Cork AUL 2009/10

**Innishvilla** · 04/03/2010, 1:27 PM

Originally Posted by the owl

Having a youth team is great for the development of the club, so i think its a great idea for ye littleman. We did it ourselves this year and it has worked out very well so far. They are on top of the their respective league and have beaten a very fancied Cobh Ramblers side along the way. A very strong youth side even if i say so myself. So i hope it works for ye as well as it has for Ballyv.

Talking to the Innishvilla youth lads they're very impressed with that Ballyvolane side. We beat ye in the MunsterYouth Cup and lost to ye in the league - the title looks most likely to be decided by the reverse fixture in the league whenever it happens.

Totally agree that the youth is great to feed players into Junior club...

**olachico** · 04/03/2010, 1:29 PM

Originally Posted by the owl

Having a youth team is great for the development of the club, so i think its a great idea for ye littleman. We did it ourselves this year and it has worked out very well so far. They are on top of the their respective league and have beaten a very fancied Cobh Ramblers side along the way. A very strong youth side even if i say so myself. So i hope it works for ye as well as it has for Ballyv.

To be honest if a club gets even 1 or 2 players good enough for its first team then a youths team is doing its job - providing a game for young fellas but also helping continuity in the club - if a few others go onto the second team it provides an opportunity to move a few of the better players on the B team up . When the system works right its a great thing . It worked well in Hibs when the club was doing well . When the schoolboys setup started to slip so did the club

**the real deal** · 04/03/2010, 5:16 PM

Originally Posted by bellavistaman

great too see grattan making moves like that, best of luck with it littleman

i concur.....

**littleman** · 04/03/2010, 5:55 PM

In releation to yer questions about why we havnt had a minor side all along its quiet simple.Nufarm would inform us that they had a very good 16s side an then we would put a minor sode out.That way we could focus on getting the best young players on in Knocka.With all due respect the standard of player we have at the minute and have had over the last 4 or 5 seasons was due to us putin a minor side in when it was worth while rather than puttin in a side in year in year out an not havin any players coming through.

Im not expecting everybody to appriciate why we do it this way but it dose have its merits an it has been very successful for us.Our last 3 minor sides were the basis for all the success we have had in the last 4 or 5 seasons.Its only really been this season that we have brough new players in from outside the club.That in itself was a good thing as well because we have raised the bar slighty in respect of what we expect from player either coming through the ranks or comin in the door.

Personally an this is my own opinion an not an official club idea in any way is that I think its a case of when We have something sorted with regards to an underage set up.

**donaldihno** · 04/03/2010, 9:12 PM

Originally Posted by littleman

In releation to yer questions about why we havnt had a minor side all along its quiet simple.Nufarm would inform us that they had a very good 16s side an then we would put a minor sode out.That way we could focus on getting the best young players on in Knocka.With all due respect the standard of player we have at the minute and have had over the last 4 or 5 seasons was due to us putin a minor side in when it was worth while rather than puttin in a side in year in year out an not havin any players coming through.

Im not expecting everybody to appriciate why we do it this way but it dose have its merits an it has been very successful for us.Our last 3 minor sides were the basis for all the success we have had in the last 4 or 5 seasons.Its only really been this season that we have brough new players in from outside the club.That in itself was a good thing as well because we have raised the bar slighty in respect of what we expect from player either coming through the ranks or comin in the door.

Personally an this is my own opinion an not an official club idea in any way is that I think its a case of when We have something sorted with regards to an underage set up.

Littleman we played yer youth team about 6,7 years ago in,i think it it was the semi final of the murphys cup!ye had brian sull,pealo at the back,and john kearney in centre mid,whos doin well at waterford now,just saying that was 1 of the best youth teams around then,is there many of that team with grattan juniors would you no littleman?

**bluey** · 04/03/2010, 11:11 PM

littleman good to see ye tryin to start up youth team, as said by others always good to have the youth teams and 9 times out of 10 you will always have a few players to break into first team squad if not during their youth season but straight away after they finished youths. we have had a good run with the youths squads over past few years and there is 3/4 in first team now from 3 years ago. this season leeside put in c team and that is mainly down to the amount of youths who have not made it into first 2 teams in last few seasons. if you look through the top 2 divisons in the aul i think half have schoolboy and youth set-ups, but go back few years and it would have been much less, hopefully over next few years more and more clubs will have schoolboy and youth set-ups and that will only be all the good for aul in yeras to come

**littleman** · 04/03/2010, 11:50 PM

At the minute,we have Lofty,Brian Sull,Peelo,Shinwin,Harry,Gally and Figo who all played youths with us. If ya add to that some of the players who left for various reasons,Cans an John Paul from Marys played minor with is.Kearney with Waterford,too.Pa Connors an Johnathan Walsh/Kevin Kenneally/Timmy Long who are with Castleview are Gratt minors. Eric Flemming with Glenvale won a league an cup youths double .Niall Collins from Bohs an Babbs from Blarney St have the same double.Their just the ones that come to mind,im probably missing a few so please forgive me if I am.An in fairness Jp an Pa got their junior an amature caps due to the way they played with our club,an not the ones they left to join.Babbs/Shinks an Brian have Oscar medals an all came from the same minor team,an In fairness ya can add Figo an Cans.So all told 5 of last years squad were all Gratt minors so its a given that we do churn out quality rather than quantity.

Oh nearly forgot Danny Dunne was a Gratt minor too. In all the 3 season we won the Prem A an the Prem 3 years on the trot only 4 players of the 21 we used were players who did not play for our minors,BB/Darren Geaney/Mark Smith an Goldsmith.

**Onefootednopace** · 05/03/2010, 7:47 AM

Well folks, what do you make of this http://www.corkaul.com/2010/03/aoh-c...ease-note.html
Good idea/ bad idea?

**Innishvilla** · 05/03/2010, 7:52 AM

Wow that's impressive Littleman - does highlight something else though if the underage structure you mentioned earlier came through for you the Gratts could be producing even more - and let's be honest with the added benefit that a player at the age of 17/18 has been playing for a club for almost 10 years - that really has to strengthen the bond to the club...

**the owl** · 05/03/2010, 9:15 AM

With regards to the AOH.........if its not broken, then why try fix it ???????

**bogwarrior** · 05/03/2010, 9:34 AM

Not sure what the point is in this? The neutral venue last year down in casement park was a great spectacle and attracted a good crowd. Will people bother showing up to two games?!

Lads best of luck to Leeside and Springfield this weekend. Leeside are 6/5 at home to Willow park... do we know much about them? Worth a flutter lads?!

The way Innishvilla have worked on their underage structure I think is an example to every club. Very well done with some extremely talented teams at different ages. Am i right in saying Niall O'Regan the AUL manager helped out down there?

In regards to Grattan and the youths it can only bring about positives. The north side of the city has always been a hotbed of talent. Pity it hasn't always been there and I dont like the fact that you only put in a team if decent players are there I must admit. I like to see good teams of course but I think regardless of whether a current crop are world beaters or not a team is important for the community and can help create a good club.

**Innishvilla** · 05/03/2010, 10:11 AM

Originally Posted by bogwarrior

Lads best of luck to Leeside and Springfield this weekend. Leeside are 6/5 at home to Willow park... do we know much about them? Worth a flutter lads?!

The way Innishvilla have worked on their underage structure I think is an example to every club. Very well done with some extremely talented teams at different ages. Am i right in saying Niall O'Regan the AUL manager helped out down there?

Leeside/Springfield agreed all the best for this weekend - Willow Park are really being talked up in the FAI forum they are being tipped at a dark horse for title so it should be a good close game for Leeside - Pike away will be tough for Springers but it'd be great to take them down a peg or two with the bull they're going on with in the FAI forum.

I think one or two teams got Niall O'Regan in for some training sessions alright but I wouldn't think it was any more than that. I think though the managers found it useful and took some of his ideas on board... Also I know every team coach manager has taken the FAI courses - some are after doing 4/5 courses and I think it is really starting to show in the types of coaching being done.

**olachico** · 05/03/2010, 10:57 AM

Originally Posted by bogwarrior

In regards to Grattan and the youths it can only bring about positives. The north side of the city has always been a hotbed of talent. Pity it hasn't always been there and I dont like the fact that you only put in a team if decent players are there I must admit. I like to see good teams of course but I think regardless of whether a current crop are world beaters or not a team is important for the community and can help create a good club.

I was thinking the same thing Bog when i asked what happened to the Nufarm players at the moment when Grotten dont put in a Youths team! Would Grotten consider a link up with Nufarm Littleman?? Would ye be short space if ye were to enter a schoolboys section??

**littleman** · 05/03/2010, 11:36 AM

Fair point Doli an Bog but with regards to the community an how it may benift ,its the club that comes first.Iv seen plenty of minor sides fold mid season over the last few years an lessons should be learned from them.

Youth teams good or bad are a financial drain on a club,little or no money is brought in an a lot is paid out.Sponsorship is only a token gesture,,,,,,but if a youths side is atrracting the right publicity then its a bit easier to attract sponsorship.You may not like what I have said but its the truth.Cork City or Cobh Ramblers arent really bothered about the community when they take players from here there an everywhere for their underage an youth teams.What sponsors would they get if they had teams that never paid off in terms of providing senior players or teams that won.An before anyone says its not about winning its about taking part,thats a load of bull.Its about getting the best players together to win as much as ya can,im just honest enough to admit to something 99% arnt will to admit.

On the Aoh thing,no no no no no no.Its a semi,one game all or nothin.

Willow Park knocked out the holders Ballymun in the 1st round,so they muct be at the very least good.

The Springerrs should go up an have a go.all or nothin lads.

**olachico** · 05/03/2010, 11:42 AM

I was merely spelling it phonetically in a posh southside accent littleman

I'm from the Southside you know Littleman

**the owl** · 05/03/2010, 12:33 PM

Hope the Cork teams get the result they deserve this weekend especially after how the Cork teams are being dismissed in the FAI forum. Best of luck lads.

**Onefootednopace** · 05/03/2010, 12:42 PM

Best of luck to Leeside and Springfield at the weekend.

**olachico** · 05/03/2010, 1:19 PM

Re the two legs of the semi-final in the AOH - I hated it in the County cup!! But obviously the AUL think its a good idea so I'm not going to question it!!

**littleman** · 05/03/2010, 1:45 PM

The Aoh semis gone to 2 legged affairs,,,,,,is their nothin sacred.What a joke nest ya know we'l have the back door for those who go out in the 1st rnd.

Leeside an Springer comme on an do us proud.

**the owl** · 05/03/2010, 2:54 PM

Yea i remember playing the 2 legged semi final affair in the County cup during my Leeside days and really i didnt mind it at all (prob because we won it!!!), but with the AOH, in my view, the most sought after trophy in Cork, its sacred and should be left as is. Unfortunately thats not my choice.