Seasons are going to be aligned soon anyway, aren't they?Originally Posted by Nesta99
My idea is basically just linking the pre existing district leagues, but you are right that the provincial FAs would hate it. It's their own fault in my opinion. If you can't organise a league across your province, you're not a very good provincial FA.
oh boy I'm not good at football forums
Willing to bet 7 million euro the season never wind up alligned
https://www.donegallive.ie/news/socc...-proposal.html
The way they're acting you'd think they'd been told they have to switch overnight, instead of in 3 years time! I'm at least glad to finally hear some reasons against the switch from them and not just "we don't want to".
I think this sums it up though: "However, we feel we should have the right to choose for ourselves on what best suits the leagues in our area."
If they had been doing what's best for their leagues, they wouldn't have such massive issues with facilities and refs.
Let them decide what's best for their leagues. And whilst they're at it, they can also fund themselves too without any outside help or influence. Can't have it both ways.
While I have zero sympathy for this kind of parochial gombeenism, where do you get the idea that there's any funding coming from the FAI?
Fundaing doesnt have to be from the FAI. But to get funding from Dept of Sport or S.I. you need to be a member of a recognised governing organisation. This is where the leverage could come in to play - toe the line or be cut loose but if cut loose dont go looking for public money for your new 5 a side area. Offer them another couple of international tickets and their heads would turn, its not about whats best for the game in their area, its about preserving their own blazer. That does not mean there are not very good people involved and valuable clubs, its just time to stop the tail wagging the dog.
Some of the issues raised by the Donegal et al leagues are not really season related, they indicte a well worn issue of lack of investment and limited capacity. These concerns are legitimate and not easy to fix in the short and medium term. I think they should be saying until these issues are addresses we are not changing rather than using spurious arguments on dual players, Summer holidays, should be allowed to dictate their own agenda. Maybe addressing the real issues would ease the way and build confidence though Im not convinced that these local leagues wouldnt then just move the goal posts.
That impressive gathering of elected reps could really have been guided to focus on highlighting what needs to be done rather than resist change. The league reps could come up with a cohesive regional fix to propose a win win and Pearse Doherty will suffocate if he adds much more to shout about!
Last edited by Nesta99; 27/03/2025 at 12:15 PM.
You've presumably never had the joy of sitting in the John Delaney stand at Arranmore United FC
There is no such thing!You've presumably never had the joy of sitting in the John Delaney stand at Arranmore United FC
He opened the stand there and it has his name on the side. It's probably not the formal name, but when I visited that's what it was referred to as anyway.
Last outpost of Irish football prepares for visit of FAI chiefs | Irish Independent
Anyways - it's proof that there is indeed FAI money for clubs in Donegal who behave themselves in the eyes of our glorious overlords
I actually think the points raised by Inishowen are reasonable enough and, more importantly, surmountable within the framework.
The points raised by the Donegal League rep. are daft.
As a player of that league I wasn't asked my opinion or anything like that by the league. Doesn't really bother me as by the time it starts I'll have hung up the boots!
Tbf it won't suit areas that are strong at GAA. My own club will lose a lot of our best players, many of whom play both. We're one of the bigger clubs so we'd still get by. Problem is some of the smaller areas will struggle. Areas like Letterkenny will really begin to dominate.
Heard last night the youth League will struggle as the GAA in their wisdom have moved minor games to Wednesday, the day the youth teams are supposed to play. If these things are to work properly for both codes and the benefit of players then the GAA need to take their head out of their arse and facilitate players instead of ****ing off players that want to play both. Plenty do and some I know won't play GAA either due to their shenanigans.
If we are to get any sort of pyramid going, which we need to, then I believe the move is a must. Will the third tier or a nice to summer football for junior and intermediate be a success, I have grave doubts sadly. Although if it works in a GAA mad county like Mayo and underage here in Donegal, then it can work
Without talking about anyone in particular, summer football will mean losing people to the GAA is repeated a lot but is there any actual imperial evidence that can be pointed to to support this ? Like nobody seems to have produced a survey or anything as far as I can see ? A lot of it just seems to be conventional wisdom
In my own club if it's a choice between both the majority will pick GAA. As there is only short overlap at the moment there's some scope for both. GAA lads don't train with football team this time of year but will play matches if there's no clash. Some clubs make it harder than others to do both I find. If seasons were the same most GAA lads woulnd't really be able to play much at all
Similar to thebronze, my own club are actually in favour of the move, but being lumped in with the entire Donegal League on it. The committee of the donegal league is full of idiots really. I've been to a few delegate meetings and some of the talk from them is utterly bizarre.
A lot of these delegates get a platform because they are often the only ones at their club willing to take on the job. Its great fun if it wasnt so frustrating, to see nominees pitch for a role on a committee on why they shouldnt get the job - the person who has least commitments at home tend to lose by winning. It does mean that, at the least, there are often subpar people running things, or at best capable people that are disinterested (my Grandfather used to say 'if you dont want to do a job do it badly and you wont be asked to do it again'). Over and over you see these people get a taste of things, decision making for a league, fall in love with sitting on disciplinary panels and then dont want to give it up. They do have in common a malleability where one interested individual, someone with a strong personality (probably the ars€hole) can take control and lead the pack.
It not always negative but I wouldnt be surprised if someone at these Donegal meetings suggested playing ball with the FAI on condition of certain things being met, it could happen - kick the can down the road pretty much sure that capacity issues wont be met in the next 3-5 years - then they could check to see they way the wind is blowing elsewhere in the country in due course. If its a mess elsewhere they could claim that they had foresight, if there are efforts afoot to improve on isses they could claim their stance was justified and worked. They can call a win without looking like protectionists circling the wagons to perserve their own little titles.
The GAA is seriously struggling to sort out their own calender, I'd question the issues on going head to head on seasons cause as far as i can make out GAA is a 10 month commtment even for clubs and if good enough to be on a County panel then dual codes is tough beyond kids who can play multiple times of anything per week. I think its periodisation for s+c that the real conflict is for players and how it could be an issue if trying to play multiple sports. Jury is out for me on the 'professionalisation' at all levels of amatuer sport - the recreational aspect of participation is sport is really being squeezed by this obsessive drive to win. Winning is of course important too but at Junior II B is GAA and Division 900 in the Donegal football leagues? the wanna be Jim McGuinness's or Guardiolas should take it handy.
I also feel we should completely ignore other codes schedules when planning long term. Again in my own experience if football clubs moved to midnight on Tuesdays for schoolboys fixtures GAA would move game to the same slot. It isnt ideal but things would settle down. We are seeing a trend of GAA clubs merging underage and certain grades especially in rural areas nationwide - its pragmatic when people continue to move toward urban centres, its a societal issue. Rural football may need to jjust cede to urban clubs, merge or be very good at retaining players, change focus to womans teams where there is growth still - stay alive until things balance eventually. GAA is changing at Croke Park level, we see it in the increased used of grounds for 'Garrison Games,' Connacht in the rugby this weekend eg. Maybe, a small maybe, they will soften attitudes at grassroots over time. If we can shift from competing for the best players, not always winning obsession, we could end up with an increase of particapants when the average footballer is also getting games across all ages?
The same can be said for switching to a Summer season. Beyond being midseason for clubs in Europe helping their prospects i dont think there's anything beyond annecdotal opinions on the benefits. People could point to attendances now but since 2002 has there been a statistically backed proven improvement? pitches, crowds, games stats etc. that cant be attributed to other thinsg eg improved s+c? Id hate to go back to cold nights in January but thats a personal preferenence rather than hard statistcally backed benfits to the change in season. I dont think anyone can reall claim that the FAI have done serious in depth research. Aligning seasons to LoI is probably due to it being easier tbh than to go back. My own total backing of other levels of football aligning with a Summers season is because I see LoI as the pinnacle of the game here and everyone else should feed in to the senior level. For years the powerbase was with cliques at lower levels (i'll excludee schoolboys as that back has been broken) whose main agenda was to 'put LoI in its place' when LoI hould have had weighted votes at FAI AGMs.
Last edited by Nesta99; 29/03/2025 at 2:30 PM.
Ultimately there is a reluctance on my part to criticise these people. They are volunteers, doing what I am not doing, running the sport in my native county probably coaching, doing everything to keep the show on the road but as with all things volunteers nobody is beyond accountability and they are poor advocates for their cause. I think of the lads going on off the ball and making a holy show of themselves before the vote. Fair enough you think you know what's best for the game and your free to advocate for that but it has to be something more now than just cause I know its better.
People have some much choice now what to do with their leisure time. They can play any number of sports including in Donegal now American Football or nothing at all so continuing to see this present as a simple axis between the GAA and Football by some people feels like an Ireland that doesnt really exist anymore. ]
I have more loathing in my heart for the politicians including someone who fancies themselves to be minister for finance thinking they can tell the FAI when they can have their season
Last edited by Roones26; 29/03/2025 at 2:21 PM.
I get your poin and it is valid. But I dont think administrators of the game should be beyond criticism, even if volunteers, if they not doing their job or obstructing just for the sake of it. They have a duty of care to the game and its development. If they a have legitimate argument, and they do, they should be listened to and they should listen when there is a valid proposal put to them. Maybe change the language away from criticism to guidance, discussion, utilising a honest democratic process - assuming they are open to it all. The old desperate arguments that are being made are tiresome.
Training of officers in how to be effective is important too. LCC via the Louth Sports Partnership ran workshops (tbh where I had most interaction and developed some insight to the mindsets and processes) in basic skills and how to be a representative. The practical stuff eg just how to take minutes properly did get buy in, some new club secretaries were super stressed thinking they had to record every word in writing which at an Irish committee meeting in anything is impossible. The leadership type training had a different profile of person who, being elected to the chair, eg just assumed a know it all manner and their meetings were often chaos - it created conflict tbh when people felt they were nt getting their say, being spoken across. Trying to get across that there is a legal element, and obligation to do things right well it was the noughties (reaonable pun for the era).
I dont know maybe this is just ramble, but annoyances grew from the most benign things, took root, and caused a ripple of stubbornness and, maybe idealisticlly, if you can manage that it alleviates all sorts of roadblocks in advance. Cheap and easy in the long run for NGBs.
Last edited by Nesta99; 29/03/2025 at 2:56 PM.
Formal name, and the only one used, is the Antoin Gallagher Stand; Antoin being my great-uncle and instrumental in uniting the multiple teams there were on Arranmore prior to Arranmore United.He opened the stand there and it has his name on the side. It's probably not the formal name, but when I visited that's what it was referred to as anyway.
Last outpost of Irish football prepares for visit of FAI chiefs | Irish Independent
Anyways - it's proof that there is indeed FAI money for clubs in Donegal who behave themselves in the eyes of our glorious overlords
"Opened by John Delaney" is on the sign, below the name, in a smaller font.
Well he would have handed over 8k and been the belle of te ball, with is name still on the stand even if not called after him. The delaney stand could stick regardless. Would locals still at the club continue to follow the Delaney cult?
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