Laois Senior Football Championship 2020

[Junior Ex Laoistalk]

What happens to anyone who bought tickets to watch any of the games live on Laois TV, is it possible to get a refund?

[town1980]

O dempseys close game
Roseanalis  close game
Portlaoise  portlaoise after half time to run up a big score
Clonaslee in the intermediate just in a close game

[Heshs Umpire]

It's crazy that people now can't even see their own club's championship game via some online service with the exception of O'Moore Park.

I see that in Offaly they are able to broadcast all the games online regardless of what venue the game is in. The wi-fi is hardly that much better across the Barrow, is it?

[BallyroanAbu]

My mother got some of Offaly hurling games, stream was a fair bit inferior to Laois one.

[Pugwash]

Surely after this year the county board will have to review how many teams operate in the Laois Senior Championship?

Having watched a couple of games over the last few evenings, it's fairly evident that the 16 team Championship nowadays is madness. There are 4 or 5 teams at least if not more, who are on life support and shouldn't be anywhere near a senior football.

One way to solve the problem would be to have a regional championship (the main one) where 2 or 3 small parish teams can join together ala Kilcruise and Killeen and then allow both clubs to field teams individually at a lower grade.

The standard of Laois club football is on its knee's bar the few top sides, who even still are operating at a level below of what it was a decade ago.

[Laoiseabu]

I would totally agree with the above statement. I’ve been watching Laois football for years but never seen anything like the display Killeen put in tonight . Surely an amalgamation has to happen now ?  Killeshin who were in a county final last year seem to have really gone backwards almost overnight. I reckon the loser of Killeen and Kilcruise gets relegated. Courtwood have well and truly had there bubble burst after the other night and don’t look anywhere near senior standard . Portlaoise have deteriorated a lot but will still probably just about get over the line again this year .

[Junior Ex Laoistalk]

Laois SFC Round 2 Winners Group
Portlaoise v Portarlington
Ballyroan-Abbey v Ballyfin
Emo v O’Dempsey’s
Graiguecullen v winners Arles-Kilcruise/The Heath


Laois SFC Round 2 Losers Group
Ballylinan v Rosenallis
Killeshin v Courtwood
Stradbally v St Joseph’s
Arles-Killeen v losers of Arles-Kilcruise/The Heath

[Pugwash]

I would totally agree with the above statement. I’ve been watching Laois football for years but never seen anything like the display Killeen put in tonight . Surely an amalgamation has to happen now ?  Killeshin who were in a county final last year seem to have really gone backwards almost overnight. I reckon the loser of Killeen and Kilcruise gets relegated. Courtwood have well and truly had there bubble burst after the other night and don’t look anywhere near senior standard . Portlaoise have deteriorated a lot but will still probably just about get over the line again this year .

The solution would be easy and simple in my opinion at least.

1. The current league calendar is far too congested, clubs playing 10+ league matches is madness and should be shortened to groups of 6/8 and no more.

2. One main senior championship with half being amalgamations and the other half being individual clubs, the winner goes on to represent Laois in Leinster (obviously with amalgamations not being allowed the best placed individual club would get the honour)

Just a couple of random examples off the top of my head whereby you might have the likes of Crettyard/Spink, Killeen/Kilcruise, Ballylinan/Barrowhouse, The Rock/Mountmellick, Courtwood/Emo, Timahoe/Annanough etc joining together to play in the senior championship, but will also be given the chance to play in specific grades below as individual clubs.

If an amalgamated side gets relegated, it's irrelevant, whoever wins intermediate will replace them be it a solo team or another amalgamated side.

3. In turn, a separate mini competition could be ran between the 6 or 9 strongest clubs who are happy to go solo this would be done on a straight knockout basis or in x2 or x3 mini groups containing 3 teams in each.

x2 groups of 3 teams - Top team in each group goes into the final, bottom two teams play a relegation final.

x3 groups of 3 teams - Highest scoring team (with points average of course) goes straight into the final, whilst the top 2 in the other groups play a semi final and in turn do the same but flip it to the lowest scoring/points tally side goes straight into the relegation final whilst the bottom 2 teams in the other group face off in a semi final.

4. Clubs want more competitive games, league games aren't worth a toss and at least if Laois are going well clubs will still have proper competitive games on a weekly or fortnightly basis that will really bring on players, I think anyway!

[town1980]

Holy jays will yee shut up and just comment on the games it is wat it is the championship is set so shut up and give your comment on the games will yee

[SpeculativeEffort]

Holy jays will yee shut up and just comment on the games it is wat it is the championship is set so shut up and give your comment on the games will yee

Townman1980 you're gas. Once again you come onto a discussion board to tell lads to shut up 😂

[The PRO]

Holy jays will yee shut up and just comment on the games it is wat it is the championship is set so shut up and give your comment on the games will yee

Stop tell people to "piss off" and "shut up". The clue is in the name. It's a "discussion board". Leave the adults to discuss things in peace please.

[The PRO]

Surely after this year the county board will have to review how many teams operate in the Laois Senior Championship?

Having watched a couple of games over the last few evenings, it's fairly evident that the 16 team Championship nowadays is madness. There are 4 or 5 teams at least if not more, who are on life support and shouldn't be anywhere near a senior football.

One way to solve the problem would be to have a regional championship (the main one) where 2 or 3 small parish teams can join together ala Kilcruise and Killeen and then allow both clubs to field teams individually at a lower grade.

The standard of Laois club football is on its knee's bar the few top sides, who even still are operating at a level below of what it was a decade ago.

While i agree that regional teams (3 or 4 of them in the SFC) would be a good idea, I would just caution on judging teams on this year. It has been a very strange year and not having a league to build a team has been disastrous as you can see for the likes of Killeshin, Courtwood, Timahoe and the 2 Arles teams who all took a hiding.

Laois has too many senior football clubs though. 8 or 10 would be plenty with a few regional teams added in.

[Pugwash]

I would agree fully with you there, re the lack of a league campaign has really hampered sides and friendlies only tell so much.

My naming of said clubs/amalgamations etc was more brainstorming than anything and I for one know that I haven't got all the answers, but it's sad to see how badly the club game has regressed in Laois at Senior Level.

I know the fear for small rural clubs is that they will lose their identity and their club if they join with anyone and there's no other championship for them to compete in, I get that. "But" that doesn't need to happen, just because Kilcruise and Killeen (as an example) may join together to play in the Senior Championship doesn't mean in 4/5 years time both won't be competitive in the Junior A or Intermediate Championships separately.

I also don't buy this whole "hate" for eachother is as deep in parishes around Laois either, sure there is numerous examples of these amalgamations at underage level.

Anyhow that's my two cents on the matter 

On the Championship itself, I firmly believe that one of O'Dempseys, Port or Graiguecullen will finally topple The Town this year.

[Laoiseabu]

If Joseph’s and Ballyroan pull themselves together they could be there or thereabouts too. Ballyroan were missing a good few the first day and still won .

[Hospital Pass]

The First round was really a mixed bag. some great games mixed in with some really poor standard, low intensity games.
I suppose that can be expected given the lack of preparation time teams have had. Id expect it to improve as the year goes on.
I think the Laoisgaa tv service deserves great credit. 5 euro is excellent value for money. if they were able to publish a weekly match programme that we could download it would be very welcomed.
On the structure discussion I agree now that we probably have too many senior teams. 2 or 3 teams are clearly getting cut adrift in my opinion which wasn't the case a few years ago. I like the look of that round 2 draw some nice looking games on paper.
I'll do me best to give a power ranking of where I see teams after round 1.

1. Portlaoise: no explanation necessary. on paper still the team to beat
2. O'Dempseys: move marginally ahead of Port after hammering Courtwood I think. 7-17 is a scoreline that few teams in Laois could post on their best days.
Didnt see the game.
3. Portarlington: Struggled over Stradbally, although conditions seemed appalling. If Colm Murphy is not fit to face Portlaoise I dont think they will have the firepower to down the town the next day. They have best strength in dept in the championship.
4. Graiguecullen: impressive display against what now looks like a weak Killeen team. rallied from a shaky start to completely dominate. Lee Timmons was excellent in attack. With Brian Byrne, Trevor Collins and Dicey back they have serious mobility.
No sign of Aaron Forbes on the match programme. any news on him. Big loss.
5. Emo: Beat Killeshin very comfortably. seem to have added a nice bunch of young lads into the team. could quite easily have had another bag full of scores the last day. be interesting to see if they can repeat that performance.
6. Ballyfin: looked nervy at the finish of their local derby against Rosenallis but they clung on. A nice balance to their team.
7. Ballyroan-Abbey: If you said to me before the game that Ballyroan would be without Tierney, Scott Conroy, McMahon and Marty Scully then I would have given them no chance. to their credit they dug it out and if they can add these 4 back into the group of impressive young lads they could surprise a few again.
8. Stradbally: The first of the first round losers in my opinion, id have them ahead of the heath. ran Portarlington close and have a few bodies back this year.
9. Ballylinan: gave Portlaoise a game, didn't get a chance to see it. I presume it was very defensive judging by the final score. still have the quality to make a run. looking forward to them vs Rosenallis.
10. Rosenallis: A young team that's full of running. a nightmare round 2 draw for them really. Regardless i cant see them getting into trouble this year and with the age profile of the team they will be senior for a good few years to come.
11. The Heath: again another Team that has added a lot of young lads in. really great to see. A notable omission from the match panel the last day is Evin Keane. anyone know why he is missing? without him I doubt they will have the forwards to beat some of the bigger teams.
12. Courtwood: again didn't see the O'Dempseys game but Niall dunne and Niall Donoher are two big losses to them.
13. Killeshin: looked a shadow of the team that was very impressive last year. their defense at times looked wide open. they need Attride back.
14. St. Josephs: for me the most disappointing performance in Round 1. I thought this year would have been ideal for them. with an experienced management set up and possible players returning from abroad. Dylan Doyle was abut their only forward the last day against a patched together Ballyroan team.
15/16. take your pick with the 2 Arles teams. Both look like they are waiting to be put out of their misery. they simply don't have the legs to compete with some of the younger teams anymore. Killeen's best defender Joe Mulhare was missing, anyone know if he will be back?