Intercounty apathy a worrying trend

Started by Lar Naparka, January 04, 2017, 03:24:24 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

Lar Naparka


Last week Martin Brehony had another go at the Mayo footballers in the Indo. While his rantings are met with a predictable tsunami of indifference within the county, there was something else on the same page that should concern there GAA as an organisation.

In this short piece, headed "Intercounty apathy a worrying trend," the Galway captain Gary Sice was interviewed, where he said that the Galway manager, Kevin Walsh, had invited over 50 players to trial for the county squad and they had refused to turn up.
(The total according to the manager was 56.)
By any standard that showed a shockingly low level of ambition among Galway's senior footballers.
But other counties have been faced with the same problem and it seems the numbers of disaffected players is growing.
Longford's manager said before the beginning of the championships last year that over 20 players in his county had refused to go for a trial, while the Tipp boss had more or less the same sad tale to relate.
I've heard of defections in Carlow also. I don't know the facts or figures there but I'm sure there are other counties when wearing the county colours is no longer considered worth the effort by many players.
What are the reasons for this lack of enthusiasm?
According to Brehony: "However, it's understandable since players are required to devote so much time and energy to an intercounty programme that guarantees them only two games between early April and the end of the season.
How daft is that?"
Anyone care to comment?
Nil Carborundum Illegitemi

Gael85

Quote from: Lar Naparka on January 04, 2017, 03:24:24 PM

Last week Martin Brehony had another go at the Mayo footballers in the Indo. While his rantings are met with a predictable tsunami of indifference within the county, there was something else on the same page that should concern there GAA as an organisation.

In this short piece, headed "Intercounty apathy a worrying trend,” the Galway captain Gary Sice was interviewed, where he said that the Galway manager, Kevin Walsh, had invited over 50 players to trial for the county squad and they had refused to turn up.
(The total according to the manager was 56.)
By any standard that showed a shockingly low level of ambition among Galway's senior footballers.
But other counties have been faced with the same problem and it seems the numbers of disaffected players is growing.
Longford's manager said before the beginning of the championships last year that over 20 players in his county had refused to go for a trial, while the Tipp boss had more or less the same sad tale to relate.
I've heard of defections in Carlow also. I don't know the facts or figures there but I'm sure there are other counties when wearing the county colours is no longer considered worth the effort by many players.
What are the reasons for this lack of enthusiasm?
According to Brehony: "However, it's understandable since players are required to devote so much time and energy to an intercounty programme that guarantees them only two games between early April and the end of the season.
How daft is that?"
Anyone care to comment?

Most Division 3/4 teams never had their best players representing their county for last 20 years.  Its now creeping into 2 teams and even a couple Division 1 teams. Players in counties  like Carlow, Wicklow and Antrim would rather play with club than county. Didn't one Carlow player join panel years ago and left a few weeks. His reason for joining intercounty  setup was so he would be fit for club  ;D

Shamrock Shore

QuoteLongford's manager said before the beginning of the championships last year that over 20 players in his county had refused to go for a trial

That's cos he basically asked everyone with a pulse between 18 and 35 to come for a trial.

So it was nonsense for him to come out with this at the time.

I don't think there are too many lost sheep in Longford playing only for club and not arsed about the county scene. Laureleye may have a different view....


screenexile

Quote from: Lar Naparka on January 04, 2017, 03:24:24 PM

Last week Martin Brehony had another go at the Mayo footballers in the Indo. While his rantings are met with a predictable tsunami of indifference within the county, there was something else on the same page that should concern there GAA as an organisation.

In this short piece, headed "Intercounty apathy a worrying trend," the Galway captain Gary Sice was interviewed, where he said that the Galway manager, Kevin Walsh, had invited over 50 players to trial for the county squad and they had refused to turn up.
(The total according to the manager was 56.)
By any standard that showed a shockingly low level of ambition among Galway's senior footballers.
But other counties have been faced with the same problem and it seems the numbers of disaffected players is growing.
Longford's manager said before the beginning of the championships last year that over 20 players in his county had refused to go for a trial, while the Tipp boss had more or less the same sad tale to relate.
I've heard of defections in Carlow also. I don't know the facts or figures there but I'm sure there are other counties when wearing the county colours is no longer considered worth the effort by many players.
What are the reasons for this lack of enthusiasm?
According to Brehony: "However, it's understandable since players are required to devote so much time and energy to an intercounty programme that guarantees them only two games between early April and the end of the season.
How daft is that?"
Anyone care to comment?

1. The dedication required is huge.

2. The emphasis on Club now and particularly the training schedule at Senior level is now so huge that many feel playing for the club is enough

3. In Derry's case anyway throughout the summer lads who are on the fringes (the kind of guys we're talking about here) are often sat on the subs bench for any Inter County games whilst not being allowed to field for their clubs in the intervening times!

4. If you're from a county outside the top 7/8 what is the point? Really what is the point in Longford/Offaly/Derry/Antrim/Sligo lads seriously dedicating themselves to a cause for 6-9 months at a time only to get beat out the gate by one of the bigger teams. Then for good measure you have a look on RTE or on here and Joe Brolly or your supporters are calling you a useless ****.

5. Younger kids nowadays don't dig in. It's a fact. The first sign of failure or they're not making the panel they won't hang about to knuckle down and force their way on or they won't come back next year!

joemamas

Quote from: screenexile on January 04, 2017, 03:49:53 PM
Quote from: Lar Naparka on January 04, 2017, 03:24:24 PM

Last week Martin Brehony had another go at the Mayo footballers in the Indo. While his rantings are met with a predictable tsunami of indifference within the county, there was something else on the same page that should concern there GAA as an organisation.

In this short piece, headed "Intercounty apathy a worrying trend," the Galway captain Gary Sice was interviewed, where he said that the Galway manager, Kevin Walsh, had invited over 50 players to trial for the county squad and they had refused to turn up.
(The total according to the manager was 56.)
By any standard that showed a shockingly low level of ambition among Galway's senior footballers.
But other counties have been faced with the same problem and it seems the numbers of disaffected players is growing.
Longford's manager said before the beginning of the championships last year that over 20 players in his county had refused to go for a trial, while the Tipp boss had more or less the same sad tale to relate.
I've heard of defections in Carlow also. I don't know the facts or figures there but I'm sure there are other counties when wearing the county colours is no longer considered worth the effort by many players.
What are the reasons for this lack of enthusiasm?
According to Brehony: "However, it's understandable since players are required to devote so much time and energy to an intercounty programme that guarantees them only two games between early April and the end of the season.
How daft is that?"
Anyone care to comment?

1. The dedication required is huge.

2. The emphasis on Club now and particularly the training schedule at Senior level is now so huge that many feel playing for the club is enough

3. In Derry's case anyway throughout the summer lads who are on the fringes (the kind of guys we're talking about here) are often sat on the subs bench for any Inter County games whilst not being allowed to field for their clubs in the intervening times!

4. If you're from a county outside the top 7/8 what is the point? Really what is the point in Longford/Offaly/Derry/Antrim/Sligo lads seriously dedicating themselves to a cause for 6-9 months at a time only to get beat out the gate by one of the bigger teams. Then for good measure you have a look on RTE or on here and Joe Brolly or your supporters are calling you a useless ****.

5. Younger kids nowadays don't dig in. It's a fact. The first sign of failure or they're not making the panel they won't hang about to knuckle down and force their way on or they won't come back next year!

"If you're from a county outside the top 7/8 what is the point? Really what is the point in Longford/Offaly/Derry/Antrim/Sligo lads seriously dedicating themselves to a cause for 6-9 months at a time only to get beat out the gate by one of the bigger teams. Then for good measure you have a look on RTE or on here and Joe Brolly or your supporters are calling you a useless ****."

That IMO is the biggest issue, gap in increasing between the 7/8 and everybody else. Instead of GAA giving E6MM to GPA, they should provide 10 or more full time coaches to the weaker counties for a year. Assess after a year, and employ a use them or lose them strategy.
I am afraid that if they don't,it is only going to get worse , a lot worse.

Syferus

#5
Sure we have a few lads who retired and a few more who are undecided about committing for 2017 still and we're in D1. Even the SuperDubs aren't immune.

Demands on IC players have become disgusting. There's no other word for it.

Forget coaching for smaller counties for a second - simply limiting the demands teams can place on players is sorely needed if this game is to remain amateur in anything but name.

Also what's burst Sice into life all of a sudden? The man's doing more interviews than Enda Kenny these days..

seafoid

Quote from: joemamas on January 04, 2017, 04:12:15 PM
Quote from: screenexile on January 04, 2017, 03:49:53 PM
Quote from: Lar Naparka on January 04, 2017, 03:24:24 PM

Last week Martin Brehony had another go at the Mayo footballers in the Indo. While his rantings are met with a predictable tsunami of indifference within the county, there was something else on the same page that should concern there GAA as an organisation.

In this short piece, headed "Intercounty apathy a worrying trend," the Galway captain Gary Sice was interviewed, where he said that the Galway manager, Kevin Walsh, had invited over 50 players to trial for the county squad and they had refused to turn up.
(The total according to the manager was 56.)
By any standard that showed a shockingly low level of ambition among Galway's senior footballers.
But other counties have been faced with the same problem and it seems the numbers of disaffected players is growing.
Longford's manager said before the beginning of the championships last year that over 20 players in his county had refused to go for a trial, while the Tipp boss had more or less the same sad tale to relate.
I've heard of defections in Carlow also. I don't know the facts or figures there but I'm sure there are other counties when wearing the county colours is no longer considered worth the effort by many players.
What are the reasons for this lack of enthusiasm?
According to Brehony: "However, it's understandable since players are required to devote so much time and energy to an intercounty programme that guarantees them only two games between early April and the end of the season.
How daft is that?"
Anyone care to comment?

1. The dedication required is huge.

2. The emphasis on Club now and particularly the training schedule at Senior level is now so huge that many feel playing for the club is enough

3. In Derry's case anyway throughout the summer lads who are on the fringes (the kind of guys we're talking about here) are often sat on the subs bench for any Inter County games whilst not being allowed to field for their clubs in the intervening times!

4. If you're from a county outside the top 7/8 what is the point? Really what is the point in Longford/Offaly/Derry/Antrim/Sligo lads seriously dedicating themselves to a cause for 6-9 months at a time only to get beat out the gate by one of the bigger teams. Then for good measure you have a look on RTE or on here and Joe Brolly or your supporters are calling you a useless ****.

5. Younger kids nowadays don't dig in. It's a fact. The first sign of failure or they're not making the panel they won't hang about to knuckle down and force their way on or they won't come back next year!

"If you're from a county outside the top 7/8 what is the point? Really what is the point in Longford/Offaly/Derry/Antrim/Sligo lads seriously dedicating themselves to a cause for 6-9 months at a time only to get beat out the gate by one of the bigger teams. Then for good measure you have a look on RTE or on here and Joe Brolly or your supporters are calling you a useless ****."

That IMO is the biggest issue, gap in increasing between the 7/8 and everybody else. Instead of GAA giving E6MM to GPA, they should provide 10 or more full time coaches to the weaker counties for a year. Assess after a year, and employ a use them or lose them strategy.
I am afraid that if they don't,it is only going to get worse , a lot worse.
Longford have made a lot of progress recently.....

Training demands are crazy for IC players. Lads retiring in their late 20s with chronic injuries.
The same few teams share the spoils. Mayo get to play in the final. The format is knackered.
"f**k it, just score"- Donaghy   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbxG2WwVRjU

lenny

Quote from: screenexile on January 04, 2017, 03:49:53 PM
Quote from: Lar Naparka on January 04, 2017, 03:24:24 PM

Last week Martin Brehony had another go at the Mayo footballers in the Indo. While his rantings are met with a predictable tsunami of indifference within the county, there was something else on the same page that should concern there GAA as an organisation.

In this short piece, headed "Intercounty apathy a worrying trend," the Galway captain Gary Sice was interviewed, where he said that the Galway manager, Kevin Walsh, had invited over 50 players to trial for the county squad and they had refused to turn up.
(The total according to the manager was 56.)
By any standard that showed a shockingly low level of ambition among Galway's senior footballers.
But other counties have been faced with the same problem and it seems the numbers of disaffected players is growing.
Longford's manager said before the beginning of the championships last year that over 20 players in his county had refused to go for a trial, while the Tipp boss had more or less the same sad tale to relate.
I've heard of defections in Carlow also. I don't know the facts or figures there but I'm sure there are other counties when wearing the county colours is no longer considered worth the effort by many players.
What are the reasons for this lack of enthusiasm?
According to Brehony: "However, it's understandable since players are required to devote so much time and energy to an intercounty programme that guarantees them only two games between early April and the end of the season.
How daft is that?"
Anyone care to comment?

1. The dedication required is huge.

2. The emphasis on Club now and particularly the training schedule at Senior level is now so huge that many feel playing for the club is enough

3. In Derry's case anyway throughout the summer lads who are on the fringes (the kind of guys we're talking about here) are often sat on the subs bench for any Inter County games whilst not being allowed to field for their clubs in the intervening times!

4. If you're from a county outside the top 7/8 what is the point? Really what is the point in Longford/Offaly/Derry/Antrim/Sligo lads seriously dedicating themselves to a cause for 6-9 months at a time only to get beat out the gate by one of the bigger teams. Then for good measure you have a look on RTE or on here and Joe Brolly or your supporters are calling you a useless ****.

5. Younger kids nowadays don't dig in. It's a fact. The first sign of failure or they're not making the panel they won't hang about to knuckle down and force their way on or they won't come back next year!

Why not structure county football like club with senior, intermediate and junior championships. At the moment there are only 7 or 8 teams capable of challenging for the sam maguire and realistically only dublin, mayo and kerry will win this year. Donegal, Cork or tyrone have a very outside chance but outside of that noone is even close to challenging. Derry have 9 or 10 players who have opted out and I don't blame them but if they were playing for an all ireland intermediate championship with the likes of Armagh, Meath, Tipperary, Fermanagh and Galway then I think some of those players may have stayed. Even if they hadn't the players left would have realistic ambitions for the season. It works well at club level and there is no reason it can't work at county. What is the point of teams like Antrim, Carlow and Waterford entering the same competition as Dublin and Kerry? A junior championship with 8 or 10 teams with a final at croke park at the end of august would be something worth playing in. The tommy murphy cup was an afterthought with teams dropping down into it after being knocked out of the primary competition. An all ireland intermediate and junior championship would be the primary competition for those counties and a team which wins one year could move up to the next level the next year just like at club level. That way all teams can hold ambitions of winning sam maguire, although for teams outside the top 8 it would take a year or 2 to qualify.

Itchy

Last year there was the same shite coming out of Galway. It started off as being 10 players wouldn't commit and ended up at around 8000 wouldn't commit.

Rossfan

I agree with Lenny.
Senior , Inter and Junior All Ireland Championships, works so well at Club level.
Keep the Provincials as they are with everyone entering them, but as stand alone competitions with a tight timescale.
Then the 3 All Irelands - short and sharp.
Did you ever see a club team who won a Junior or Inter Title not enjoying it?
Will it happen in my lifetime? NO.
Davy's given us a dream to cling to
We're going to bring home the SAM

shark

Quote from: Rossfan on January 04, 2017, 08:38:31 PM
I agree with Lenny.
Senior , Inter and Junior All Ireland Championships, works so well at Club level.
Keep the Provincials as they are with everyone entering them, but as stand alone competitions with a tight timescale.
Then the 3 All Irelands - short and sharp.
Did you ever see a club team who won a Junior or Inter Title not enjoying it?
Will it happen in my lifetime? NO.

Also, winning becomes a habit. Quite often a team wins junior and finds themselves up in senior quite quickly. Momentum!
But, as you say, it won't happen. No great appetite for it, which is a pity.

Syferus

Quote from: shark on January 04, 2017, 09:19:13 PM
Quote from: Rossfan on January 04, 2017, 08:38:31 PM
I agree with Lenny.
Senior , Inter and Junior All Ireland Championships, works so well at Club level.
Keep the Provincials as they are with everyone entering them, but as stand alone competitions with a tight timescale.
Then the 3 All Irelands - short and sharp.
Did you ever see a club team who won a Junior or Inter Title not enjoying it?
Will it happen in my lifetime? NO.

Also, winning becomes a habit. Quite often a team wins junior and finds themselves up in senior quite quickly. Momentum!
But, as you say, it won't happen. No great appetite for it, which is a pity.

Mainly because we have a junior AI already that no one cares about and have had a second level competition that both players and supporters hated. Returning to the same ideas that failed repeatedly is rarely the best way to move forward.

Rossfan

You silly childeen.
I'm talking about first 15s as in the Club scene.
Shark is an adult - he understands  ;)
Davy's given us a dream to cling to
We're going to bring home the SAM

moysider

Quote from: Syferus on January 04, 2017, 04:54:23 PM
Sure we have a few lads who retired and a few more who are undecided about committing for 2017 still and we're in D1. Even the SuperDubs aren't immune.

Demands on IC players have become disgusting. There's no other word for it.

Forget coaching for smaller counties for a second - simply limiting the demands teams can place on players is sorely needed if this game is to remain amateur in anything but name.

Also what's burst Sice into life all of a sudden? The man's doing more interviews than Enda Kenny these days..

There will be no going back on the demands that senior IC players have to make. Things never go back. The top teams will keep upping the ante. Or a new team will have to find a new way. But whoever takes Dublin's crown will have to work harder than they do in prep. for a start.

In my time there had been a few major leaps 'forward' in football.
Dublin in the 70's and Kerry responded and eventually overwhelmed them.
Then likes of Meath and Cork in late 80's ratcheted things up again a bit.
Tyrone and to a lesser extent Armagh in the new millennium.
Donegal found a way to take out traditionally bigger teams with another step up.
Dublin have gone and pushed higher again.

Football is not going to go backwards.

lenny

Quote from: Syferus on January 04, 2017, 11:15:58 PM
Quote from: shark on January 04, 2017, 09:19:13 PM
Quote from: Rossfan on January 04, 2017, 08:38:31 PM
I agree with Lenny.
Senior , Inter and Junior All Ireland Championships, works so well at Club level.
Keep the Provincials as they are with everyone entering them, but as stand alone competitions with a tight timescale.
Then the 3 All Irelands - short and sharp.
Did you ever see a club team who won a Junior or Inter Title not enjoying it?
Will it happen in my lifetime? NO.

Also, winning becomes a habit. Quite often a team wins junior and finds themselves up in senior quite quickly. Momentum!
But, as you say, it won't happen. No great appetite for it, which is a pity.

Mainly because we have a junior AI already that no one cares about and have had a second level competition that both players and supporters hated. Returning to the same ideas that failed repeatedly is rarely the best way to move forward.

I'm not suggesting a return to the tommy murphy cup, it was a competition for drop outs. Thi intermediate and junior championship would be the primary competition for counties involved.  They would then move up a level the following year if they win their championship. The present junior all ireland is a competition for junior players in strong counties and is good for players involved. It doesn't address the apathy among players of counties outside the top 7or 8 counties who have nothing to play for championship wise except for the odd big result in the early rounds before getting stuffed at some point.