The Future for Laois Football

[High Fielder]

Agreed. Good things going on in Offaly. Trying something different and thinking on their feet. We accept our fate too easily. We don't address what we feel is unchangeable. We absolutely must address the lack of numbers we're getting from Portlaoise, and if that means a split of sorts, even at underage level, then that is what we must do. I don't want to see the Portlaoise club split up, but maybe we need a schools based approach to the underage teams. Or area. I don't know. But something which allows us to get as many youngsters playing as possible. Some of the stuff going on at underage is unforgivable; the beatings, the lack of numbers and so on. And nothing being done to address it. Just letting it slide. Hoping that next year will be different. A poisonous mindset that has brought us to the point we're at now, where our standard is way below average. These things don't change by themselves. We too need a Duignan type figure and similarly minded people to get out there and bring about change. Not just lose a manager get a manager, publish fixtures and gloss over the beatings. There has to be more to it than that

[The PRO]

A few figures.
Laois total population is around 85K.
Portlaoise total population is around 22K i.e. 25%.
Now, Portlaoise has a non Irish national population of around 25% so if you say 16K for Portlaoise, it's still close on 20% of the total population of the county. (By the way, non Irish national kids can and should be very good at hurling and football given the chance too but I know there's probably a cultural preference for other sports)
You have Clonad and The Heath maybe picking up a few kids from the town. But it's not enough. Portlaoise needs a second juvenile club. It was done very successfully in Ennis where the new club started with 10 year olds and under and they now have an extra adult club in the town. Athlone too (but that was more as the result of a split in the club).
I know Portlaoise wouldn't be happy about this but it's simply not good enough that hundreds of kids are either not playing gaelic games at all or are falling through the cracks at a young age.

[Butch Cassidy]

Can anyone from Portlaoise on here advise on how their underage is going. Have numbers gone down since the move out of the town? Would they be open to a new club starting up in the town?

On a side note, have any clubs appointed GDOs?

[Giovanni]

I think its informative to look at how Duignan brought about change to a stagnant situation in Offaly

Not only did he run for the chair but he had a cabinet of like minded people also in place to run for the various positions on the top table at the same convention.

As HF already pointed out, you'd be gobbled up here, if any one person was make the top table.

Its interesting to see the transformation in Offaly since Duignan and his team got into position

debt on Tullamore cleared

debt on faithful fields cleared with them now planning for an all weather pitch to the tune of €1m

a covid fundraiser which generated hundred of thousands and was split between the CB and the clubs

Coporate sponsors on board including the likes of Shane Lowry

5 GDA'S in Place

12 Club GPO'S to be in place by autumn this year,some are already in the likes of Edenderry and Tullamore,but you have smaller clubs sharing them as well

and this is before you come to the massive upturn in fortunes in both codes at underage Intercounty level

you also see the placement of key men that know what they are doing in the under age setups.

There's also been some innovations in the club juvenile competitions with them introducing a league for dual clubs in both hurling and football which facilitates clubs trying to serve both codes.


All this in a county which has a smaller population than ours, which has a similar dual code split and has 8 fewer clubs.

if it can be done in Offaly

why cant it be done here?

Great post. We have people in the county who could have the same impact as Duignan but, as you say, it would require the installation of a whole new team of people that shares a vision. With the best will in the world, you can't expect people who are there for years to have the energy and creativity to keep pushing it forward. 

[High Fielder]

All the more reason to stand aside? These lads tell a coach it's time to move along, but if the only way to remove CB officers in Laois is to get the nodding dogs to move against them, then I have a feeling we'll be having this discussion for a long time. How many hangers on get the auld parking spot, free entry and programme? I want to see the whole thing smashed up and give people something to invest in; a project that we can genuinely row in behind. Seems to me it's all gotten a little bit cosy, and it has coincided with one of the worst ever periods in our history. Change is needed and I don't mean our Senior Manager

[clonadmad]

The template as to how to effect change at the top table is in place already

It's been done already in offaly

An approach is made to a laois person with the standing of a Duignan

You then build a cabinet around this person with people with the necessary skill set for that particular position

And you then present them as a complete package for election at convention

I've sat in a number of conventions and the number of contests for positions you can nearly always count on the fingers never mind the thumb of one hand

You get these people in

And you drive change from the top

[town1980]

There must be a manager in place as it has all gone very quiet and our big games are comming up this weekend

[Portbush]

We have 16 senior clubs in laois probably 8 underage teams playing A football and that's the supply chain for most of these clubs bar a few. That's a major problem but that's been the way for a good number of years and nothing done about it.I agree with a lot off the things said here so if we can see it are they just ignoring it.who would let mouthmellick join with 4 other teams 1 yes but that's a joke.

[Chrimtain]

Who in Laois would have the same standing as Duignan in Offaly? Cheddar, Chris Conway, Michael Dempsey? Who else?

[Ballyroan Abbey]

Critchley or Dempsey if you were looking for someone who would be seen as non biased towards either code because I could imagine some football people being unhappy with cheddar, ideally you would have all 3 involved though

[town1980]

I agree with ballyroan abbey there the only  candidates

[clonadmad]

I don't think Offaly football has been discriminated against by having a perceived hurling man such as Duignan in as county board chairman

If we have football or hurling clubs thinking straight away that men such as cheddar Plunkett would discriminate against one code over another and they in the role of county board chairman.

Then we are in an even bigger hole than I thought we already are in

But fair enough

Dempsey as Cb chairman

Critchley as hurling board chairman/hurling development/head of hurling whatever you want to call it

With Conway as his football equivalent

And you build your "cabinet" from there 

[Zooming around]

Critchley or Dempsey if you were looking for someone who would be seen as non biased towards either code because I could imagine some football people being unhappy with cheddar, ideally you would have all 3 involved though

The exact same standing would be someone like Niall Rigney, not Cheddar, Critchley etc.

[The PRO]

Chris Conway would have zero interest in getting involved with administration at county level.

[clonadmad]

Chris Conway would have zero interest in getting involved with administration at county level.

We will scrub your name from the list then,Chris