Messages

Laoislad, Liverpool *were* terribly negative in the second half against Barca. Most of us said the same thing.... I am a Liverpool fan, but I have no problem admitting that Liverpool have a severely 'pragmatic' outlook. Man united would have tried to beat PSV 8-0 last night. Liverpool didn't care about that. Just get the job done and move on.

I'm not saying that's necessarily a bad thing by the way.

OK 'Good' Relations. If we take you at your word that 'at least' 3000 HOME fans attend Shamrock Rovers games, why are they under reporting their gates? What's that all about?

This is the one I was thinking of....

The Beautiful Game

Less than a minute remains on the clock,
As I tighten my lace and turn down my sock.
One last chance, and its ALL down to me,
It must be a goal, for we need all three.

I step up to the ball and look towards the posts.
Is that the crowd I hear, or is it the ghosts
Of men who before me who have faced the same test,
And never once failed to give it their best.

My father he gave my the love of it all,
When he guided my arms to strike that first ball.
A hurley a football, its the same to thing to me.
It's playing the game that matters you see.

From boys in a field to a big crowd roar,
There's never been anything to excite me more.
From the day I was born to the day I can't walk,
And even then about the game I'll still talk.

The few steps to the ball now seem like a mile,
But a well placed shot and I'll be carried in style
On shoulders of team mates expressing their joy,
Its a dream that's consumed me since I was a boy.

My feet pound the ground, my foot sends the ball,
It sails through the air over men who are tall.
Then dipping and curling, it finds the goal,
And just for a moment I'm in touch with my soul.

A whistle blows hard and I awake from my dream.
I'm watching my own son play for the team,
And but maybe one day they'll announce HIS name
As he steps out to play - the beautiful game.

I have seen with my own two eyes that Rovers categorically get 3000 at least to their matches

Then why do they not report that? Either your own two eyes are mistaken, or else Rovers are grossly underdeclaring their gate receipts.

One game I could never get into is the auld Aussie Rules.

lone shark, have you ever considered a career at the four courts?

He did, but got a suspended sentence

none yet. I'm assuming soon enough now that the fixtures are released, Wembley is up and running etc.

Shamrock Rovers will never die.

Or else, when it does, it will be resuscitated with public money, no questions asked and we'll all forget why it died in the first place.

Ye are gas lads.

Exactly LS. I've not been in this debate since I posted on the other thread, but what you are saying is my position as well. The principle, in my opinion, has been ceded. If these grants are paid, no questions asked or receipts needed, ON TOP of the existing expense system, then they are effectively a reward, or a remuneration for playing the games to a certain level.

That is the thin edge of a very dangerous wedge. If PFP ever does become an agenda item, the GAA have at the very least weakened their idealogical position by coming out in favour of this. If the GPA had negotiated a deal directly from the Government sans any GAA involvement, then at least the GAA could say it was done without our approval, and we still firmly believe that no money should be paid to amateur players above and beyond legitimate expenses.

Your doomsday scenarios are fairly radical, but are certainly on the radar I would have thought. In 20 years time, with the current direction, I am convinced that we will have 10 or 16 Senior, semi-professional, teams competing for the Sam Maguire, and probably 6 senior teams competing for the Liam McCarthy. Everybody else will be amateur, playing for the Tommy Murphy/Nicky Rackard/Dessie Farrell cup, and trying to be picked for the pro teams so they can get paid.

The Club will be the third level, and as soon as a player makes the county team, he will only play for the club when recovering from injury, or suspended from Inter-'County' games.

I picture a bastardised version of the Rugby situation in Ireland at the moment.

Looks like that Giants - Dolphins game is on at 1 pm Eastern time on the sunday Oct 28th. That'll be 6 p.m. over here. Looks like a Sunday night in London as well so...

There's a great poem about a young fella and hurling. I must see if I can track it down.

Assuming the Offaly double attempt falls a little short, and keeping it somewhat realistic, I'd like to see Mayo or Down (stretching the realism there) winning the All Ireland Senior Football, and Tipperary or Limerick winning the hurling.

I knew I heard the €2,500 figure somewhere. But what is it supposed to be? Recompense for out of pocket expense, above and beyond the normal expenses already available? That seems to be a shaggy dog story.

In my view it's basically giving players money they WOULDN'T OTHERWISE HAVE, for playing the GAA to a certain standard.

I can't say I like that idea, or the very thick wedge that might be behind the thin point. It'll be hard to argue the principal of pay for play is wrong, now that this 'grant' has been award for people who play GAA at inter-county level. It's a monetary award for reaching a certain standard.

Might be a bit early to judge still, but the Maschereno I saw in the last 2 games for Liverpool is the player I thought West Ham signed.

Gerrard on the Right, Maschereno and Alonso in the middle and Riise on the left is a very strong midfield.

Rooney, though young, is by far the best English player on the planet

Seanie, whatever about Rooney's rating, is that not a tautology? Or are there English players on other planets?

Sorry, couldn't resist.