Official Cavan GAA Thread

[mylestheslasher]

Apparentley a few senior Cavan Gaels players collectively decided in the dressing room after the game yesterday that they should not wear the blue of Cavan again until the refereeing in the county is sorted out.

My heart bleeds for the poor Drumalee man who probably would have got the Man of the Match award in the Minor final but for the Goalkeepers lapses in concentration.

Oh jaysus if that first bit is true....   Really hope it isn't

I'm not following your last sentence there Boojangles - care to elaborate?

If that meeting was held and this story is true then those players should be told to f**k off as a matter of the highest priority by the new management as set a standard nice and early of the type of player we need.

[anglocelt39]

Apparentley a few senior Cavan Gaels players collectively decided in the dressing room after the game yesterday that they should not wear the blue of Cavan again until the refereeing in the county is sorted out.


Ah jesus h christ I have no reason to doubt you Booj but what a load of feckin cobblers. Apparently the Gaels weren't too happy with the reffing against Galls in Breffni last year so can someobody check out if they were willing to play in this years Ulster Club had they won yesterday?

I probably wouldn't agree with Boojangles' wish that the Gaels had a chance to give Ulster a rattle this year. The unfortunate fact is that they have had the guts of 7 (?) goes at Ulster in the last 10 years and it gives me no pleasure to say they have not come near to making the breakthrough. High time somebody else got a cut at it, we will know an awful lot more about some of the Kingscourt lads if they were to get two days out in Ulster. The last time we were any way competitive in Ulster was in the mid 90's when the County senior titlle had been shared around about 4 clubs in a 5 year spell. Perhaps yesterdays result might give the gee up to Cuchulains, Belturbet, Rahan and, importantly, the Gaels.

[BallyhaiseMan]

We may not see any Cavan Gaels men donning the county jersey next year. I hear they are not happy.

If that is true then it is just pathetic. Yeah one or two rough decisions went against time and i did think Jimmy Galligan was completely out of his depth but that's football. They got beaten by a hungier team on the day and they should learn from it and come back a better outfit next year. CG were definitely playing withing themselves this year and I would say that defeat is the perfect reminder for them that they don't have the natural right to beat other teams in Cavan.

Wakely was immense today and should be tried with the county if he is interested despite his age. Toasty was brilliant as well and just everywhere on the park Kingscourt worked their arses off and it just shows you if you, commit to something, row in behind each other and just work that things can be achieved. County team please take note.

Work work work should be the new Cavan mantra going forward. We all know we have decent footballers. But when was the last time we saw a Cavan player go down with cramp during a game from sheer hard work? Work work work.

If Andrews and Hyland get that going for a start, I'll be a happy man.

Well done Kingscourt.

Great post PIU. Congratulations to Kingscourt is right. Great to see the Senior Championship back down this neck of the woods 15 years after your own club won it. Hopefully it will spark some competition between clubs after the Gaels dominating for so long. To think that Kingscourt were in Division 2 and nearly getting relegated to intermediate not so long ago, it goes to show what alot of teams and players can do once they are hungry for it. This county needs that example to be set and I think that Kingscourt have done that.

Congratulations to Kingscourt again, and commiserations to Cavan Gaels. Hopefully they'll respond in the right way and let their football do the talking for both club and then county. Its important to have good competition in this county.

Also congratulations to Ballyhaise and BallyhaiseMan on their victory over us in the Junior C championship the other night, best team won on the day regardless of all of the craic with the referee.

Cheers for that CC1,You lads put up a better showing against our junior team this year in league and championship than everyone else bar Baileborough.
Our 2nds done the double,without losing a game in league or championship and just drawing two,Great record.

[whats my name]

its the same old story anytime something doesn't go a teams way the first man to blame is the ref and then the manager wish the Gaels would get down of their high horses and play abit of ball for the county and quit blaming everyone else as the reason for not playing for the county. and well done kingscourt great to see a team break the Gaels stranglehold on cavan football hopefully they will give ulster a good rattle

[Lawrence of Knockbride]

Well if I may give my two cents to a couple of your questions:
If your keeper/backs stopped chances then Kingscourt could have executed them better so they were missed chances but we'll not get bogged down in that.
Stats aside, were there particular fouls given to Kingscourt that you can remember that weren't genuine fouls? And if they were, were they any more blatant than in your average game where we all question refereeing decisions?
I know what Johnston got booked for. I think he had missed a free (can't be certain of that) and as he walked back out one of the Kingscourt boys gave him a bit of lip and Johnston stuck out his leg and tripped him up. It was hamless enough alright but there you go-he shouldn't have tripped him up. And I reckon Seanie definitely knows. I can't believe Clarke didn't get booked, I assumed he did, very poor decision. The penalty was a definite penalty but one you often see not given. A clear pull on the jersey followed by a quick release to try to get away with it. Soft but clear. The one you didn't mention was Jimmy pointing for a free to the Gaels and then taking his hand down before he blew the whistle.
The point is that many a team has fallen foul of bad refs. One suggestion would be to bring in refs from other counties and obviously to train refs better. The gaels weren't any worse done than other matches I've seen. I've always thought Jimmy was poor. But if any of what Boojangles has suggested is happening is true then I think a few boys would need to look in the mirror and not at Jimmy Gallingan

[boojangles]

Congratulations to Kingscourt Stars on Sunday, when the game was up for grabs with about 5 mins to go they took their chances whilst we missed ours. After the 'was it a penalty or wasn't it' we hit the next two points very quickly to bring it back to one, and then we had two really easy chances missed by young inexperienced players followed by an easy free put into the keepers hands by a very experienced player, and that is where we lost it. Never mind the chances we missed in the first half to put serious day light between ourselves and Kingscourt. So overall, Kingscourt were full value for winning. No doubt they had a few goal chances in the first halve, but our defenders and keeper deserve full credit for blocking those chances, they could not be marked as missed opportunities for the opposition, they took them , it just our defenders had the skill to block them. I wish them well in the Ulster championship. we had a good evening with them back at the Kilmore.
And they very graciously acknowledged that they felt they got what was going. I wish them well.
On the ref, Kingscourt scored 1 gl and 10 pts from their total of 1gl and 13pts from placed balls. No doubt there certainly were some genuine fouls, but for anyone to tell us that we conceded 11 genuine fouls in scorable positions, well lets say we find it highly unusual at the very least and highly disingenuous at best.  Does anyone know why Johnston got booked in the 1st 5 minutes, none of us nor Johnston do, why the player who emptied Cathal Collins with a shoulder tackle right down his centre (his arm is broken in two places) didn't get at least a tick never mind a yellow card at the least. A critical hit that it was, as collins was being very dominant on break ball, and the game definitely turned against us when he went off. How did the player playing on Johnson not get fouled out for persistant aggressive fouling. I am not not even going to mention the penalty that even Kingcourt forwards conceded they were surprised to get. We actually feel over the hour that the refs performance was that bl antant. Genuinely disgusted by the ref and also by the chances we missed. all in all , as Clint said in one of his movies, a clusterfuck!

Thastheball- refereeing performances like that are and have been going on for years now. My own club are at the end of their tether with some referees yet we still seem to get the same referees over and over. We have asked the CCC down through the years for anybody but a select few whom we never seem to get fair play with. Doesn't happen.
I had one supporter tell me he never seen a more biased refereeing performance against us after our championship win a few weeks back. We as a club have come to accept that in some games we are not going to get fair play.
Its happening but what can we do. throwing the toys out of the pram is no use.

There was no malice in Alan Clarkes shoulder charge,deserved no more than a booking, if that. Im sorry to hear Cathal Collins has a broken arm but these things happen in games.
You talk about persistent aggressive fouling on Jelly. I counted 2, maybe 3 occasions where Wakely was done for fouling,. By the letter of the law he could have been sent off, if it was 3 times.
In the Quarter Final against Cuchulainns Cathal Collins was done for fouling Conor Smith at least 4 times, he didnt get gate. Swings and Roundabouts.

Jimmy Galligan did Cavan Gaels no favours but he definitely did not beat yas. There was an element within your team or club that took Kingscourt for granted, that was what beat yas.

[put-it-up-again]

Cavan Gaels please stop this pettish bickering and accept the beating that you got.

We know you are a good team, we know what you have achieved but show a bit of grace and dignity in defeat and try to use the disappointment you are all now feeling to come back a better team. If i gave you all a euro for everytime I got rode by a ref be it in club or college football over the years then I would be handing out a fair few shillings.

In fairness I have only spoken to one or two CG men since the game and they themselves felt the hungrier team won but if they honestly said in the dressing room after the game that none of them are willing to play for Cavan until the standards of refereeing are sorted out then I would prefer that that dressing room was locked shut and leave them all in there.

I am sure it won't happen and it was all just heat of the moment stuff but get down of that high horse, hold your hands up and say we weren't as hungry as we were in recent years and come back next year a better team. Don't forget CG had 7 lads on the field that were u21 so they will all learn from that experience.

[cogito]

You are all missing the point, this is our countys show piece, and for that standard of referring to be accepted by you, says alot about your bootm line. For a game to be played at that level and for a ref to be so blatantly bais is not good enough. Its not just my opinion. I was talking to a neutral after the game, who came from another county to was the game, and he said he never seen such poor refereeing in years at that level of competition. He said he had seen that standard at club league games and earlier rounds of club championship, but at the level of a senior county final, he never seen the like of it, particularly, and i emphasis his words 'how bais the ref was' for the other team

I don't agree that Kingscourt were hungier, that is just a lazy mans analysis', as I said we responded the way a hungry team should, after the penalty that should never have been, we missed the chances, we had the chances to win it regardless of the ref, and we have no one to blame other than ourselves. We will have no grip with Kingscourt. As i said no one points any of this in Kingscourts way, we wished them the very best of luck in Ulster on sundasy evening at the kilmore, and that was genuine. We're used to having to beat the other team and the ref, but this Sunday it there for all to see, and conceded by many that the ref certainly did not favour us. Perhaps you were just as glad as the ref to shape the result.

I'm gonna jump in here boyo's and have my say. Been following this thread with interest for the last few days.

First of all that comment I have emboldened. Do you really wonder why people can't stomach your attitudes?

I have honestly never heard of a shower like Cavan Gaels. You win Cavan year after year, walk around with arrogance and cockiness like your world beaters, get beaten in Ulster but still think the lord gave you all the right to have everything your own way. You lost. Get over it.

I heard the ref was pretty generous to you against Cuchullains in the QF. Build us a bridge and play your violin off it.

The refereeing was bad. Even during the game he was putting his had up at times and not blowing the whistling and to be honest I found him very cofusing at times. I don't get too many Cavan games during the year as I am based in Wexford but I was home for the weekend and I honestly thought Kingscourt were willing to go that extra inch for the title.

I am certainly not saying the Gaels weren't hungry but do you genuinely believe your boys wanted that title as much as Kingscourt? If you do you are blind. They were limping around with cramps yet still harryying and blocking. I don't remember the last time I enjoyed a performance as much.

[cogito]

Well i am certain that i can say that none of you hear have had to put up with the begrudery that we experience from having dominated the football for the past ten year in Cavan. No, none of you have experienced pratically very club wanting you beaten and then the refs after that, and that becomes even more evident in this thread. The laugh is that most of you agree that the ref favoured the opposition, but you don't concede that it might have favoured the result also. Thats doesn't tally.

You weren't at the cuchullians game numnut so don't comment, but I shall. The ref was also poor against Cuchullians,(f**k does that sound familiar) but at least he was crap for both teams. We got a player sent off in that game, and won it with 14 players. Cuchullians started the second half with 14 players on the pitch and that was there fault. The guy was having a piss when the ref threw the ball in, FA to do with the ref, its up to your team to get on the pitch especially when you had at least ten minute break at half time, no excuses

Firstly can you not have an honest debate without resorting to childish name calling? It would have been easy for my to call you an arrogant d**khead but i refrained from doing so.

Honestly your attitude is laughable. The whole world is against us and it's not fair. Whinge whinge whinge.

You think Crossmaglen will cry like this if they get beaten? Everyone accepts you have the best team in Cavan but this year you lost. For the penalty there was a tug on the jersey and I might be wrong but I think it was the umpire that actually flagged it. I don't recall one particular scoring free that Kingscourt got that wasn't a foul either.

If you got over this whole referee thing for one second you might notice that your defence was genuinely struggling to contain Kingscourt on the break and when the ball went in directly. Maybe that is why some fouling occured.

[Swadman]

Hmmmm...... same old story, when we're bet we blame the ref, and this applies to all the clubs not just the Gaels. (although they are top of the league at that too)

Look to yourselves - I have 2 questions:
1. Did the fact that there were no Cavan Gaels men involved at I.C. level (bar Jelly) take the edge off the team?
2. If the rumours of a boycott are true and they wont have any county men next year either, then are we seeing the start of a decline in their dominance at senior level?

[Babe Ruth 47]

First of all, congratulations to Kingscourt, well deserved.

On a number of points raised here, firstly Johnstone deserved a yellow, took a kick at his man coming out for the kickout, albeit small, but was well spotted by the linesman and deserved. Helped the game as a whole to see him carded so early, cut out all the bad manners straight away. Ive been fortunate enough to see championship games the breath of the country this year and Ive see some great player in action, Cussen, Cadogan, McGourty, Joyce etc, not one off whom display the attitude problem like Johnstone on the field of play. He is undoubtedly a good player but will never be great unless he learns some manners.

Very unfortunate injury to Collins, he got on some great ball, and i wish him well, his absence certainly made a huge difference, but I don't think there was any malice in Clarke's challenge, though probably did deserve a yellow.

Thought the penalty was a penalty, though a ridiculus one to give away, the ball had gone well past by the time it happened. Young Leddy too, like his captain needs to learn some manners, all the time pulling, dragging and yapping, this time it cost them dearly.

They Gaels can be justifiably feel agrieved by Jimmy Galligan's decision at the end to let play continue after he clearly gestured for a free. Highly peculiar decision to renage especially consided it lead to a Kingscourt score.

[anglocelt39]

Pretty world class display of sore losing there from thatstheball methinks. Everyone is Cavan is against the Gaels and they have to beat the ref every time they go out. Against all odds they win 7 county titles in the last ten years, some achievement with all the forces lined up against them, you'd imagine that they would storm through the Ulster Club in the circumstances but, unfortunately, twas not to be. As Fitzpatrick in the Celt said at the weekend one of the Gaels mentors let the mask slip a bit after the semi final when he talked about Walsh being fit in time for the Ulster Club championships.

I would like to hear the views of Terry Coyle in due course who comes across as a genuinely reasonable poster.

In related stories, Louth and Kildare are withdrawing from next years Leinster championships and All Ireland series until the GAA get the reffing sorted out.

[Terry Coyle]

Have been reading the thread over the last few days and wanted to get over the disappointment before saying anything.

Firstly, and what should be the main topic of conversation, well done to Kingscourt! Great display of heart and determination. I hope other clubs take that on board and see what can be achieved. Remember this was a division 2 team last year.

On the topic of Jimmy Galligan - Did he cost us the game? Absolutely not. We had chances, didnt take them. Jelly was our only forward who really performed as a scoring threat. We had nothing else unfortunately on the day.

Now was Jimmy Galligan biased in a lot of his decisions? Totally. A blind man could see that. The work our forwards had to do to get a free compared to the Kingscourt forwards was 10 fold in comparison. Every neutral I have spoken to, and indeed overheard, have said that the refereeing was a scandal. This includes people from outside the county who knew nothing about the ref or a lot of the players. So this is just not us Gaels people complaining. Even a few Mullahoran people said it!!! Bottom line, refereeing in Cavan is a joke for everyone which needs to be rectified.

Can I make one last point as well? Our club has shown no signs of sore losers. Unfortunately people on here have seen some Gaels members act unsportingly, but which club doesnt have these people? The majority of Gaels people/players after the match clapped Kingscourt when they lifted the trophy and got on well with them out in the Kilmore after. So there are some decent folk. I think you are being harsh on ThatsTheBall (who I dont know at all). By the way, Cathal got a plate in his arm this morning in surgery so is on the mend. Wish him speedy recovery.

So to end best of luck to Kingscourt in Ulster. I sincerely hope they do well. Oh, and we'll be back! 

[mylestheslasher]

Have been reading the thread over the last few days and wanted to get over the disappointment before saying anything.

Firstly, and what should be the main topic of conversation, well done to Kingscourt! Great display of heart and determination. I hope other clubs take that on board and see what can be achieved. Remember this was a division 2 team last year.

On the topic of Jimmy Galligan - Did he cost us the game? Absolutely not. We had chances, didnt take them. Jelly was our only forward who really performed as a scoring threat. We had nothing else unfortunately on the day.

Now was Jimmy Galligan biased in a lot of his decisions? Totally. A blind man could see that. The work our forwards had to do to get a free compared to the Kingscourt forwards was 10 fold in comparison. Every neutral I have spoken to, and indeed overheard, have said that the refereeing was a scandal. This includes people from outside the county who knew nothing about the ref or a lot of the players. So this is just not us Gaels people complaining. Even a few Mullahoran people said it!!! Bottom line, refereeing in Cavan is a joke for everyone which needs to be rectified.

Can I make one last point as well? Our club has shown no signs of sore losers. Unfortunately people on here have seen some Gaels members act unsportingly, but which club doesnt have these people? The majority of Gaels people/players after the match clapped Kingscourt when they lifted the trophy and got on well with them out in the Kilmore after. So there are some decent folk. I think you are being harsh on ThatsTheBall (who I dont know at all). By the way, Cathal got a plate in his arm this morning in surgery so is on the mend. Wish him speedy recovery.

So to end best of luck to Kingscourt in Ulster. I sincerely hope they do well. Oh, and we'll be back! 

Can you shed any light on certain players deciding after the game to boycott the county team because if its true it makes a mockery of the sportsmanship of Cavan Gaels. For what its worth I really hope it is not true cos for me it means firstly, we are missing some of the best players in the county and secondly, due to bad attitudes, we could not really want these players involved with the County team anyway (what would this sort of player do if they got subbed, weren't selected etc)

[rodney trotter]

My own club is lacken but some of jimmys decisions were a bit bias..but  kingscout were the better team and deserved the win. Johnston was the only threat from cavan gaels in the fowards as well a s lyng giving the ball in.. The likes of mcclarey,niall muray and martin dunne when he came on were all very poor.. Maybe if they gaels didnt rely on johnston so much and other players stepped up they might have won.. i was delighted for kingscourt,they have had an outstanding season. they will probaly do the double and win the league,or make it a treble and win th Ulster club