Eugene McGee on Newstalk about Offaly's current crisis

[Bord na Mona man]

http://www.newstalk.ie/Why-is-Offaly-hu ... -in-crisis

[babsandbond]

O connor park was probably in the top 10 grounds in the country before they pumped millions into it..why not invest this money for d evelopment/top quality coaching and training facilties...its a joke what has gone on..boland should be ran along with the rest of them...offaly hurling is in tatters and the football isn much better.

[Bord na Mona man]

O connor park was probably in the top 10 grounds in the country before they pumped millions into it.

Are ya mad? O'Connor Park was a kip before the redevelopment!

[turfcutter]

I missed the off the ball on monday, aparently there was talk about offaly on monday evening also, does anyone have the link to that?

Thanks.

[Ahlethimoutwithit]

Yes BNM man, he is mad..... his comments on the hurling are pretty ignorant and abusive most of the time.

I thought that Eugene spoke quite well about some of the issues, but its clear that he is now well removed from what is happening.

For example in football, he never alluded to the fact that we have beaten Kildare twice, Meath once in last 2 years in U21 championship, and narrowly missed out on a Leinster final, and were beaten narrowly by Laois in last years Leinster championship.
We have a very good minor team, and have been quite competitive in last few years, won Fr Manning at U16 for the first time last year.


But it was yet again lazy journalism. They could have asked someone who was closer to the current situation to highlight what is being done. To listen to it, you would think that there was nothing being done.

Of course we dont have a training centre, but that is not our main problem, we have serious problems at County Board level. However, I challenge people to put names down here that could make a difference that would be willling to get involved. I would like to see Colm Cummins from Edenderry step up.

Personally though, we have to say that some of the players need to take some personal responsibility too, Eugene hinted towards the fact that there will now be a clamour to get rid of Emmet McDonnell, but that the constant revolving door with our managers moving in and out through it is not helping us either.

What he did say, and I have said it myself here on numerous occasions,people involved in Offaly GAA on the ground need to say enough is enough and see what needs to be done to turn it around. We dont have the right atitude at club level with underage coaching poor within the clubs in many cases. This is improving slowly, and Alan Mulhall is doing his best, but there is a dreadful atitude by many involved with clubs to educate themselves as to the best way to coach players.

[Killeighman]

The training done by Alan Mulhall and the u15s and u16s is very good. They do circuits on flexibility for 6 weeks before and after christmas and then into the gym in O'Brien park for 5 or 6 weeks also. I saw a lot of them this year and there are some big physical lads mixed in with the small but you will have that. They have been out on the field for the last 12-15 weeks. It is working so far and hopefully it will continue to work. They are not locking them into the gym and making them work in the gym 3 or 4 days a week. They are putting the football ahead of the size and physicality.

[babsandbond]

How are some of my posts ignorant and abusive..i say it as it is..iv never insulted anyone...so please elaborate on that?what im trying to say some of the money that was "wasted" i would use that word could of went to underage development..would ye not agree?

[townman]

Yes BNM man, he is mad..... his comments on the hurling are pretty ignorant and abusive most of the time.

I thought that Eugene spoke quite well about some of the issues, but its clear that he is now well removed from what is happening.

For example in football, he never alluded to the fact that we have beaten Kildare twice, Meath once in last 2 years in U21 championship, and narrowly missed out on a Leinster final, and were beaten narrowly by Laois in last years Leinster championship.
We have a very good minor team, and have been quite competitive in last few years, won Fr Manning at U16 for the first time last year.


But it was yet again lazy journalism. They could have asked someone who was closer to the current situation to highlight what is being done. To listen to it, you would think that there was nothing being done.

Of course we dont have a training centre, but that is not our main problem, we have serious problems at County Board level. However, I challenge people to put names down here that could make a difference that would be willling to get involved. I would like to see Colm Cummins from Edenderry step up.

Personally though, we have to say that some of the players need to take some personal responsibility too, Eugene hinted towards the fact that there will now be a clamour to get rid of Emmet McDonnell, but that the constant revolving door with our managers moving in and out through it is not helping us either.

What he did say, and I have said it myself here on numerous occasions,people involved in Offaly GAA on the ground need to say enough is enough and see what needs to be done to turn it around. We dont have the right atitude at club level with underage coaching poor within the clubs in many cases. This is improving slowly, and Alan Mulhall is doing his best, but there is a dreadful atitude by many involved with clubs to educate themselves as to the best way to coach players.

Narrowly beaten by laois last year in under 21 who were beaten by 29 points after by dublin wouldn't judge that.

[kaiserchief]

babsandbond, I also think you are mad saying O Connor park was in top 10 before pumping millions into it. Tullamore was a concrete shambles before the redevelopment.

I agree that money should be put into development of players also but your statement on o connor park is ridiculous.

Narrowly beaten by laois last year in under 21 who were beaten by 29 points after by dublin wouldn't judge that.

how can you judge offaly on dublin hammering laois. comparing apples and oranges to be honest

[babsandbond]

Ok maybe i pushed it with the top 10 grounds...but surely the money was more important for the future of offaly hurling and football.....shane kearns article on curveball.ie is a prime of example reguarding o connor park and the whole madness of the money spend..its a great grounds and pitch but was it ideal to invest everyting into that..we are now looking at a famine in both codes for 20 years because of the guys who call the shots been the countyboard.

[KillougheyGoBragh]

The whole point is to talk about what Eugene Magee said in his interview but we have hijacked the thread and lost focus.
@Shambles
@BrandName lost
@Waste years
@20 or so managers in the last 30 years.
@Imitate others who have shown the way

A Faithful Spring
These are a succession of bullets being fired from big guns and there has to be causalities at County Board Level and even higher up the GAA ladder for not having the foresight to set and demand 'minimal' standards for County Board(s) to achieve in order to continue to let our Gaelic Games grow and flourish at grassroots level and above.
I know most of us come on here to have a bit of banter but there are those amongst us with the wherewithal to have continually pointed out that our underage structures were wholly inadequate for a number of years now but its at grassroot level where the changes have to be demanded.
Is it worth writing on here meaningless insults about each other or whispering amongst ourselves whilst our only means of safe keeping what our forebears worked quietly and tirelessly for without the merest hint of recognition or medal is allowed to be laid waste?