Sligo Club Football & Hurling

[paddypastit]

Good man Sligonian, glad to see that you are as lively as ever - keep using the sun block.

Only got to see the second half yesterday but can't disagree with the general sense of disappointment.

The thing that struck me most me was the physical shortcomings of Harps. They were either leggy young lads or well conditioned and slow - very few looked at the pace of the game physically and it didn't help the team's shape or lack of it.

Can't comment on the merits of Harps or anyone else for the year(s) ahead but I will offer one thought.  I watched, and was on the other end of, the early days of the rsie of Harps as a force from the early / mid 90s and one of the characteristics that made them effective was a definite sense of collective method (call it game plan) that other teams in Sligo simply didn't have.  Ally that to a strong level of commitment that always seems to be there and they will still be hard to beat... although there was little of either in evidence yesterday.

[SLIGONIAN]

Take it easy there good lad. I'm giving my opinion. You have expressed yours so i think i have a right to express mine. Most of the team is still young enough to win a few more county titles. Taylor probably doesn't have many years left in him judging by his display yesterday but he was still the highest scorer in Sligo championship by some distance.
Plus Harps were unlucky yo lose the previous years county final in his absence so they are not totally reliant on him.

Mano, dont go to the trouble of highlighting a paragraph of my post, then disagreeing with it when you didnt even read my post in the first place. Your saying i said harps are finished and too old but that is false. Your interpretation is completely false ive explained already. This happens alot and shouldnt. Im not asking for anyone to agree with my view, just reply to whats been said not to the stuff going on your own head, simple as that.

Your last 2 sentences of your last post above are 2 greatest contradictions ive ever read .  PT is top scorer by a mile, but harps arent totally reliant on him. Maybe youve a problem reading your own posts too there mano. Im here to help .

Sorry Paddy Dubai wont change me sorry, i miss Sligo big time although i am going to a snow boarding lesson tommorrow so that should cool me down just fine.

[Mano]

This could be close to the end of an era for harps

I think i can read your post just fine - thanks Sligonian for your concern . If it reads 'This could be close to the end of an era for Harps' then i disagree with it-perhaps you have a hidden meaning there that means something else. I'm not disagreeing with you to antagonise you or to upset you in any way so please don't take it personal. I just have a different opinion to yourself-who knows which one of us is wrong time will tell.

I am going to list the reasons why i think the Harps will continue to flourish and perhaps you can reply with the list of reasons why you think that 'This could be close to the end of an era for Harps' in a proper debate rather than been smart and disrespectful.
1) Harps are still a young side with Taylor the only one over 30 in starting 15
2) Taylor is a pale shadow of the player who i played against 5 to 10 years ago so they should be able to cope in his absence. Most of his scores have come from frees. Thomas Cryan and Hannon can take over from him in that department-hope that solves the apparent contradiction before.
3) They got to a county final last year in his absence and were unlucky to be beaten by 2 points by my own club.
4) They have some players heading away to find work but most clubs will be faced by that problem giving the current economic conditions. My club will be without Barry Kirrane and Brendan Egan next year who are both currently abroad.

Im here to help .

Why would i need your help Sligonian?

[Owenmoresider]

Very disappointed with Harps on Sunday, never really got going on the day, and seemed to run out of steam near the end. Phillips and Donovan did their bit though Phillips was a little fortunate to only get a yellow for his misdemeanour, as was McGovern just before that. But I doubt if they would have beaten Corofin in any event, they are a useful side, and will trouble Kilmacud in the semis I'd imagine. Still Harps have had a good run, Owen B back at the ranch after six years, the other senior trophies (excluding the rinky-dink one John's won) won also, and two wins in Connacht, including humbling their upstart Rossie neighbours in the process. They have had worse years.

[Teeling Gael]

As I was watching it , I had a similiar thoughts on Harps as Sligonian. Naturally when a team is getting well beaten , its very easy to be negative but these are my reasons as to why harps wont win Sligo next year.

1. Ye are concentrating on wrong Taylor I believe. Without Tony , they will struggle in midfield and whilst they may be close without him owing to the overall strength of team, they will struggle against the big clubs in midfield witness 2007 county final.
2. Paul taylor will be a year older and I believe seldom trains due to various injuries.His participation next summer is in th elap of the Gods really at 34.  He naturally will be hard to replace and feel his influence goes beyound frees and perhaps is more a leadership issue more than a footballing issue

3. Harps have not been as competitive underage in recent years and whilst they may only need a couple coming through each year, Tourlestrane and Curry obviously have more.

4. 20 years since a team won 2 in a row.

No other team in county would have resources to leave a star intercounty U21 on bench like Peter Rafferty so whilst dont expect them to win next year , i would expect another championship within 3 years. Agree with paddy as well about their style of play. Every Harps team has played the same way over last 15 years and this undoubtedly has help give them an edge.

[Sligoper]

Id hardly call Peter Raff a star U21 player? I'm sure there were plenty of that U21 panel who were not starting for their club teams.

I think Harps will suffer to be honest. The two Taylors being absolutely vital. They were the two lads who dragged them out when things were tough. You seen this in the two semi final games and the final. Along with a dodgy goalkeeper i think Harps may suffer??

As a matter of interest who do people think will challenge for Owen B next year?

[SLIGONIAN]

This could be close to the end of an era for harps

I think i can read your post just fine - thanks Sligonian for your concern . If it reads 'This could be close to the end of an era for Harps' then i disagree with it-perhaps you have a hidden meaning there that means something else. I'm not disagreeing with you to antagonise you or to upset you in any way so please don't take it personal. I just have a different opinion to yourself-who knows which one of us is wrong time will tell.

I am going to list the reasons why i think the Harps will continue to flourish and perhaps you can reply with the list of reasons why you think that 'This could be close to the end of an era for Harps' in a proper debate rather than been smart and disrespectful.
1) Harps are still a young side with Taylor the only one over 30 in starting 15
2) Taylor is a pale shadow of the player who i played against 5 to 10 years ago so they should be able to cope in his absence. Most of his scores have come from frees. Thomas Cryan and Hannon can take over from him in that department-hope that solves the apparent contradiction before.
3) They got to a county final last year in his absence and were unlucky to be beaten by 2 points by my own club.
4) They have some players heading away to find work but most clubs will be faced by that problem giving the current economic conditions. My club will be without Barry Kirrane and Brendan Egan next year who are both currently abroad.

Im here to help .

Why would i need your help Sligonian?

Help interpretating my words is what im getting at so i dont have to explain 2 or 3 times. Probably a level above your understanding of football so i'll bear that i mind in future and respect that.

The era im on about is the Paul Taylor era, goes without saying, he will only decline from here on in. To be honest this yr was the best ive seen him for yrs, i would say he got back 80% his best. He never was blessed with pace.

For me losing a sligo club final and winning one and beating mayo and leitrim champions to add to that is the difference PT makes. He is a leader and Harps never panic with him on the field. When they lose him, the Currys and Tourlestranes will be stronger IMO.  His form has been the vital edge that carried them over the line this yr. Hannon is left footed and not as consistent, Cryan takes frees from the ground and has good drive but inconsistent. PT is just irreplaceable. If he plays next yr and shows aswell fair play to him and seeing him this brought me great pride in sligo football.

[Mano]

Help interpretating my words is what im getting at so i dont have to explain 2 or 3 times.

So you said in your initial post was not what you actually meant to write

This could be close to the end of an era for harps

But now you seem to have changed you arguement slightly and modified your comments to

The era im on about is the Paul Taylor era,

I should have been able to interpret that it was actually the Paul Taylor era you were referring to and not the Harps era Thanks for clearing that up.
In which case i would agree with you that Paul Taylor is close to the end of his playing days and may be difficult to get him back playing as well next year but i still think Harps will be strong again next year. Good we can agree on something

Probably a level above your understanding of football so i'll bear that i mind in future and respect that.

My involvement in football is a lot more substanstial than yours having won 3 county senior titles, 3 senior leagues, 2 connaught colleges and one All-Ireland college medal. I am in a better position to talk about football than someone who seems to prefer writing than playing football.

[Sligoper]

Mano is an attracta's/Banada man!! Ill take a crack at Tourlestrane as being his club aswell!!!

[SLIGONIAN]

Help interpretating my words is what im getting at so i dont have to explain 2 or 3 times.

So you said in your initial post was not what you actually meant to write

This could be close to the end of an era for harps

But now you seem to have changed you arguement slightly and modified your comments to

The era im on about is the Paul Taylor era,

I should have been able to interpret that it was actually the Paul Taylor era you were referring to and not the Harps era Thanks for clearing that up.
In which case i would agree with you that Paul Taylor is close to the end of his playing days and may be difficult to get him back playing as well next year but i still think Harps will be strong again next year. Good we can agree on something

Probably a level above your understanding of football so i'll bear that i mind in future and respect that.

My involvement in football is a lot more substanstial than yours having won 3 county senior titles, 3 senior leagues, 2 connaught colleges and one All-Ireland college medal. I am in a better position to talk about football than someone who seems to prefer writing than playing football.

I stand by my first post. I havnt changed it just clarified further. Listen me and you are on completely different wave lengths with the way i see things, i accept that now.

For some of us Mano the privelege of been able to play gets taken away out of your control. And another thing for a man who as you pointed out hasnt played last couple of yrs and yet everyone knows my identity takes some doing.

Do you honestly think you know more about football than me because you won this and that? Does that make your opinion more right. Mattie Hoey won connacht for us in 75 and i can tell i know alot more about football than him. Although alot people have seen me play so why dont you ask them, did i display much football knowledge on the field and am i any good? I could into some egotiscal stuff about my succeses at football but i wont. I might make a comeback yet when my circumstances change, and im sure ye'll all love to see me walk the walk. Lastly alot of brainless footballers won alot more than me no doubt about that. Not saying that about you BTW.

[Sligoper]

Gripping stuff altogether

[baoithe]

Jesus tonight.

[paddypastit]

I know this is totally a wrong thing to say but I have to confess to logging on here now for some online rubbernecking!!

[Owenmoresider]

As I was watching it , I had a similiar thoughts on Harps as Sligonian. Naturally when a team is getting well beaten , its very easy to be negative but these are my reasons as to why harps wont win Sligo next year.

1. Ye are concentrating on wrong Taylor I believe. Without Tony , they will struggle in midfield and whilst they may be close without him owing to the overall strength of team, they will struggle against the big clubs in midfield witness 2007 county final.
2. Paul taylor will be a year older and I believe seldom trains due to various injuries.His participation next summer is in th elap of the Gods really at 34.  He naturally will be hard to replace and feel his influence goes beyound frees and perhaps is more a leadership issue more than a footballing issue

3. Harps have not been as competitive underage in recent years and whilst they may only need a couple coming through each year, Tourlestrane and Curry obviously have more.

4. 20 years since a team won 2 in a row.

No other team in county would have resources to leave a star intercounty U21 on bench like Peter Rafferty so whilst dont expect them to win next year , i would expect another championship within 3 years. Agree with paddy as well about their style of play. Every Harps team has played the same way over last 15 years and this undoubtedly has help give them an edge.

I'd agree with a lot of this. Harps' midfield woes cost them last year more than P. Taylor's absence, could still have won the final but for a bad miss by Rafferty in the first half. While they have decent forwards, none have shown yet the reliability and efficiency in scoring that Taylor has done, so he will be a loss when he calls it a day, which is probably not that far off coming. It will be up to the others to step up and replace him, time will tell on that.

It won't finish them as a force by any means though, even Pat's stayed in the leading pack for a good number of years after Kearins packed it in, it was only when that 80's team started to break up, and the lack of upcoming talent to replace them, that their decline began, and their present plight for such a successful club is a sorry one. Harps' present team has been based from the minor wins of 2000 and 2004, plus a pretty good team in 98, which was toppled by John's, but they have not been going well at underage for the last few years, which considering the area they have to choose from, making up for the usual problems that smaller rural clubs would have, is remarkable. If they can get a few players through the ranks to senior from those teams, despite the lack of success, it might not affect them too badly, but it doesn't particularly bode well to not be challenging for underage honours. But other clubs have far bigger problems ahead in that regard. FWIW only 6 of last Sunday's panel are over 30, and three of those are 33 or over. Tourlestrane would have a few hitting that age bracket as well (O'Hara, Durkin, McGowan etc.), and other clubs surely do too.

The other thing is the issue of playing upping sticks and heading off, two of them who played last Sunday have already done so, and a few from the Intermediate team went away also. While this could be said for other clubs too like Mano has said, it seems to me that a lot more lads from Harps country are involving in a construction-related trade than perhaps there are in other club areas, 17/39 or so judging from last Sunday's programme, and another 6 are students, and if it gets really messy than they might be in a bad situation. Not quite like the 80's though surely - we won two Under-21's in the early part of the decade, and two years after the second one most of that team had emigrated. A terrible loss to us, and we suffered for it as time passed, considering we were annual contenders in the Intermediate back then (when senior had just eight teams in it too).

And some of the more recent posts have me feeling like this...

[magpie seanie]

Sligonian - no matter how much you know about the game the day you think you are invicible is the day you are finished. No-one knows it all and even though you don't agree with someone it is worthwhile seeing where they come from - especially people with the experience and honesty of Mano. The likes of Mickey Harte are the best because they constantly question themselves and are hungry to learn.

Just for the record - I don't know Mano personally but I think I know who he is and have seen him playing many times.