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Derval O'Rourke charged €10 to train at ALSAA

2

Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 27,833 ✭✭✭✭ThisRegard


    ThisRegard wrote: »
    It's the typical ****e sense of entitlement. Yes, she's an olympic athlete, but it's not like the gardai flashing their badges to get into nightclubs for free. All of us here would expect to pay for its use.

    I'm an ass and it'll teach me not to base my understanding of a news article based on a third parties interpretation. I should have actually read the article and not the posts, she doesn't come across like a don't you know who I am type at all in the story. Yeah she chanced her arm for a freebie, don't we all, and then chanced it further but I don't think there was much arrogance there.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 33 InsaneBolt


    plodder wrote: »
    I'd say they are quite comparable actually. O'Rourke might pip it because women's athletics is a much higher profile sport than women's boxing.

    Her profile is higher for the wrong reasons. She'd be better off keeping her mouth shut and coming down to earth a bit. After all, she's on €40k ISC grant for past three years without achieving the criteria, plus sponsors fees and the PR she gets for Poweraid is about a €10 fee to use the track. She handled it badly and media jumped on it. Next year she'll be forgotten and Katie will rule supreme forever.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,598 ✭✭✭shels4ever


    InsaneBolt wrote: »
    Katie will rule supreme forever.

    If Katie makes it to the Olympics that is.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,007 ✭✭✭Phill Ewinn


    Morton was probably closed. I've trained in places before for free 'cause my regular gym was closed. I can't see the problem ALSAA had TBH. They know she pays fees down the road. Would have been no skin off their nose to give her a freebie.

    I guess she got the wrong person on the wrong day.


  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 20,369 Mod ✭✭✭✭RacoonQueen


    plodder wrote: »
    I'd say they are quite comparable actually. O'Rourke might pip it because women's athletics is a much higher profile sport than women's boxing.

    No chance. Katie Taylor is way better known, without a doubt. Everyone knows Katie and what she does. People would barely know Derval other than a vague recollection of her name unless they're interested in athletics.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 629 ✭✭✭Clum


    This thread has made a bigger deal of the story than the paper did and the paper made a bigger deal of the story than Derval was intending.

    She doesn't come across all 'look at me the olympian, let me in for free'. Her main point was that she was asked to leave. This is fair enough considering ALSAA is private. She admits it happens quite often.

    I don't think paying was the issue, it was getting the staff to agree to her paying for using the track that was a bit of a task. I would have thought any club or sports facility would be happy to let a famous athlete use their grounds whether they pay or not.

    But really everybody has missed the reason for the article, she was launching some 100m competition to run in the Olympic stadium or something. The journalist just saw this sensational headline as being a bigger attention grabber than 'Another Olympian launches another Olympic related competition'.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,439 ✭✭✭sideswipe


    Much-a-do about nothing really.

    In an Olympic year surly it would do no harm (and cost nothing) to issue some some sort of access pass to our hopefuls for all tracks- obviously all private facilities would have to sign up but surly everybody wants to see some success in the Olympics.

    She should have gone to UCD, there's plenty of obstacles to hurdle out there!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,148 ✭✭✭rom


    On the CIT track in Cork I have been told to run in lane 8 as we have booked the track but not in a nice way. So I moved out to lane 8 only for the other side of the track they have hurdles there. As a fee paying student (more than most) in CIT this is annoying. Clubs need to have session on the track yes but they don't need every lane on it also. And no need to be rude when asking people to move. Don't want to join a club that is run by such people. I was not in anyone's way running in lane 5, lane 1 and 2 were closed and there was 4 lads doing 1500's but they had lanes 3 and 4. The diving pit in UL for example is not open to the student sub aqua club. At least people can use most tracks where other facilities are built with huge grands under the guise that they are for students and the public when they are not. A lot harder to keep people off a track I suppose.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 33 InsaneBolt


    shels4ever wrote: »
    If Katie makes it to the Olympics that is.

    Irrespective of Katie making the Olympics, she'll still rule supreme for a long time in the annals of Irish sport. D will probably realise after this year when her funding will cease, that the person doing his job is the very one contributing his taxes to pay towards her grant. Time to get off the high horse (hurdle). Pressures in Olympic year coming to the fore! Wishing D well in London. Hope she gets out of the heats.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 96 ✭✭tonyangelino


    Ive been using that track for years and dont pay. Next time i see her down there i will ask her does she do a bit of jogging to lose weight

    tumblr_lzpdisWgpg1qil96wo1_400.jpg




    but to be fair shes a top athlete-I dont know her to make a comment on her ego if indeed she has one


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,912 ✭✭✭thirtyfoot


    No doubt there is some harsh comment on her personality by people here presuming they know her based on some sound bites or quotes in papers or the odd interview. This is being blown up and was a casual comment at a press conference. It obviously interested the press as so many of them went with it. I'd imagine the majority of those having a pop have never met.

    To say she is arrogant or has an ego is unfair in my opinion. She does lots of stuff where she puts herself in situations exactly so people don't know who she is. She has always got a slagging, don't know why that is. She has a great personality and is tv friendly (much more that the wet fish [personality wise on TV] boxer previously mentioned) and maybe people (or women) being confident and out there doesn't sit comfortable with some people. Anyway, much ado about nothing, bit of craic, happens to us all (getting kicked off a track) yet we don't get the chance to tell the press. I found the story funny and would have enjoyed to see it unfold.

    PS: When training, it can be very annoying to be asked to finish a session, I think every athlete will atest to that. The best athletes are selfish, self-centred b**tards when training.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,912 ✭✭✭thirtyfoot


    By the way this is what she was promoting when she made her €10 comment.

    Good chance to get an official time for a 100m (and maybe run in the Olympic stadium).

    http://poweradeie.zonedemos.com/onyourmarks/


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,029 ✭✭✭Pisco Sour


    InsaneBolt wrote: »
    Her profile is higher for the wrong reasons. She'd be better off keeping her mouth shut and coming down to earth a bit. After all, she's on €40k ISC grant for past three years without achieving the criteria, plus sponsors fees and the PR she gets for Poweraid is about a €10 fee to use the track. She handled it badly and media jumped on it. Next year she'll be forgotten and Katie will rule supreme forever.
    InsaneBolt wrote: »
    Irrespective of Katie making the Olympics, she'll still rule supreme for a long time in the annals of Irish sport. D will probably realise after this year when her funding will cease, that the person doing his job is the very one contributing his taxes to pay towards her grant. Time to get off the high horse (hurdle).

    Had gone through 60 odd posts and resisted the temptation to buy back in, until I saw this drivel. I just cant help myself so I'll bite!

    I don't want to get into the whole putting down one sportsperson to make the other one look better and all that stuff, as I think Katie Taylor is great, and what she has done for womens boxing around the world is fantastic, but seriously these comparisons between Katie and Derval are a bit mad.

    Athletics is the most fiercely competitive sport in the Olympics. It is a truly global sport, and while it may not be particularly big in Ireland, it has high profile worldwide in general. Look at the crowds Derval competes in front of in Paris, Athens, Helsinki, Gothenburg, Beijing, Berlin, Barcelona, Daegu. People like Allyson Felix, Sally Pearson, Yelena Isinbayeva are household names around Europe. On the contrary I bet you yourself couldn't even name another female boxer (excluding Ali's daughter!). To compare the success of a female boxer (who competes in a sport which is only growing and doesn't have much of a following) to a female athlete (who competes in the No.1 sport in the Olympics) is idiocy. Outside of Ireland, and the close friends and families of the other boxers, nobody gives a fupp about women's boxing. Look at the crowds Katie boxes in front of at World and European Championships. Even for the Olympics, it was piss easy to get tickets to her final (we got them months after the original ballot, for the cheapest possible price, 50 pounds) and we got tickets to her semi final through the ballot. I wouldn't be surprised if that majority of womens boxing Olympic tickets were bougt up by Irish people in the hope of seeing a gold medal. If she wasn't to qualify expect to see lots of empty seats in August. On the otherhand we couldn't get next, nigh, or near a ticket for the athletics.

    Of course people know who Derval is. She's very well known in Ireland. She is young, successful, has a glowing personality. Most people I know (friends, aunties, cousins) dont care about athletics but would easily know who Derval is. The GAA had her running at their 125 anniversary thing. She's made lots of TV appearances etc. She is very much in the media, and for the right reasons. A world indoor gold, 2 european silvers, 4th in world outdoors and a european indoor bronze. She has achieved more than most current Irish sportspeople, and in a long established worldwide sport.

    Not trying to diss Katie. She's brilliant. She's ace at what she does, and I really hope she brings back the gold in London. She deserves it. If it wasn't for her women's boxing wouldn't be in the Olympics. She's the Grete Waitz of her field). However people need to realise that world championship womens boxing gold does not = world championship athletics gold. The amount of people who claim her to be our greatest every female sports person is nuts. Remember Sonia O'Sullivan.

    The person who said that DOR and KT's profiles in Ireland would be pretty similar is probably right with this one.
    InsaneBolt wrote: »
    Pressures in Olympic year coming to the fore! Wishing D well in London. Hope she gets out of the heats.

    Nice to see Irish begrudgery alive and kicking. Good for you.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,320 ✭✭✭MrCreosote


    04072511 wrote: »

    Not trying to diss Katie. She's brilliant. She's ace at what she does, and I really hope she brings back the gold in London. She deserves it. If it wasn't for her women's boxing wouldn't be in the Olympics. She's the Grete Waitz of her field). However people need to realise that world championship womens boxing gold does not = world championship athletics gold. The amount of people who claim her to be our greatest every female sports person is nuts. Remember Sonia O'Sullivan.

    QUOTE]

    I agree with most of what you say, but I think you can compare the two gold medals, even if the sports are quite different. A gold is a gold is a gold. All the athlete can do is beat the competition in front of herself- if she wins she is the best, it's not her problem if the competition is good, bad or indifferent.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,029 ✭✭✭Pisco Sour


    MrCreosote wrote: »

    All the athlete can do is beat the competition in front of herself- if she wins she is the best, it's not her problem if the competition is good, bad or indifferent.

    Yes agreed here, but people shouldn't be dissing Derval as a result and comparing her to Katie (who on earth brought up KT in the first place?). You can say that it's not Katie's fault that the standard in her event isn't high, but you could also say that it isn't Derval's fault that she has to compete against the best female athlete in the world at this moment!

    And those calling her arrogant! Cop on! I dont know her at all, and haven't met her, with the exception of very briefly track side after her silver in Barca, and an interview over email, but from what others have told me she is a top girl. How many people here actually know this person whose character they are throwing through the mud?


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,307 ✭✭✭T runner


    04072511 wrote: »
    Whatever about the 10 euro thing, but trying to kick one of our top athletes off an empty track and try not to let her run at all. How can that be defended? Typical sh1te that goes on in Ireland.

    A simple case of someone doing their job properly. You cant vilify governments, banks, etc. for doing bad jobs and favouring elites and then chastise someone for doing the opposite and treating everyone equally (assuming he would have done so if he recognised her). Assuming the story is true and the quotes are accurate (this is the Indo remember so the chances of this are less than average) then Derval should probably not have brought this up.

    And for god sakes leave poor Ireland out of it: she gets blamed for everything nowadays as far as i can see!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,196 ✭✭✭PaulieC


    04072511 wrote: »
    Yes agreed here, but people shouldn't be dissing Derval as a result and comparing her to Katie (who on earth brought up KT in the first place?). You can say that it's not Katie's fault that the standard in her event isn't high, but you could also say that it isn't Derval's fault that she has to compete against the best female athlete in the world at this moment!

    And those calling her arrogant! Cop on! I dont know her at all, and haven't met her, with the exception of very briefly track side after her silver in Barca, and an interview over email, but from what others have told me she is a top girl. How many people here actually know this person whose character they are throwing through the mud?

    So this thread has turned into a competition to see who is the most famousest ? How mature...


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,717 ✭✭✭rovers_runner


    http://www.irishtimes.com/sports/other/2012/0214/1224311777780.html

    International Carding Scheme

    Athletics Ireland

    €40,000 – Podium: Olive Loughnane, Derval O'Rourke, Robert Heffernan, David Gillick

    And she wouldn't pay 10 euro to use a private facility?
    While potential champions are focusing in on London she is busy promoting sports drinks and arguing with security guards about handing over .00025% of the money she is given from the public purse.
    She won't be there when the medals are being handed out that's for sure.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 374 ✭✭Murta


    [QUOTE=rovers_runner;
    And she wouldn't pay 10 euro to use a private facility?
    [/QUOTE]

    Incorrect. She did pay the 10 euro. It continues to amaze me how these types of threads very quickly disregard the facts.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,818 ✭✭✭nerraw1111


    http://www.irishtimes.com/sports/other/2012/0214/1224311777780.html

    International Carding Scheme

    Athletics Ireland

    €40,000 – Podium: Olive Loughnane, Derval O'Rourke, Robert Heffernan, David Gillick

    And she wouldn't pay 10 euro to use a private facility?
    While potential champions are focusing in on London she is busy promoting sports drinks and arguing with security guards about handing over .00025% of the money she is given from the public purse.
    She won't be there when the medals are being handed out that's for sure.

    Sweet jesus, has anyone actually read the story? She didn't refuse to pay €10. She wasn't allowed to use the track full stop. A manager then came out and said she could use it but she would have to pay €10. Which she did.

    And then in the very same breath, you point out that potential champions are focusing on London. Well that's because they have a track to use.

    Then you have a go saying she won't win a medal.

    Bravo.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,871 ✭✭✭✭Ash.J.Williams


    http://www.irishtimes.com/sports/other/2012/0214/1224311777780.html

    International Carding Scheme

    Athletics Ireland

    €40,000 – Podium: Olive Loughnane, Derval O'Rourke, Robert Heffernan, David Gillick

    And she wouldn't pay 10 euro to use a private facility?
    While potential champions are focusing in on London she is busy promoting sports drinks and arguing with security guards about handing over .00025% of the money she is given from the public purse.
    She won't be there when the medals are being handed out that's for sure.
    I really think it was more innocent than that...she was in dublin ...wanted to train....the gate was locked...she hopped the fence.....so what


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,912 ✭✭✭thirtyfoot


    Can the barstoolers please make up their mind. When we call up to Joe Duffy, are we saying that Irish athletes are over funded or under funded? I am now confused. Does Derval O' Rourke get too much money or is she underfunded? Are we happy about facilities or are we not? Are we supportive of our athletes or are we not? Are we happy that athletics get media coverage (even if on on jovial matter as this) or is it bad?

    Rovers Runner - are you questioning her focus, seriously? Brilliant! Probably the most focused, driven athlete we have had and who has maxed out her ability again and again at the highest stage possible and you question her focus. Also, on her promotional work, confused here too. You complain (I think) that she is getting a grant but also that she tries to add to that with endorsements. Make up your mind. In order to compete on world stage, do we want her to finance that through Govt support or private support or neither or both? Dude, my advice would be please focus on your own running career as opposed to commenting on something* which, alas, you know nothing about and if you in fact met would probably inspire you. Have you ever been asked to leave a track mid-session? I have and have got stroppy. I am calm and mild mannered. I have seen many athletes been asked to leave tracks, in most cases they will argue and try their best to stay there and finish the session. Its called been focused and driven and a requirement to finish a session at all costs. Question her willingness to have a rant etc but don't question her focus.

    * Elite, high performance athletics and the preparation required.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,717 ✭✭✭rovers_runner


    thirtyfoot wrote: »
    Can the barstoolers please make up their mind. When we call up to Joe Duffy, are we saying that Irish athletes are over funded or under funded? I am now confused. Does Derval O' Rourke get too much money or is she underfunded? Are we happy about facilities or are we not? Are we supportive of our athletes or are we not? Are we happy that athletics get media coverage (even if on on jovial matter as this) or is it bad?

    Rovers Runner - are you questioning her focus, seriously? Brilliant! Probably the most focused, driven athlete we have had and who has maxed out her ability again and again at the highest stage possible and you question her focus. Also, on her promotional work, confused here too. You complain (I think) that she is getting a grant but also that she tries to add to that with endorsements. Make up your mind. In order to compete on world stage, do we want her to finance that through Govt support or private support or neither or both? Dude, my advice would be please focus on your own running career as opposed to commenting on something* which, alas, you know nothing about and if you in fact met would probably inspire you. Have you ever been asked to leave a track mid-session? I have and have got stroppy. I am calm and mild mannered. I have seen many athletes been asked to leave tracks, in most cases they will argue and try their best to stay there and finish the session. Its called been focused and driven and a requirement to finish a session at all costs. Question her willingness to have a rant etc but don't question her focus.

    * Elite, high performance athletics and the preparation required.


    Regarding the grant/promo earnings:
    Are you saying a professional athlete wouldn't know the difference between a public and private facility?
    Does the sports council grant money not cover such unforeseen expenses?


    Regarding focus:
    Do we see any of the other olympic hopefuls in the news whinging about something so trivial?
    Do serious athletes have to "jump the fence" in order to make a session, or would they not plan their schedule around their training and ensure access to a gym/track/pool etc. ?


    nerraw1111, I didn't use the word refuse, I said wouldn't have paid, i.e. she took to the area and would have left without paying if she wasn't asked.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,818 ✭✭✭nerraw1111


    Regarding the grant/promo earnings:
    Are you saying a professional athlete wouldn't know the difference between a public and private facility?
    Does the sports council grant money not cover such unforeseen expenses?


    Regarding focus:
    Do we see any of the other olympic hopefuls in the news whinging about something so trivial?
    Do serious athletes have to "jump the fence" in order to make a session, or would they not plan their schedule around their training and ensure access to a gym/track/pool etc. ?


    nerraw1111, I didn't use the word refuse, I said wouldn't have paid, i.e. she took to the area and would have left without paying if she wasn't asked.

    All those questions you've asked are in the original article. Have you read it?


    On another note, the Cork Indo's take on it. "Derval snubbed by Dubs."

    http://corkindependent.com/stories/item/8482/2012-14/Derval-snubbed-by-Dubs


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 27,833 ✭✭✭✭ThisRegard


    The problem was there were no alternatives for her in that area, if she had just gone for a trot outside of the complex she risked encountering a couple of hills which would have messed her speed up altogether, slowing her right down for the olympics.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 58,222 ✭✭✭✭walshb


    plodder wrote: »
    I'd say they are quite comparable actually. O'Rourke might pip it because women's athletics is a much higher profile sport than women's boxing.

    Purely on a name basis here in Ireland I think KT is more well known. She's been spoken about now consistently for the past couple of years, and the fact that we are hyping her as a solid favorite (which she is not) for gold, that adds to her being a bigger name here in Ireland.

    As for the two sports and the two women. KT is simply world class. Best amateur boxer on earth in the female ranks. Derval too is a top class athlete. Just a notch or two behind the best of the best. And, yes, track and field for the women is more high profile. But, womens boxing now, and at the games will be very competitive. It is no longer an unknown sport, which is largely due to Katie Taylor. She has put the sport on the global map.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,912 ✭✭✭thirtyfoot


    Regarding the grant/promo earnings:
    Are you saying a professional athlete wouldn't know the difference between a public and private facility?
    Does the sports council grant money not cover such unforeseen expenses?

    They do know the difference. A grant will cover this. Thats not the issue though. Its the fact that in preparation for a major champs, eg, an Olympics, it would be good to have ease of use of such facilities. Would you agree we should make our training for our world class athletes as easy as possible? That way they will probably train more efficiently and maybe perform better and as a result you will probably get a better return on the tax you paid that made its way to her.
    Regarding focus:
    Do we see any of the other olympic hopefuls in the news whinging about something so trivial?
    .

    Sharon Hannan and Sally Pearson had issues with their track in the Gold Coast and passed public comment on it. Sally would be classified as an Olympic hopefull. The DOR comment was a passing comment in a relaxed interview and the press have given it legs. If it raises the question of ease of facilities, how bad.
    Do serious athletes have to "jump the fence" in order to make a session, or would they not plan their schedule around their training and ensure access to a gym/track/pool etc. ?
    .

    Here is a question. If you were a serious athlete (I am not sure, maybe you are) and you were overseas and just arrived back in Dublin airport. Its late and you have had delays. You know your normal track is closed (ie Santry) do you:

    a) use the other track ALSAA as you know how key it is to train and get this session in, ie, every session count and all that.
    b) go home and don't train as you are concerned and embarrased that people you don't know and have no influence on your life might think you are unorganised.

    Have you ever had to tweak a venue or time for training? Its called adaptability.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 58,222 ✭✭✭✭walshb


    04072511 wrote: »
    Yes agreed here, but people shouldn't be dissing Derval as a result and comparing her to Katie (who on earth brought up KT in the first place?)QUOTE]

    I brought her up in response to posts wondering how well known she is. I agreed with some who said she wouldn't be all that well known, and used KT as someone in Ireland that as a female athlete would be more well known.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,983 ✭✭✭TheRoadRunner


    nerraw1111 wrote: »

    On another note, the Cork Indo's take on it. "Derval snubbed by Dubs."

    http://corkindependent.com/stories/item/8482/2012-14/Derval-snubbed-by-Dubs

    ha ha love it. Those Corks feckers know how to spin it.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 58,222 ✭✭✭✭walshb


    ha ha love it. Those Corks feckers know how to spin it.

    Why am I not surprised? Anyway, would love to hear the man's version of events, because Derval's version points to a rude and aggressive man.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 58,222 ✭✭✭✭walshb


    ALSAA had they known eally could have gotten some good publicity out of this.

    Had they welcomed Derval it would have been quite positive for them. "Our facilities are so good Derval O'Rourke comes to train."


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,669 ✭✭✭plodder


    ha ha love it. Those Corks feckers know how to spin it.
    and with the reference to Roy K earlier and Saipan, they don't call them trouble-makersrebels for nothing :rolleyes:

    On comparing KT with Derval, I'm genuinely surprised that people think KT is better known. Though, I think everyone (me included) is injecting a bit of subjectivity into it. For me women's boxing would never have the same status as women's athletics. I'd say also imho, there is less difference in status between men's and women's athletics, than for almost any other sport.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,912 ✭✭✭thirtyfoot


    Lets start a campaign "Save Our Track". We could have a southside and northside version. Ian O' Riordan could write an article about the history of the track and how it has succumbed to the greasy fingers of the moneyman wishing to charge €10. Construct a metaphorical trench of security men in hi viz vests across the backstraight. Outline that there are now fewer and fewer tracks to train on for free in Dublin etc etc.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,240 ✭✭✭ceegee


    While the whole things seems blown out of proportion, DOR was definitly in the wrong. How could a pro athlete, in an olympic year, not have every detail of their training planned out? Turning up unannounced and not having the decency to ask to use facilities is fcuking woefully rude. Do you think Rory Mc wanders into random private golf clubs and tees off without permission?? Or any football team hopping a fence into a 5 a side pitch ??

    Professional athletes should act like pro's: plan your training in advance and get permission before using private property. Would she have been so blase about thungs if shed fcuked her ankle on a divot on the track?

    Amateur hour antics like this do not an olympic medallist make


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,047 ✭✭✭griffin100


    This reminds me of a similar incident a few years ago when I was the 'security man.'

    A long time ago when I was a postgrad I worked for UCD Services and one of the tasks we had was keeping people of the UCD Track who hadn't booked it's use (this was in the days before it's use became a free for all). One Saturday morning I had to ask a group of javelin throwers to vacate the infield as there were runners using the lanes and they hadn't booked it's use, chief among them an almighty arrogant pr1ck with a shaved head who shall remain nameless but I'm sure most of you will know of who I speak :) I was very polite but still I got dogs abuse of the group who were apparently the Irish 'team' and their coach. I got the 'do you not know who I am speech from the shaven headed thrower' (funny thing was I did know who he was). A few days later there was an article on the Evening Herald about the same d1ckhead javelin thrower and how he had to sneak into Belfield to train and about how he and the journalist had to keep one eye over their shoulders when doing the piece in case the heavy handed security appeared again and threw him of!!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,623 ✭✭✭dna_leri


    ceegee wrote: »
    While the whole things seems blown out of proportion, DOR was definitly in the wrong. How could a pro athlete, in an olympic year, not have every detail of their training planned out? Turning up unannounced and not having the decency to ask to use facilities is fcuking woefully rude. Do you think Rory Mc wanders into random private golf clubs and tees off without permission?? Or any football team hopping a fence into a 5 a side pitch ??

    Professional athletes should act like pro's: plan your training in advance and get permission before using private property. Would she have been so blase about thungs if shed fcuked her ankle on a divot on the track?

    Amateur hour antics like this do not an olympic medallist make

    There was a divot on the track at ALSAA and DoR injured her ankle?
    Now that is a story, how come the press have not reported this?
    Is she going to sue them?

    Oh, you mean she didn't, but she could have.
    Or maybe its just a slow news day.

    Find me a dedicated T&F athlete at any level who has not jumped the fence and I show you an oxymoron.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,912 ✭✭✭thirtyfoot


    So Terry McHugh and Derval O' Rourke get stroppy when asked to stop training. Both are multiple national champs, Olympians, one in winter as well as summer, both focused, driven and inspiring athletes. Bit of a pattern developing here.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,598 ✭✭✭shels4ever


    nerraw1111 wrote: »
    All those questions you've asked are in the original article. Have you read it?


    On another note, the Cork Indo's take on it. "Derval snubbed by Dubs."

    http://corkindependent.com/stories/item/8482/2012-14/Derval-snubbed-by-Dubs
    Well thats what she has to expect when she wants to represent Dublin in the olympics, cork should send their own team.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,912 ✭✭✭thirtyfoot


    On the topic of track caretakers/security/managers versus athletes, I have had a fair few run ins down through the years. One time, the track manager would never turn on the lights for training, said it cost too much. The lights were brutal and an electrician amongst us costed that half the fee that only one of us would pay each night would cover the costs. Anyway, on nights when we needed some light so our coach could do technical work with us, we would climb out over a fence out onto the carpark of a locked section of the track, climb a pole and twist the light in the carpark so it would shed some light onto us so our coach would see us. When finished we would have to undo the handy work in case the manager (who was never there) copped it. We even asked him politely to turn on the lights and he politely said no. It seemed energy preservation was higher on the list than ensuring the track was used as its meant to be by athletes.

    Occasionaly you will meet amazing track staff. The new Campus people in Santry are brilliant. A guy in Kilkenny the same, others I'm sure around the country. There are of course your jumped up lads who think its more important to flex some muscle (even politely) than accomodate those who the track was built for and its usually a balancing act to keep them onside. Its funny, I'd imagine non-athletes would never have assumed track staff diplomacy was such a key part to being an athlete, but there you go, it is.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,049 ✭✭✭Brianderunner


    shels4ever wrote: »
    Well thats what she has to expect when she wants to represent Dublin in the olympics, cork should send their own team.

    Represent Dublin in the olympics???


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,910 ✭✭✭couerdelion


    thirtyfoot wrote: »
    There are of course your jumped up lads who think its more important to flex some muscle (even politely) than accomodate those who the track was built for and its usually a balancing act to keep them onside. Its funny, I'd imagine non-athletes would never have assumed track staff diplomacy was such a key part to being an athlete, but there you go, it is.

    I did security work for years to earn extra cash. This was mainly blazer work in football clubs. One of the first things you are told is that you are there to enforce the rules that the club has put in place. I've had to stop international footballers a lot better known than Derval from walking into the players lounge because they didn't have the correct ticket on them. Petty? Yes. Paid to use common sense? No.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,598 ✭✭✭shels4ever


    Represent Dublin in the olympics???

    should have been banned for trolling ;)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,240 ✭✭✭ceegee


    dna_leri wrote: »
    There was a divot on the track at ALSAA and DoR injured her ankle?
    Now that is a story, how come the press have not reported this?
    Is she going to sue them?

    Oh, you mean she didn't, but she could have.
    Or maybe its just a slow news day.

    Find me a dedicated T&F athlete at any level who has not jumped the fence and I show you an oxymoron.

    Oh sorry, if every T&F athlete does it then it must be OK. Do these athletes kick up a fuss when told to GTFO if caught?

    If DoR had injured herself (I never suggested she had) then the club may have been exposed to a payout due to loss of earnings etc (especially this year where athletics' profile will be high, and thus endorsements more lucrative) - No privately owned facility should be expected to expose themselves to this risk just because someone fancys a run. If you want to use facilities - ASK, otherwise feck off down to a public park to do your training


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,817 ✭✭✭myflipflops


    94 posts about an article the Independant. Have we turned into After Hours?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,669 ✭✭✭plodder


    I don't think insurance was the issue. She'd be covered by AAI insurance wherever she trains.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,612 ✭✭✭gerard65


    94 posts about an article the Independant. Have we turned into After Hours?
    After hours response would have been- 'she should have blasted him with p1ss'.
    That piece in the cork paper was very funny. Cork people really have a major chip on the shoulder:D


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,598 ✭✭✭shels4ever


    plodder wrote: »
    I don't think insurance was the issue. She'd be covered by AAI insurance wherever she trains.
    Maybe not insurance for her but how would Alsaa know she was covered. she should just join for the year its only 300 euro.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,612 ✭✭✭gerard65


    If Jedward had have turned up to do a few laps would they've been kicked off:confused:


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,983 ✭✭✭TheRoadRunner


    gerard65 wrote: »
    If Jedward had have turned up to do a few laps would they've been kicked off:confused:

    Depends maybe the caretaker would have known them! If he was a sane individual he would have booted them off for their stupid antics

    If they had of turned up on my watch I would not have just kicked them off I would have kicked the $hit out of them fro trespassing as well.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,876 ✭✭✭✭average_runner


    In fairness the caretaker might not have a clue about the sport, just doing his/her job.

    She should of known better, in that she knew well it was a private track as she has been there loads of times before at meetings etc.

    She should of notify the club that was planning to use the track. In future now and other people know they should notify the club first, a simple lesson and nothing major happened.

    All a misunderstanding


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