www.uibhfhaili.com

And why in denamajayzuz did we bother beating Laois? Ger Loughnane is whingeing today that he is disappointed that Galway have "the easier group" with only Clare to really challenge his Tribesmen, and then he can trample over Laois and Antrim with nothing gained.

Was that group deliberately engineered to be easy for Galway, or even deliberately set to give Antrim the only theoretical chance of achieving an Ulster representation in the Quarter Finals?

There can be no valid justification for putting all four losing provincial semi-finalists into one group, while the two losing first-rounders (Clare and Laois) get the other group, in with the only untested team in the whole Qualifiers stage, AND along with the traditionally weak Ulster rep.

Who voted for this? I know LS or someone else gave us a "heads-up" on this before the Laois game, but now that we see the almost full schedule pan-out, you realy have to think that we would have been better off losing to Laois, not having to take a relatively big loss to the Cats, continued a quiet build-up in the back-ground, and then have a serious good chance of catching Clare and/or Galway with the type of performance that earned us only semi-credit against KK. In any case, this system is seriously flawed.

Full fixtures courtesy of An Fear Rua

June 30th
Round 1

Group 1A
Casement Pk Aontroim v An Clár
Portlaoise Laois v Gaillimh

Group 1B
Parnell Pk BÁC v Corcaigh
Limerick/Thurles Luimneach/T.Árann v Uíbh Fhailí

July 7th
Round 2

Group 1A
Casement Pk Aontroim v Laois
Cusack Pk An Clár v Gaillimh

Group 1B
Parnell Park Áth Cliath v Luimneach/Tiobraid Árann
P. Uí Chaoimh Corcaigh v Uíbh Fhailí

July 14th
Round 3

Group 1A
Pearse Stadium Gaillimh v Aontroim
Portlaoise Laois v An Clár

Group 1B
Tullamore Uíbh Fhailí v Áth Cliath
Limerick/Tipperary Luimneach/Tiobraid Árann v Corcaigh

Almost the perfect draw. Tipp/Lim at home would have been so.
We'll be playing a side that will be knackered. If Tipp lose next Sunday they'll be a bloodletting.and will be ripe for the taking. Limerick to lose narrowly, after a gallent performance, is the worst result for us next Sunday.

If the 4 passengers up front, who contributed next to nothing from play v KK, stand up and fight for Offaly and the spirit and pride of the back 7 is repeated we have a greaT chance.

From this morning's Indo... We'd surely benefit If anything was to come from this.

Hurling qualifiers facing chaos

By Colm Keys
Wednesday June 20 2007


THE hurling qualifiers could be thrown into chaos after a dramatic challenge by Cork last night over the selection of venues.


Cork - who will join Dublin, Offaly and Tipperary or Limerick in one section - contend that because home and away venues were not specified in the relevant motion before Congress last year that the assumption must be the venues are neutral. Hurling qualifiers have been operated on a home and away basis since 2003 and were fixed again on that basis on Monday.

But the Competitions Control Committee (CCC) were forced into an emergency meeting to thrash out the Cork submission.

They were deciding whether to press ahead with their plans or to see if the Cork view is the correct one. In recent years, efforts have been made to facilitate weaker hurling counties with two home games out of three.

Jaysus, you have to love Cawrk.
As soon as their self interest is on the line, they have an ace up their sleeve!
Suspensions and away matches are for the little people.

it will be interesting to see what comes of it alright.

Doesnt really make sense that Offaly are going to be in divison two next year and we have to play two games away from home

Does anyone know why we are playing 4 away games for 2006/07 abd only 2 home games despite being ranked 9th best hurling county and in division 2 ?

From the Examiner - that's the end of it so... even Cork will hardly bother pushing this any further

Croker says fixture list stands

By Brendan Larkin
CROKE PARK last night insisted that the draws, dates and venues for the All-Ireland SHC remain in place.


Cork GAA bosses claimed that the games should be played at neutral venues and the Competitions Control Committee (CCC) were forced to hold an emergency meeting on Tuesday to look into the Rebels submission.

GAA Information Officer Fergal McGill last night said: “As of now the fixtures stand as announced.




“If there is a change it will be communicated to the counties,” he said.

Cork’s strategy has been greeted with dismay by many in the hurling community. Dublin play Cork in the first of the three round robin Games in Parnell Park on June 30th at 3pm and their county board chairman Gerry Harrington (who hails from Beara in Co Cork) said his board was proceeding with arrangements for the game after being officially notified they had home advantage.

Said Harrington: “We would be extremely annoyed if that was to change. That is the way the draw has worked out. Cork should accept it. There is little point in drawing up master fixture plans if they are not adhered to.

“Any change in venue has a knock-on effect for clubs. We have geared ourselves to play Cork at 3pm at home and we also have a number of club games on that night. If the hurling game is to be played at a neutral venue it would ruin the club games.”

Offaly manager John McIntyre also expressed concern at the Cork plan.

“I would like to point out that we have been involved in nine qualifying games over the last three years and managed to play only two at home.

“The first year Tullamore was being revamped, while the Health and Safety Authority wouldn’t allow us to play in Birr even though it was perfectly adequate for the attendance.

“Last year we had only one home game against Limerick, and this summer we have ended up with only one home game, which is the last of the three, against Dublin, when we could have done with it being the first match.

“From our perspective the home and away arrangement has left us at a serious disadvantage. In the context of the way the draw has worked out for us I’m reasonably happy on this occasion.

“Cork should put themselves in Offaly’s shoes. If the schedule stands, we’ll end up with two home matches out of nine over the last three years. There are varying levels of injustice out there”.

Laois manager Damien Fox said he was happy with the fixtures — and venues — as they stand.

“We have to play Antrim away but have Clare and Galway at home and I don’t want anything to upset those fixtures. We are in transition at the moment and whatever support we’d get would be diluted if the games were to be played at neutral venues. Whatever chance we have of beating Clare and Galway would come with home advantage. Playing both of those counties at home should generate a lot of interest within the county.

“One of the primary reasons behind the decision to give the ‘weaker’ counties two home games in the All-Ireland qualifiers was to help in the promotion of hurling in those counties. There was massive interest in Waterford playing Westmeath in Mullingar last year. Something like 5,000 turned up to see players of the calibre of Ken McGrath, Eoin Kelly and Tony Browne in action. The same would apply for the Dublin versus Cork game. It’s a huge attraction for Parnell Park to see the likes of the O’Connor brothers, Joe Deane, Donal Óg Cusack, Diarmuid O’Sullivan and Seán Óg Ó hAilpín close up. It would do wonders for the game in the capital."