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Here’s the 2018-2020 Plan

https://laoisgaa.ie/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Laois-GAA-Strategic-and-Action-Plan-2018-2020.pdf

Scroll down to page 19 to see how many of these have been implemented and these should have all been implemented 3 years ago at this point

In fairness, it is a lovely looking document.

The silence from the County Board is deafening. We need to hear from them. Their reaction to Sunday's debacle should not be kept behind closed doors. They need to talk to the wider Laois GAA public.

They owe it to the people who buy the jerseys, the match day tickets, even those who support Laois GAA by entering the All County Draw. Most of these people do not have access to secretive County Board meetings.

https://www.leinsterexpress.ie/news/gaa/1234356/something-has-to-change-urgently-in-laois-gaa.html

Fair play to Conor Ganly in the Leinster Express

We need more of this from our local press

I would, as I have said before, dearly like to listen to a podcast from Laois Today where they interview the CB chairman and ask him questions such as why he sought to be elected chairman? Does he agree that Laois GAA is in crisis? What is he doing to promote the games in the county? Does he have ambitions for Laois GAA? What are those ambitions? What is he doing to achieve those ambitions?

Basically, I would like to see our CB officials held to account and come out from behind the veil of secrecy.

I've just listened to the Laois Today podcast (because it was free of charge  ), and I think they make a few pertinent points. They talk of the culture in Laois GAA which makes it difficult to produce good inter county teams I.e. the culture of secrecy when it comes to electing officers and running CB meetings. They talk of the culture of control e.g. club championship matches must be played in OMP so that gate receipts don't go missing. Regarding secrecy, you have to wonder why the press is banned from CB meetings. What have they go to hide? It is, as Steven Miller suggests, an unhealthy situation. Miller also notes that other counties do not appear so fixated on centralising all club games in the county grounds. However, while we (including myself) look for the CB to be shaken up, they note that there isn't a queue of willing candidates to take the top positions on the CB.

There has to be a big shake up now, but just of the management of our senior football team, but of the County Board. There must be a root and branch shake up. If not, beatings like this will become commonplace. Our county board has failed us. It cannot continue as it is currently structured.

Hope it goes well for him and he can balance the workload. Not an easy task in the context of him managing a League of Ireland Football Club as well.

Surely he's not going to continue to work with Cobh?

So it's down or Meath in the next round

What about Antrim or Carlow?

The spirit in that team is amazing.

As Evan O'Carroll says, this Laois panel are a genuine bunch of lads. It would be great if they could overcome Limerick.

Go on you boys in Blue

Have we a Michael Duigan to take the chair?

It's one thing looking for a figurehead like Duignan but 1 person on his own won't affect change

Duignan brought in a whole cabinet of well qualified in their fields highly motivated people with him

The likes of Carina Carroll is equally as important as a Duignan even if she wouldn't be anywhere as high profile

Between coaching,development,top table,administration,social media and fundraising Offaly have close on 100 people involved

Maybe, but we have to start with a leader. One step at a time. There must be someone in the county with the requisite leadership qualities.

Stupid question, probably, but do members of the CB read this forum? Are they aware of the low esteem they are held in? Do they care? Are they worried about the state of the games in the county? Do they have a plan / a vision? What is their motivation for being on the CB?

These are just a few of the questions I'd like someone (e.g. a local journalist) to pose to the CB on our behalf

I dont pay to listen to Laois Today podcasts, but I would happily pay to listen to a podcast where the chairman of the CB was challenged on issues such as the above.

We are not the only ones blaming a County Board for a slip in standards. Here, Bernard Flynn has a go at the Meath County Board......

https://m.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/meath-legend-bernard-flynn-hits-out-at-royal-chiefs-over-decade-of-decline/a2105265459.html

Somehow, I suspect the Meath CB will react an awful.lot quicker than our crew.

Going into Saturday evenings game, few would have given Laois a chance of getting a result, myself included. Offaly had a decent division 3 campaign and followed up in Leinster by beating Longford away, division 2 Meath at home and took 3rd place in division 2 Louth to extra time.

Having said that, we should have won. We owned the first half and should have been more than 6 up at the break. Fine scores kicked by a number of our lads but unfortunately a number of wides as well. Defence was excellent, well organised and 4 or 5 important turnovers in that first half.

We stemmed the tide then after Offaly kicked 2 early scores in the second half. At 1-9 to 0-7 up, we had a super opportunity to wrap things up with a second goal as we had a 3 v 2 overlap, but that chance was spurned.

Roche, who again was excellent in goals, made a great save to stop Offaly and his kickouts were excellent. We had a winning look when Corbet put over our last point to make it 1-11 to 0-8.

The sheer effort and committment caught up with us at the end. We ran out of gas and Offaly picked off late scores to level. Mark Barry was unlucky right at the end to snatch it for us, just narrowly wide.

Paddy O'Sullivan was excellent with 2 great points, Padraig Kirwan was excellent, Damon Larkin was brilliant in the middle and 2 fine scores. Defence overall was tigerish as a unit. Great to see Colm Murphy back in from the start. A good spread of scores in the forwards. Finn worked his socks off. There were more options to come in from the bench.

Plenty to build on. The players deserve more support. About 2000 at the game, Offaly outnumbered us about 3 to 1. We have London next in a neutral venue on June 3 and see where it takes us. A win gets us out of the group. Depending on score difference, we may do enough to nick 2nd place which would give us a home preliminary quater final.

You do realize, County Man, your excellent analysis of the match will be way too positive (and patronizing of the players) for some on here.