FAI...New Manager Hunt continues

[ballinaman]

Sickening carry on by the FAI and Delaney last night.

Himself and his cronies are an absolute disgrace. Loyal supporters have had enough of him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMTEroo8G2M&sns=em

Time for him to get the drinks in again 

Haha, no chance. He's an absolute joke

[Billys Boots]

The rural population in Ireland is outnumbered by urban dwellers - CSO says it's about 65% urban. 

The two main Dublin Schoolboy leagues - the DDSL and the NDSL, have a combined playing membership of ca. 30,000 each weekend.  That's just U8-U18s.

[seafoid]

Maybe 5 Sams. I suppose I'm thinking from a more Rural slant. Like at most there's a 1 to 1 relationship in terms of soccer and GAA teams/club, but the numbers required for GAA would mean there are more at hurling training and games than soccer. You'd have a panel of 20+ for GAA and usually about 15 or 16 for soccer. And I know soccer clubs have A & B teams as well, but usually so do GAA clubs.

I suppose when I think of towns, you're right.

I think it depends where the elite players go. The top intercounty players would excel in soccer or rugby but how many of the available pool does soccer get ?
And what sort of career can soccer offer them now given the structure in England ?

[AZOffaly]

The rural population in Ireland is outnumbered by urban dwellers - CSO says it's about 65% urban. 

The two main Dublin Schoolboy leagues - the DDSL and the NDSL, have a combined playing membership of ca. 30,000 each weekend.  That's just U8-U18s.

Yeah, true. I suppose I'm thinking of it in terms of coverage of the entire country. The sheer numbers in Dublin alone would be significant in weighting participation towards soccer. Maybe we should give the Dublin GAA some more money.

[Billys Boots]

Does the GAA have a fascination with participation numbers?  Sometimes I think that stats are their lifeblood.

[imtommygunn]

Maybe 5 Sams. I suppose I'm thinking from a more Rural slant. Like at most there's a 1 to 1 relationship in terms of soccer and GAA teams/club, but the numbers required for GAA would mean there are more at hurling training and games than soccer. You'd have a panel of 20+ for GAA and usually about 15 or 16 for soccer. And I know soccer clubs have A & B teams as well, but usually so do GAA clubs.

I suppose when I think of towns, you're right.

I think it depends where the elite players go. The top intercounty players would excel in soccer or rugby but how many of the available pool does soccer get ?
And what sort of career can soccer offer them now given the structure in England ?

Not all top intercounty players would excel in soccer - possibly more likely to be rugby. Think of the likes of Tohill playing soccer. There are attributes athletically speaking which stand you in good stead in GAA which don't always stand you in good stead in soccer.

[nrico2006]

The Irish Sports Council's latest report (2013) puts Football (Association) as the most popular team sport in the country at 5.9% participation - Gaelic Football is at 2.5%, Rugby at 1.4% and Hurling/Camogie at 1.7%.

Billy, does that include you, me and 8 other lads heading up to the pitch for a kick around every week? If it does, then I have no doubt those figures are correct. If it doesn't and only includes organised representative 'teams', then I find it hard to see how it could be given the proliferation of GAA clubs around the country, and the numbers that are on a given team. Maybe the cities skew it though?

I have no doubt those figures are true if they are counting clubs. In Newry for example there is 4 GAA clubs. Also at a guess there would be at least 20 soccer "clubs" playing in organised leagues every week in Newry. I'm sure it's the same in every town and city in Ireland. However if you drill down as someone else said GAA would have a much further reach with the level of membership and supporters going to games. Each of the above mentioned soccer clubs would have, literally, one man and a dog at their games.

Strabane and Lurgan would have a lot of football teams as well, far more playing football than gaelic.

[AZOffaly]

Does the GAA have a fascination with participation numbers?  Sometimes I think that stats are their lifeblood.

Not sure. I don't really think about it, but I always just assume the GAA is the most 'widespread' sporting organisation. Doesn't really bother me, although obviously the more playing the GAA the better as far as I'm concerned. However I encourage my young lad to play Soccer and Basketball as well as I think all sport is good.

I draw the line at rugby though.

[oakleaflad]

Maybe 5 Sams. I suppose I'm thinking from a more Rural slant. Like at most there's a 1 to 1 relationship in terms of soccer and GAA teams/club, but the numbers required for GAA would mean there are more at hurling training and games than soccer. You'd have a panel of 20+ for GAA and usually about 15 or 16 for soccer. And I know soccer clubs have A & B teams as well, but usually so do GAA clubs.

I suppose when I think of towns, you're right.

I think it depends where the elite players go. The top intercounty players would excel in soccer or rugby but how many of the available pool does soccer get ?
And what sort of career can soccer offer them now given the structure in England ?

Not all top intercounty players would excel in soccer - possibly more likely to be rugby. Think of the likes of Tohill playing soccer. There are attributes athletically speaking which stand you in good stead in GAA which don't always stand you in good stead in soccer.

Tohill was actually a very good soccer player and had a trial with Manchester United at a stage. Personally I feel a GAA player has a much better chance at being good at soccer as opposed to rugby.

[yellowcard]

Maybe 5 Sams. I suppose I'm thinking from a more Rural slant. Like at most there's a 1 to 1 relationship in terms of soccer and GAA teams/club, but the numbers required for GAA would mean there are more at hurling training and games than soccer. You'd have a panel of 20+ for GAA and usually about 15 or 16 for soccer. And I know soccer clubs have A & B teams as well, but usually so do GAA clubs.

I suppose when I think of towns, you're right.

I think it depends where the elite players go. The top intercounty players would excel in soccer or rugby but how many of the available pool does soccer get ?
And what sort of career can soccer offer them now given the structure in England ?

Not all top intercounty players would excel in soccer - possibly more likely to be rugby. Think of the likes of Tohill playing soccer. There are attributes athletically speaking which stand you in good stead in GAA which don't always stand you in good stead in soccer.

Tohill was actually a very good soccer player and had a trial with Manchester United at a stage. Personally I feel a GAA player has a much better chance at being good at soccer as opposed to rugby.

Couldn't agree with that at all. Rugby is 80% reliant on physical power and grunt as opposed to technical skills. It's a lot easier to 'make' a rugby player based on his body shape and size if he is reasonably competent at the basic skills. It is more difficult to 'make' a soccer player unless they have a certain level of natural technical skills. There are hordes of very good athletes playing inter county GAA, but more rare are top class natural technical players. The modern GAA game is more pre disposed to preparation, physical power, ball retention and hand passing all skills which are far more closely associated with rugby.

[Billys Boots]

I think you're right yellowcard. 

[oakleaflad]

Maybe 5 Sams. I suppose I'm thinking from a more Rural slant. Like at most there's a 1 to 1 relationship in terms of soccer and GAA teams/club, but the numbers required for GAA would mean there are more at hurling training and games than soccer. You'd have a panel of 20+ for GAA and usually about 15 or 16 for soccer. And I know soccer clubs have A & B teams as well, but usually so do GAA clubs.

I suppose when I think of towns, you're right.

I think it depends where the elite players go. The top intercounty players would excel in soccer or rugby but how many of the available pool does soccer get ?
And what sort of career can soccer offer them now given the structure in England ?

Not all top intercounty players would excel in soccer - possibly more likely to be rugby. Think of the likes of Tohill playing soccer. There are attributes athletically speaking which stand you in good stead in GAA which don't always stand you in good stead in soccer.

Tohill was actually a very good soccer player and had a trial with Manchester United at a stage. Personally I feel a GAA player has a much better chance at being good at soccer as opposed to rugby.

Couldn't agree with that at all. Rugby is 80% reliant on physical power and grunt as opposed to technical skills. It's a lot easier to 'make' a rugby player based on his body shape and size if he is reasonably competent at the basic skills. It is more difficult to 'make' a soccer player unless they have a certain level of natural technical skills. There are hordes of very good athletes playing inter county GAA, but more rare are top class natural technical players. The modern GAA game is more pre disposed to preparation, physical power, ball retention and hand passing all skills which are far more closely associated with rugby.

I get your point completely. What I was thinking was that your average club GAA player could play at a similar level in soccer and not look out of place. Even in a club rugby game they would probably be lost.

[seafoid]

Another thing about soccer is you have to give up your education to make it professionally and for a lot of people that risk isn't worth it especially given English clubs can buy people from all over the world now.

[Applesisapples]

The point I am making is that, whatever the stats and they can be looked at from all sorts of angles, at this moment it is difficult for any non English soccer player to get to a level that would bring quality in sufficient numbers to the other teams on these Islands. This is compounded by the options available in Ireland through Rugby and Soccer. Gaelic players could play either code, the two Kearney's and Tommy Bowe are good current rugby examples and Shane Long is a good soccer example albeit his sport was hurling. I accept that participation in soccer is probably higher. But many of these teams are collections of lads playing for the enjoyment, many of whom are not good enough to make their local gaelic team although many also play Gaelic in summer. Rugby and Gaelic clubs though have deeper roots, more support and deeper pockets.

[ludermor]

The Irish Sports Council's latest report (2013) puts Football (Association) as the most popular team sport in the country at 5.9% participation - Gaelic Football is at 2.5%, Rugby at 1.4% and Hurling/Camogie at 1.7%.

Billy, does that include you, me and 8 other lads heading up to the pitch for a kick around every week? If it does, then I have no doubt those figures are correct. If it doesn't and only includes organised representative 'teams', then I find it hard to see how it could be given the proliferation of GAA clubs around the country, and the numbers that are on a given team. Maybe the cities skew it though?

I have no doubt those figures are true if they are counting clubs. In Newry for example there is 4 GAA clubs. Also at a guess there would be at least 20 soccer "clubs" playing in organised leagues every week in Newry. I'm sure it's the same in every town and city in Ireland. However if you drill down as someone else said GAA would have a much further reach with the level of membership and supporters going to games. Each of the above mentioned soccer clubs would have, literally, one man and a dog at their games.

Strabane and Lurgan would have a lot of football teams as well, far more playing football than gaelic.

im sure a true gael like yourself means far more playing soccer then football