Meath GAA discussion thread

mattser

Congrats Curraha. Yourselves and Ratoath are giving the county something to be proud of in football.

Hammer Archer

Amazing how well Curraha have done this year. As well as yesterday's Leinster championship, they've won the JFC, Division 4A league, Division 4B league, Tailteann Cup and U21A championship. They also contested the Junior D final.
Hoping the Curraha and Ratoath semi finals are a double header as both will almost certainly be playing Kerry teams.

As for the panel for the new year, I know Cian O'Brien and Bobby O'Brien were called onto the panel but obviously haven't been training with the county team much along with the other Ratoath players. I'd assume the same is true for James McEntee. The All Ireland Junior and Intermediate semi finals will be on the 23rd/24th of January so (God forbid) both teams were to lose, the players may be available for the start of the league.

Obrieski

Sounds as though Pairc Tailteann is in line for a refurb with announcement in 2016...not before time

iDave

Obrieski wrote: »

Sounds as though Pairc Tailteann is in line for a refurb with announcement in 2016...not before time

http://hoganstand.com/Meath/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=247879

They seem excited by it anyway. Wonder what we can exect. Something similar to Tullamore? Or more or less ambitious?

Also warning of years of financial difficulties

dixiefly

iDave wrote: »

http://hoganstand.com/Meath/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=247879

They seem excited by it anyway. Wonder what we can exect. Something similar to Tullamore? Or more or less ambitious?

Also warning of years of financial difficulties

Where was this warning? I didnt see it in the report.

iDave

dixiefly wrote: »

Where was this warning? I didnt see it in the report.

http://hoganstand.com/meath/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=247876

Hammer Archer

Only getting €55k next year from Tayto Park????? Christ, that's depressing.

iDave

Perhaps a second shirt sponsor should be considered. It's now allowed.
Disappointing from Tayto but we're not exactly able to guarantee many live games anymore.

Hibbeler

On the PT redevelopment, do we know anything about it yet? Any idea what the plans are or the projected costs?

Assuming that the bare minimum would be to replace the stand with anything else including terracing the ends a bonus

Hammer Archer

I'd hope for a full length covered stand ala Tullamore. Away from the death trap stairs and god awful seats, my biggest gripe with PT is the support poles which mean that no matter where you sit, your view is partially obstructed. Fix the stand and maybe get a proper terrace at the scoreboard end and I'd be happy.

Not really sure how the CB will afford it. I know the finances have stabilised since the last shower, but you'd expect the cost of rebuilding the stand to be several million.

Shaungoater

Great to see two Meath teams in club semi finals. Two areas that have benefited from the Celtic tiger commuter belt and price of houses in Dublin. Obviously a lot of hard work going on behind the scenes of these clubs. Add in the likes of Ashbourne, Stamullen and bettystown and there is no reason why in 5-10 years meath can't be eating at the top table again. All young populations with excellent coaching structures in place

Hibbeler

Hammer Archer wrote: »

I'd hope for a full length covered stand ala Tullamore. Away from the death trap stairs and god awful seats, my biggest gripe with PT is the support poles which mean that no matter where you sit, your view is partially obstructed. Fix the stand and maybe get a proper terrace at the scoreboard end and I'd be happy.

Not really sure how the CB will afford it. I know the finances have stabilised since the last shower, but you'd expect the cost of rebuilding the stand to be several million.

I think I read somewhere not too long ago that they were on a trip to Aughrim to take inspiration from their new stand there. The pictures of that stand look good but it certainly does not take in the full length of the pitch. I think something like that is what we will see.

TBH as much as I think the Tullamore stand is fantastic and would be ideal, I just don't see where we would get the money for something similar.

rpurfield

Hammer Archer wrote: »

Only getting €55k next year from Tayto Park????? Christ, that's depressing.

To borrow a phrase from Dublin that is Wojus. Surely the sponsorship is worth more than that, they get more than enough coverage from it as a business with the signage around the games, and the fact the open day is held in Tayto Park when most counties just do their open day as an open training session.

Fiskar

rpurfield wrote: »

To borrow a phrase from Dublin that is Wojus. Surely the sponsorship is worth more than that, they get more than enough coverage from it as a business with the signage around the games, and the fact the open day is held in Tayto Park when most counties just do their open day as an open training session.

Really is a testament to the lack of jobs creation in the county as a whole that there is no other large enterprise to tap up for sponsorship. Being so close to Dublin it beggers belief. Imagine if KPMG moved to Navan and were to sponsor the county team, what would it be worth, €500,000 ? I reckon it would.

Hammer Archer

I think it's simply a testament to where we are in the pecking order at the moment. It also doesn't help that all our games in the league will be Sunday afternoon meaning no Setanta coverage which means no exposure for Tayto Park. They've said this figure could increase depending on our progression in the championship but they know full well that were almost certainly going to get no further than the semi final in Leinster so the chances of any increase in sponsorship are slim. Still, when you see that Dublin's main sponsor is giving them roughly 20 times the amount Tayto Park is giving us (and that's not including the vast number of other sponsors they have), you would struggle to see how we're ever going to compete with them again.

dixiefly

Hammer Archer wrote: »

I think it's simply a testament to where we are in the pecking order at the moment. It also doesn't help that all our games in the league will be Sunday afternoon meaning no Setanta coverage which means no exposure for Tayto Park. They've said this figure could increase depending on our progression in the championship but they know full well that were almost certainly going to get no further than the semi final in Leinster so the chances of any increase in sponsorship are slim. Still, when you see that Dublin's main sponsor is giving them roughly 20 times the amount Tayto Park is giving us (and that's not including the vast number of other sponsors they have), you would struggle to see how we're ever going to compete with them again.

While I take your valid points about the lack of funding, the reason we are not successful in recent years is more about our coaching, team management and general philosophy of play.

We have become too nice and predictable and weak. I dont know the answers but I do think that we need a playing philosophy that is living on the edge more at every level. I still cannot get rid of the image of little joey wallace being sent out against the Dubs and Armagh like into a lions den. Maybe we dont have enough players that can play and are tough at the same time but I would love to see a philosophy not unlike that of the eighties and nineties at all levels but bringing in the current day methods where appropriate. Penalise dirt in club games but we dont trigger happy referreeing either.

We need to get back to where Meath teams were feared and where, when you said you were from Meath, the first thing people wanted to talk about was football.

CrabRevolution

While it still dwarfs ours, Dublins sponsorship figure is for all 4 county teams. Even assuming that the ladies teams get a miniscule amount, that sponsorship money has to cover top level inter county teams in both codes from minor to U21 to senior.

Prop Joe

Kerry's spent just shy of a million bucks this year in preparing Senior Football,U21,Junior,Minor,Senior hurling,U21 & minor hurling.

Alot of green but that seems to be the benchmark for most counties now

rpurfield

Fiskar wrote: »

Really is a testament to the lack of jobs creation in the county as a whole that there is no other large enterprise to tap up for sponsorship. Being so close to Dublin it beggers belief. Imagine if KPMG moved to Navan and were to sponsor the county team, what would it be worth, €500,000 ? I reckon it would.

It's probably as relative to exposure too ie live games and jersey sales. I would imagine Dublin would sell two or three times as many jerseys as the next nearest, and we wouldn't be anywhere near the next nearest. Our support has gone down a lot the last ten years and that would impact it. I'd love to know even how many people join Club Na Mi on a yearly basis, they do great work but is it reflected in numbers.

dixiefly

So we are now down to number 15 in the football rankings? Is this the lowest ever?

http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2015/1219/755198-football-rankings-2015-how-does-your-county-rate/

mattser

Bad and all as we are, Westmeath two places above us is havin a laugh.

dixiefly

mattser wrote: »

Bad and all as we are, Westmeath two places above us is havin a laugh.

I agree and Kildare at 10 is also ridiculous. Not sure about the criteria used but it must be some combination of performances in the provincial championships and the qualifiers.

Hibbeler

The rankings done by RTE or any of the newspapers etc are most likely the opinion of the author so I'd take them with a pinch of salt to be honest.

In my opinion the best rankings are the ones done by the poster Laoisman on this forum. At least there's some maths behind them. Though these sums have Kildare in 7th.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057173179&page=18

Hammer Archer

At the end of the day, unless you're in the top 4 or 5, the rankings mean sweet feck all.

Happy Christmas fellow Royals. See all ye hardy souls in Dr. Cullen Park on January 3rd. Lets hope 2016 sees a vast improvement in our fortunes.

dixiefly

Hammer Archer wrote: »

At the end of the day, unless you're in the top 4 or 5, the rankings mean sweet feck all.

Happy Christmas fellow Royals. See all ye hardy souls in Dr. Cullen Park on January 3rd. Lets hope 2016 sees a vast improvement in our fortunes.

I agree and I don't in a way. Just because we are outside the top 4 / 5 does not mean that we can allow the slide to continue ad infinitim. That said a bit of luck against Tyrone and a bit more nous against westmeath and we would be a good bit higher in the rankings. I reckon our true level at the moment is about 10th.

Happy Christmas to all fellow royals also, hope to go to the Carlow game but not certain as of now.

mattser

Have a happy and safe Christmas all.

Green_Tae

Hibbeler wrote: »

In my opinion the best rankings are the ones done by the poster Laoisman on this forum. At least there's some maths behind them. Though these sums have Kildare in 7th.

Honestly Hibbeler, that's the best laugh I've had this holiday season! :pac:

Hibbeler

Green Tae wrote: »

Honestly Hibbeler, that's the best laugh I've had this holiday season! :pac:

Like the FIFA rankings there's always one or two placements that raise a few eyebrows despite what good sense and a modicum of footballing knowledge might tell you :pac: :pac: :pac:

rpurfield

I've a party to go to Saturday night so I honestly can't see myself getting up and driving to Carlow Sunday, has there been any talk of who is on the panel at all? According to Fergal Lynch on the Twitter there is a challenge game on Thursday at 12 in Kiltoom against Roscommon

Obrieski

Killian O'Sullivan is involved I believe...with an outrageous head of hair on him!