Does the GAA poach soccer stars?

shane86

Was reading up on Cillian Sheridan and read he played for the Cavan minors before opting for soccer. In your view does Gaelic often take potentially national team standard EPL quality athletes? Or due to the physicality and the need for physically strong build is the contest for the athlete more between soccer and rugby, and many talented gah players would not necessarily be great soccer players?

About 7 years ago now we were playing Blackrock College in a schools soccer match, and easily the best player on field that day was Mark Vaughan, currently of Dublin. About 15 or 16 at the time. Packie Bonner and a few suits were in attendance, scouting presumably. For whatever reason, he chose gah over the big money footy could offer. Looking for an opinion from people who watch soccer and GAA regularly, are there many players who in your opinion could have become great soccer players, or due to the differing way the games are played is it impossible to tell? Or are gah and rugby the two sports competing with each other for the attentions of an athlete who could play either? (they do IMO have more similarity than gah and soccer in some respects. More physical contact in defence, a similiar type of passing, less precision needed in hitting the "goal" etc). Is there a reason why alot of strong gah counties (Kerry, Tyrone, Armagh, Meath) produce few if any notable soccer players? Is it a coincidence that most national team standard Irish soccer players hail from Dublin or Cork city?


Also, might it be down to family pressure? I dont watch alot of gah but the makeup of most teams seems to be a mix of IT and uni students, guards, solicitors, doctors, engineers etc etc qualified people basically. Compare it to soccer, nearly certain I read somewhere that D Drogba has a university degree in France but apart from that I cant think of one soccer player who has a degree. Are more middle class families (from where many GAA players seem to hail) more likely to push their sons in the direction of education and voluntary sport, rather than soccer, where there seems to be little time for academic advancement and where the risk of not actually making it is huge? Leaving families with the impression that their son can either go to college, get a very good job and be a gah star, or take the gamble of going to England and coming home at 21 with no college experience, no trade and not even any general work experience.

estebancambias

kevin nolan who plays for dublin is class at soccer. would definetly have made it, but wanted to play GAA for Dublin


and i live around the corner from Mark Vaughan...what a tosser that lad is.

Dub13

My own experience on this is what turned me off the GAA for good I despise them now.

Back in the early 90s I was about 11/12 and played for my local GAA team and my local Soccer club.There was no conflict of interest as such with GAA games on a Sat and soccer game on a Sun (it could have been the other way around but they were on diffrent days) training was also on different days.Loads of lads were in the same boat.

One day the GAA club got us together and told us we could not continue playing both and we had to pick one.I was a ok Soccer player but much much better at GAA so as young lads do I picked the one I was best at.And did not play a competitive soccer match again on till I was in my 20s.

I did not realize what the GAA lads did ontill I was bout 16/17 and I resent them for it ever since.I have not been to a GAA game for maybe ten years and I will not return.They broke up a very good and promising soccer team and they did it on purpose,a couple of the lads from that team went on to play pro football some in the UK and are still playing pro to this day.

LuckyLloyd

Dublin will always produce the most soccer players because of A) population and the DDSL.

The real pressure on both codes has been coming from Rugby over the past decade. The IRFU has been making a concerted effort to establish a presence in areas that would be considered traditional soccer or Gaelic areas. And they are only going to up this type of recruitment over the coming years and build upon the success they are already enjoying with it.

Often, if you take a 14 - 16 year old kid they can still play anything as they are a blank canvass in athletic terms. So at that age, it's generally not going to be correct to talk in terms like "he's only suited for...". In theory, a kid could have played soccer and Gaelic football his whole life up till 15 and still go on to have a career in rugby - because it would only be at that point that weight programs would start to become a key aspect of high level training.

anonymous_joe

My old man was born in England and only 'came home' in his 20s, but whereas he'd played rugby, cricket, etc in school, his Irish cousins had only ever been allowed play Gah.

The strength of the Gah as an organisation, or more accurately influence of it, is somewhat degraded, but still remains somewhat high.

A lot of schools only play or at least only encourage Gah. Especially primary schools. Lots of my friends came to my rugby playing school from national schools where Gah had been waht you played, and nothing else.

One thing you'll find is that the people who are good at sports tend to be good at all codes. Take Eric Miller as an example. Certainly rugby lost him to Gah but at a much later stage.

Almost anyone playing football, rugby or gah would (with training) be good enough to play one of the others. Because of the vast numbers playing GAA, of course football will lose players. What's unsavoury is the nasty habit of making kids commit to GAA before they know what they're doign.

shane86

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Often, if you take a 14 - 16 year old kid they can still play anything as they are a blank canvass in athletic terms. So at that age, it's generally not going to be correct to talk in terms like "he's only suited for...". In theory, a kid could have played soccer and Gaelic football his whole life up till 15 and still go on to have a career in rugby - because it would only be at that point that weight programs would start to become a key aspect of high level training.

Really? I dunno. Surely some athletes simply have better foot co ordination and others have better hand co ordination. Same way really that a world class defender might be an utterly useless striker as his new role would involve running around attacking defenders and trying to finish the shot, compared to his largely brick wall task of previous. Same way that Ronaldo or McGeady are better at running with the ball ducking and diving around players than they are at attacking them, whereas Rooney is an all rounder who, while obviously gifted up front, could IMO make it as a defender had he been played in that position from an early age. And, if some absoloute disaster happened whereby most of the experienced backs were, I dunno, struck by severe flu or something the night before a match of such importance that reserves simply couldnt be trusted, if there was sufficient coverage up front, yes, he could probably man the back as a one off, same way a team usually has a pre chosen outfielder to go in goal in the rare but not unheard of situation of both goalies coming off.

Getting very hypothetical there I know

anonymous_joe

I could easily imagine Ronaldo as a 14. (Rugby)

He's a tall lad, quite fast and with a potential for strength. Married to his great balance and footwork, he'd be bloody lethal on the wing. Hypothetically. :pac:

Even ignoring malice:

Ireland has 20,000 or so adult males who play rugby. England has 120,000. No idea what the figures are for football or rugby, but given that 20,000/5 million is a higher figure than 120,000/50 million, then without Gah we're already talking about a higher percentage of people not playing football than in our nearest neighbour.

zAbbo

I think most young fellas play a wide variety of sports before settling on one, and in fairness if you're good enough to make the standard in soccer - then go for it.

Josh (Jonathan) Douglas was an unreal underage GAA player for Monaghan, as were many others who would have played GAA & Soccer up to around 15/16 before they got signed up with UK clubs.

Lads like Rob Kearney and Tommy Bowe both played underage GAA to a decent standard before moving on and making their mark in Rugby.

I think GAA provides a really good skillset, and with a club in every parish in the country it's probably going to be most peoples introduction to team sports.

zAbbo

anonymous_joe wrote: »

I could easily imagine Ronaldo as a 14. (Rugby)
He's a tall lad, quite fast and with a potential for strength. Married to his great balance and footwork, he'd be bloody lethal on the wing. Hypothetically. :pac:

He'd get creamed, although if he went down the rugby route from a young age and bulked and trained towards that - then maybe.

Hard to judge, but the attitude he displays when playing football would see he destroyed in rugby.

OhNoYouDidn't

The reality is that there are more footballers than Gah players. That is both stickswinging and mudwrestling combined, and thats before we include 5 or 7 a side. And the FAI don't get the credit they deserve for this.

For every potentially good footballer lost to the Gah, 100 good Gah players take up the beautiful game.

I wouldn't worry at all about this, the trend is entirely one way, despite some dirty tricks by the Gah to retain players.

_blank_

The school I went to, St David's CBS Artane, didn't allow Soccer to be played at all, and the PE teachers are all stalwart gah heads (Brian Talty being one of them).

The grip that gah had on the country is being removed, thankfully. It's a horrible sport.

Dub13

Des wrote: »

The school I went to, St David's CBS Artane, didn't allow Soccer to be played at all, and the PE teachers are all stalwart gah heads (Brian Talty being one of them).

The grip that gah had on the country is being removed, thankfully. It's a horrible sport.

Yes I was actually put under a lot of pressure to go to St David's CBS because I was a good GAA player.I went to Scoil Chiarain Donnycarney and maybe 60/70% of the lads went onto St David's CBS,when the 'brothers' found out I was not going they even called down to my house.

patmac

OhNoYouDidn't wrote: »

The reality is that there are more footballers than Gah players. That is both stickswinging and mudwrestling combined, and thats before we include 5 or 7 a side. And the FAI don't get the credit they deserve for this.

For every potentially good footballer lost to the Gah, 100 good Gah players take up the beautiful game.

I wouldn't worry at all about this, the trend is entirely one way, despite some dirty tricks by the Gah to retain players.

Always with the dirty digs:rolleyes: There goes any chance of a decent discussion from the GAH side of things.
As someone who has been involved in all 3 at various stages of my career, I was told to quit rugby and play GAA when I was young in the late 1970's, so I played rugby for spite and their was a lot of pressure on me then to play GAA, but that was 30 years ago and now I am very involved in my local GAA club and the gun to the head mentality is gone and rightly so. Nearly all young lads play soccer,rugby or GAA and at least 2 of these at the same time all associations have an 'understanding' regarding fixture clashes.
What it boils down to is that if a player is young and talented and good enough to reach the big time he will, no matter what the sport.
Of the current Irish team I think Kevin Doyle played GAA, and John O'Shea is a big Waterford fan.

Saint_Mel

Gary Connaughton, former Athlone Town keeper, packed in soccer so he could concentrate on playing for Westmeath ... now he's an All-Star.

_blank_

Saint_Mel wrote: »

Gary Connaughton, former Athlone Town keeper, packed in soccer so he could concentrate on playing for Westmeath ... now he's an All-Star.

He's probably getting paid more to play gah.

gustavo

In Sligo anyway theres a few lads that play for Roveres that probably would have been good gaelic county players but vice versa there are a few lads on the gaelic team that probably would have done well for Rovers , well that even played for Rovers for a few yearse but now concentrating on gaelic i.e Johnny Davey , Michael McNamara

OhNoYouDidn't

patmac wrote: »

Always with the dirty digs:rolleyes: There goes any chance of a decent discussion from the GAH side of things.
.

There won't be a decent discussion because the Gah forum on here is full of cranks, bigots and nutters. Bit like the Gah 20 years ago in fact.

Football will inevitibly lose out players to other sports, including the Gah and guess what, we will wish the guy all the best and move on. Because we are better than the Gah bigots who will try and stop the flow the other way.

All I'm saying is the days of football having anything to fear from the Gah are thankfully long gone. 450,000 footballers versus 320,000 Gah members, both male and female, playing and non playing tells its own story.

Dub13

OhNoYouDidn't wrote: »

All I'm saying is the days of football having anything to fear from the Gah are thankfully long gone. 450,000 footballers versus 320,000 Gah members, both male and female, playing and non playing tells its own story.

Very true but football still has to move into some strong GAA areas such as Kerry,to this day I don't think anybody from Kerry has played a senior game for the national team.This is mad from such a good sporting county.

OhNoYouDidn't

Dub13 wrote: »

Very true but football still has to move into some strong GAA areas such as Kerry,to this day I don't think anybody from Kerry has played a senior game for the national team.This is mad from such a good sporting county.

Kerry is the epicentre of Gah dirty tricks against 'foreign' games. They used to spread broken glass on football pitches amongst other things.

But thankfully football is now thriving in areas like Kerry, and Tralee Dynamo's are putting togther an application for the A LoI - something that was unthinkable even 10 years agio.

Saint_Mel

Des wrote: »

He's probably getting paid more to play gah.

Wouldnt doubt that for a second, although he was talking about making a comeback to the soccer scene recently.

patmac

OhNoYouDidn't wrote: »

There won't be a decent discussion because the Gah forum on here is full of cranks, bigots and nutters. Bit like the Gah 20 years ago in fact.

.

I don't know why I even bothered. I tried to engage in civil conversation, but the minute the word GAH is mentioned in any thread the usual soccer cranks, bigots and nutters come out and anyone who tries to put a GAH view is immediately put off. Bit like the GAA 20 years ago.

SectionF

patmac wrote: »

I don't know why I even bothered. I tried to engage in civil conversation, but the minute the word GAH is mentioned in any thread the usual soccer cranks, bigots and nutters come out and anyone who tries to put a GAH view is immediately put off. Bit like the GAA 20 years ago.

Apart from accusing everyone who isn't bowled over by the charms of GAA of being a bigot or a nutter, why don't you engage with some of the issues raised?

Kids being forced to choose, pitches sabotaged... and throw in Rule 42 or whatever it is while you're at it. Are there any accusations of acts of bigotry like this in the opposite direction? Would it be bigoted, as you put it, to raise them if there were?

Benedict XVI

Dub13 wrote: »

Very true but football still has to move into some strong GAA areas such as Kerry,to this day I don't think anybody from Kerry has played a senior game for the national team.This is mad from such a good sporting county.

There are loads of counties who have never had an full Irish international.

At a guess here are the only ones that have had an international

Dublin
Cork
Donegal
Limerick
Wexford
Waterford
Tipp.
Louth
Wicklow

And this will continue as long as the FAI continue to allow new additions to the league come from the pale rather than outside it, e.g. Sporting Fingal.

estebancambias

I like the way(primarly) league of ireland fans like to create friction between the Gaelic football(ONYD calls it 'mudwrestling':rolleyes: and soccer.

Quite bitter I must say, but maby thats just me.

Benedict XVI

shane86 wrote: »

Also, might it be down to family pressure? I dont watch alot of gah but the makeup of most teams seems to be a mix of IT and uni students, guards, solicitors, doctors, engineers etc etc qualified people basically. Compare it to soccer, nearly certain I read somewhere that D Drogba has a university degree in France but apart from that I cant think of one soccer player who has a degree. Are more middle class families (from where many GAA players seem to hail) more likely to push their sons in the direction of education and voluntary sport, rather than soccer, where there seems to be little time for academic advancement and where the risk of not actually making it is huge? Leaving families with the impression that their son can either go to college, get a very good job and be a gah star, or take the gamble of going to England and coming home at 21 with no college experience, no trade and not even any general work experience.

The reason for more GAA players having IT or Uni educations probably stems from the fact that it is an amateur game rather than them coming form middle class backgrounds

GAA is popular in rural and provincial cities and towns where employment prospect are not as good without an education.

If you are a great soccer prospect at the age of 15 you will picked up by a English club and join an academy with the prospect of making lots of money before you are 30. In this case education takes a back seat.

If you are a great GAA prospect you still need to go to school and get a job.

Many GAA players end up with jobs with a public profile (Sale reps, estate agents etc). If I own a real estate firm it is a great advantage to have a 6 time all Ireland winner selling the houses.

I would think that Rugby is more a middle class sport than GAA, based on it’s traditional base of the Dublin boarding schools

estebancambias

JOS has a business degree I'm sure. Maby Stephen Kelly as well.

OhNoYouDidn't

estebancambias wrote: »

I like the way(primarly) league of ireland fans like to create friction between the Gaelic football(ONYD calls it 'mudwrestling':rolleyes: and soccer.

Quite bitter I must say, but maby thats just me.

Nothing bitter about me, I have stated that football has nothing to fear from the Gah and that we should be above these petty squabbles and let kids play whatever sports they chose.

But to answer your point, yes, LoI fans and those actually involved in football are more likely to have met with and react to Gah bigotry than barstoolers.

_blank_

estebancambias wrote: »

I like the way(primarly) league of ireland fans like to create friction between the Gaelic football(ONYD calls it 'mudwrestling':rolleyes: and soccer.

Quite bitter I must say, but maby thats just me.

Because they tried to destroy a LoI club, or had you forgotten about that?

ffs, ONYD has a right to be bitter at the gah for that.

They went to court over the Tallaght Stadium, with the EXPRESS intent of hounding Shamrock Rovers out of existence.

Many "fans" of Irish football don't know, or care, about that.

And before the gah sympathisers jump on this, the gah central council backed the T****s D***s court battle.

OhNoYouDidn't

Des wrote: »

And before the gah sympathisers jump on this, the gah central council backed the T****s D***s court battle.

..... and paid for it......

~Rebel~

SectionF wrote: »

Apart from accusing everyone who isn't bowled over by the charms of GAA of being a bigot or a nutter, why don't you engage with some of the issues raised?

Kids being forced to choose, pitches sabotaged... and throw in Rule 42 or whatever it is while you're at it. Are there any accusations of acts of bigotry like this in the opposite direction? Would it be bigoted, as you put it, to raise them if there were?

...He Did...

patmac wrote: »

Always with the dirty digs:rolleyes: There goes any chance of a decent discussion from the GAH side of things.
As someone who has been involved in all 3 at various stages of my career, I was told to quit rugby and play GAA when I was young in the late 1970's, so I played rugby for spite and their was a lot of pressure on me then to play GAA, but that was 30 years ago and now I am very involved in my local GAA club and the gun to the head mentality is gone and rightly so. Nearly all young lads play soccer,rugby or GAA and at least 2 of these at the same time all associations have an 'understanding' regarding fixture clashes.
What it boils down to is that if a player is young and talented and good enough to reach the big time he will, no matter what the sport.
Of the current Irish team I think Kevin Doyle played GAA, and John O'Shea is a big Waterford fan.

I hate all the anger and resentment (and possibly envy?) that comes from soccer people against GAA (not GAH). Yes they used to be tyrants in terms of trying to stop anything English. This was the very reason the GAA and Conradh na Gaeilge were created, to try and prise some Irishness back from the English at a time when they themselves were very harshly persecuted for doing so. Unfortunately the anger and 'us V them' mentality stayed within the organisation much longer then was needed, but it has finally pretty much gone in most cases as patmac said above.

So instead of giving out about what the GAA were, should be instead treat them as they are? I played both Football and Soccer for years with absolutely no problem whatsoever from my local GAA club. Infact it was my soccer club that put pressure on me to quit GAA.

Maybe people overlook the massive Good that GAA brings, a level of unity within parishes that is just fantastic, both to keep people involved locally who otherwise wouldn't be and to hold local events and gettogethers.

On Topic, No i doubt the GAA poaches many players in any sort of menacing sense. If a young fella has an opportunity for trials abroad we'll say, I would imagine anyone between the 2 (and obviously those favouring soccer) would go for it, while only those who really have a massive passion for GAA and a desire to play for their club and county would not - probably not a large number and hardly poaching..

Dub13

Benedict XVI wrote: »

There are loads of counties who have never had an full Irish international.

I am well aware loads of counties have never produced a full Irish international,but I picked Kerry as opposed to say Roscommon as its such a sports mad county even basketball is played to a high level there.

_blank_

~Rebel~ wrote: »

So instead of giving out about what the GAA were, should be instead treat them as they are?

An organisation which recently went to court to destroy one of the most successful LoI Clubs in history.

The vitriol IS deserved.

Bunch of bigots.

Why did NOT ONE grassroots gah-head speak out at central council about the TD/SRFC affair?

I've seen people on here say "I was against it".

Did you speak out on a club, county or national level?

If not, why not?

~Rebel~

Des wrote: »

Because they tried to destroy a LoI club, or had you forgotten about that?

ffs, ONYD has a right to be bitter at the gah for that.

They went to court over the Tallaght Stadium, with the EXPRESS intent of hounding Shamrock Rovers out of existence.

Many "fans" of Irish football don't know, or care, about that.

And before the gah sympathisers jump on this, the gah central council backed the T****s D***s court battle.

Des, you're like a riddle wrapped in an enigma.

Anytime the debate comes up, you come across as really properly hating the GAA and everything about it. But you also hate the FAI with a passion for what a joke they are. And we all pretty much despise Blatter for being such a joke of a man with his ideas for 'reforms', with Platini beginning to catch up with him at the moment. Why no boycott of all things soccer?

I think when you look at it, the top of a lot of organisations like this are a joke and simply nowhere near as professional as they should be. But I dont think these are an accurate representation of what the sport is at grassroots level, which is where it is more important, makes the most impact and does the most good.

_blank_

~Rebel~ wrote: »

at grassroots level

Read my last post about Grassroots.

premierstone

Why do people love to tar everyone in the GAA with the same brush, yes off course they have got things wrong in the past and probably will do in the future, but this mentality of generalisation and calling them all ''Gah'' heads is just either very childish or plain ignorant.

On topic I'm sure there has been far more the other way around i.e GAA players poached by soccer - Kevin Moran, Denis Irwin, Shane Long all played in intercounty All Irelands.

Just a quick question aswell - Do you have to have a chip on your shoulder to be a LOI supporter or is it just a bonus ?

LuckyLloyd

shane86 wrote: »

Really? I dunno. Surely some athletes simply have better foot co ordination and others have better hand co ordination. Same way really that a world class defender might be an utterly useless striker as his new role would involve running around attacking defenders and trying to finish the shot, compared to his largely brick wall task of previous. Same way that Ronaldo or McGeady are better at running with the ball ducking and diving around players than they are at attacking them, whereas Rooney is an all rounder who, while obviously gifted up front, could IMO make it as a defender had he been played in that position from an early age. And, if some absoloute disaster happened whereby most of the experienced backs were, I dunno, struck by severe flu or something the night before a match of such importance that reserves simply couldnt be trusted, if there was sufficient coverage up front, yes, he could probably man the back as a one off, same way a team usually has a pre chosen outfielder to go in goal in the rare but not unheard of situation of both goalies coming off.

Getting very hypothetical there I know

You're looking at this the wrong way. If at 14 or 15 you are already breaking a kid down into things he can and can't do - the probability is that he won't be making his living in professional sports.

Of all the kids who play regular sports or a variety of sports in their early to mid teens - the percentage that end up making elite level competition is minute. The kind of kids who have a chance are the ones who are capable of crushing every sport they put their hand to when they are 15 - kids who have a great motor, balance, co - ordination and some sort of innate understanding of sport on a general level (i.e. they just automatically switch on to what is going on in a game - any game). Those type of kids will probably be the leading stars on one or more teams across one or more disciplines.

Kids who are already trading on their relative strength or size by the time they are 15 or 16 are not good prospects. Kids who do one or two things very well but have glaring weaknesses elsewhere at that age are not good prospects. That is one of the big problems with underage sport in this country - in trying to win now teams will often prize kids who have developed quicker rather than those who will ultimately develop better. The DDSL sends boatloads of kids over to England every year who have no long - term future in the game. Much as schools rugby will have the big body types playing prop forwards who lack real athleticism and will not be the international prop forwards of the future.

Then for the kids who can do it all, between school teams and two or more club teams and then maybe some development squads on top of that - many of them fail to reach their potential because by the time they are 19 they are burned out and fed up with sport and eager to chase other things. And that is why Rugby has a huge recruiting advantage in the long - term over Gaelic sports and soccer.

If a kid gets put onto a Rugby development squad or brought up to a club, the top to bottom standard of the facilities he will train with and equipment used will be better than the top to bottom equivalent in Gaelic or Soccer. The mean standard of coaching will be much higher. And the amount of games and training sessions will be slightly lower. It easy to see how a kid who is sport mad and busy with school and beginning to feel conflicted at all of the Gaelic and soccer teams who want a piece of him will take comfort from Rugby. Having coaches talk to you about weight programs, about how important it is to rest and recuperate and keep fresh will be a new experience for a lot of kids who are used to managers whisking them to their fourth or fifth match of the week on a Sunday afternoon. Then, getting into a rhythm of preparing thoroughly for one game or one weekend tournament over a couple of weeks will also appeal to some kids. As they will be able to appreciate the difference between real preparation as opposed to the tired bunch of cliques that they have heard a million times before launched at them in the 10 minutes before every Gaelic and soccer match.

Rugby has money and a clear strategy in play at the youth levels. The two traditional codes should be looking over their shoulder.

Xavi6

premierstone wrote: »

this mentality of generalisation and calling them all ''Gah'' heads is just either very childish or plain ignorant.

Just a quick question aswell - Do you have to have a chip on your shoulder to be a LOI supporter or is it just a bonus ?

A tad hypocritical there

~Rebel~

Des wrote: »

Read my last post about Grassroots.

please, i dont want to get into the whole TD topic that erupts and takes over any debate relating to GAA. Its all been said a million times before.

My point was obviously nothing to do with the TD thing, or any big rivalry at all. Simply that GAA at a local level does an awful lot of good which you seem to just wipe away because of this incident.

I would not be surprised if the local GAA committee here even knew much about the whole TD thing. Not out of 'ignorance for the foreign game' or anything, but simply because that was something going on up the country which had nought to do with them. In our parish at least, and all others around us, as well as most all over the country id imagine bar some of the traditionally huge ones which carry a lot of weight, the members of the committee are people who love the game and set aside their time to help organise events, volunteer to train the kids, get car pools going for matches, collect outside the church gate on a sunday morning etc. Thats the side that im talking about and thats the side thats great, not all these guys you seem to envisage with ties to headquarters and ambitions of grandeur, instead its an organisation within a parish which is there to provide an outlet for people. Its the local parish they're working for not the overall assoociation of GAA. Things in the upper echelons are as far away as if they were another organization with regards most small clubs.

patmac

Des wrote: »

An organisation which recently went to court to destroy one of the most successful LoI Clubs in history.

The vitriol IS deserved.

Bunch of bigots.

Why did NOT ONE grassroots gah-head speak out at central council about the TD/SRFC affair?

I've seen people on here say "I was against it".

Did you speak out on a club, county or national level?

If not, why not?

Boards.ie-soccer-circa 2058
Does anyone here on Boards/soccer forum remember when we played in Croke Park I think it was around the turn of the century?

I rememeber it those bigotted GAH heads tried to destroy Shamrock Rovers.
NOT ONE grassroots gah-head speak out at central council about the TD/SRFC affair?
I've seen people on here say "I was against it".

Did you speak out on a club, county or national level?

If not, why not?
Blah, blah, blah.

OhNoYouDidn't

~Rebel~ wrote: »

Des, you're like a riddle wrapped in an enigma.

Anytime the debate comes up, you come across as really properly hating the GAA and everything about it. But you also hate the FAI with a passion for what a joke they are. And we all pretty much despise Blatter for being such a joke of a man with his ideas for 'reforms', with Platini beginning to catch up with him at the moment. Why no boycott of all things soccer?

I think when you look at it, the top of a lot of organisations like this are a joke and simply nowhere near as professional as they should be. But I dont think these are an accurate representation of what the sport is at grassroots level, which is where it is more important, makes the most impact and does the most good.

The FAI and FIFA, for all their faults, do not go round instigating campaigns to 'get' other sports or clubs within them. Blatter and Platini's idea of reform is not to attack rugby. And if they were, they would be lashed out of it from within. Now try answering the question. Why did not one member of the Gah voice an objection to TD's campaign, even on a pragmatic 'they can't win' ticket?


The Gah spent €1m on a distasteful, grubby and petty campaign to try and kill Rovers off out of nothing but spite. Thats a lot of hurleys for kids wasted.

OhNoYouDidn't

patmac wrote: »

Boards.ie-soccer-circa 2058
Does anyone here on Boards/soccer forum remember when we played in Croke Park I think it was around the turn of the century?

I rememeber it those bigotted GAH heads tried to destroy Shamrock Rovers.
NOT ONE grassroots gah-head speak out at central council about the TD/SRFC affair?
I've seen people on here say "I was against it".

Did you speak out on a club, county or national level?

If not, why not?
Blah, blah, blah.

If you are going to try and dismiss anti-football bigotry in the Gah as a distant memory, you are going to have to try a great deal harder when it comes to Gah actions this year that have been construed as anti-football bigotry.

~Rebel~

OhNoYouDidn't wrote: »

Now try answering the question. Why did not one member of the Gah voice an objection to TD's campaign, even on a pragmatic 'they can't win' ticket?

Look at my previous post.

Im not arguing about GAA at the top level and I've made my opinions clear on GAA at what is actually grassroots. If you can tell me how what i've said is wrong and grassroots GAA is actually evil and doesn't provide the services i've gone through, then please tell me.

Im not going to get dragged into this TD debate again - the GAA acted appallingly - but theres much more to the organisation then that and you know it. It was around long before and will be long after and the main good that comes from it is a hundred million miles from the top.

OhNoYouDidn't

~Rebel~ wrote: »

Look at my previous post.

Im not arguing about GAA at the top level and I've made my opinions clear on GAA at what is actually grassroots. If you can tell me how what i've said is wrong and grassroots GAA is actually evil and doesn't provide the services i've gone through, then please tell me.

Im not going to get dragged into this TD debate again - the GAA acted appallingly - but theres much more to the organisation then that and you know it. It was around long before and will be long after and the main good that comes from it is a hundred million miles from the top.

Well the grassroots stood by and watched a campaign taken in their name with their money. The Gah is centralised when it suits and then compartmentalised when the arguement is required.

No-one is arguing that the Gah does good work. Ever. But there is still an anti-sport mentality within the Gah that see themselves on a crusade and the rank and file have done nothing to tackle it.

jaykay74

OhNoYouDidn't wrote: »

Well the grassroots stood by and watched a campaign taken in their name with their money. The Gah is centralised when it suits and then compartmentalised when the arguement is required.

No-one is arguing that the Gah does good work. Ever. But there is still an anti-sport mentality within the Gah that see themselves on a crusade and the rank and file have done nothing to tackle it.

Its not called the Gah though

Try using GAA/Gaa and your argument comes across better imo (or don't if you prefer obviously )

~Rebel~

actually, im out. This thread has already, predictably, gone hilariously off topic. I've made my comments in relation to the topic so after this post im done.

its just a pity that every time the GAA gets a mention here, first the usual jeers "mudwrestling, stickwaving" come out, then a few supporters come in and say thats not cricket, which opens the door for the big guns, the "How Dare You Stick Up For Them!!!!!1111! THOMAS DAVIS!!!!111!!!"

I have a dream that one day we might all be level headed enough to discuss the merits of GAA over here without getting bogged down in the mire.

I know ill take a little bit of pleasure when i head down to my local over the weekend and ask one of the GAA committee what he thinks about teh whole Thomas Davis thing and he responds which something like;
"Jeez Paul, i dont know much about it to be honest with ya, that was all happening during calving season, and the twins were teething at the time. Christ did ya see Cork City last night? They played some great stuff!"

Mushy

Works both ways really.

OhNoYouDidn't

Mushy wrote: »

Works both ways really.

What does?

Mushy

OhNoYouDidn't wrote: »

What does?

Soccer players going to GAA, GAA players going to soccer

_blank_

gah heads afraid to confront the issue, once again.

When the gah is shown up for what it really is, they run away from the discussion.

Again.

dfx-

patmac wrote: »

Boards.ie-soccer-circa 2058
Does anyone here on Boards/soccer forum remember when we played in Croke Park I think it was around the turn of the century?

I rememeber it those bigotted GAH heads tried to destroy Shamrock Rovers.
NOT ONE grassroots gah-head speak out at central council about the TD/SRFC affair?
I've seen people on here say "I was against it".

Did you speak out on a club, county or national level?

If not, why not?
Blah, blah, blah.

Because circa-2058, there'll still be the guilty silence avoiding and changing the subject like your post.

To think Kevin Doyle's career pinnacle might've been the All-Ireland.

estebancambias

sweet jesus stop calling it 'gah'

To think Kevin Doyle's career pinnacle might've been the All-Ireland

or playing in the FAI cup final...:(