St. Pats going back part time!

[Dodge]

You can blame Man City on that one pineapple...

[SeanDrog]

I know intercounty GAA players and they'd struggle to keep up with LOI players fitness wise. They are NOWHERE near as fit (remember that GAA game are shorter and have 15 men on the pitch (I know GAA pitches are bigger)).

You're being naive in the extreme with your rosey view of the GAA mileage and "grants for gear".

If they were being compared to full time professionals from across the world, they'd be similarly exposed as the LOI footballers are

About -3 years ago some university in Ireland ran some fitness tests using rugby, GAA and soccer players (pretty high level lads from each code) , GAA came last, the rubgy and then soccer won out, the result was that it is a bit of a myth that GAA are just as fit as pros etc.

I will see if I can find the article on the net and post it p.

[sonofstan]

About -3 years ago some university in Ireland ran some fitness tests using rugby, GAA and soccer players (pretty high level lads from each code) , GAA came last, the rubgy and then soccer won out, the result was that it is a bit of a myth that GAA are just as fit as pros etc.

I will see if I can find the article on the net and post it p.

It was DCU - strangely, I seem to remember the fittest person in any code was a Longford player (i.e. a part- timer) - can't remember who, though.

[Martinho II]

It was DCU - strangely, I seem to remember the fittest person in any code was a Longford player (i.e. a part- timer) - can't remember who, though.

was it colin notaro when he beat the bleep test!!:p

[paul_oshea]

Well I've played both GAA intercounty football and Eircom League soccer and I can tell you that the pre seasons with the Gaelic are much tougher than the soccer.

Good to have actual representation than the "i know such and such" :D

[SkStu]

isnt it down to conditioning though? GAA conditioned to perform for 70, soccer players conditioned to play for 90. (not saying that there are no players who could play longer in each code)

[bad mongo]

my impression of 'full time' players in this country was they trained two hours in the morning on fitness conditioning, had lunch then had 90 mins tactical/ball training. I think th nordic model of 4 mornings training and a part time job outside of football (usually a stress free placement with a sponsor's company or a college course) would still equate to a full time player, only they don't get to spend half the normal working week in the bookies or on the playstation?. there's got to be a middle ground, what is obvious is we can't ofer the British model of full time football that most of the league's players will have witnessed in their teenage years over the water. These guys will still get top dollar and run up losses at clubs if we slink back to the old part time model with no personal advancement ofr the players. Have already heard rumours of 1K a week p/t contracts. If that's the standard reestablished then the league will go to seed.

[forza rovers]

my impression of 'full time' players in this country was they trained two hours in the morning on fitness conditioning, had lunch then had 90 mins tactical/ball training.nope maybe an hour and a bit and off to the pool and then do what ever you want for the day then

[ShnaeGuevara715]

Bit off topic perhaps but could someone please explain to me or breakdown how on earth Pats made a loss of 2 million this season as its saying on Setanta!

http://www.setanta.com/uk/Articles/Football/2008/12/20/LOI-Pats-set-to-go-part-time/gnid-32356/

Top clubs operate on about 2million over a season, how can a team spend that and lose another 2 million? Surely thats just bad phrasing on the journos behalf, ie that expenditure was 2mill? Or that Kelliher invested 2million less than season before?

[pineapple stu]

The top clubs in the league have been losing over a million a year anyway for the last while. Add in dismissal cases for Keane and Kerr and up the wages a bit more for the craic and you could well hit a E2m loss. Ridiculous money.

[John83]

About -3 years ago some university in Ireland ran some fitness tests using rugby, GAA and soccer players (pretty high level lads from each code) , GAA came last, the rubgy and then soccer won out, the result was that it is a bit of a myth that GAA are just as fit as pros etc.

I will see if I can find the article on the net and post it p.
It depends on what you measure. A lot.

Soccer players tend to be leaner and faster than gaelic football players, who tend to carry a little more muscle and fat - the nature of the game pretty much requires it. I remember the article you mention - hurlers were the least fit by a distance, for the simple reason that technical skill is far more important than fitness in that sport.

[brianw82]

St. Pats realise they are spending too much on wages shocker!

Also in this week's The Bleedin' Obvious Times, it has been discovered that the earth is actually round! And that men like boobs - turn to page 3! And that shooting yourself in the head can kill you!