The Official Cavan GAA Discussion thread.

Brilliant point. We should be knee deep in intercounty midfielders on the basis of CK's arguement. We have "too many clubs" where the best players end up in midfield.

That being the case, where are they???

Re Gowna, not every club can have the “county development manager” ensuring two or three lads from the club make the development panels each year.

Take for example Blackwater Gaels. How far is the drive from Munterconnaught to Maghera pitch? 5 mins?

We aren’t all commuting by horse and kart now.

Do you think a child cares at 4 years of age if they are going to training for Maghera, Munterconnaught or Blackwater? Any of those can be the “local club”.

Alot of the points ye are all making are simply not relevant. Just because a club amalgamates, doesn’t mean GAA is just going to be lost in the area.

I am no fan of McCabe but are you seriously telling me that clubs like Belturbet and Killeshandra for example are producing skilled footballers on both sides and that these are being ignored at development squad levels in favour of players from Gowna. Is that why both those clubs are at very low points currently (I am sure other clubs could be added). I am sorry but that sounds like sour grapes to me, blame McCabe for our club not doing enough good coaching.

It might not have an impact for the lads who will be picked up by other clubs.

Let's take Maghera for example, so say they do wind up. How many of the people involved for social aspect are going to line out for another team. Probably very few. So would likely reduce the number of people playing. You might counter "what loss, none of them are lining out for the county".

He is giving out about amalgamations at underage and on the next breath is looking for them at Senior level.

Their players would have played underage with Mountnugent & Munterconnaught lads anyway. Munterconnaught have a reserve team too. Is it not Maghera’s own players who called a meeting after, what, one win in ten years? Do you think lads involved are enjoying hammerings week after week? They obviously aren’t but sure let’s all continue to stick our heads in the sand and follow parish guidelines that were drawn up 100 or more years ago.

Sure Maghera can remain a club with no functioning adult team and the young players from there can continue to ignore the other clubs on their doorstep? Oh, the only problem is the big elephant in the room - they are already haemorrhaging players to the surrounding clubs like Ramor & Cuchulainns because people are already taking the decision into their own hands.

Crosserlough could be disbanded and divided up with portions of the parish assigned to neighbouring clubs to help boost numbers. Parish lines were drawn so long ago after all. The county board just need to organise a meeting with Crosserlough to inform them of the decision and discuss what way to best divide up the parish to give equal numbers to surrounding clubs.

Think of the benefits, surrounding clubs get an influx of good coaches and players with county underage and senior experience. It could be the catalyst for several clubs becoming championship contenders.

I can't think of any drawbacks or possible roadblocks?

I didn’t say it was all about winning and getting lads on a county team. It is about functioning though and some clubs are struggling to do that.

“Most junior clubs are happy to be competitive” - there are junior clubs who are struggling to even reach that minimum benchmark and things are only going to get worse for them based on demographics.

As for the average lad being turned away, I’ve never seen a club turn away a player. Most teams now have reserve teams and welcome new members as it’s not just on the pitch that they can be a help.

I think ye all under estimate that GAA people are GAA people. I’ve seen staunch club men relocate through marriage etc and firmly pin their collar to a new club due to kids playing with them etc. How many staunch Gaels men now have children playing with Killygarry or the Bridge now for example? Years ago they would have stick their noses up at the thoughts of their kids playing with those clubs.

What junior clubs are struggling apart from Corlough and Maghera?

Swad must have turned McKiernan away this year as they didnt accept the transfer.

How many lads move to a different part of the County and still play with there home club, very few and it's more lads who are coming near the ends off there playing days than anyone in there 20's.

I wouldn't know how many Gaels lads have kids with other clubs.

As I said before Clubs will decide what to do when numbers are against them and not before.

I'd love to see you land into a county board meeting and make that statement about to many clubs and we need to reduce the amount off them

Did Peter Quinn not do just that several years back in his report?

Any chance you could address any of the points I’ve raised rather than just totally attempting to twist the point in hand? You’re not adding anything at all to the discussion.

What’s your own solution to address changing demographics? What should clubs struggling to field numbers do?

Peter Quinn and a committee did a comprehensive report stating we had too many clubs. What parts of his study did you disagree with?

I openly said at the start of this I didn’t claim to have all the solutions but I’ve no problem putting my head on the chopping block - just a pity others haven’t the liathroidi to do the same.

It’s like a subordinate staff member in a workplace being negative. Don’t come with nothing but problems, try providing a few solutions.

How many clubs packed it in after that.

What other Junior clubs are struggling?

You seemed to think it’d be quite outlandish to recommend to the county board to cut clubs but Peter Quinn did just that in a paid report. You said you’d love to see someone arrive into a county board and say it but Peter Quinn actually put it in a report they paid him for. So is Peter Quinn, former president of the GAA, another man like me who doesn’t understand the importance of the local club in the community?

Struggling for numbers - any that need to regularly amalgamate at underage level - Redhills, Drung, Kill, Maghera, Munterconnaught, Corlough, Killeshandra Shannon Gaels, Swad & Kildallan are ones I can quickly think of.

To compete - Maghera & Corlough for a start. Killeshandra & Kildallan also both struggling, Killeshandra now another club amalgamating a lot. I’d also expect Redhills and others will join this group in the next few years.

Again, did you want to offer any alternatives or solutions or just pick holes and offer nothing new to what is becoming an obvious problem?

There is no need for me to post an alternative I'm not looking for clubs to pull the shutters down.

I have no problem with clubs joining at underage. Clubs like Lacken, Ballinagh, Shercock. Gowna, Drumalee, Denn do it regular enough. Would you treat them the same or is it only Junior clubs you have it in for?

Peter Quinn was a paid to do it my point is if the likes of you or any other club delegate* starting saying it you wouldn't be going far before you would be challenged.