PDA

View Full Version : U12s National finals - Change of format



Number9
24/09/2007, 6:50 PM
Old format - play it in Athlone, 2 teams from each province, 1 day event.

New format - play it in Dublin, 4 teams from each province, 2 day event.

What do you think? Progress? Practical?

olegunnar
25/09/2007, 10:32 AM
good to get more teams involved, but who pays for the stay? or is it over 2 seperate days?? prob be that the clubs will pay it, so thats not so practical.

still 7aside?? u11 national for boys was 11aside!!

libero4
25/09/2007, 11:59 AM
Great to see more teams involved. Really bad idea to hold it in Dublin over 2 days. This will prevent teams from taking part. Athlone was a fair venue for everyone. Dublin too far to bring young players. Added responsibility of supervision overnight. Not everyone has all the help required.
We should be trying to get things out of Dublin. Traffic alone is a good reason. We will get to the stage where Dublin will be winning everything. Very unfair that senior cup final is in Dublin. Worth a goal start to home team.
Who makes all these decisions? Why are clubs not asked for opinions?

Number9
25/09/2007, 2:19 PM
Olegunnar - girls are still 7 a side at U12s

Totally agree libero4.

Simply another example of the country's sporting divide - Dublin and Rest Of Ireland.

Credible exit paths for the WFAI -

1. Turn it into a Gaynor Cup style competition - ie all players/coaches expenses paid.

2. Admit that this was a wrong decision and move the competition to a central location, eg Athlone. It's not too late - still over a month to go to the finals.

libero4
09/10/2007, 11:20 AM
Has anyone at club level been contacted re the format for this years competition. I dont know of anyone who has been contacted.
Is it to be held in Dublin over 2 days? Where is it being held in Dublin? Where will the girls be accommodated? Is this left to the clubs to organise?
If ever you wanted to put clubs off entering then this is how you go about it. Talked to our u12 manager and no way we'll be entering a team.
Lets get sensible and keep it in Athlone.

Number9
12/10/2007, 1:35 PM
Haven't heard of anyone being officially contacted but Munster u12s is being held in Buttevant on Sunday 14th October with the top 4 teams going to the finals in Dublin 2 weeks later. Rumour that some of the traditionally stronger underage outfits haven't entered teams for Sunday.

Libero4 - I think that the outgoing WFAI Competitions Officer organised this competitions prior to joining the FAI.

CollegeTillIDie
16/10/2007, 5:54 AM
Libero4
Whatever the merits in your point about Under 12 tournament being outside the capital using the Senior Cup
to bolster your argument is a red herring ! The WFAI Senior final was held in Dublin these past three years winners: Dundalk, Mayo and Galway all beat Dublin based teams in the final... and your point is?

CollegeTillIDie
16/10/2007, 5:57 AM
Old format - play it in Athlone, 2 teams from each province, 1 day event.

New format - play it in Dublin, 4 teams from each province, 2 day event.

What do you think? Progress? Practical?

The more teams participating is progress. Venue is debatable.

libero4
17/10/2007, 10:44 AM
Libero4
Whatever the merits in your point about Under 12 tournament being outside the capital using the Senior Cup
to bolster your argument is a red herring ! The WFAI Senior final was held in Dublin these past three years winners: Dundalk, Mayo and Galway all beat Dublin based teams in the final... and your point is?

And my point is:
The results are irrelevant. Why should a team be put to the expense of hiring a coach to travel to Dublin or of staying overnight when the opposition only live down the road. Despite the results of the past 3 finals it is a definite disadvantage to travel long distances before playing.
What about the results of the previous years? you are being very selective.
Anyhow, what about spreading the final across the country.
Try and promote the game countrywide by putting a showcase on in areas that need help.
It was good to hear reports of the final on radio. We really should be trying to get senior cup finals televised, like the GAA finals or the English ladies cup final. Keeping everything in Dublin is not good for the game overall.

Number9
30/10/2007, 6:04 PM
Who won the national U12s and who participated in the finals? Anybody go and see it? What was the standard of the teams?

Was anyone talking to team mentors from Connaught, Munster or Ulster? Were they praising the new format or p****d off with it? Did teams travel daily or stay overnight?

olegunnar
01/11/2007, 6:05 PM
douglas hall beat templeogue in final

ASR27
01/11/2007, 9:47 PM
Speaking to mentors from two connacht teams, very unhappy that they could get NO details right up to the week prior to competition. details such as schedules, rules etc. Might sound daft but not knowing basics like whether you would be taking sidelines from the hand or the ground matters when you only have one training left with girls.
Senior match changed from evening kickoff to afternoon meant a hiccough in the scheduling of the u12s (as they were to be guests at that senior match)...so hence the delays in getting any schedules out. mentors, parents and teams had to book hotels for the saturday night so it ended up being a fairly expensive jaunt. but a well run exercise on both days I gather.
AUL has no public transport nearby (that I could find?) so I couldn't make it out there.

Number9
16/11/2007, 5:52 PM
has the bad organisation anything to do with the WFAI competitions person resigning to join the FAI as an RDO?

Wexford Rules
17/11/2007, 7:32 PM
I have been watching this forum with interest for a while now and find that last comment to be one of the most ignorant and ridicilous comments I have seen in quite a while

The competition on that weekend was organised very well and went off without a hitch, despite a heavy downpour of rain near the end. The level of talent on display was excellent and both the cup final and plate final went to golden goals to be decided

As regards the expense, etc of teams travelling, if this was a schoolboy competition, money would not be a factor and clubs would be falling over themselves to be there

The only semi valid comments I can see in this forum is maybe the venue could be looked at but only for the reason that it would help promote the girls game around the country. Having said that, there were a load of hotels in easy driving distance of the AUL and after all ,as much as we might not like going to Dublin for these competitions, it is the capital city and is easy to travel to

I am sure that no matter, where or how the tournament is run, there will always be moaners, but we find these are usually people who actually do very little for the game in general and are usually team managers who think there little under 12 team is the new Brazil

37Beour
20/11/2007, 7:28 PM
Getting a little bit touchy on this subject i see!!!!:rolleyes:

But the truth is the venue is probably not central for people that live on the WEST of the country!!!the fact the competition is held over 2 days does not really help the situation. Most clubs have big restraints in travelling especially overnight. With national cup games to be played at U14, U16, U18 and for some intermediate and senior there is a big cost to the girls season. Its alot to ask for some clubs to pay for hotels.

However much we want to deny it the truth of the matter is girls teams are not financially supported in the way boys teams are. But very few boys teams stay overnight its not a really done thing unless its the latter stages of a national competition!

Wexford Rules
21/11/2007, 12:45 PM
Probably a little touchy I agree but I do notice that most of the people who whinge and complain the most are usually the people who do the least amount of work and strangely enough, some of us that are involved quite a bit, sometimes get a little "touchy"

You have to agree that the very moment that it was even suggested expanding this competition it was criticised without even thinking of the advantages

As you can see I am from Wexford and we had two teams playing at this level for the first time ever and one of the teams went home with the plate, this was a massive boost to that club and the game down here. Female soccer down here is growing at a rapid rate and I feel anything that can help continue that growth cant be bad. Both clubs travelled up and down both days and neither even mentioned the cost factor

I can understand that clubs dont put as much into their girls teams as their boys but I bet if the girls team come home after winning a national competetion, everyone in the club looks for the credit