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Congratulations to our footballers who have done the county proud in reaching the Leinster final.
After all the heartbreaking defeats in this decade, it seems we are finally atoning for the wrongs of the past. Also the management team have taken a lot of flak in the past, but they deserve a lot of credit for getting the team playing with belief and confidence.

Lets enjoy the limelight and feel good factor of being in the final.
It's been too long, so lets bask in it!

Yep, It's great to be back, but we are not all the way back yet.

It's been too long, so lets bask in it!

Let's WIN it.

very happy with the victory yesterday, thought we tackled very well and played very economically when we did have the ball. Kilmurray used the subs well at the end of the game to run down the clock, so fair play to him there.
we didnt win enough in the midfield in the first half, which is a major concern but i cant see our quota of clean ball improving in any of the remaining games.
we were a very naive with the last wexford attack, in letting them run the length of the field without so much as a shoulder challenge going in. it was hearts in mouth stuff when the ball hit the side netting, but in reality we should have stopped them way out the field and let someone take a booking and give our defence time to get organised - but we survived it anyway i suppose.

inside forwards were great, but i hope there is not a bit deal made of them in the coming weeks - as this will be music to dublin 'media ban' ears.

also, i have resigned myself to the fact that offaly supporters are possibly the worst set of 'fans' for showing up to matches. yesterday was a great chance to get out in numbers and we let the team down. we had a small pocket in the hogan, a bit of a larger pocket in the cusack and decent numbers on the hill. other than that feck all.

its going to be 8/9:1 for the final, but im stil relishing the final in 2 weeks.

also, i have resigned myself to the fact that offaly supporters are possibly the worst set of 'fans' for showing up to matches. yesterday was a great chance to get out in numbers and we let the team down. we had a small pocket in the hogan, a bit of a larger pocket in the cusack and decent numbers on the hill. other than that feck all.

I would assume that a Leinster final will bring back the thousands of supporters who abandoned the county footballers around about 1999. The washing machines will be doing overtime as the bandwaggoners awake from their hibernation.

In fairness now, there were good loud cheers for our best scores yesterday so I reckon we had a decent following. Wexford always dominate the supporter count when they are in the Hurling game, so yesterday they probably made up more than half the crowd. Kilkenny never bring too many to a Leinster Final when they are strong favourites.

Then because the stands mean you sit where your ticket tells you to, it is hard to get our supporters all together. I'd still reckon that we contributed possibly 30% of the 44,000+ crowd. Not bad for a small county.

Much like with the team, a big step up for the support the next day!

To be fair I thought it was pretty good - looking around in the Hill, we had a reasonable crowd there, but noise wise I thought we won out comfortably - seemed good from where I was standing anyway.

Nally terrace the next day will be a test - trying to out-shout the Dubs - who's up for it??

Bring it on!! If we get a good few up there (where a lot would reluctanly will) we can show the dubs we're not scared of them!!

Not sure if i know of many counties being up on the hill with the dubs, apart from the time Tommy Dowd went up there for a meath game!!

So, the hill in two weeks time??

Now that the Hill is sectioned, I presume we'd get the Nally terrace?
I don't think we'd have much to worry about with the Dubs. It's a well sectioned off area from the rest of the Hill. Most of them are grand, a few gobsh1tes excepted. I've experienced a few who on seeing an Offaly jersey seem to think that its a "Meeyad" jersey.
Shows their knowledge of the game...or else Offaly's low profile in recent times.

I don't think Offaly will have any terrace tickets - it'll be a straight choice between Cusack Stand and Hogan Stand tickets.

Bogman wrote:I don't think Offaly will have any terrace tickets - it'll be a straight choice between Cusack Stand and Hogan Stand tickets.

You're just saying that because you want to sit down and stay out of the way of the Dubs! Where would we be if the lads on the field had that attitude?

Let's just see if we get the option to buy terrace tickets and then we can argue the toss!

From Leinster GAA site

B.O.I. Leinster S.F.C. Final 2006

Sunday, 16th July 2006
Croke Park (4.00pm) - Offaly v Dublin

Looks like we're on the late shift.

At least that'll give us time for a few more pints in Kavanaghs beforehand!!!

true enough. the clara boys were great craic in there after the wexford game.

Great feeling to be leaving Croke Park on a high, especially after Saturday night's downer. Can't wait for the Leinster final, what an occasion and no less than we deserve after the heartbreak of the last few years.

Dam right!! was is the clara crowd that was singing the offaly rover in kavanaghs afterwards?? dont know when i last heard that being sung while celebrating!!