Laois County Football Leagues all chat in here

[Keyser Söze]

im assuming your from a big club as am i or not affiliated with one at all, the reality is that people take great pride in playing for their area, take ben conroy for example, was willing to give up senior hurling as possibly even an inter county carrer because he  would rather win a junior with slieve bloom than a senior with castletown.

You are very out of the loop and wide of the mark there!

A rule has been put in place that allows lads from any club in the county to play senior while allowing them to also play for their own community at junior, so really what benefit do amalgamations really bring?

As forward thinking as that rule is, there's an obvious problem!
For example you have Mountmellick Gaels in the SFC. Here Castletown players can play football as part of Mountmellick Gaels in the championship only.
Mountmellick, however, have to name 17 Senior players.
Supposing, come championship time that 5 Castletown players make the Mountmellick team. That means that 7 Mountmellick players don't. They can't play on any of Mountmellick's lower teams because they are named Senior.
Meanwhile the 5 Castletown players can play away at Senior with Mountmellick, while also playing Junior C with Castletown.
While that might not be an issue in this case, it would be an issue in other mooted arrangements.
In this instance Mountmellick would rely on the 17 named Senior players for the ACFL campaign, but wouldn't necessarily need them for the SFC. When it comes to grading players the following year who here would be willing to be graded Senior if you were one the peripheral members of the 17, with no prospect of meaningful championship action?
It's a flaw and it is one that the bigger of the clubs in these arrangements might not be willing to accommodate long term.

[Downtheroad]

Mountmellick Gaels is Mountmellick plus Brendan Reddin. Because Castletown put in a junior team, Mountmellick had to go down the route. No one else is coming from Castletown as far as I know,  But the point is well made. A proper area amalgamation involving a Senior club  will not be a runner in the long run if 17 players have to be named.   

[Keyser Söze]

Mountmellick Gaels is Mountmellick plus Brendan Reddin. Because Castletown put in a junior team, Mountmellick had to go down the route. No one else is coming from Castletown as far as I know,  But the point is well made. A proper area amalgamation involving a Senior club  will not be a runner in the long run if 17 players have to be named.

I agree regarding the first point. It was the only functioning example I could think of.
I understand why 17 players should be named. I also understand that it will be a major stumbling block. Not in that instance, but in any proper instance.

[Ballyroan Abbey]

Mountmellick Gaels is Mountmellick plus Brendan Reddin. Because Castletown put in a junior team, Mountmellick had to go down the route. No one else is coming from Castletown as far as I know,  But the point is well made. A proper area amalgamation involving a Senior club  will not be a runner in the long run if 17 players have to be named.

I agree regarding the first point. It was the only functioning example I could think of.
I understand why 17 players should be named. I also understand that it will be a major stumbling block. Not in that instance, but in any proper instance.

I understand this in a lot of cases 3 or 4 of the lads named mightnt even be in the country or retired. Realistically smaller clubs dont want to join up with senior teams in their parish, alot of the time its the players that want the club kept, any that want to go usually get their way, kingstons to killen from barrowhouse and gilmartin to camross being good examples. Basically what im saying is that you cant force these clubs to join, i know somebody said that the arles clubs need to cop on but it could be easily argued that that rivalry drove them to heights they mightnt have reached otherwise.
Amalgamations are very hit and miss i feel, the first year we joined we were relegated, the harps joined 30 years ago and still havnt won a senior, castletown/slieve bloom lasted 4 years and one of the reasons it ended was over a row about jerseys, on the other hand the likes of rathdowney/errill has been a massive success. Im not saying amalgamations are bad but they are something that all sides want

[Junior Ex Laoistalk]

Im not saying amalgamations are bad but they are something that all sides want

But if its "something that all sides want" then where's the problem. It is something that's going to happen to a lot of clubs if only to survive.
What's the point of having a club and depending on 20 members to make up a senior panel, it just can't work.

[Dave like the tv channel]

Mountmellick Gaels is Mountmellick plus Brendan Reddin. Because Castletown put in a junior team, Mountmellick had to go down the route. No one else is coming from Castletown as far as I know,  But the point is well made. A proper area amalgamation involving a Senior club  will not be a runner in the long run if 17 players have to be named.

I agree regarding the first point. It was the only functioning example I could think of.
I understand why 17 players should be named. I also understand that it will be a major stumbling block. Not in that instance, but in any proper instance.

In Year1, maybe. Surely the other club's players could be named in the 17, if they intend to join up again the following year?

[Ballyroan Abbey]

But if its "something that all sides want" then where's the problem. It is something that's going to happen to a lot of clubs if only to survive.
What's the point of having a club and depending on 20 members to make up a senior panel, it just can't work.
[/quote]
sorry was meant to say all sides have to want it
Take trumera, last year, 18 players won intermediate last year, tiny area, fact is they'd rather struggle with the 18 or 19 because they represent the area where there from, same with barrowhouse winning junior last year, you take the clubs out of these areas the numbers playing from these areas would decline majorly

[Keyser Söze]

Mountmellick Gaels is Mountmellick plus Brendan Reddin. Because Castletown put in a junior team, Mountmellick had to go down the route. No one else is coming from Castletown as far as I know,  But the point is well made. A proper area amalgamation involving a Senior club  will not be a runner in the long run if 17 players have to be named.

I agree regarding the first point. It was the only functioning example I could think of.
I understand why 17 players should be named. I also understand that it will be a major stumbling block. Not in that instance, but in any proper instance.

In Year1, maybe. Surely the other club's players could be named in the 17, if they intend to join up again the following year?

It is my understanding that the primary club will have to name 17, in Year 1, 2, 3......and so on.

[Junior Ex Laoistalk]

Fixtures


ACFL Div 1 1A

22/05/2016
19:00: Arles Kilcruise v Portlaoise
19:00: Graiguecullen v Arles/Killeen
19:00: Stradbally v St. Joseph's
19:00: The Heath v Portarlington

25/05/2016
19:45: Portarlington v Graiguecullen

27/05/2016
19:30: Portlaoise v Stradbally


ACFL Div 1 1B

22/05/2016
19:00: Ballylinan v Mountmellick
19:00: Killeshin v O'Dempseys

25/05/2016
19:45: Mountmellick v Crettyard

26/05/2016
19:45: Ballylinan v Killeshin

27/05/2016
19:30: Timahoe v Crettyard

28/05/2016
19:30: Mountmellick v Killeshin

[Dave like the tv channel]

It is my understanding that the primary club will have to name 17, in Year 1, 2, 3......and so on.

Well, that rule should change. If they want the "Gaels" teams to work, they need to facilitate them. Change the rule. Allow teams who have played 'outsiders' in this year's championship to name a 17 including some outsiders, if they are genuine.

Else, name a league 17 and a championship 17 including the other clubs' players.

[Keyser Söze]

It is my understanding that the primary club will have to name 17, in Year 1, 2, 3......and so on.

Well, that rule should change. If they want the "Gaels" teams to work, they need to facilitate them. Change the rule. Allow teams who have played 'outsiders' in this year's championship to name a 17 including some outsiders, if they are genuine.

Else, name a league 17 and a championship 17 including the other clubs' players.

I disagree.
Amalgamations are the way forward. Not temporary little arrangements.

[Ballyroan Abbey]

I disagree.
Amalgamations are the way forward. Not temporary little arrangements.
[/quot
Just as a matter of interest what clubs do you think should amalgamate

[Keyser Söze]

I disagree.
Amalgamations are the way forward. Not temporary little arrangements.
[/quot
Just as a matter of interest what clubs do you think should amalgamate

I believe that any club is entitled to stand alone as a Junior/Intermediate Club.
I also believe that Senior Clubs are foolish in accommodating those from Junior/Intermediate Clubs in playing Senior at the expense of their own players.
I don't think Senior Clubs should be involved in group teams for the reasons above. If Junior and Intermediate Clubs wish to come together to form a Senior Group team then so be it.

To answer the question you asked, I don't have anybody in particular in mind, but I think Clubs that play together at Juvenile Level should seriously consider why they then divide resources at Adult level.
Castletown and Slieve Bloom would be the most obvious.
And contrary to what you stated earlier, they never actually amalgamated. Had they done so they would still be playing together. The arrangement they had was so loose that all it was ever going to take to end it was Castletown deciding to enter their football team or Slieve Bloom their own hurling team. This is what came to pass.
On the other hand, It is very difficult to disband a club, amalgamated or otherwise.

[Dave like the tv channel]

On that point, don't Rathdowney and Errill put in their own football teams?

[blueandwhite1]

Rathdowney and Errill GAA are separate clubs - football clubs. Rathdowney/Errill is a single hurling club - not technically an amalgamation. It was felt that allowing the 2 football clubs to combine would not be fair to the other clubs