GAA players walk back in

[eircomfan]

Was just wondering how everyone feels bout the GAA Players just walking back into the team the minute they get themselves knocked out of the All Ireland , i realize Limerick have been crippled all year for players but do you think you ll ever get promoted if you start every year rubbish , then get your players back and go on a late run !!!!!

[eircomfan]

I Only ask cause there is obviously a big interest in Football down there and it baffles me why the team struggles so badly to attract players , (ie bray 1 sub , ucd two subs) if there was a larger squad maybe it would make the GAA plAyers think twice about leaving every summer , but understand your point about best team plays so on............!!

[max power]

what i'd wonder is any young lad interested in football should be fallingover themselves to play in the national league when there is a game going, but the junior soccer debate has already been talked to death.

[gspain]

Unfortunately Junior football and GAA are still more attractive that LoI football in Limerick. Obviously a different story for the likes of Cork and Shels but happy to take anyone committed to the club now.

[4tothefloor]

If the club was run properly, had their own ground and were an attractive proposition, then you wouldn't be asking this question. Eoin Keating is back because he wants to help out in what is a dire, but improving, situation, and more so because he wants to keep fit and train at a high level in the GAA off season. This is all geared of course to being fit for the GAA season next spring. Stephen Kelly is training with Cork City for the same reason. However, Cork have a better chance of holding onto Kelly than we have Keating, as (a) they can offer him a good long-term contract, and (b) Cork are an attractive alternative to his GAA career e.g. european soccer, big crowds etc. Limerick fans are grateful that Keating is back and helping the cause cos the club is in a dire situation, but he'll be gone again in the spring, and who can blame him?

Which prompts another question - why didn't Limerick move to sign Stephen Kelly along with Keating? His team mate at Newcastle West AFC, Thomas MacDhomnaill, should also be signed, but you might as well be talking to the wall...... :rolleyes: There's an infatuation with LDMC players in Limerick, when there are players just as good, if not better, peppered around the Desmond League.

[inexile]

for every one good player in the desmond league there are 5 better than them in the L.D.M.C. the facilities as a whole are better and yeah you might point to keith hartnett and i have to admit he is a quality player but id still rather kevin mccarthy jason purcell alan o keefe ray mcmahon and dermot phelan any day, of course you will get one or to good players scattered around but the ones that are half decent with any ambition are playing in town already look at regional with danny fitz in goals and shane o connor as well they would be gods in the desmond but are just decent players in the ldmc you wont see them on the oscar traynor panel or getting international caps

[shannonsider69]

"with danny fitz in goals and shane o connor as well they would be gods in the desmond"

Just for the record inexile, Danny Fitz played his football with Askeaton followed by Pallaskenry while Shane O'Connor played his football with Kildimo....neither players nor teams that anyone in the Desmond League would rate anywhere near the top, in fact alot of people and players in the league wouldn't even know who they are.

The standard in the Desmond Premier is far higher than the normal joe in the LDMC gives it credit for. Fair enough the likes of the View and Pike would beat the best of the Desmond League but after that...there's a very fine line.

I've seen it first-hand, played against at least 5 of the "better" Premier teams in the last 2 pre-seasons (we've both been missing payers so that excuse doesn't come into play) and beaten each one by at least 2-3 goals.

So to sum-up, open your eyes inexile......and stop talking sh**

[4tothefloor]

Couldn't agree more. I've played against both Danny Fitz and Shane, and have never been on a losing side against them. There are far better players than these lads in the Desmond League. Apart fom the View, Pike Rvs, Boro and Balla, the rest of the LDMC is fairly average - Desmond League Premier sides would match the rest of the LDMC Premier teams no bother.

The thing with the LDMC is that by and large, all the best players move between the 4 afore mentioned clubs, thus their dominance. In the Desmond there is a much wider spread, and players are more loyal to their clubs. Stephen Kelly isn't on the verge of a Pro contract at Cork City for nothing, Denis Behan (formerly Abbeyfeale Utd) is already there, while John McGrath, who played all his early schoolboy soccer with Glantine FC, is in England with Doncaster having previously been with Aston Villa. The same club currently have at least 2 underage stars who are being watched by a number of clubs, if only Limerick FC had an underage system :rolleyes:. Half the bloody Limerck senior football team play, or have played, their soccer in the desmond so the talent is there. Hopefully Keith Hartnett and costelloe will open up peoples eyes that the LDMC is not the be-all and end-all of up and coming talent in Limerick. At least the Desmond\Kerry\Clare players come with no attitude and no stupid, GAA like rules, such as the pathetic 18 month ban on players returning to junior football. How sad is that?! Are we all not football people, or what?

[inexile]

so basically to sum up your telling me that the top clubs in the desmond would match the average teams in the ldmc? thats some claim to fame!! have to admit though i have seen ballingarry and rathkeales set ups recently and they are very good in fairness but and im really not trying to cause a row but fairview played ballingarry the desmond league champions in a pre season friendly without eoin lynch jason purcell dave wall brian lawlor gary hannon johnny lynne etc and trounced them 7-1 or something and im not being smart or pedantic but they won the desmond league

[4tothefloor]

Wouldn't take any notice of that as pre-season in the Desmond League isn't up to much. The league cup is being played at the moment and alot of clubs aren't even taking that seriously - most use it to get fit and sort themselves out before the league begins. You're missing the point though. As I've already said, the spread of good players in the Desmond is much wider than that of the LDMC. You have 4 top clubs in the LDMC and they basically have the pick of the best players in town. That's why they're so strong. In the Desmond, you'll find 1 or 2 top players at every club, there's no one club that picks off the other clubs top players. Thats why in the Desmond, you have a different team winning the league championship every year - Ballingarry won it for the first time in their history last year. Ballingarry are an up and coming club, who are completely locally based, so it's a bit unfair to compare them to the View, who practically have the pick of Limerick!

If the likes of Rathkeale, Newcastle West, Ballingarry etc decided to poach all the other Desmond clubs top players they could probably get to the level of Fairview eventually, but the Desmond clubs aren't overly bothered about the FAI cup etc. and thus prefer to have locally based teams. Transfers in the Desmond league are almost non-existant in comparison to the LDMC. Whereas in Limerick, Fairview are more interested in winning the Munster and FAI cups, than they are in winning their own league championship. They're a completely different set up, and in any case, can easily afford to bankroll their FAI runs and pay their manager, as they have a thriving clubhouse & bar etc.

My point is that Limerick FC are asleep when it comes to scouting players. They are surrounded by numerous strong junior leagues, LDMC aside, yet they barely have a squad. The Kerry, Clare, Desmond, Tipperary North and Tipperary South leagues should be monitored alot better, not to mention the Munster Senior League, especially seeing that the LDMC is persisting with the 18 month ban rule.

[balls]

kilkenny have obviously been monitoring the high standard of tipp south league. as they have signed up 3 of the best players from the premier division already this year . junior international keeper kevin o sullivan , tipp junior player of the year john shanahan from alan rockett from rock rovers. ratkeale , askeaton and balingarry are the best desmond league sides the rest rely too much on off season gaa players.

[annacotty]

"but the ones that are half decent with any ambition are playing in town already" - inexile 24/08/2004



Perhap’s I possess a different mind set than most, but I would hardly think that the sporting ambitions of any talented young player is to play in a Junior soccer league run under the auspices of the LDMC.

Jonny I.S. Goode is a very talented young player. He began playing soccer for an LDSL affiliated club before moving to the county when his father got a new job. He then joined his local soccer club and played in the Desmond League, representing the League in the Kennedy Cup & at U14, U15 & U16. His ambition, like most youngsters who love the game is to play at the highest level. In order to do this he must perform on the biggest stage available to him.

At the age of 18 his family move back into the city and he returns to the club of his formative years. He impresses the Premier League team manager and is signed up. Limerick are interested but Jonny is told by the junior club that if he doesn’t make it at senior level then he can’t play any soccer in Limerick for 18 months. What will Jonny do?


Will he continue to play Junior soccer and join the lads in the pub after most training sessions and after every match ? His ambitions will go out the window if he gets into this habit, but how many have already gone down that road ? Or will he pursue his ambition to play at the highest level through another vehicle?


U21 soccer is DEVELOPMENT soccer and as such Jonny can display his talents in a National League and still play (if he & his club desire), for his Junior Premier League team. If the LDMC prevented this I doubt if the FAI would uphold the decision if appealed to Dublin.

Junior clubs fail to INFORM youngsters of this.

In my opinion any good youngster would prefer to play against (for example) Kilkenny, Kerry and Cobh than (for example) Park, Mungret and Summerville. Unfortunately, Limerick gave up on their U21 team BUT there is another LoI U21 team - UL/AA. Possibly the most unpopular club with the blazers of the LDMC & LDSL in Limerick but they do offer youngsters the chance to develop beyond minor.

Playing U21 LoI puts good young players on a National stage – they are playing against the best young players in the country. They are constantly being watched by LoI senior teams and some from further afield.

Is it true that the LDMC are making noises about establishing an LDMC U21 team ? Do any of the LDMC blazers have youngsters aged 17 or 18 who will shortly be too old to play minor ?

Whatever the reason, it must be a great move if it’s true. Will it act as a feeder to Limerick ? From a purely personal point of view, I believe that UL/AA U21s should link up and act as a feeder team for Limerick

Two under 21 teams in Limerick will allow a wider pathway for more boys to travel down to achieve their soccer ambitions – to play at the highest level possible.

[LFC in Exile]

Can't really argue with a word of that. A link between UL/AA and the senior club would be to everyone's advantage IMO. :ball:

[inexile]

it would be a great thing for limerick f.c. but the way the club is going what do they have to offer ul/a.a. you might go on about national soccer but the level that limerick are playin at this season isnt much higher than a match between the top junior sides in town if higher at all!

[LFC in Exile]

but the level that limerick are playin at this season isnt much higher than a match between the top junior sides in town if higher at all!

Lads, don't rise to it. Go stir it somewhere else with that nonsense. :ball:

[deise deserter]

To be fair it isn't too far from the truth if you look at the general level of the squad minus the reliables (Finny, Jimmy, Keating, etc).

A lot of these players are only just about making it at this level. I have to admit that I can see that both sides of the arguement have merit.

[sadloserkid]

Yeah but if half of our our team are comfortably up to League of Ireland standard then the argument is null and void anyway. In addition to the three players you name, the likes of O'Mahony, Kusten, Brendan Hughes, Can't Pass, Conor Molan and probably Keith Hartnett and even Dave Conway (when he's around) would easily star at the top end of the LDMC ladder. I think that John Whyte would still be well able to cut it against the Pikes and Ballas as well. That's the best part of a team already. No team in the LDMC can boast even 6-7 players up to that standard.

I mean for every argument that Mike Ahearn and Frank Browne were only solid junior players you can point to Ross Cosgrave who was near universally hearalded at junior level but if this season's performances are anything to go on will be lucky to be in senior football this season. And if somebody mentions Jason Purcell... Jason Purcell was a fine League of Ireland player at his zenith but towards the end of his Limerick tenure he was a liability and Limerick were lucky to be rid of him.

There are a lot of LDMC players who least deserve a shot at senior football and I for one hope that they get it but to suggest that there's a junior club in town who would have won half of Limerick's paltry points total in the First Division this season is just plain ridiculous.

[inexile]

i can tell you straight out limerick and fairview would be on a par go throught it player for player maybe limerick have the better keeper but fairviews left full and centre half pairing would be better and i would much rather have kevin mccarthy than anyone limerick could offer and jason purcell for that matter and id think a partnership of tommy barrett and robbie kelliher would be more productive than cant pass and barry

[joeSoap]

i can tell you straight out limerick and fairview would be on a par go throught it player for player maybe limerick have the better keeper but fairviews left full and centre half pairing would be better and i would much rather have kevin mccarthy than anyone limerick could offer and jason purcell for that matter and id think a partnership of tommy barrett and robbie kelliher would be more productive than cant pass and barry
Its very commendable that you have so much loyalty to your junior soccer cohorts, but face facts man...Kevin McCarthy was a class act, now he's 35 with dodgy knees and will be retiring shortly. So, lets cut the bull and agree that he would not be able to hack it in the EL today based upon fitness alone.He'd not last 50 minutes in a game.
I'm not even going to dignify Jason Purcells name in all of this.
At the end of the day, neither of us are going to agree on this, so lets let it go...

[inexile]

ok joe soap lets agree to differ but i would like to say that can we all be united in our condolences to both Abbey Rovers and the family of Paddy O'Halloran who was tragically fatally injured in a car accident yesterday evening