Laois Senior Football Championship 2016

[Heshs Umpire]

Laois Shopping Centre Senior Football Championship - Arles Killeen v  Portarlington, The Heath v Portlaoise, Clonaslee St Manmans v Stradbally, Emo v Crettyard Gaels, Killeshin v Arles Kilcruise, St Josephs v Ballyfin Gaels, Graiguecullen v Ballylinan, Ballyroan Abbey v Mountmellick Gaels.

[Unlaoised]

Joes and Ballyfin again lets hope Seamus Mulhare avoids this one!!!!1

[SCFC]

Who's relegated will be more interesting than the title. Think Ballylinan will struggle myself. But Clonaslee are very inconsistent too. Could beat Strad though and that's them safe.

[Heshs Umpire]

Strad seem to be going well early this year. Have an experienced man in charge in Murphy and couldn't see Manmans beating them.

[Unlaoised]

Ballyfin and Clonaslee will be hot favourites with Crettyard and Killeshin and Ballylinan being close as well..

Ballyroan and Mountmellick would be happy with their draw against each other and who ever looses that could aslo be in the mix I think it will be Mountmellick who looses

Ballyfin Killeshin Ballylinan and Crettyard all have tough matches in Joes Killcruise Graigue and Emo so will need a favourable draw after that you would think...

Clonaslee might just fancy upsetting Stradbally but I can't see it...

28/07/2016
19:45   Clonaslee St Manmans/Cluain na Slí Naomh Meanmain   -   vs   -   Stradbally     
29/07/2016
19:45   Graiguecullen GAA   -   vs   -   Baile Uí Laigheanáin/Ballylinan     
30/07/2016
00:00   Arles/Killeen   -   vs   -   Portarlington     
00:00   Ballyroan Abbey   -   vs   -   Mountmellick Gaels     
00:00   Emo   -   vs   -   Crettyard Gaels     
00:00   The Heath/An Fraoch Mór   -   vs   -   Portlaoise GAA     
31/07/2016
18:00   Killeshin   -   vs   -   Arles Kilcruise     
19:30   St Joseph's   -   vs   -   Ballyfin Gaels     


The second draw will be so important will Crettyard's luck hold out again they have got either a bye or the weakest team in the competition for the last few years I fancy this year it might run out.

All these teams will want to avoid the loosers of Portlaoise and the Heath

[BallyroanAbu]

There is not an asses roar of Crettyard been in any relegation mix.  Ballyfin are the outstanding favourites for this.

[Unlaoised]

There is not an asses roar of Crettyard been in any relegation mix.  Ballyfin are the outstanding favourites for this.

No doubting Ballyfin will be everyone's favourites like last year and the draw against a coming Joes team won't help them but if they loose that a favourable draw could see them stay up...

You could be right about Crettyard but I think they have been lucky for a few years now...In saying that they have a few players starting to come again and in Evan O'Carroll they have a match winner!

[Heshs Umpire]

Has to be either Ballyfin or Clonaslee for the drop.
Hear a lot of talk about Portlaoise being caught this year but can't see who the outstanding candidate to replace them is. I think they'll win it again.

[SCFC]

I'll go Strad, Graigue, Killeen, Emo And Joes as certain wins.
Portlaoise to edge The Heath, Mountmellick and Ballyroan to draw and Arles to scrape over Killeshin.

[Junior Ex Laoistalk]

New times and dates for the weekend games


All Games in O'Moore Park

28/07/2016
19:45 - Clonaslee St Manmans  v  Stradbally

29/07/2016
19:45 - Graiguecullen  v  Ballylinan

30/07/2016
19:00 - The Heath  v  Portlaoise

31/07/2016
12:00 - St Joseph's  v  Ballyfin Gaels
17:30 - Emo  v  Crettyard Gaels 
19:00 - Ballyroan Abbey  v  Mountmellick Gaels

01/08/2016
14:00 - Arles/Killeen  v  Portarlington 
15:30 - Killeshin  v  Arles Kilcruise

[SCFC]

I don't get the obsession with playing all games in HQ. wouldn't Arles v Killeshin be a lot better in Crettyard? Heath v Town in Ratheniska?

[steven seagal]

It is solely down to money. They can keep a closer eye on it when the games are in O'Moore Park, as they have the turnstiles and facilities to monitor the money coming in. They don't have that anywhere else, so they wouldn't make as much money from the games. I'm sure it's packaged as 'we're giving teams the chance to play in our county grounds', but it is a fiscal decision, undoubtedly.

Our Co Board spent much of the year complaining about the loss of business to Portlaoise over the Dublin game being in Nowlan Park. How much of a boost would it be to towns like Portarlington, Stradbally, Mountmellick etc, or even Abbeyleix, Rathdowney, Mountrath in hurling, to get a few championship games? All the games would bring a few hundred people with them that wouldn't normally be in those towns and boost local shops/pubs/chippers etc (which is close to the heart of the Laois CB, as we know), and you might even get a bit of an atmosphere at some of them. Games in OMP are so lifeless. Maybe all grounds listed above are not good enough for SFC/SHC games, but a good few of them are. I won't hold my breath on seeing it happen though.

[redsetanta]

Taking championship games out of O'Moore park has been mentioned more than once here before. again it's up to club delegates to raise the issue a county board meetings so it can be debated.

It would certainly be far better from an atmosphere point of view. When was the decision made to play all games in O'Moore Park initially?

[welcomehome]

i agree taking some of the matches out of omoores park..its ridiculous having only portlaoise and the heath there sat night

[Laoischat]

Surely Clonaslee for the drop straight back down. They would make Ballyfin look like Kerry.

Ballyfin and Clonaslee are playing tonight up in Clonaslee so that could be interesting to look at.

The Heath might just pip Portlaoise, but that will only kick the town into gear for the rest of the championship.

I believe Clifford Ward is in charge of Joes and Ballyfin. Lets see if he can do better than Mulhare last year