sweet jesus

[rebus2008]

Rebus, let me just give you my background, my number one sport is football......I would watch/attend a football game in preference to any gaa or any other sport event.

However, I have an interest in Hurling and Football (Cork in particular) and rugby amongst other sports. I wouldnt claim to have an in depth knowledge of any of these sports. However I can appreciate a good game in any code.

I used to be a regular contributor on a number of GAA forums, however i stopped a few years ago because of the constant abuse I received from the anti any other sport brigade, mainly because I made it known that GAA was not my number 1 sport. The amount of GAA fans who are disturbingly anti "foreign game" is unbelievable for example anti Munster....there are at least three sites that I can mention that contain forums celebrating defeat for Munster merely because in their narrow minds they see it as a threat to the gaa. The ironic thing is I think alot of the same individuals would sit down and watch the odd premiership/heineken cup game at the wkd.

Not once on this site have I ever seen a thread proclaiming delight that Munster/Leinster were defeated or delight at something adverse affecting a gaa team etc. In fact I have discussed the trials and tribulations of Cork Hurling on this site before……I couldn’t imagine having a similar discussion about say the S Ireland affair on a gaa themed forum without abuse.

Now before you make the point, I understand that gaa fans may also experience similar sentiments from football supporters but I think its fair to say it is not on the same level or quantum.

I have no problem with an individual having a preference for one sport over another or even supporting/playing a number of sports, in fact I would encourage it. I just dont understand why in particular gaa people try to 'put down' football in comparision to gaa. How often I have heard them say after a good gaa game that how football could never be as good as that or how hurling/gaa is the best field game......on a regular basis the analysts (Daly, Spillane, O'Rourke, Lyster, Farrell etc) on RTE's coverage will make adverse comparisons to the premiership/football. You never see the opposite on the football programmes.

From my own personal experiences, I played GAA and football on a regular basis. I often experienced ridicule from my coaches at GAA level from playing football and was actively discouraged against doing so. I never experienced the same sentiments from my football team representatives. Yes this is only one persons experiences but I know of a 15 year old boy who recently chose to play football for his local team one Sunday morning and turned up to play for his U16 GAA team in the afternoon. This boy is a very talented player and probably the best player on both teams. When he arrived for the gaa game, he was told to go home and would not be considered to play for his gaa team again unless he gave up the football. In this day and age that sort of treatment to a 15 year old boy is appalling. Unfortunately this sort of experience is not isolated.

Every sport has it faults, I for one would give anything for a similar grassroots structure in football that the gaa has. On the other hand, the gaa would love to have a decent international dimension which is the jewel in the crown for the FAI and the IRFU. I think the figure heads at the GAA get alot more of an easier run from the Irish press than say the admin level of the FAI. Now I know the FAI dont help themselves but there are aspects of the GAA that are shady to say the least. For example, it claims to be an amateur sport, however it is well known that a number of inter county and club managers throughout receive vast amounts in "expenses".

Finally, you made the point that you didn’t feel there was a need for a redeveloped LR. I could not disagree with you more. I feel very at home in CP for a Cork game but for Ireland games its like watching a match at your mother in laws. It just doesn’t suit football. Imagine having to play a gaa game on a tight slightly extended football pitch, it just wouldnt feel right. I think the number of games that all codes will play at both stadiums will be more than enough to keep both viable. And in a nutshell I think this is the key point of my rant, Ireland is a small country but a sports mad country…..so is there space for the GAA, Football and rugby, without doubt there is. There will always be rivalry between codes and there is bad history (e.g. the ban) which I don’t feel is relevant of discussion in these more modern times. The reality is that rather than being in direct competition with each other for numbers etc, a number of the codes actually complement each other.

While I disagree regarding LR,(maybe I am incorrect in placing too much emphasis on the financial side) I can see the validity in your arguments. To be honest, while I bee to Irish rugby games in CP and football in LR, I haven't seen football in CP so perhaps the poor atmosphere due to the differing pitch sizes is something that I have incorrectly excluded from my assessment.

On the GAA site posters being anti-rugby/footbal, based on this thread, i think that neither sport should be blamed but just that those of low intellect can be found following both codes.

Finally, on the RTE analysts, couldn't agree more. While they can analyse, the "you won't see that in the premiership mantra" displays insecurity over the popularity to premiership games. I support Irish teams (gaa, football and even LOI when in Europe), I don't need to rpove the worth of what I like by disparaging sports that exist in tandem.

I've expressed my dislike for the culture of managers getting expenses. Either we stick to the often quoted amateur stance or we lose the right to express it.

[Redie]

Originally Posted by elroy

I for one would give anything for a similar grassroots structure in football that the gaa has.

Football does have as good a grassroots structure as the GAA and in many cases way better, it's just that The GAA propaganda has everyone convinced that they are the only sporting organisation in the country that does any voluntary work in communities and last Friday night was another perfect example of this kind of Brainwashing.

[elroy]

Originally Posted by elroy


Football does have as good a grassroots structure as the GAA and in many cases way better, it's just that The GAA propaganda has everyone convinced that they are the only sporting organisation in the country that does any voluntary work in communities and last Friday night was another perfect example of this kind of Brainwashing.

Fair enough, maybe I wasnt so clear in what I was saying. Yes there is a good grassroots structure in football, certainly much better than 10/15 years ago. For example where Im from in Cork when I was growing up there wasnt really any local football clubs, the only option really was GAA, that has changed now. And yes there are many volunteers in football who are working under tougher financial constraints than the GAA clubs.
My point is that from a community point of view, when the local GAA team is doing well, it seems to get alot more support and attention on a community level than say if the local football team was doing well in a competition.

[Redie]

I have no doubt what you say is true elroy as I'm sure things vary depending on what county your from and tradition is a major factor. I myself am involved with a Junior soccer club in Sligo and we have a number of youth teams from u8's up to u18's. I also have a small involvement with the local GAA club at youth level but the soccer club gets the lions share of my efforts and what I would say from what I see at a community level in the Sligo-Leitrim soccer league is that the voluntry man hours put in by soccer clubs by far exceeds that put in by GAA clubs over the course of a year but as I said already to listen to some people talk you would think that it is the other way round.