Cork AUL 2008/09

[junglegym]

If I were giving the chance to be the Cork Aul boss, I would be at at least 2 games a week {Didnt see Minty at 1 game this year let alone a weekend} Spend the first month of the season getting around to see every team in the Premier and Premier "A", also would send some backroom staff to to lower division games, a few gems to be found down there. aint that right Horse!!! Id then organise training nights for an extended panel of maybe 35/40 depending on quality available over a month after which the Cork Aul 22 man panel could be selected. Train maybe every Wed, nothing to tough {i would expect the clubs to be doing tough training still in September?} developing pattern of play and systems and working on technique. maybe a game against CBSL ,MSL Jnrs or Msl Snrs. The week of the game i would look to have the players both Tues and Thurs{ if you have a player on the squad the club will have no fixture}

. Dublin is the only area this happens too as well, but seen as there is over 1 million in Dublin I think they have enough players up threr to cope with it.

Iknow its a RANT but would love to hear others comments on this set up

Casilles, I have no doubt Minty or his side kick floats in and out to the occasional game,(Seen him at the Blarney st./Regional game )lately only for 30mins of the 2nd half . Maybe you missed 'em but he probably saw enough to justify his pickings. I would like to say lay off the management because as we all know it's great while your winning but your head is on the block if you suffer a bad defeat.
As far as representing the Aul it is a great honour. I had the pleasure of being involved with Peter Jones and Ger Foran in 2006. We came together as a team in October that year, Trained ever Tuesday and played the odd Practice match before the serious business.
Got to the quarter final and on the day nothing went right for us( Every team has those days) Unfortunaely we came up against a superb Dublin outfit that hit form and we sufferd a heavy defeat.

Perhaps there were lads back in Cork smirking because they thought they might have been good enough to make the panel.

But for me that year was brilliant. Made great friends and will hang onto the memories for a long time.

Good Luck to the lads Sunday

[zohan]

just to comment on the ballyphehane situation!! the players are partly to blame of course but i think that if we had a proper commitee behind us not a 21 year old secertary, 2 managers who hadnt a clue and were forgetting to bring the gear and water bottles to game and a very good uefa A coach but had to constantly leave early to train cork schoolboys!! wat took the biscuit 4 me was before the kinsale game and a player asked the manager wheres the keeper and the reply was "i dont know im not ringing him hes a l**g*r" he missed training during the week and wasnt even told about the match!! it was there and then i made up my mind to leave!! it didnt help losing quality players to australia at the season but we brought in enough quality to replace them and what happened is a shame and with a bit of correct and commited leadership could have been avoided!

[olachico]

The latest that i have heard is that the AUL have given Ballyphehane a few weeks grace in the hope that they can sign new players and not withdraw. This may be false but just what I have heard

[littleman]

A few very good topics on the agenda lads an I'll start with the Ballypheane situation.

If Ballypheane do go I would seriously expect the Aul to arrange a meeting between them an the remaining 8 teams as to how best complete the rest of the season an still allow it to be done fairly.As I have pointed out this situation of just awarding the points for the games to be played is only practical for one side pullin out if the 2nd side goes with the remaing games left to be played in the league the chance for teams to make up ground just aint there.To win the league,any league you should have to play a minimum amount of games not be awarded points for games,it just dosent make sense.There is no way our club will stand aside an see this season's title awarded to any side based on points they got for games they didnt even have to play an you can quote me on that.I wouldnt accept it for ourselves before anyone has a pop ,your supposed to win the league because your the physcially won more points than any other an definately not because the league fell apart.


With regards to future Junior Internations from the Aul or any other Cork side I still dont really see anyone who is up to the standard.We have some excellent prospects an we may be lucky to see a few of them receive a call up but only time will tell.

Derek McCarthy is a smashin player but when you reach the quaters of the Fai every team has 2 Derek McCarthys so the standard is very high.

Varian has been playin very well over the last 2 seasons an now is his time.He will either impress or he wont an if he dosent it will be someones else turn .On pure form for me the best center half in the Aul at the minute is Eric Shinkwin ,theres knowone near him at the minute.

Brian O'Sullivan is highly fancied to replace the lad Walsh from St Michaels who has 50 caps, but Brian is still very young.I would be very surprised if he dosent get a call in the new year though as it seems its a case of when an not if for him to get a call up.

Figo on his day has nothing to compare with in Cork,junior or Senior for me.He's been tapped up left right an center by the MSL sides but he is Grattan captain an this is where his heart lies.Well if Gerry Smith wanted a box to box player he could do himself no harm by havin a look at Cans .

Ye may think bugger that to my selection but its only my thoughts on what I have seen in our league over the last few seasons.We have to be realistic here when we put players names out there because the people who count, pick players most of the time on what they have been told by someone else watchin a game.We seem to think that we automatically deserve credit for our players an clubs in Cork simply because if we dont we say its biased towards us.We need to be winning the Fai junior an Oscar an not as we seem to be doin considerin it a great success to get out of Cork for the open draw.As a league we arnt even in the top 4 of Aul's in this country.Dublin,Limerick an Waterford an even Tipperary have overall better sides than us .Leeside won the Mjc,Kinsale are one of our top sides,Wilton,Glenthorn all the Prem sides have good players for the most part,but if you were lookin for the really special players then the pool from which we can draw is very small.To get anyone on the panel is a fantastic pat on the back for the player,his club and the league.


Ps the Killer B's had another good win yesterday after 7 weeks with no game.thats 6 wins at home on the trot an a draw an a loss away.The loss was the first game of the season .

Good luck to the lads in Limerick today as well.

[littleman]

Well done to the management an team yesterday fantastic result an fighting spirit to come back from such a bad first half.

[Yoda01]

anyone see my rose tinted specs????????????

[littleman]

Any other names worth throwin into the pot Yoda,I can only speak for the players who I see week in week out.Matbe you might be able to add a few yourself

[Shilts]

If Ballypheane do go I would seriously expect the Aul to arrange a meeting between them an the remaining 8 teams as to how best complete the rest of the season an still allow it to be done fairly.As I have pointed out this situation of just awarding the points for the games to be played is only practical for one side pullin out if the 2nd side goes with the remaing games left to be played in the league the chance for teams to make up ground just aint there.To win the league,any league you should have to play a minimum amount of games not be awarded points for games,it just dosent make sense.There is no way our club will stand aside an see this season's title awarded to any side based on points they got for games they didnt even have to play an you can quote me on that.I wouldnt accept it for ourselves before anyone has a pop ,your supposed to win the league because your the physcially won more points than any other an definately not because the league fell apart.

I don't always see eye to eye with you littleman but I have to agree with your rant.
Even if Grattan are the worst affected by this situation (because you have dropped 4pts to Ballyphehane), and you never opened your mouth about this situation when Villa went (Kinsale were the worst hit at that stage); you are still right. The fairness of a league season where everybody plays each other home and away has been ripped to shreds.

3 teams have played Ballyphehane twice (Grattan, Park and Kinsale) by mid december and another 3 teams (Wilton, Glenthorn and Leeside) stand to gain a gimme of 6points for sweet fa is farcical in the extreme. Wilton also picked up 6 pts from the Villa fallout earlier. All they need is another few teams to pack in and they'll get the highest points total ever. Funny if it wasn't so serious.

As well as the points dropped, teams have picked up yellow and red cards playing Villa and Ballyphehane and this has led to suspensions for some teams but not for the 'lucky' few. We always talk about the luck of the cup but the league should be seen to be equally fair for each team.

The games against Villa and Ballyphehane should be 'expunged' (the term used when Dublin City left the LOI a few years back. All their games were made null and void. In the Leinster Senior League, results against teams who go bang before playing 10 games are not counted in the final tables.

I hope Ballyphehane stay in business but if they dont then the league has a major problem on its hands. Who can blame the top clubs for applying to the MSL when this type of rubbish is the reward for staying put.

The games against teams who drop out should be made null and void as should any yellow cards picked up in these games.

The league would then have 8 teams and the games between this lot should count towards the title. Only 14 games each, not ideal but better than using imaginary points, in my opinion.

[olachico]

6-0 to Knockavilla V Glenthorn B in the AOH - a disgrace - 5 players didnt show on the day- including no goalkeeper so didnt stand a chance .

Just to add my tuppence to the Ballyphehane situation and the above farce of a game yesterday - players now a days dont give a damn and I feel the Night Leagues have a lot to answer for . Why get up on a Sunday morning when you can arrive at a pitch at 7.55pm on a friday night and play a game for an hour and then get changed and go on the **** afterwards

[pass&move]

I don't always see eye to eye with you littleman but I have to agree with your rant.
Even if Grattan are the worst affected by this situation (because you have dropped 4pts to Ballyphehane), and you never opened your mouth about this situation when Villa went (Kinsale were the worst hit at that stage); you are still right. The fairness of a league season where everybody plays each other home and away has been ripped to shreds.

3 teams have played Ballyphehane twice (Grattan, Park and Kinsale) by mid december and another 3 teams (Wilton, Glenthorn and Leeside) stand to gain a gimme of 6points for sweet fa is farcical in the extreme. Wilton also picked up 6 pts from the Villa fallout earlier. All they need is another few teams to pack in and they'll get the highest points total ever. Funny if it wasn't so serious.

I need to correct you there Shilts , we only played Bally once & that was our first game which was 3-3.

[Shilts]

I need to correct you there Shints , we only played Bally once & that was our first game which was 3-3.

I need to correct you too... its Shilts HAHA! But I've been called worse tho'!!!
As regard the above - I stand corrected... but I never let the truth get in the way of a good storey!!!

[littleman]

T'is lucky he didnt leave out the "n" or the "L"

[casilles]

well done to the aul on a great come back a home draw now vs Wexford awaits them. I do believe this is an opinionated site and I was offering my 2 cents on the subject, just how I saw it.

On the giving and taking of points while i agree 2 Premier teams folding is a disater a precedent has been set already. My own club Blarney St would benifit from the of taking back points [we drew with Bally 1-1 all start of the season} but they be the rules so we have to stick with them.

with it now looking like a14 match league will the Aul run the Mossy Lihane? why should the Premier clubs not have A cup of there own to play for? witk no relegation some teams wth no chance of winning the league will be just costing along

[littleman]

If Bally go theres only 8 of us left,anyone could still win the bloody thing.An what if someone else decides they had enough,we may not even have to play any more games at this rate.You can't seriously think its ok to be givin out points hand over foot just because the rule book says so.

"You apply rules when there are normal problems to be sorted,not when abnormal problems arise.Then you have to improvise an do whats fairest for all the teams that are left.The best way to sort this out would be remove the points that were awarded to any or all teams that have or will have to play either Villa or Ballypheane if they do indeed go.Then at least who ever wins the league will have to do so by winning games fair an square."

[Horse24]

Littleman, Im afraid its just luck when you play someone.

A related example is like the Champions League, Liverpool would destroy Madrid tomorrow but who knows what form either are in when they meet in February.

Which is the fairer - give points to those who didnt play them or reward those who have failed to beat them?

The only way is to give everyone the points. If someone gains 6, then so be it - that would mean they have really earned the points they have ammassed to date.

The only thing that makes it worse is the fact it could be four games for free.

The 5 year plan is to be used to find out what clubs are stable and on sound footing. So Clubs folding is one step back for two forward. I just hope we are involved when the 5 years are up. We want to be, but other factors may decide that.

Can I ask what the situation is with your Dressing Rooms Littleman?

[littleman]

We were stuck in red tape for 8 or 9 months with the city council.They were bein awkard because a big develpoer wanted the ground an some big wig in the council had made a half arsed promise to him know doubt.We only recived the relevent clearence 2 weeks ago from the city council in the form of a special document that now has to go up to the funding dept in Dublin to have there legal dept give it the once over.Then its straight forward from there an we will be makin a start with the groundworks.We are pretty confident the ground works will start in January(please dont let this comment come back to haunt me).At this minute the dressing rooms are complete an sittin on dockside in Liverpool awaiting delivery.Resplendent in blue an white colours too I may add,so showers all round before the end of the season

[pacman]

We were stuck in red tape for 8 or 9 months with the city council.They were bein awkard because a big develpoer wanted the ground an some big wig in the council had made a half arsed promise to him know doubt.We only recived the relevent clearence 2 weeks ago from the city council in the form of a special document that now has to go up to the funding dept in Dublin to have there legal dept give it the once over.Then its straight forward from there an we will be makin a start with the groundworks.We are pretty confident the ground works will start in January(please dont let this comment come back to haunt me).At this minute the dressing rooms are complete an sittin on dockside in Liverpool awaiting delivery.Resplendent in blue an white colours too I may add,so showers all round before the end of the season

And when will ye be sorting out ye're pitch littleman???

[pacman]

Grattan 0 - 2 Glenvale in the AOH. Huge shock, Littleman, any report?

Also there are no premier fixtures next weekend, anyone know why?

[olachico]

A shock alright there littleman!! Glenvale are a poor second division side - what happened???

[streetscene]

very tough game this morning in mjc down in crossbarry played in shocking and on a pitch that was obviously played on yesterday. but conditions are there for both teams and to be fair to knockavilla they adapted a lot better than us in the first half and went in at half time 2 nil up.we could not get out of our own half and looked in big trouble but made it in to half time only two down. few changes made at half time most important being the introduction of new signing derek o connor who made a huge difference and grabbed the two goals that brought the game into extra time.to be fair we were a different team second half and deserved our goals. john betts made huge difference in centre midfield and his brother lawerence came more in to it and with derek always looking dangerous you felt it was only time till we got one. first goal came with 15 mins to go a deft little header at the back post and second came with 6 to go. a great finish with a rocket in to top corner. with them being reduced to 10 men going into extra time there was really only one team in it at this stage and when we scored 5 mins into extra time you could not see any way back for them and we saw things out fairly comfortably till the end to set up a mouth watering clash with the holders leeside at home in the next round.
fair play to knockavilla who we should definetley see up premier next year and who would hold their own up there two in my opinion. very competitive and some nice players. only problem could be their discipline but a team to watch outv for i reckon
also special word of praise for referee gene stephens who was class throughout. fair and up with the game be no harm if rest of referees had a look at how he goes about it.
big shock up in gratten park alright. spoke with few glenvale players who said it was totally deserved and the one gratten player i spoke to said more or less the same.
not sure why there are no premier fixtures next weekend altough we are playing buttervant in aoh so there are some teams involved