Messages

Adebayor, take a bow son, fantastic game. Arsenal win never in doubt, the Spuds thought they could play football, tactics all wrong the Goons could have won 5/6 - 0. Two penalties were harsh but Arsenal were easily the better side. Roll on Porto...

1. Why your user name

After the Westmeath Legend and he just happens to be my grandfather

2. Favourite all time game

Leinster Semi-final in 2003 Kildare v Meath

3. Favourite all time player from your county

Paddy O'Donoghue

4. Favourite other poster on gaaboard.com.

Lynchbhoy, he never stops moaning

5. Things you'd like to see change on the site.

Not much, good balance

6. Player from another county you admire.

Maurice Fitzgearld

7. Dual players. Should they be allowed do both (why/ why not)

Yes but need to managed correctly

8. Dublin Hurling, IS there hope? *question for dubs

Yes

9. Best Moment of the year?

Dublin v Mayo Semi

10. Worst moment of the year?

All-Ireland Football final

11. Breasts or bum?

Breasts, it's my job

12. Breaking ball or park live?

Breaking Ball

13. (Situation) Cork v Meath (if from Meath Cavan V Dublin) in an All-ireland final. You have to shout for one or your head will explode. What do you do? *question for dubs

I'd make a bet and follow the investment

14. DJ Or Eoin Kelly

DJ

15. What  your own county needs to do to win Sam next year?

New Manager, put faith in the kids.

16. How do you stop (legally, Meath lads) Kieran Donaghy

Put a big man on him and a sweeper in front

17. Hopes for 2007.

Leinster Final

18. Who will win Sam in 2007.

Tyrone

19. Who will win Liam in 2007.

Waterford

20. Your Gaaboard resolution for 2007.

Just keep plugging away...

Lone Shark

I have a mate who plays for them and he pointed me in this direction...

http://www.moorefield.net/bulletin/viewtopic.php?t=113

Seemingly Rhode refused to toss for a venue so the game ends up in Portlaoise

Lone Sharks article has been noted by the Moors

Between now and Sunday it's safe to say there'll be no shortage of preview articles wittily titled about how it's been a "Long Rhode" to this stage of the competition. It's hard to blame the headline writers – who among us wouldn't discharge our working duty so simply if we could?

(Note to editor – please avoid the obvious ironic joke of using it for this article....)

One hopes however that in previewing the game a little more effort is put in by writers, because if they don't, there is a danger that every column will pay due deference to the stickability of the Kildare champions before going on to suggest Rhode should take the garlands with a couple of points to spare. This widespread assurance of Rhode winning on Sunday insidiously pervading the dressing room as players prepare for the match would make it very easy for the players to take the field underestimating the scale of the challenge facing them, which is obviously not the attitude one wants for the Offaly representatives going into a Leinster final.

The reason this problem arises of course is because when this game is dissected and stripped down to the bare bones, Rhode should win. That may be a very blunt way of putting it, and no doubt some eagle eyed reader with Moorefield connections will be only delighted to seize on this know-nothing-hack's two cent opinion and look to present it to the Moorefield dressing room as evidence of how they are being given "no chance" by the Offaly media, but it is nonetheless very true. Rhode have evolved considerably since the millennium, beginning the decade as a team with great talent but lacking the nous to close out county championships. Their grip over the Offaly scene grew tighter, eventually reaching its current vice-like state, and now they are consistent performers on the Leinster stage as well. Moorefield on the other hand came into this year's Leinster campaign on the back of three lean years, their Newbridge rivals Sarsfields having had the upper hand since Moorefield's previous success in 2002. Both sides can boast of a solid backbone of intercounty performers, but Rhode would be better endowed with "stars", the McNamees in particular enjoying a level of celebrity not shared by any of their Moorefield counterparts. In the guise of St. Michael's, with the assistance of St. Brigid's and Clonmore players, Rhode has benefited from a steady stream of players who have been very successful at under 21 level, while Moorefield's underage record has been unspectacular once they get past under 16. Above all, Rhode, in running Kilmacud so close last year and beating UCD this year, have marked themselves out as a team that is able to compete with the very best clubs in the country.

Based on their form so far, Moorefield haven't really done anything that would warrant their inclusion in that kind of exalted company. Of course this leads to the danger highlighted above, that the national media won't look past these bare facts and will fail to properly assess the real threat that they pose. From the heart of Ireland's racing heartland, they may yet turn out to be that loveable type of thoroughbred that digs deep to just about edge out their opponent by a neck irrespective of how good or bad they are. In their last five championship ties, they've had one two-point win, three one-point victories and one success after a replay. As one would imagine when that statistic is factored in, the strength of this team lies in their power and experience around the middle rather than any particularly free scoring forward line. Kevin O'Neill was one of the few bright spots for the Kildare county team this year, and he has been anchoring the Newbridge outfit very well from centre back in recent games. Defenders like Ian Lonergan and Kenny Duane mightn't be county starters any more but they are players that thrive in winter football, and their battles with Niall McNamee and Roy Malone respectively will have a big say in how Rhode's attack functions both on the 45 and further inside. The quicker legs of the Offaly pair will be an advantage in these match ups if they can be supplied with good ball, and this leads us to the real key area for this game – midfield. Despite Alan McNamee being one of the county's mainstays, Rhode have struggled to find a suitable partner for him, with at least five different players having played alongside the club captain this year so far. In contrast Moorefield have a very solid pairing, Ross Glavin's intercounty experience complementing Daryl Flynn, a skilled young player who was one of the stars of the Kildare county championship this Autumn. This combination has been performing very strongly so far this year and they give their team a balance and a solidity around the middle that Rhode lack.

Where Rhode should hold the advantage is that the solidity and power of the Moorefield backs and midfield is not matched by any great flair or incisiveness up front. Pa Murray and Ronan Sweeney between them contribute most heavily to the Moorefield score sheet, but neither is prone to running up four or five scores from play with regularity. They are consistent, and it will be very surprising if the team registers less than eight or more than ten flags, but if Rhode can make sure that at most one and if possible none of those flags are of the green variety, they will put themselves in a good position to stretch their excellent season on into 2007.

At the start of the year, the Leinster championship would have been targeted by Rhode as the logical next step in their development, however results at the weekend have changed the landscape somewhat. The defeats of Nemo Rangers and Corofin saw the two leading contenders for the All Ireland fall by the wayside and Crossmaglen's scraped victory over Clontibret does not suggest that the Armagh champions are in rude health either. For now this will be in the back of Rhode's mind as they prepare for next Sunday – but it certainly wouldn't have gone un-noticed, as what started out as a campaign for a first ever Leinster title for the village could yet end up being so much more.

Hasn't even been open yet 

Should have spent the money on the pitch....

Moorefield me bollox, that's our white elephant The Mighty Round Towers 

We'll beat the Spuds on Saturday, get a result in Portugal but I think we might get thonked by Chelsea, too young and just not physical enough especially now as the pitches get heavier...

I wonder do many men get this cancer. There is a lot of publicity for breast cancer but not so much this.

A screening programme wouldn't be viable for Testicular cancer and evidence supports that it wouldn't greatly reduce the number of deaths. In Ireland and the UK combined deaths from Testicular cancer average around 100 a year. In Ireland alone deaths from Breast Cancer currently stand at over 600 a year.

The most common cancer in men is prostate but this cancer is not necessarily a killer as it tends to happen in older men who altough have the cancer will die of other causes first. Colon Rectal Cancer is another common cancer in men.

Anyway the National Cancer Screening Service has been formed and will in future years will be screening for Breast, Cervical, Prostate and Colon Rectal.

Anyone but JC at least the squad don't have the shadow of Glen Ryan over them.....

To be honest the players are there, the clubs are regularly contesting Leinster Club Finals, Sarsfields, Towers and now the Moors, the infrastructures are being put in place but we just need to get the management structure right....A Liam Kearns or a Luke Dempsey would have been perfect..

Jaysus whats with all the sentimentality it won't be gone for at least another 3 years. Clane of the early 90s were brilliant to watch though, lost a county minor final (I was marking Eddie McCormack and the fecker scored 7 points including the winner) and a Senior B final but did manage to win a minor hurling title, amazing how all those jockeys from Tipp look like 16 year olds 

Some more info for you..

The site is free under the new Newbridge Development plan and will be housed within the new Citygate development at Old Connell, Naas end of the town less than 1/2 a mile from the nearest pub.  The following was robbed from the Kildare GAA site

The Games Devleopment presentation was in 2 sections. The Hurling Acadamey (which started last April) and the Football Acadamey (starting in Jan 07). It really was good to hear about the work that has gone into underage hurling so far. And the plans for football is equally as good. All the info logged from the Development Squad seissions is to be logged to monitor improvements.
There is provisions at the moment for 7000 seats (which can be increased) and covered terracing for another 12000. I think some of the remainder will be uncovered.

Are they happy just to host Kildare league and qualifier matches + club games, or are they hoping to get extra games?

Personally I'm glad to see the back off it, worst dressing rooms ever and worst toilets of any ground bar tolka park that I have ever been in.

They are actually looking to maybe make it a commercially viable stadium and will look for their fair share of Leinster Championship Games and All-Ireland Qualifiers. Also they will be looking at the outdoor concert market. Kildare have been granted 26 acres from Kildare County Council at zero cost and the sale of Conleths Park will exceed the cost of the stadium with the balance being pumped into an udergae development programme. One member of the stadium committee is Michael Reilly, a director of Pierce Construction, the plans where thorough and well thought out.

The County Board and Clubs decided last night to move house.....

Here's last weeks report from the Kildare Nationalist..

A county board source has told the Kildare Nationalistthe template for the new county grounds. "It won't be a million miles away from the Swansea Stadium".

While plans are under wraps the Kildare Nationalist can reveal that the new stadium will have a capacity of 25,000 with seating for 5,000. The new development is not based on any stadium in Ireland and while the county development committee in charge of the proposals looked at a number of stadia across Britain and Europe, the Swansea stadium is closest to what the new Kildare GAA grounds will look like. It will be U-shaped and there will be a training pitch attached to the dressing rooms. The rooms will be very similar to the ones in Croke Park. At present the four changing rooms in St Conleth's Park are so small that Kildare teams use two of them for matches.

The Liberty stadium in Swansea is home to the Ospreys rugby team and Swansea City football team, and has a capacity of 20,000, fully seated. It took almost three years to complete the stadium in Swansea and cost £27 million. It is expected that the new stadium in Kildare will take two years to build.

The ambitious project is incorporated into the local development plan for Newbridge, with a ring road around the town expected to alleviate traffic problems. There will be provision for car parks within the ground.

County chairman Syl Merrins will make a presentation to the clubs on Tuesday next (28 November) in which he is expected to outline the design of a new 25,000 capacity stadium for Newbridge.

The new home of Kildare GAA will be built behind the Wyeth building on the Naas side of Newbridge. It is still not decided whether to present the clubs with one definite plan or to present the other options being considered by the county's development committee. They were due to meet again last night (Tuesday 21) to consider this as well as how much land the county will get on the new Greenfield site which is in excess of 25 acres. Negotiations are still taking place as to whether the county could secure more land.

Meanwhile the current grounds at St Conleth's Park are expected to fetch somewhere in the region of 25 million. There are between five and six acres in the current grounds and local estate agents believe that this area is worth up to 5 million an acre. However it is not expected that planning permission would be granted for a residential development, meaning that another shopping centre, or a 'Whitewater two might be built. 

Also link to the liberty Stadium in Swansea...

http://www.liberty-stadium.com/index.php

Anyone who just wandered along because the game was local but would have stayed away otherwise would probably be a mildly interested Kildare local than a Moorefield fan surely?

You'd think is right, Moorefield would be from the poorer side of Newbridge and would get a big home crowd but for whatever reason their supporters don't travel in great numbers, they'll have a least a thousand their on Sunday but if the game was in Newbridge they would have at least double maybe treble that. All semantics now, Moorefield haven't played well all year but still find themselves in a Leinster final if they can kind find a performance I thinkl they'll win. Rhode's title to lose though.

AIB Leinster Club Football Championship Final

Moorefield (Kildare)
vs
Rhode (Offaly)
at O'Moore Park, Portlaoise.
Tosnu: 2.00pm