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New proposal going to county Board regarding structure of this years championship.

Two groups of six

Top team in each group straight through to semi final

2nd  and 3rd each group play off to see who makes semi final

4th team has rest of year off in each group

Last two teams in each groups play off to see who goes down.

6 teams in each group, two games played before end of June then break, rest played at the end of July and August.

Top team would have about 3 weeks break until the semi, which might be a disadvantage. 


Different idea worth considering, its positive at least fixture committee trying to change it around.
every team gets 5 matchs

i was a loyal customer of quinn car insurance for the last ten years, with no claims in that period of time. last week imy insurance was up and Quinn price went up from €470 to €699 and even though the customer service people Sympathized with me they couldn't come down anywhere near last year's price.

I was thankful to quinn 10 years ago as they were the only company to  quote provisional drivers but their renewal price this year was unreal.

From my analysis Quinn insurance will be gone / goodbye in the next six months, how can they keep going if they continue to lose valued customers like myself.

I would agree totally with your post. Some of the stuff that's going on is unbelievable, take our ¼ with Coolera, we got fined for togging out more than 24 players, now how can you tell a lad that has been training since February and puts in as much work as anyone that he can't tog out because of some bureaucratic dreams up a rule its unreal. In the same game the Coolera subs had to run to dressing rooms and get a stretcher and take Costello of the pitch, it's a disgrace. Were are all the Sligo stewards you see up at Conaught championship games when there is games on in the park , no where because there's nothing out of it for them.  But the County Board will be calling up the club again in December looking for our pitch for senior training and proposing deals and pay offs for its use. They should be told were to go. Again on Sunday we were fined again for infringements it's a joke. And I heard that the main county board official reporter of infringements attacked an umpire after at a recent ¼ final game in the park, now that's what you're up against.   

One final point Sligo club football is probably the cleanest club football in the country, you rarely hear of pitch invasions, referees getting hit, mass brawls, etc etc... and we still have these official's on big day match's causing resentment, and bitterness. Observations would indicate there's a serious incident not far away and the main protagonists will be the official's.

On football matters we played badly and still won against Ballymote which has its positives and negatives. My opinion is Ballymote were over trained and maybe peaked in May/ June. Here's hoping for a good final. Side point you have to take your hat off to the Duffy's brothers ok they might not get it right all the time, but they will rarely have an over bearing influence on the game or favor one side to an extreme.     

[I'lll post more details later.]

I'lll post more details later.

hurry up I can't wait, for more insightful comments.

paddypastit - that's true about Dublin and in that case the Dublin County Board are right to stick to their rules and therefore decrease the chances in the future of having players hopping from one club to an other. Sligo County Board have traditionally not taken a stand on this and therefore can't enforce the letter of the law now. without taking offence, I would say you are well adept in boundary/ parish matters seeing that you lived in a marginalised  area where loyalities could of went to either club, and where the area in question was contentious as who had rights to it. If local knowledge is right the vast majority of players in that area now play with the blue and white....

Mano- no worries regarding sunday---- went up to have a look at training last night, there taking nothing for granted believe me. They couldn't get a challenge game last weekend so there lacking a bit of sharpness.  Don't be worrying if we get knocked out we will see you at the 7's.... as usual 

It's a shame you can't say anything controvsial anymore. not much fun posting here anymore.

We were just up against in the u-16 final think the management team knew that they were just hoping for a better performance. Agree with all the comments regarding players playing for their own club and respecting boundaries. But it's hard when the player wants to play for a particular club. We have even profited from a similar position a while back. The high profile one is your man up in Dublin trying to transfer out off a traditionally strong hurling club. It's a hard one to call in my observation it difficult for the county board to enforce the rule as they have traditionally made so many inconcidencies regarding it.

Anyone see Mc Hale's piece in the weekender he has a go at Mc Eneaney stating he doesn't rate him as a referee. Ok he didn't have his best game on Sunday put over the years he played a large part in some of the great games of the decade. Sometimes you have to question these articles is Mc Hale just writing this stuff to get a reaction or does he really believe it. In my opinion he's lucky he's still around after what he pulled on us in last years championship never forget it. Tourlestrane lads praying we over come a strong challenge  from Coolera on Sunday and Ballymote beat John's and it would set things right up for the semi and we can get Mc Hale back for last year and that shameful decision.
Motivation would be unreal; you would love to be playing just to get one more crack at it. 

[Edited by Mod3]

On other matters sad to see Charlestown out of the Mayo championship potential to generate more revenue for the club if they stayed in a while longer.


[Edited by Mod3 - I'm not aware of the incidents here, but some of those comments were over the top.]

1509 on: August 09, 2010, 04:48:21 PM »   

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He tried to put us out of the championship gave a penalty for probably one of the best diving blocks I have ever seen. Even his umpires were embarrassed by the decision at the end of the game. I pray by the help of God we make it out of the group on Saturday and meet Ballymote at some stage, we need a focus this year to regain the championship and Mc Hale managing Ballymote would focus the minds big time.

Tour were up by 9 at one stage and tubber pulled it back to 2 then we went up and got a goal. Our Full back was all over the place lost at sea changes will have to be made. playing mary's this saturday in tubber think one of the big hitters(Egan) will be back .

the youngest of the Egans boys had a great 1st half the second egan boy based in london had a big impact in the second half. 

From what I am hearing it sounds bad. County Board should step in and take control of it... maybe the answer is a north divisional team. Its upsetting to hear about the crowd trouble as well especially when our games are under the spotlight and we are competing against so many other sports in the county. Were there children at the game?

Seanie have to agree with your earlier post its Curry's championship to lose after their win over John's.

[It is this neandertal club attitude that has gotten Sligo AND Antrim absolutely nowhere over the decades, both counties have massively underachieved and this sort of shite is a part of the reason why.]

It is this neandertal club attitude that has gotten Sligo AND Antrim absolutely nowhere over the decades, both counties have massively underachieved and this sort of shite is a part of the reason why.


A fact Sligo have overachieved over the last ten years largely due to the impact of Eamonn o Hara ---- beat Thir Eoghain by himself and then that goal against Galway in the Connaught final, a you could go on for ever.....   

He has raised exExpectation within the county brought a level of professionalism to the county side and demanded high standards. I will make one prediction here O Hara will start against Mayo if he is fit because you can't replace class.. There at least three players on the Sligo team that will struggle on Saturday I won't name them because I am totally against singling out players for criticism. It's a disgrace o Hara isn't playing on Saturday and it will back fire on Sligo and Walsh mark my words. 

It's a disgrace o Hara isn't playing, a total disgrace and that goes for the other two tourlestrane players as well. O hara scored 2-4 in A Vs B game on Saturday what more does Walsh want. When Sligo is struggling on Saturday like last years final they will look for O Hara to lead them out off trouble again and win the dirty ball and control the game as he always does. Roll on 5th of  June and then a tough backdoor opponent away the following week and that will be it over for the year. Five weeks solid training then with club and hopefully we will win back to back titles. O Hara should pull out of the county a man that has given so much to Sligo and they couldn't even include him in the team for Saturday probably his last chance to start a game in Coke Park a disgrace ................ 

Dunguib would start next month's Champion Hurdle as favourite, should connections have a change of heart and pitch the exciting seven-year-old in against the best. That is the view of William Hill's senior odds compiler, Mike Bellamy, who said he would make Dunguib the 4-1 favourite.

"The current market leaders all have questions still to answer with the exception of Zaynar who just hasn't been as visually impressive as Dunguib," said Bellamy. "He looks a machine, we know he can do it at Cheltenham, and he'd attract all of the Irish money."

Asked the same question, Ladbrokes said they would quote 5-1 and Coral 6-1.

All three firms would be celebrating were Dunguib rerouted away from the Supreme Novice Hurdle, with all reporting him to be a six-figure loser. Ladbrokes, in particular, went out on a limb at a marketplace-best even-money which they held for 24 hours after the horse's victory at Leopardstown on Sunday, while Coral laid him at 6-1 immediately after his win in last year's Championship Bumper.

The ebb and flow over Dunguib's price for the Champion Hurdle with Betfair has been fascinating to watch. His price was down to 16-1 before trainer Philip Fenton gave a live television interview last Friday, prompting speculation that a change of plan was about to be announced. Minutes later, his price was four times as big. He then traded even lower at just 13-1 immediately after his victory on Sunday, but was out to 84-1 the following morning.

Fenton has not categorically stated that Dunguib will not run in the Champion. "It's not on the agenda," was Fenton's comment after Sunday's race. Having turned down reported seven-figure offers for Dunguib, his owners have shown they want to live the dream. And with the likes of Alderbrook and Royal Gait having shown that raw talent can be more important than jumping experience in the Champion Hurdle, it's surely not too late for them to see if the dream can come true this year.


If I owned him I would go for the Champion he defo would have a great chance. I was thinking today maybe his owners have serious money on at anti post prices and that might put them off. what is the difference between the price money for the  Supreme Novice Hurdle and teh Champion.

looks like the english media and the industry are pushing for him to run in Champion. Could it be an other case of Jim Bolger derby horse New Approach. 

If JP owned him i think they would be going for the Champion.

interesting times   

Fair enough synopsis, with regards St Molaises, I expect us to struggle in the league becuase we will be missing quinn and mchgh, and then we will have 4 or 5 invoved in u21s, and a few in the minors, not sure we will have that many available all year. But come championship we will have them all back and rearing to go so not sure it will have a negative effect. My club have the talent to contend a Owen B to a serious extent but only with the right management. None of the other clubs would we fear but our lads just lack the commitment to the cause and vaguely understand what it takes to actually go about winning it. We wont get relegated but we wont win it until a man comes along a grabs the club by the horns, and gets the players into the right frame of mind.


Ok seeing as you have been banging on for years about poor managers at your club and how they halt progress and seeing how I am in a reflective phase and its still January I will give you and your club some advise about wining championships.


Now this is a big revelation and you might not understand it but

1.managers do not win championships players do. I have seen punch ups in dressing rooms and players not speaking to managers for full seasons, and the collective group still win championships. As long as the manager can organize training and get players fit that's the main priority.

2.The majority of clubs have 13 players the rest are fillers you would be lucky to have 22 good players on a panel. The net result of this is the team picks itself always does there's no great mystery. Everyone fit everyone training team picks itself if manager has some relation on the team this could influence selection but by and by team picks it self, therefore the presence/status of the manager is neglected again.

3.Drink ban is always a good idea especially in the months of April, May, & June. As most players are human and fall to temptations of the devils butter milk its vital that the 1st player to break the drink ban is highlighted and out casted. This action will create a split within the club on the rights and wrongs of the action but will evidently unite the players into one collective group leading to a championship victory. The player out casted will come back the next year stronger and more determined as ever.

4.always build up a siege mentality and believe you are hated by everyone it works. My own preferences for this was xxxxxxxx(just couldn't like them maybe it was the manager) .

5.always believe you are better than you are and this especially applies to younger players joining the senior team for the 1st time. When you go out socially with the younger guys fill their heads with notions of winning Connaught championship and even all-Irelands. What this does is makes them think they are better than they are, and when you are 10 points down in a county semi final and the roof is falling in on a championship, no one really panics everyone knows that they are better footballers than the opposition and believes they can get out off the mess. Net result being no one panics and you go on and on to an other championship victory and two days on the piss.

6.make sure no one plays soccer its a waist of time it makes players pull out of tackles, teaches them stupid ideas and is of no practical benefit to improving your team.

7.Develop top class facilities – this is achieved through hard work from the community and committee. We put in top class floodlights because we expect to be playing football in September/ October. It's the tourlestrane way.

8.when you win a championship sack the manager it keeps everyone in the club on their toes and immediately puts pressure on the incoming manager to get results.  (if you want to win a championships you have to be cruel ).

9.don't make excuses for missing players to the county, you play with the lads you have (2007 victory achieved without the mighty oHara) focus on what you have not who you are missing.

10.make sure you have one player hated on your team by the opposition in our case this is o hara all the attention is focused on him leaving the rest of us to enjoy the game and get that extra hit in now and again.

11.don't have dinner dance unless you win anything and don't have player of the year prizes ...........they are off no benefit to the development of the master plan.   

12.look if you need any more advise, we are available for consultancy at any time. I could through in some more secrets but they might be controversial and we wouldn't want that.     

I still wake up at night and wonder how on earth we have won so much six victories in seven finals and we should of lost everyone off them............

But thanks for the post sligonian it gives me a chance to reflect on what it takes to win a championship ...................


Ps. I hope the rest of the forum takes this post with seriousness it deserves, but I just can't help myself.......................................I think this is my last post for a long time ........its time to get back to wining a back to back championship.   Good luck to all the clubs in this year championship may victory come to those who put the work in...... 

I want tour to get a group of death this year has never happened to us think it would be fun and focus our minds ...

"I honestly dont know how tour won it last yr or that harps got to the final".
either do I. 

new tourlestrane manager made a number of  Interesting points in the weekender this week regarding a western divisional side participating in the senior championship, I have to say I agree with him and I would also include everything North of Rathcormac in a northern divisional team and maybe then we might get a competitive championship its getting boring with the same teams in final year after year.

It would also be nice to visit some of the out posts of Sligo football, I always enjoyed playing in Easkey there was always the sense of the unexpected on and off the pitch and no matter how much hard hitting there was or verbal abuse you always went away from there with a smile and sense of respect from them.

I think it's a real shame that one can go through a 10 -12 year playing career and not visit certain parts of the county and experience their playing styles, the unique feeling you get from their supporters (shamrock Gaels women were always so welcoming ) and strange nicknames you here on the pitch when you play a team for the first time and you try and figure out why is he called that. So with this in mind I would call on the county Board to put a western division and northern division into the championship this year it might add a bit of spice and mystery to a failing championship.

Its gets tiring marking the same players year after year and listing to same nicknames.


Fond Easkey moments
1.   Cold day in May a group off ten young girls consistently shout abuse at o Hara to wash off his flake tan....... It was so funny.
2.   visiting the pitch year after year and wondering if Dermot Kevany had finally retired.
3.   Dermot Kevany running at you with only one thing on his mind.
4.   After eight years playing against them and abusing them finding out there not bad lads after a piss up in the  Harbour Bar after a pick and choose game in February.

5.   starting the season off in Easkey it was always an examination of commitment for an other year

finally on tonight. thinking about a bet

Outright Betting  PP   Boyles roughly the same.

James Akenhead (338000)  5/2 

Luke Schwartz (397000)  11/4 

Taylor Caby (202000)  9/2 

Dag Martin Mikkelsen (160000)  6/1 

Juha Helpi (149000)  6/1 

Peter Vasiliou (154000)  8/1 

Craig Wakeham - Online Qualifier (100000)  16/1 

top

like the James guy even though he is fav. looked confident last night with out been to smug.

Dag Martin Mikkelsen would be my danager and i could yet lump on him for the value bet. 

what are other people thoughts