12 Week Ban For Geezer

[Itchy]

Cavan started the fight
The ref made up a story about geezer
Willie Frazer isn't really from Armagh, he's a Tyrone man sent in to make Armagh people look like imbeciles
Getting locked before a game is the best way to watch Armagh play
The earth is flat

Do is life through the eyes of your average Armagh man

Was that the same fight that Marty Dunne broke his hand when the Armagh player headbutted his closed fist?

Poor Martin never played again for Cavan after that headbutt. There is a rumour that McGeeney used mind power to break Martins hand as he was seen leaving a mind guru training camp hosted by another legendary guru Uri Geller.

[mrdeeds]

I'm a Cavan man and like McGeeney. Fascinating character. I despise McQuillan who I think is one of the worst referees in Cavan club football and whatever McGeeney said was probably right. 

[ck]

Not all Armagh fans are whingers. In fact most of us are not but there is a vocal minority that are obsessed with victimhood, a misguided belief that a siege mentality can outfox tactical nouse and a refusal to meaningfully assess the current team and management.

Anyone who is positive about the potential of the current team is shouted down and if you dare to think positively that things can be done better then you are being disloyal to the guru on the sideline and treated as a traitor. My worry is that minority are disproportionately present in and around the current management and county set up.

We are too willing to become embroiled in phoney wars

Indeed not all Cavan men are bitter towards Armagh and McGeeney - there are though a vocal few.

You make some good points in your post, and I was largely in agreement with a lot of it. Yes indeed there are those who will not countenance any negativity and there is of course those exercising a siege mentality. However in Armagh, we're lucky, as we have a nice balanced set of viewpoints. For every man, woman and child refusing to acknowledge the negative, there are many who will refuse whatever positives are out there and show only too readily a willingness to put the boot in. Geezer and the current management are normally the target of their ire and many of those will use disparaging and ironic references to Geezer along such lines as, 'the guru'. 

I have to say I genuinely be taken aback by the ire that is directed towards Geezer around the country. Dublin and many of the Ulster counties come to mind - Cavan and Donegal are two in particular I have remarked on Boards.ie but it is very prevalent in our own County, which I believe is nothing short of a disgrace.

And before someone rushes in with it, no, that doesn't mean he gets a free pass. He should be held accountable like any other manager. I myself would have concerns with what I've seen in the way of selections and gameplan.

However when being held to account in our own County, my hope would be that those weighing these things up, acknowledge the paucity of top class players in our County and the fact that an awful lot of the slings and arrows which have befallen the team have been self-inflicted wounds, or as Dan Maskell used to say, 'unforced errors'. And a bit of respect might be in order too - considering 1999 - 2008. I'd say the fella has earned that.

Would agree with that.  Always struck me that he seems to attract a fair amount of ire from outside the county. Not sure why.

I can give you my viewpoint for what it's worth. For me it goes back to the GPA. McGeeney fronted it from the outset. I'm anti GPA and I saw McGeeney as someone who simply wanted to line his pockets. Not long later he was doing exactly that in Kildare. A man who didnt hold down a full time job and getting a full time salary in Kildare. Fact. A lot of people have no issue with this, fine, but I do.
McGeeney then heads back to Armagh, and for all his salary demands, his teams don't perform and he brings them to Div.3. At the same time he's running around with MMA and inviting media in to watch him train and that. I dislike his desire for profile.
All in all, i dislike the guy. I dislike what he stands for and most of all i dislike his arrogance. His comments to officials recently underline the character of the man. I know most of you will disagree with me but these are the reasons he's not a popular man.

[Beffs]

Don't have strong feelings about him, one way or another. I'm just baffled at the gushing, uber deferential treatement that he gets from a largely adoring media, when his managerial career really doesn't warrant it. They bang on about his legendary intensity and ferocity and ability to inspire cult like devotion in his players. But there is rarely any real analysis of his tactical acumen on the side line. Or lack therof. Brian Cody's decision making come in for more rigourous attention than Geezers does. It's baffling.

Yes, he was a legend of a player, but that was a long time ago. He should be judged on his achievements now, not what he did over a decade ago. No other former player manager has his playing days constantly brought up over and over, when the conversation should be about them as a manager. Why should he be different? I really don't get it.

No problem at all, with him making a few bob on the side. Anthony Daly and James Horan's bank managers must be the happiest men in the country these days and fair play to them for it. But they acheived real milestones in their last managerial gigs. When you see Geezer rocking up to yet another Off The Ball roadshow, or be the subject of yet another Barry Egan style adoring profile in the Indo, it's hard not to roll your eyes & wonder what did he achieve as a manager, to warrant yet another big pay day.

[mcklatchee]

I feckin hate MMA but you can't hate a man for liking something you don't. As for the money craic you're spot on.

McGeeney doesn't really seem to have any love for the game or its traditions. I get that he likes training. Likes the physical side of the game but never really got the impression that he would get any real thrill from a cracking game if he had no connection with either team. Maybe that latter comment is incorrect but it is the impression he gives

[tonto1888]

Not all Armagh fans are whingers. In fact most of us are not but there is a vocal minority that are obsessed with victimhood, a misguided belief that a siege mentality can outfox tactical nouse and a refusal to meaningfully assess the current team and management.

Anyone who is positive about the potential of the current team is shouted down and if you dare to think positively that things can be done better then you are being disloyal to the guru on the sideline and treated as a traitor. My worry is that minority are disproportionately present in and around the current management and county set up.

We are too willing to become embroiled in phoney wars

Indeed not all Cavan men are bitter towards Armagh and McGeeney - there are though a vocal few.

You make some good points in your post, and I was largely in agreement with a lot of it. Yes indeed there are those who will not countenance any negativity and there is of course those exercising a siege mentality. However in Armagh, we're lucky, as we have a nice balanced set of viewpoints. For every man, woman and child refusing to acknowledge the negative, there are many who will refuse whatever positives are out there and show only too readily a willingness to put the boot in. Geezer and the current management are normally the target of their ire and many of those will use disparaging and ironic references to Geezer along such lines as, 'the guru'. 

I have to say I genuinely be taken aback by the ire that is directed towards Geezer around the country. Dublin and many of the Ulster counties come to mind - Cavan and Donegal are two in particular I have remarked on Boards.ie but it is very prevalent in our own County, which I believe is nothing short of a disgrace.

And before someone rushes in with it, no, that doesn't mean he gets a free pass. He should be held accountable like any other manager. I myself would have concerns with what I've seen in the way of selections and gameplan.

However when being held to account in our own County, my hope would be that those weighing these things up, acknowledge the paucity of top class players in our County and the fact that an awful lot of the slings and arrows which have befallen the team have been self-inflicted wounds, or as Dan Maskell used to say, 'unforced errors'. And a bit of respect might be in order too - considering 1999 - 2008. I'd say the fella has earned that.

Would agree with that.  Always struck me that he seems to attract a fair amount of ire from outside the county. Not sure why.

I can give you my viewpoint for what it's worth. For me it goes back to the GPA. McGeeney fronted it from the outset. I'm anti GPA and I saw McGeeney as someone who simply wanted to line his pockets. Not long later he was doing exactly that in Kildare. A man who didnt hold down a full time job and getting a full time salary in Kildare. Fact. A lot of people have no issue with this, fine, but I do.
McGeeney then heads back to Armagh, and for all his salary demands, his teams don't perform and he brings them to Div.3. At the same time he's running around with MMA and inviting media in to watch him train and that. I dislike his desire for profile.
All in all, i dislike the guy. I dislike what he stands for and most of all i dislike his arrogance. His comments to officials recently underline the character of the man. I know most of you will disagree with me but these are the reasons he's not a popular man.

Armagh were in Division 3 when he took over
What were his salary demands and what were his recent comments towards officials

[Applesisapples]

A lot of people on here making assupmtions. What do we know? Geezer said something to McQuillian, he had a personal hearing and ended with a ban which to my knowledge he is not appealing. In fairness to both Geezer and the CB I have not seen nor heard any excuses or justification. Given the lack of respect to officials I think it is only right that should anyone speak out of line to an official then they need to be reprimanded. If...big if Geezer was threatening and agressive then a two match ban is not excessive. If anything and much as I love to watch Davy Fitz on the line he deserved more for his actions. It is unfortunate that given the nature of our games a two match suspension can mean the end of the summer for a player or a manager. But how else do we get discipline? That said too many matches are now decided by poor referees. Perhaps a fairer suspension should have been for the competition, I don't know.

[PAULD123]

McGeeney was lauded by the media for a fantastic record at Kildare. The reality was that in a weak province he reached only one Leinster final and relied on beating lots of div3/4 teams in the back door. In six years with Kildare he managed only one victory against Division one sides - Derry (who had just been relegated in 2010). It took him 5 years to get out of division 2. Since going to Armagh things have not been glorious.

McGeeney is disliked by a lot of people outside Armagh because he was lauded as a great manager, he earned absolutely top dollar and people think he deserved neither the adulation nor the money.

It may be fair to say he was overrated and over paid but that isn't a reason to dislike him. If Kildare wanted to pay him then that was their choice. It wasn't Geezer's fault that they paid him more than his results deserved. Also if the media choose to overstate his accomplishments again that wasn't his fault. Just because something is not fair doesn't mean the recipient is to blame.

he is no Messiah, but he is not a criminal either

[tonto1888]

McGeeney was lauded by the media for a fantastic record at Kildare. The reality was that in a weak province he reached only one Leinster final and relied on beating lots of div3/4 teams in the back door. In six years with Kildare he managed only one victory against Division one sides - Derry (who had just been relegated in 2010). It took him 5 years to get out of division 2. Since going to Armagh things have not been glorious.

McGeeney is disliked by a lot of people outside Armagh because he was lauded as a great manager, he earned absolutely top dollar and people think he deserved neither the adulation nor the money.

It may be fair to say he was overrated and over paid but that isn't a reason to dislike him. If Kildare wanted to pay him then that was their choice. It wasn't Geezer's fault that they paid him more than his results deserved. Also if the media choose to overstate his accomplishments again that wasn't his fault. Just because something is not fair doesn't mean the recipient is to blame.

he is no Messiah, but he is not a criminal either

how many times did Kildare play Dublin in Leinster when McGeeney was the manager?
How much did he earn in Kildare?

[brokencrossbar1]

he is no Messiah, but he is not a criminal either

He's a very naughty boy though!!!

The big concern I have with Geezer is not just him but the whole management structure. There is ongoing work with levels of mediocrity that will hold the county back. There is talent in Armagh, some really serious talent but there is no one at the helm or close to it who has any knowledge or experience of managing a team to real success. What is needed to be a good player is vastly different to what is needed to be a good manager. As it stands the county risks wasting another generation of talent like they have over the last 20 years because they do not have the right people and structures in place.

[Owen Brannigan]

he is no Messiah, but he is not a criminal either

He's a very naughty boy though!!!

The big concern I have with Geezer is not just him but the whole management structure. There is ongoing work with levels of mediocrity that will hold the county back. There is talent in Armagh, some really serious talent but there is no one at the helm or close to it who has any knowledge or experience of managing a team to real success. What is needed to be a good manager is vastly different to what is needed to be a good manager. As it stands the county risks wasting another generation of talent like they have over the last 20 years because they do not have the right people and structures in place.

Do you mean coach?

Are you referring to the backroom team that are with McGeeney?  They have virtually been the same people at its core for a long time, even before McGeeney was in charge.

[Applesisapples]

he is no Messiah, but he is not a criminal either

He's a very naughty boy though!!!

The big concern I have with Geezer is not just him but the whole management structure. There is ongoing work with levels of mediocrity that will hold the county back. There is talent in Armagh, some really serious talent but there is no one at the helm or close to it who has any knowledge or experience of managing a team to real success. What is needed to be a good manager is vastly different to what is needed to be a good manager. As it stands the county risks wasting another generation of talent like they have over the last 20 years because they do not have the right people and structures in place.

BCB, I am a big admirer of Cross and the way they go about being a club and playing football. However, and you may be close to the truth here in terms of structures the very evident divide between Cross and the rest needs to be closed. I say that and acknowledge that the fault is not all on Cross's side and the County Board needs to show some leadership here. We do need the likes of the McEntees, Oisin or Gareth O'Neill to get involved. I would add that this is the observation of an outsider in terms of the workings of football in the county.

[brokencrossbar1]

he is no Messiah, but he is not a criminal either

He's a very naughty boy though!!!

The big concern I have with Geezer is not just him but the whole management structure. There is ongoing work with levels of mediocrity that will hold the county back. There is talent in Armagh, some really serious talent but there is no one at the helm or close to it who has any knowledge or experience of managing a team to real success. What is needed to be a good manager is vastly different to what is needed to be a good manager. As it stands the county risks wasting another generation of talent like they have over the last 20 years because they do not have the right people and structures in place.

Do you mean coach?

Are you referring to the backroom team that are with McGeeney?  They have virtually been the same people at its core for a long time, even before McGeeney was in charge.

Meant player Owen.

The core staff being there a long time is the whole point. They are the same people involved in the management of under age structures and are simply not the answer. There are deep lying and long standing issues that will not be addressed as it stands. There is too much talent that will be lost if the right people are not in place within the county structures and by right people I mean people from my club.

[Taylor]

Oisin has the big RTE gig now so he is gone.

What is the other McEntee doing now? Hard to believe if he isnt involved with someone.

Dont know much about ONeill managing but he produces good players anyway.

From the outside looking in the players there dont seem to be good enough to be at the top table but a top 12 should be within their grasp.

[DuffleKing]

he is no Messiah, but he is not a criminal either

He's a very naughty boy though!!!

The big concern I have with Geezer is not just him but the whole management structure. There is ongoing work with levels of mediocrity that will hold the county back. There is talent in Armagh, some really serious talent but there is no one at the helm or close to it who has any knowledge or experience of managing a team to real success. What is needed to be a good player is vastly different to what is needed to be a good manager. As it stands the county risks wasting another generation of talent like they have over the last 20 years because they do not have the right people and structures in place.

There could be some truth in what you say but then the solution to what you query maybe doesn't lie in cross. The word you left out was "county" success. The difference now between club and county football has never been more pronounced and if your logic is to be applied, Armagh need to head hunt Malachy O'Rourke, Jim McGuinness or Mickey Harte.

Is it possible that what armagh lack is a a Donal murtagh, Packie mcconville or Gareth O'Neill influencing teams and player development? Tim Gregory maybe?

If there was any indication that this would translate into immediate or medium term success we could all embrace it, however the evidence really isn't there.

For example, the hostility previously and ongoing emanating from some parts of the county against Peter McDonnell is startling when you consider that he has won county and provincial club titles as well as bringing all Ireland U21 and Ulster senior titles to armagh.