that.
Kevin Egan. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.
What time do they propose starting the match? Given that it will be in mid-June, it would be possible to throw in at 7.30pm (9pm finish) and on a bright evening be possible to get underway at 8pm (9.30pm finish) and still not need to use the lights.
Or are we looking at a nocturnal Leinster quarter-final altogether? Maybe the match will start on Friday and end on Saturday like the time they played that soccerball European Final in Moscow a few years back.
Pat Donegan. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.
"Offaly's hurling is exact and abrasive: full of assurance on the ball, devoid of fumbling and slicing and sod-busting". Kevin Cashman RIP (September 1994).
The N7 would be murder that Friday evening. Nordies with their caravans heading to Kerry for the week. Dubs going to Kilkenny on stag doos. On top of that there'll be KIldare horseboxes heading to Portleix as well as Offaly commuters who ordinarily use the N4/N6 going that way too.
Bord na Mona man wrote:They might want to factor in weekend traffic.
Granted Portleix has a motorway, but roads are generally busy on summer Friday evenings.
Pat Donegan. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.
"Offaly's hurling is exact and abrasive: full of assurance on the ball, devoid of fumbling and slicing and sod-busting". Kevin Cashman RIP (September 1994).
Looks like Offaly v Kildare is going to be in Croke Park in a double-header with The Dubs v The Wasters. They've copped on that it won't be dark enough to play under lights on a Friday, or on any other night of the week for that matter.
Martin Breheny is cribbing. It would have given him something to do on a Friday.
Pat Donegan. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.
"Offaly's hurling is exact and abrasive: full of assurance on the ball, devoid of fumbling and slicing and sod-busting". Kevin Cashman RIP (September 1994).
Plain of the Herbs wrote:Looks like Offaly v Kildare is going to be in Croke Park in a double-header with The Dubs v The Wasters. They've copped on that it won't be dark enough to play under lights on a Friday, or on any other night of the week for that matter.
Martin Breheny is cribbing. It would have given him something to do on a Friday.
Martin Breheny is always whinging about something so if he's against moving the game it proves the right decision has been made.
The last time the Offaly footballers played in Croke Park was 2007 so its good to get back there.
Plain of the Herbs wrote:Looks like Offaly v Kildare is going to be in Croke Park in a double-header with The Dubs v The Wasters. They've copped on that it won't be dark enough to play under lights on a Friday, or on any other night of the week for that matter.
Martin Breheny is cribbing. It would have given him something to do on a Friday.
Breheny gets less travel expenses for Croke Park double headers.
Offaly v Kilkinny in Tellamore. That'll bring a buzz to the place for a day. A pity about the boycotters. Feck 'em.
Offaly v Kildare in Croke Park on a Sahirday evening.
2013 LEINSTER SHC
Prelim Rd: Antrim v Westmeath 5.5.2013 Mullingar
1. Antrim/Westmeath v Laois 18.5.2013 Portlaoise/Mullingar
2. Carlow v London 18.5.2013 Carlow
3. Antrim/Westmeath/Laois v Carlow/London 1/2.6.2013 To be confirmed
4. Offaly v Kilkenny 9.6.2013 Tullamore
5. Wexford v Dublin 8.6.2013 Wexford Park
6. Galway v 3 15/16.6.2013 To be confirmed
7. 4 v 5 23.6.2013 To be confirmed
Final: 6 v 7 7.7.2013 Croke Park
2013 LEINSTER SFC
1 Wicklow v Longford 26.5.2013 Aughrim
2 Laois v Louth 26.5.2013 Portlaoise
3 Westmeath v Carlow 19.5.2013 Mullingar
4 1 v Meath 15.6.2013 Aughrim/Longford
5 2 v Wexford 9.6.2013 Portlaoise/Drogheda
6 3 v Dublin 1.6.2013 Croke Park
7 Offaly v Kildare 1.6.2013 Croke Park
8 4 v 5 TBC To be confirmed
9 6 v 7 TBC To be confirmed
Final: 8 v 9 14.7.2013 Croke Park
2013 LEINSTER U21FC
1. Offaly v Laois 20.2.2013 Offaly
2. Meath v Louth 20.2.2013 Navan
3. Dublin v Carlow 20.2.2013 Parnell Park
4. 1 v Wicklow 6.3.2013 Offaly / Laois
5. 2 v Kildare 6.3.2013 Navan / Louth
6. 3 v Longford 6.3.2013 Parnell Park / Carlow
7. Westmeath v Wexford 6.3.2013 Westmeath
8. 4 v 5 20.3.2013 To be confirmed
9. 6 v 7 20.3.2013 To be confirmed
Final 8 v 9 3.4.2013 To be confirmed
2013 LEINSTER U21HC
1. Wexford v Westmeath 5.6.2013 Wexford
2. Dublin v Carlow 5.6.2013 Parnell Park
3. Laois v Offaly 5.6.2013 Portlaoise
4. Kilkenny a bye
5. 1 v 2 26.6.2013 To be confirmed
6. 3 v 4 26.6.2013 To be confirmed
Final: 5 v 6 10.7.2013 To be confirmed
Pat Donegan. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.
"Offaly's hurling is exact and abrasive: full of assurance on the ball, devoid of fumbling and slicing and sod-busting". Kevin Cashman RIP (September 1994).
Happy enough that we now have a home/away arrangement with Kilkenny.
I'd rather go to Nowlan Park every 2nd time, than Portleix every time to play Kilkenny.
Obviously if it was played in Birr, we'd hurl them up a goalpost in front of 20,000!
