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We had an interesting day at the club yesterday. On of our young lads won a Sunday Game competition for Pat Spillane to come down and take them for a training session. We only got word about it on Wed so there was much excitement with the young lads all around the place.

For a fella I wouldn't have had much time for before from watching him on the TV, I have to say I couldn't praise him enough. While everyone was expecting him to come down for a half hour and have a chat with the lads and take them out for a quick kick about, he arrived at about half three and had interviews with various people round the club, took a tour of the facilities, spoke to everyone (at length) both young and old and took the lads out for a good session for well over an hour and a half. It was obvious he had much interest in the history of the club, the people involved and he also had a chat with some of our county players. He didn't leave until around eight with everyone looking for autographs and pictures to which he was very obliging.

He also told us a good few juicy stories from the Kerry camp before the Dublin game (I'm not going to repeat them here though!) and it was clear he has a real gra for the way Tyrone play and how Mickey Harte has them set up (compare that to his 'puke' football analogy!).

There's supposed to be a piece on the Sunday Game after all the football and, while it'll probably only be a 2 minute affair (the Sunday Game don't seem to like showing actual highlights or other interesting pieces), it was a great day for all the young ones around the place and brought a bit of a lift for everyone involved in the club.

After all the begrudgery and running people down on the board over the last couple of weeks, I thought it would only be right to give some credit where it is due.

I was at the Louth Sligo game yesterday and I just can't put my frustration to bed. While we (luckily) won, I'm still totally bewildered at the standard of refereeing. There hasn't been one game this year where you could say the ref was decent. The standard of refereeing yesterday was abysmal, if it was the English Premiership the ref wouldn't see the light of day again. From all reports, the ref at the Armagh Meath game was just as bad. I honestly think that that the standard of refereeing has a lot to do with the poor standard of football we are looking at.

Am I just being a total grouch or is there some truth to what i am saying?

I wouldn't usually start a thread like this but seein as there are a few Sligonians posting I might as well.

At the start of the year both teams would have imagined themselves at the other end of the table but sure you have to go with what you have. Following Louth's heavy beating of Sligo in 2006, we will have to be wary of Sligo looking for revenge. If we can perform to near the level of the Longford game I think we should win. I have to say Sligo have really disappointed since their Connaught win, if we had to have beat Cork last year, I think we would have easilt beat Sligo in the Quarters. They still seem to be poor in the forward line and may try to employ their defensive game on Sunday.

I'll go with a 3-4 point win for Louth. However, a good performance will be more important

Anyone read this today. Gives an insight into the extent of payments toward (club) managers and quote the figures some managers getting. Obviously they do not name clubs but you can make an educated guess on some of them. Also gives the average payment to club managers per county. I don't know how they got the figures it thay will never reveal their sources but I would reckon they are not all that far away.

Sorry, I don't have any links to the article. Maybe someone can post it

I'm a bit bored here lads so sorry for two new threads straight away. (Off the drink now so have to fulfill my Friday evenings some way!)

Anyhow, I've been on this board for a while (mostly lurking mind you) and I've always wondered what OWCers are. I was always afraid to ask cuz I know i'm gonna get a lot of flack but from all the threads about OWCers I can't make out what it means.

Sorry for my ignorance, please enlighten the dim witted! 

Lads, i'm killed with what I think is an ingrown toenail. It's on the inside of the big toe and its sore every time I walk. Usually i'd horse on with things like this but it's at me this 3 or 4 days and it's doing my head in. I don't want to go to a doctor about it because: 1. I hate doctors and 2: I'm broke as fcuk!

Any advice on this hoor of a thing? I had an idea of submerging the foot in hot salty water and then having a root around with it myself. It's hardly worth a try is it?

From Hoganstand.com

Nickey Brennan has revealed that the GAA is prepared to help fund the construction of a new multi-purpose stadium in Abbotstown.

The west Dublin location was originally the proposed site of the ill-fated 'Bertie Bowl', but Brennan remains hopeful that a 25,000 capacity stadium will still be built on the site, and envisages moving Dublin's National League games there from Parnell Park.

"I always held the view that Dublin is not served properly by facilities at Parnell Park and that's not a criticism of Parnell Park," he said.

"I believe there is a case for another stadium, it makes sense to go for an all-seater, floodlit venue with a field that can be used year-round.

"I would even suggest going the whole hog and putting a roof on it - it should at least be considered, though I don't know how practical it would be.

"The Dublin public deserves a bigger stadium and I believe there is an onus on the GAA at large to help get that delivered. I would be willing to commit GAA funds on this, but this isn't something that can be done in isolation by Dublin, the Government or the GAA.

"It would be a tripartite arrangement and maybe even more."

The GAA president added: "Something in the region of 20-to-25,000 is worth considering because there are many other events that could be held there. From a commercial point of view, there would have to be."


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What do yous think of this??

Personally i think it makes a damn sight more sense than the proposal by the Cork/Munster board to develop Pairc Ui Caoimh.
There probably is a need for a bigger stadium than Parnell Park in Dublin but I would prefer to see the GAA properly developing the current stadia in Ireland up to, say, standards of teh likes of Wigan's JJB stadium or the likes. While we have stadiums with large capacities (Navan, Breffni, Castlebar etc.) the standards in these places are fairly poor. I mean, uncovered stands, grass banks instead of terracing. I believe this should be top of the agenda for the GAA rather than building new stadiums (and of course sorting out the Louthcounty ground debacle!!)

Any views?

Right, I know there are not too many Louth men on this site but sure I'll start a thread anyway seeing as we're in the height of the club championship season.

First of all, I've been meaning to get this off my chest  for the last few years. Why do the county board insist on playin club championship matches so late on Saturday and Sunday evenings? I mean having the first game of the double header at 6.30pm and the second 7.45pm is an absolute disgrace. When we have the whole day to play why don't we have one match at, say 5pm and the second at 6.30?? For instance, Friday night, because of the rain it was getting dark at half eight, now tell me how a game starting at 7.45 is going to get finished on a pitch with no floodlights. We're lucky enough that it hasn't happened but what happens if someone gets a bad injury in the first match? Does the second game go ahead?

Anyhow, the referee made the right decision to call off the Pats/Glyde match last night, the pitch was like a swimming pool, how the Cooley/O'mahoneys game went ahead was beyond me, the pitch was way too dangerous for football.

Any other results on Champo games over the weekend?