Back home to the motherland
Sorry lads for the absence from the thread but I had to go back to the motherland with work for the last couple of weeks an every time I tried to use the internet in the hotel all the txt came out in dutch,the joys.
Sorry to hear that another team has folded but I think it is a sign of the times an its goin to become more an more prevelent next season.Prior to this season startin a team was easy enough because lads could get sponsorship easy enough an runnin costs could be handled easy enough,as long as you had 16 players then home games paid for themselves an away games were money in the bank.But as soon as your down to the 11's or 12's then it start to cost ya,an I'd be tellin a lie if I said the 5 euro per yellow wasnt effectin clubs,it is.
Theres a recession goin on an those in charge dont seem to be changin with the times.Football was an always will be a sport to be enjoyed at junior level,not one to be used to make a few bob.If times were different then it might of been a good idea,but its not an they should realise it at the highest level.The AUL/MFA an FAI all have different views on yellow cards an the attached fines.The AUL say the have to impose it ,the MFA say they dont want to impose it because its a pro rule ment for the pro game an when I asked a senior council member about it recently he was quite surprised it was being implemented at junior level.Just goes to show the problems with communication between our supposed governing bodies.
I have seen quite a bit of the AUL commitee over the recent weeks an it got m thinkin,the supposed 5 year plan we are supposed to be workin on is or should be wel underway,but as I read through the Aul document again last night it had all to do with the clubs improving,an nothin to do with the commitee itself being restructured.A new influx of youth is needed on it.Aul people who want to make the Aul better,Horse comes to mind as an ideal person who would be able to add his undoubted enthusiasim an local junior fooball knowledge to the commitee.Thats just my own opinion by the way,an there are quite a few people out there who again IMO would really shake things up in the Aul for the better.
On to the Gratts,I watched the lads play Tue mornin before I flew out an bein honest though the pitch did us no favours but I thought they played really well.We went 1 down to a commited Kanturk but got 4 without reply,an missed a peno before they had a mini fightback.I left with about 15 mins to play thought that was that but from what I was told afterwords the ref had more to do with Kanturks fightback than Kanturk had,it was a comfortable win from what I saw an what I was told later.All in all we played well an its best to lok at the remainder of the season as an oppertuinity to get a bit of pride back an to just enjoy playin again.
The Killer B's have stumbled a bit in recent weeks but it will sort itself out have no fear,startin Sunday mornin.
Apparently...............
Innish - apparently the way the draw was a few weeks ago it looked like the two Watergrasshill sides should be facing each other! That way the would have been guaranteed at least 1 team in the final
With my previous club we qualified for the semis twice in the last few seasons loosing to Ballincollig on both occasions - Dont envy ye with the two- legged semi final - that unnesecarry game should be got rid of in my opinion as it doesnt exist in its sister trophy the city challenge cup
Strange what happens on Sunday mornings
I could'nt have planned the way Sunday morning was going to pan out even if I had a team of writers from the X files.My experience should have told me that wether the clocks are goin froward or backwards an hour,some idiots will get caught out by it,and if you add any kind of a party the night before then your on a hiding to nothin with what you expect to turn up on Sunday morning for a game.
I was at home Sunday morning an had the intention of watching the first half of the A game an then the 2nd half of the B game.How wrong could I have been.The B manager txt me to say that of the 17 he had at training Thur only 11 had turned up an as I had signed the B form encase of emergency's then could I turn up as sub.Fair enough I said an got into the car an got to the pitch.Then at the gates I met one of the lads envolved with the A team,he missed his spin,I thought to meself I'll drop him down to Leeside as I wont be used in the 1st half of the B game,at least hopefully not at all.Got down to Leesides place to findout 5 or 6 of the team had gone to a christening the night before an failed to show,we had 11.Manager went in goal an asked if I'd tog off as sub,I thought to meself I'm 36 an I was expectin to be on the bench for the B team an I'd got promoted to the A team with out even toggin off.
Leeside had at least 20 togged off an were well up for it for the 1st 15,then just seemed to self destruct,unbelivable display from them.The ref was in a word,dispicable.Ignorant an emotionless also spring to mind.Like talkin to a cow,stuipd look on his face throughout and any questioning of his decisions drew a yellow he got envolved in stuipid arguments with the side line which only drew both sides and the game out.He sent off a leeside player who had nothin to do with the incident that drew the foul.The Leeside center half,was an I dont like sayin this about any player but he was a disgrace,3 challanges in the 1st half alone that were straight red and I challenge an person watchin the game to defend what he got up to durin the game.
I can understand a player being commited,even bein well up for it so to speak,but this fella went out to hurt people,plain an simple.Dont get me wrong it wasnt a dirty game,just some of the fouls were truly terrible to watch an how some of the players left that pitch in one peice was a miracle an probably more down to their fitness an a bit of luck..
The ref played a huge part in the game,sent the wrong player off an bottled another straight forward sendin off offence,the center half agin put in a terrible challange on Figo,straight through the back of him,bit of a malee an our Brian Sull went head to head with there Sullivan,the Leeside Sullivan kicked him in plain sight of everyone,ref less than 2 yards away an lookin straight at it,what did he do,sent Jack from Leeside off for what knowone knew.With the extra man we were well in control an probably played the best 90 mins I have seen all season.
2 up with an should have added another 2 or 3 but again the final ball an in fairness a good young Leeside keeper kept it down.Leeside were gifted a goal in injury time when a clearence by our right back on the line hit the backside of the keeper an went in(twas par for the course considerin the way the mornin went) on back in injury time butt:p too little to late.Oh ya I came on for the last 25 at left back.What age did Bobby Charlton play on too,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,;)
Blarney St 4 - Rathcoole 1
I think Billy got it spot on in the echo today when he said the scoreline flattered us yesterday against Rathcoole.at one stage in this game we were really in trouble and had to dig really deep to get the win.Rathcoole are a decent team and i was very impressed with their front two..we took the lead after 10 mins john betts getting on the end of a paul hogan corner and buried the header giving the keeper no chance. then we went into self destruct mode yet again and this is something we really need to sort it out.instead of driving on and getting number two we got complacement and paid the price just before half time when they got a genuine penalty which their keeper converted,one all at half time,
in fairness we were a totally different team in the second half and took control of the game.we started to dominate in the middle of the park and our centre halfs got on top of their front two. when we scored the second thru lawerence betts again from a paul hogan corner we were totally on top.john betts added a third and john paul thompson finished off the scoring with a great strike in to the top corner.we really need to sort ourselves out though if we want to get into the final.playing for only one half is not good enough.it is something which we have talked about but it keeps happening and its really frustrating.. anyone got a number for eileen drewery!!!!!!!!
Kanturk pulled off the shock of the weekend against park and cant be taken lightly.was talking to someone who watched the game between kinsale/blackstone and he said that blackstone were very unlucky and can hold their heads up high. in fairness we all probably expected kinsale to win but they were made to work very hard for it.i think the result of the weekend must go to glenthorn though away to knockavilla and coming from two down to win.was suprised by grattan/leeside result cause i really thought leeside would be really up for.they started yesterday second in the league and seemed to be in a position to have a right challenge of it. reports though are that gratan were good value for the win and fair play. looks like wilton were the big winners and they didnt even play
Also was told yesterday that the semis of the aoh are not on in the cross.i was told earlier that they were back out there this year.anyone know anything definite
