Messages

[The teachers produced now have serious deficiencies]

Maybe they should be. The least parents can ask for is that little Johnny's teacher has a good grasp of grammar and punctuation. The teachers produced now have serious deficiencies in that regard. In a secondary school that can be hidden as the students and teachers wouldn't notice. In grammar schools you'd be moved 'sideways' into something like Media Studies, PE or Home Economics.

Where have these teachers come from?

The current selection process allows for a thick child to be coached to get a C-D grade, which most grammars schools are happy to accept to boost their numbers.
These thick children struggle to keep up with the work being set by these super grammar school teachers (who are unable to develop any below average student) and the child will leave with pretty mediocre A Levels in some of the "less traditional" subjects. (Perhaps only progressing to A Levels because of their value to the MacCrory team)
These results will rule them out of progresing to study to join an "elite" profession as law or medicine but they will pursue a degree in some pointless subject just to say they're at university. (Some GAA ability will probably get them into their chosen college)
They'll graduate with a 3 or 2:2 but with no qualifications or skills that are of use to most potential employers.
What happens them now that they've reached the end of this education process started by the delusions of their parents?

Simple - They go to England to do a PGCE and return a year later to a teaching job. (GAA ability will probably mean this will be in the perceived elite profession of grammar school teacher)

[it is also likely to turn the Northern Ireland team into a Catholic-free outfit.]

Like many of the other northerners to turn their back on the country where they played under-age football, O'Kane, from Feeny in Derry, is a Catholic. His decision, as well as those of other Catholics of his generation, is not only threatening to sour relations between the island's two football associations and rival fans, it is also likely to turn the Northern Ireland team into a Catholic-free outfit.

Bit of an "every cloud" line for the OWCers there.

Typical Rowan crap. Future switches to the FAI will hardly be a consequence of O'Kane's decision, with others simply following his example. O'Kane's decision is itself a consequence of much deeper issues. Why not acknowledge some of these issues and look at ways to eradicate them? Maybe he should pen an article on why players who have not made a major breakthrough across the water are happier to be squad players (and in many cases not even that) for Ireland rather than getting regular international football for Are We a Country.

[He looks a better bet than McGeady]

Any chance of young McClean making a late bid for the Euros squad?

Played well today on left hand side for Sunderland but with Duff,Hunt and McGeady all certain of their places, it may come too soon for him.

He looks a better bet than McGeady and is way better than Hunt.

FFS this is getting tiresome. What do people expect from McGeady playing in the system used by Trap? He has adapted his game to include all the tracking back required and as teams at international level are harder to break down he is not going to have the same attacking impact as playing in the SPL.

It annoys me to hear the predictable moaning when he loses possession.  In the current system he is often the out-ball, but when he gets possession what are his options? No overlapping full back, no central midfielder backing up the play, strikers not dropping deep but pushing into the box gambling that he can beat 2-3 men and get a cross over. The result is that McGeady has to continually take the defenders on but is often out numbered and dispossessed. Trap is happy with this in his system as losing the ball high up the pitch is fine when no other midfielders or defenders have been committed forward. The logic seems to be that it only needs to come off for McGeady 1-2 times in game to create a chance or score a goal, combined with the defensive system this should be enough to win the game.

McGeady always had the ability and now has the discipline to play in Trap's system. There are others that have ability like Coleman, McCarthy and possibly McClean (bit premature on this one I think) but may not have the discipline to fit into Trap's system. Anyone watching these players at club level thinking they would give Ireland something different is deluded. If they play for Trap they will have to play to suit his system, as McGeady does, and would they be any better in this role? I doubt it.

Good man "Mark"!!!!!!

Maybe, as long as it's not this.......... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWTeJ0LlD3E

Think the game has to be marketed better towards families. The absence of concession tickets to covered seats means that a man with two kids has three options:

1. Paying e100+ into a game that only really he and possibly his wife are truly interested in.

2. Pay e30 for the terrace and spend most of the game lifting kids up to see (made all the worse by the unneccessary massive golf umbrellas), wasting maybe ten minutes pushing through the crowd if a child has to go to the toilet (which will inevitably not have a seat and the floor swimming in piss). After spending 3 hours in the rain (if the kids endure this long) head back to the car with kids drenched and shivering for change of clothes or trek home soaked.

3. Watch on TV.

I know the obvious answer is just go alone but anyone who is married will know that's not always feasible, plus we need to be bringing kids to games to encourage future involvement (not easy given option 2).

I would suggest larger sections of the covered seats be designated family enclosures with suitabley priced tickets.  The size of this area could be determined by asking for expressions of interest a week before general sale, possibly done by GAA administered family scheme. At worst a section of covered terracing should be allocated for families and ticketed or monitored at turnstile to avoid overcrowding.

I have noticed that since my son moved up to U10s there doesn't seem to be that many Go Games events. Instead they seem to be entering competitive tournaments far and wide. Is it the case that there are less clubs running Go Games events for this age group? Or is it, as I suspect, a case of coaches seeking out all opportunities to bring silverware to the club?  I ask because if the club are ignoring these Go Games events, where all players should get a game, in favour of competitive tornaments where the same players play constantly and many kids are left at home then I might need to address this somehow as already I am almost forcing him to keep going to these things as his interest has plummetted.

Speaking merely as a parent with no involvement in coaching, I think Go Games is a much better approach.  Smaller sided games allow 2-3 teams from each club ranging in ability, each competing against a team of similar ability. This makes sure all players are involved and contribute in each match.  This also allows players to step up as they develop or step down if they are struggling and need to raise their confidence.  It keeps all players interested and most importantly stops the pressure from coaches to win at all costs regardless of player development. This system does rely on parents being reasonable and not making an issue of their child not being in the A team. This is the biggest problem with kids football - many parents become involved in "coaching" (but only for their sons team) with the sole intention of ensuring their child is always picked for the strongest team whether they're fit for it or not.

anybody going to the fight night in hillgrove monaghan,... i hear a lot of the fights are called off.. is the reason it being in monaghan because they see the gards better fit to deal with the riots afterwards

How much are the tickets for this? A friend has got a couple of tickets for me but I don't think I'll be able to make it and don't want them to be out of pocket.

[Missed LOL last night]

Missed LOL last night. Republic of Telly is shite, as said above me.

Lucky you. As is the case with most local "comedy", it is terrible. There seems to be an opinion that even if something is not funny if it is said in a regional accent then people will laugh at it. The bit at the end with that tool walking through the water fountain being a prime example.

I was heavily involved in erecting the lights in our club to 300 lux.
All the work was gone voluntarily.
For 8 colum's the can cost from circ £1,200 upwards depending on the spec
Foundations can take between 6 or 8 m2 of concrete -- a lorry load -- depending on the ground conditions for each light.
3 phase connection costs are subject to the nearest grid point but you could also consider a generator
Bulbs and their casing are in the region of £500 each

Our club wont be able to afford full floodlighting in short term.Have any of u experience of cost effective lower grade lighting for training matches etc.

If it is your plan to upgrade to a full system in the future then there would not be a massive saving in installing a lower grade system.  You would still need cable sizes, electrical supply, column heights and strengths to be capable of supporting the higher spec project.  The only saving would be in the number of light fittings used.  You could install only half of the total requirement and save about £9k,

Not sure of the cost of civil works, but the electrical installation could be done for £50-55K, giving an average of over 300lux at pitch level.

[a group of serial underachieving players]

Well every other county is posting theirs...

Required,New Manager to
Manage, Coach, cajole, cuddle,molly coddle, mother,  kick ass, educate, put manners on, take no s**t, discipline, forge interpersonal links,  encourage , grow team ethic, promote trust with people from outside their own parish etc etc

a group of serial underachieving players that play as individuals and will fight with each other at the drop of a hat require a manager, with Jesus-like/kofi Annan-like ablities of intercession and mediation initially , but with massive football tactics and appetite for progression to get these people talking to each other and then playing 'INTELLIGENT' football  as a unit rathe than passing only to their relations or club mates on the side.

Derry county board will understand if the candidate would prefer to go sort out the problems between Israel and Palestine instead for an easier life.

This seems to contradict the thread title. Miracle needed? Without doubt!  Underachieving? Not so sure

[A fit Hunt is ahead in the pecking order too.]

If they cant get the ball early to mcgeady (in space) and cant play a faster tempo then its going to be more of the same.

McGeady will be back on the bench as soon as Duff gets over his knock. A fit Hunt is ahead in the pecking order too.

That's quite sad really. McGeady, who along with Duff is one of the few players with the ability to commit defenders and cause the opposition problems. Neither player is helped by the fact that they get very poor service as the distribution from the defence is crap coupled with the lack of any real passing ability throughout the team. But rather than appeal for a bit more creativity in the team, people are happy enough just to replace him with someone who may well run all day for the team but couldn't trap a bag of cement.

Heard Kevin McGourty was back in the panel.  Can anyone else confirm this or is it just a wind up?

Nally, you're right. It was 3.00 am Foster and McNarry were very smug engaging in their self congratulations with Foster punching the air and McNarry crowing that the unionist family should, "rejoice" whilst waxing about the benefits of unionist unity.

Don't count yer chickens and all that craic.

http://bbc.co.uk/i/shnhg/?t=52m37s