Club Managers 2024

[private joker]

It's a good appointment, be interesting to see how it plays out.

[FullForward waster]

This is a thread about club managers and Ballinamere got a new one so obviously it’s going to be mentioned here. Not sure why it has angered some here but if ye want a thread to give out about Ballinamere make one and
do it there. I too am fed up of the talk about how great or how not great they are but there is no need for it now on this thread so I’m not sure why it’s being brought up at all.

I like Jimbob17 am not angered at all. In fact I'm looking forward to seeing what this appointment will bring to Ballinamere and what they have to offer.

I can only speak for myself and my POV. I was discussing this appointment as to will all the talk about them and there huge potential finally surface with this new management team.

I apologise if I came across angry, Was not my intention but just a few points on a discussion with their new appointment, what they could bring and could they bridge the gap that is there like i would do any club.

[TownieInOz]

Fair enough lads, my apologies, I might have jumped the gun on this one.

[greenairfield]

I would have to agree b/d have won feck all and we do go on about them a bit much
While there is a crop with talent there is a case some of them wont and cant it cut at county level.

Great appointment but when all these lads are playing county till May or june not sure what sort of standard club trianing will be, their results in recent club leagues back that up.

[KeshaWantsTimber]

A little bit of perspective on Ballinamere would be great. This is a club who have risen from perennial intermediate with few(if any) county players to a club that can easily considered top 5 senior with 7-8 quality players contributing to the Offaly panel.

If Ballinamere hadn't prospered when it did and all other clubs produced the same as they currently producing, then would Offaly be in Liam McCarthy, Joe McDonagh or lower.

It's human nature to be uncomfortable with change, be wary of newcomers and like things to be as we always knew them to be. Ballinamere are certainly not fully accepted at the top table but they should be welcomed and other clubs encouraged in every way to maximise juvenile numbers, involve the whole community, provide quality facilities and raise their expectations just like Ballinamere have.

If 3/4 more clubs transformed like Ballinamere (and KK obviously) and produced similar quality then Offaly would be back winning Leinster titles.

[oneshot]

I would have to agree b/d have won feck all and we do go on about them a bit much
While there is a crop with talent there is a case some of them wont and cant it cut at county level.

Great appointment but when all these lads are playing county till May or june not sure what sort of standard club trianing will be, their results in recent club leagues back that up.

wouldn't agree there Dan Bourke ,mark troy , Dan Ravenhill, Brian Duignan have played county level and are well able to cut it and them among others from offaly are the reason we are not in the Christy Ring cup or mcdonagh cup like we were.

[frankthetank]

https://www.offalyexpress.ie/news/gaa/1 ... nager.html

You see, this sort of article is the reason neutrals are just not fond of Ballinamere. Fair enough if K/K or St Rynaghs get an article about appointing a new manager as they are serial county final winners. But Ballinamere who have won nothing getting the tabloid treatment is hard to stomach.

Would there be a full article on Lusmagh or Kinnitty (who have won a combined 10 more SHC titles than Ballinamere I may add) appointing a new manager? We all know the answer to that.

[Lone Shark]

I don't think it's fair to hang that article on Ballinamere, or on anyone frankly. It's like all news, it's there for you to read if you want to, ignore it if you don't. If it was not factual, or misleading, or socially harmful, then if you wanted to take issue, I'd stand there foursquare beside you.

In an era when we get far too much "You won't believe what Roy Keane said today!" nonsense that tries to pass for sports news, this is an actual piece of information.

It's also pretty factual that when it comes to the 2026 Offaly SHC, Kilcormac-Killoughey will be the clear favourites, but the two teams that will be deemed the most likely to dethrone them, based on the quality within their playing ranks, will be Shinrone and Ballinamere, closely followed by Birr.

Shinrone and Ballinamere have won one county title between them but they are championship contenders, in a way that Kinnitty, with no disrespect intended to a fine club, simply are not. It's no different to the fact that there will be a lot more general public interest in who will be the Shamrocks football manager for 2026 than there will in who takes over in Walsh Island, regardless of history.

Obviously if Kinnitty or Walsh Island were to go out and recruit a big name from outside the county to be their manager for 2026 they'd probably get a shoutout too, but that's neither here nor there.


And the same applies for Ballinamere-related posts on here. If you're not interested, pass them by. Read the other threads, or post your own Offaly-related topics for discussion, either in a new thread, or a a relevant thread, even if is has gone down a different rabbit hole. The whole world of social media runs on engagement, and getting people riled up is a great way to do that - we'll try and be a bit different here, if we can at all folks.

[private joker]

And to really rub it in , two ballinamere men showing off the new offaly Jersey. Online with o neils......for shame!!

[jimbob17]

Perhaps that was more to do with fact it was shot in Tullamore and the two lads living locally were asked. As it is possible that two local footballers were asked to join them....

[PullHardPullOften]

It's also pretty factual that when it comes to the 2026 Offaly SHC, Kilcormac-Killoughey will be the clear favourites, but the two teams that will be deemed the most likely to dethrone them, based on the quality within their playing ranks, will be Shinrone and Ballinamere, closely followed by Birr.

I think its comments like that too that makes people turn their noses up and Ballinamere. Everyone knows they should be there or there abouts but the intercounty names from Ballinamere haven't translated to club level for whatever reason. Based on this year I would argue Birr were closest to beating K/K, followed by Shinrone. Coolderry probably also ahead of Ballinamere.

[greenairfield]

One shot i did say SOME for a reason the 4 players you mentioned would be the 4 but there is others who havent.
B/D would be behind Coolderry and Birr considering they lost to both this year!

Anyone hear who is called in with Offaly?

[Lone Shark]

It's also pretty factual that when it comes to the 2026 Offaly SHC, Kilcormac-Killoughey will be the clear favourites, but the two teams that will be deemed the most likely to dethrone them, based on the quality within their playing ranks, will be Shinrone and Ballinamere, closely followed by Birr.

I think its comments like that too that makes people turn their noses up and Ballinamere. Everyone knows they should be there or there abouts but the intercounty names from Ballinamere haven't translated to club level for whatever reason. Based on this year I would argue Birr were closest to beating K/K, followed by Shinrone. Coolderry probably also ahead of Ballinamere.

Once again, this is a case taking something that is simply a statement of fact and turning it into a partisan statement. Birr were closest to beating K-K in a knockout game, yes. Shinrone and Belmont drew with them in a group match so technically they were closer to beating them, but I happily accept that Birr's performance is more significant because it was in a do-or-die situation.

However in terms of the only reasonable metric we can use to assess what is most likely to happen in 2026, that being the bookies odds, I can tell you now with a lot of confidence that K-K will start the championship as favourites at around the 2/5 mark, Shinrone will be second favourites, probably at 4/1 or so, with Ballinamere at 6/1 or 7/1 and Birr a tick or two above that again. Coolderry will be 20/1, at least. The reason for that is that the odds are priced according to the potential of each team and where they can get to. And if you want to say that Ballinamere underperformed spectacularly in 2025, that's fair - but it's no less fair to say that there is clearly more in them. The odds will reflect that, as someone who has been part of the industry, I can say that with certainty.

[SearingDrive]

It's also pretty factual that when it comes to the 2026 Offaly SHC, Kilcormac-Killoughey will be the clear favourites, but the two teams that will be deemed the most likely to dethrone them, based on the quality within their playing ranks, will be Shinrone and Ballinamere, closely followed by Birr.

I think its comments like that too that makes people turn their noses up and Ballinamere. Everyone knows they should be there or there abouts but the intercounty names from Ballinamere haven't translated to club level for whatever reason. Based on this year I would argue Birr were closest to beating K/K, followed by Shinrone. Coolderry probably also ahead of Ballinamere.

Once again, this is a case taking something that is simply a statement of fact and turning it into a partisan statement. Birr were closest to beating K-K in a knockout game, yes. Shinrone and Belmont drew with them in a group match so technically they were closer to beating them, but I happily accept that Birr's performance is more significant because it was in a do-or-die situation.

However in terms of the only reasonable metric we can use to assess what is most likely to happen in 2026, that being the bookies odds, I can tell you now with a lot of confidence that K-K will start the championship as favourites at around the 2/5 mark, Shinrone will be second favourites, probably at 4/1 or so, with Ballinamere at 6/1 or 7/1 and Birr a tick or two above that again. Coolderry will be 20/1, at least. The reason for that is that the odds are priced according to the potential of each team and where they can get to. And if you want to say that Ballinamere underperformed spectacularly in 2025, that's fair - but it's no less fair to say that there is clearly more in them. The odds will reflect that, as someone who has been part of the industry, I can say that with certainty.

Thanks LS for explaining the bookies odds system to me. You have the inside knowledge.

[Faithfully]

One shot i did say SOME for a reason the 4 players you mentioned would be the 4 but there is others who havent.
B/D would be behind Coolderry and Birr considering they lost to both this year!

Anyone hear who is called in with Offaly?

Sampson and King no longer there. No surprise, serious stints put in by both for Offaly over the years, often unglamorous as well.

Luke Nolan, Diggy Hand, Leigh Kavanagh in this year anyways.

They've only been doing physical stuff for the past few weeks I believe.