Official Cavan GAA Thread

[footballmad]

Good joke tommy  but seriously have you done anything?

Mr Deeds, why did you not try and get to the standard thats required and improve the situation as a player? and by all means the standard is not that high. Co board route is bull if you ask me, but the coaching aspect is a great route and a sure way to improve things and congrats on that. Can i ask how have your got on?

Denn forever the idea behind my reference to the developments squads or panel was, if they were ever on one of these why did they not make it? lack of effort?not enough time in the gym? too busy on the drink? college life? the seem to be committed to posting but not making the effort to become a inter county footballer? Do you see where im coming from?


mylestheslasher, i dont do enough to improve the situation thats why i took a back seat and not knocking the team. If i was willing to train and make the team then i could have a say. and FYI i do a small bit of coaching with the clubs underage. I do it for fun and enjoy it no end.

[anglocelt39]

Footballmad you've been reading for a few years so on that basis you should certainly know where I stand as well as a fair few others. Think Myles' suggestion that you list your own level of involvement is not unreasonable if you have a blanket request for several other posters to list where they stand.

[mylestheslasher]

I'm sure footballmad will tell us his own deeds in good time so I will tell you mine.

I played intermediate level for a poor Killeshandra team for a good few years. Played a lot of reserve team and it was always my ambition to make the senior team. I missed out on a lot of underage myself so I had to work really hard to get on the 1st team. I was probably the most dedicated trainer on the team in my time. Unfortunately our season always revolved around avoiding relegation which eventually came.

As a player I also trained underage teams. Manys an evening I was at the pitch from 6 -10pm with youngsters and then senior training. I trained young lads for 3 years before I moved to Sligo, I tried to keep up playing with the senior team from afar but wasn't able to commit so I transferred to a Sligo team. When I look at the lads I trained underage 3 of them featured on this years U21 panel, 2 on last years and 1 other that made the senior panel. I don't of course claim responsibility for that but I'd like to think I contributed something in their development.

As a supporter I have been all over Ireland watching the team. My earliest recollection is the 88 U21 final in Longford. For years I barely missed a league match. With kids and living far away it gets harder and harder to make matches, especially when you ask yourself are some of the players really that interested.

So that is my pen pic for what it is worth - have I the right to comment on the current set-up?

Did you know in 1947 Cavan arrived back in Ireland by boat after winning the AI final in the polo grounds. The whole team went back to Cavan for a reception, to parade through the towns, the bonfires and no doubt a few scoops. One man was missing. John Joe O Reilly instead went to the Curragh to play a club championship match the day the ship landed and missed the reception for the team. That is not to compare John Joes ability to the current players but instead to compare the dedication and obvious high esteem he placed on every team he played with, even an adopted team in the Curragh. In this years U21s I see this type of attitude and I hope it can be maintained into senior but I see and hear some outrageous things from some of our so called seniors that makes me wonder whether they will drag the U21s down instead.

[mrdeeds]

Wasn't a lack of commitment footballmad, trained on my own a lot, last to leave training, just not quite at the standard. I do not think the county board route is bull if you do it right and are not just doing it for ego purposes which I feel many on the top table are. It is on behalf of the club I do it. As for coaching it was just teaching the basics, a definite necissity. The club in years gone by has put in a great underage effort but it has slipped recently. I believe ex players and even current ones should be coaching their underage players from under 8 up. We need quality coaching. Primary school coaching has being cut back also. Big problems that need addressing.

[Denn Forever]

Know little about the development squad to be honest but I say that the idea of such a squad is to develop i.e. a basic way/structured way of playing a game with a coherent game plan.  Hate it but Donegal seem to have sorted this out.

The ways you have asked why they did not make it was a tad simplistic and in the past has not seemed to matter, people being brought back to the panel having been dropped for example.  Maybe they we not good enough no matter how fit they were.

On the idea of a gameplan, on Saturday there seemed to be no gameplan.  Surely the plan should have been to get the ball to the scoring forwards?  Keating had to go out a forrage for the ball.  Johnson did not seem to be used at all.  He is lethal around the square and yet he was playing corner forward.  Get the ball to him.  I can't remember who the other corner forward was so that tells how much he was used.

Going back to the development squad, last years U21 team would seem to be a good example of it working.  But I'll hold my counsel on this until we see how the U21s get on next year and see how well the minors get on against Tyrone

[footballmad]

Ok just to clarify I have been involved with underage teams in my club (Cavan Gaels) im not a great coach, i just give a hand to help out and enjoy the game.

I respect all your achievements and all myles and you seem to be a good coach. Now please dont take this the wrong way but from reading your post you rate yourself as a poor player. Why did you never improve if you were the most dedicated trainer?

Anglo im sure you have posted all the information but cant remember, sorry for that. But my question is, what are you doing to improve the situation right now?

Mrdeeds, what is the standard?

Sorry if im coming across  bad lads, hope nobody is taking offense, not my intention at all believe me

[tommysmith]

I respect all your achievements and all myles and you seem to be a good coach. Now please dont take this the wrong way but from reading your post you rate yourself as a poor player. Why did you never improve if you were the most dedicated trainer?

Some people just dont have it no matter how hard they train but clubs need them players to survive and keep two teams going.

[anglocelt39]

Ok just to clarify I have been involved with underage teams in my club (Cavan Gaels) im not a great coach, i just give a hand to help out and enjoy the game.

I respect all your achievements and all myles and you seem to be a good coach. Now please dont take this the wrong way but from reading your post you rate yourself as a poor player. Why did you never improve if you were the most dedicated trainer?

Anglo im sure you have posted all the information but cant remember, sorry for that. But my question is, what are you doing to improve the situation right now?

Mrdeeds, what is the standard?

Sorry if im coming across  bad lads, hope nobody is taking offense, not my intention at all believe me

Er, I think it's been established at this stage that I'm the one poster on this thread that was at the 1969aisf. I left the old county aged 17 so I think that probably answers your question on what I'm doing to improve the situation right now. Like to think I bring this perspective to my posting on here, 700 posts in 8 years of membership, most on non Cavan GAA threads. Try (like yourself apparently) wherever possible not to be overly critical of individual players as I believe Cavan's GAA problems are a bit more fundamental than being short a few key men at any level. Delighted to hear you're doing your bit at underage level.

[mylestheslasher]

Ok just to clarify I have been involved with underage teams in my club (Cavan Gaels) im not a great coach, i just give a hand to help out and enjoy the game.

I respect all your achievements and all myles and you seem to be a good coach. Now please dont take this the wrong way but from reading your post you rate yourself as a poor player. Why did you never improve if you were the most dedicated trainer?

Anglo im sure you have posted all the information but cant remember, sorry for that. But my question is, what are you doing to improve the situation right now?

Mrdeeds, what is the standard?

Sorry if im coming across  bad lads, hope nobody is taking offense, not my intention at all believe me

I don't think I said I was a poor player, I had my good days. I think I did as good as my ability allowed. Not everyone has the ability to make county level, all you cnb do is be as good as you can be. As a coach that is a very important message to pass onto your players.

[mrdeeds]

As someone said you either have it or don't. Training only brings you so far. Skill and talent are two different things. I wasn't up to the standard of a senior championship club player, a poor squad player. So I gave my time in a different way.

[rodney trotter]

I play with the club, mainly with the juniors have never really broken into the senior team..

[anglocelt39]

OK, enough, this bloke is a bit of a joker and we're swallowing him hook line and sinker. What exactly is his proposal, that we all fill out some sort of Cavan GAA CV before we are considered worthy of commenting on the state of Cavan football? Sure maybe we should extend that to attending County matches and expressing our opinions/frustrations at Breffni or Clones (remember Clones?), admission only and permission to let off steam only if you can prove your contribution to the development of Cavan football. So thanks for posting and good luck with your underage coaching, in fairness this thread has been capable of reasonable self regulation before today and I'm sure will continue in a similar vein into the future, regardless of the disappointments we might face.

[BallyhaiseMan]

4 appearances with the  Irish International Rules team.
6 All stars
3 Footballer of the year awards
5 All Irelands
8 Ulster Titles.
4 Sigersons
3 Ulster Clubs
3 All Ireland Clubs
5 SFC medals
3 time GAAboard poster of the year.

[Ollie]

OK, enough, this bloke is a bit of a joker and we're swallowing him hook line and sinker. What exactly is his proposal, that we all fill out some sort of Cavan GAA CV before we are considered worthy of commenting on the state of Cavan football? Sure maybe we should extend that to attending County matches and expressing our opinions/frustrations at Breffni or Clones (remember Clones?), admission only and permission to let off steam only if you can prove your contribution to the development of Cavan football. So thanks for posting and good luck with your underage coaching, in fairness this thread has been capable of reasonable self regulation before today and I'm sure will continue in a similar vein into the future, regardless of the disappointments we might face.

That's a bit harsh. I don't think Footballmad was trying to propose anything, he was just making a valid point. All to often you see a lot of negative comments from posters (myself included) criticising individuals such as mangers, players, referee, club/county board officials about everything they do. In reality a lot of people put themselves out to part-take in GAA knowing that the commitment that they make will be overwhelming and that they'll receive a fair amount of abuse and criticism regardless of the outcome of results. I think we should try to be more understanding of the difficult situations that people undertake voluntarily and stop demanding so much from those who have so little.

My take on Cavan football right now is simple. Cavan is a weak footballing county and it has been for many many years. Supporters have a huge expectation level even though there is nothing to suggest that we are capable of competing with the modestly strong counties let alone the strong counties. Just analysis some of the facts:

Only won two Ulster titles in the last 40 years
We've only won six Ulster Championship games in the last 10 years
No Cavan Club has ever won the Ulster club Championship
We've only had two All-star awards in our history.

The under 21s this year had a successful campaign which unfortunately game to a typically disappointing end but it would be naive to think that their success will have a major impact going forward in the future. Personally I didnt expect the outcomes of both the Donegal and Longford games to be that bad but I never expected them to win either.

Our only hope now is that Terry and Val are given plenty of time to develop the young footballers in Cavan and that there not badly affected by immigration, lack of commitment or lack of interest. This too can be applied to all clubs in Cavan who are doing their best for Cavan Gaa.       

P.S I totally agree with you're last commenting regarding the self regulation of this thread.

[mylestheslasher]

4 appearances with the  Irish International Rules team.
6 All stars
3 Footballer of the year awards
5 All Irelands
8 Ulster Titles.
4 Sigersons
3 Ulster Clubs
3 All Ireland Clubs
5 SFC medals
3 time GAAboard poster of the year.

5 all Ireland's with Cavan and still playing and you must be 90 yrs old minimum, they breed tough ones in ballyhaise.