Messages

What about Moate?

/Jim.

However over in OWC-land soccer seems to be a token of oppression?   What the fcuk is that all about?

Surely it is not that hard to acknowledge that there is another variation of football played in Northern Ireland and that the shorthand of Gaelic/Soccer is a useful one?

/Jim.

A token of "oppression"

Jesus them boys have to much time to think   

Indeed apparently it is a term used by the type that call "Londonderry" "Derry"

Shame.

/Jim.

[noun a form of football played between two teams of 11 players, in which the ball may be advanced by kicking or by bouncing it off any part of the body but the arms and hands, except in the case of the goalkeepers, who may use their hands to catch, carry, throw, or stop the ball.]

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source

soc·cer      /ˈsɒkər/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[sok-er] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun a form of football played between two teams of 11 players, in which the ball may be advanced by kicking or by bouncing it off any part of the body but the arms and hands, except in the case of the goalkeepers, who may use their hands to catch, carry, throw, or stop the ball. 

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[Origin: 1890–95; (As)soc(iation football) + -er7]

Flicking through OWC I see yet another tirade against the innocuous word "soccer".  Despite the fact it is commonly used in other countries such as USA or Australia (notably places where there are other variations of "football".)    I believe the australians affectionately refer to their team as the socceroos.   

However over in OWC-land soccer seems to be a token of oppression?   What the fcuk is that all about?

Surely it is not that hard to acknowledge that there is another variation of football played in Northern Ireland and that the shorthand of Gaelic/Soccer is a useful one?

/Jim.

What's dubious about it Jim, surely you're not saying GAA members don't have political viewpoints?

I'm sure they do Donagh.  I think that the views of many members of this  board lean towards the viewpoints that concur with a certain political party and I'm not sure that it is a true barometer of the GAA overall.

I think it's very dubious to hold this discussion board up as a measure of what GAA people in general think
/Jim.

I've said it before, if you want to know the general feeling of GAA people you don't have to look any further than this Board.

Whatever about anything else, that is one dubious comment.  Most topics here betray more political viewpoints than any strawpoll of the GAA as a whole. Also it's important to realise that it's GAA members not GAA "people" who get to make decisions.

The GAA are in this for the PR of sporting cooperation and it's coming from the very top.  Speculation about Ulster Council, Sinn Féin etc. is ill-founded.  Central council are pushing this to keep in with governments and funding.  (as I would expect them to).

I just hope that they don't come out the fall guys because the soccer crowd want out.

/Jim.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=SP8YysmbV1M&mode=related&search=

On a Sunday??/

The should all be suspended for playing on a Sunday.  The IFA has made themselves quite clear on the matter.

/Jim.

[seventy]

For some clarity why don't you read the seventy odd page thread on OWC.  For further clarity why don't you read FIFA's rules.

Why?  Does volume imply clarity?

Fearon is a tool annd there is nothing wrong with supporting OWC.  But neither is there anything wrong with a nationalist feeling uncomfortable in that surrounding (through no fault of the supporters) due flags, anthems, emblems or predominance of one identity among the supporters.   Neither is there anything wrong with Nationalist feeling more comfortable following the FAI XI.   Get over it all around.  

The Republic is not "just a foreign country" for a substational number of Northern Ireland citizens.  That is a fact (one that FIFA will in due course accept).   Equally for many in the Northern Ireland it is in itself a country and they will follow the IFA XI.

Happy days.

/Jim.

On a side note, if the GAA HQ issues instructions for a rally at a ground not to go ahead, why did it go ahead? Who forced it through, and was it legal to do this?

Yer Ma,

The Central Council indicated that it was in contravention of the rules.  At the time there was allegations (denied all round) of intimidation and all kinds of shenanigans.

The punishment would be to ban the whole Antrim County Board (and all it's clubs to all levels) for 48months for violating Rule 42.  There is no way anyone would countenance doing that.  To be honest if the GAA should reduce the penalty to something more practical and enforceable if they want to make the punishment stick.

/Jim.

I know that gaelic games need bigger pitches, but a bigger stadium?  How many stadia does the GAA need?  Has the GAA actually promised to play any big games at any Maze stadium, in fact, ANY new stadium?

The only use any new stadium would be to the GAA is if it is big enough to hold a large Ulster final crowd that wouldn't fit Clones.   This is not an everyday occasion but it has happened in the recent past.

I don't think the GAA participation is driven by a huge immediate need, it is more a case of not looking a gift horse in the mouth.  If they get a stadium on the cheap, they won't feel too bad about under utilisation.  It's a fair position to take in the current negotiations.

Also if the GAA did take the money for development of their own and then used to develop Clones (the traditional home of Ulster football finals) they would be outcry about money going to a foreign (sic) country.

/Jim.

Snatter,

The Maze Stadium (stadium itself, infrastructure to and from it, clean-up costs, on-going maintenance and running costs) is going to cost hundreds of millions of pounds, in addition to the taxpayer losing out on the value of the land there which could be sold to private developers for hundreds of millions of pounds, too.

Sorry, but you won't convince me and a large number of others that this would represent good valiue for money when there are finite resources and any number of more deserving and/or viable causes.

The three could make excellent use of, say, £30m at each of their main grounds in NI.  In fact, there would also be money available for grass roots sport and other sports, too, which are being ignored in all this.

Affordable housing at the Maze and possibly the RUAS moving there (they seem enthusiatic where the GAA, IFA and IRFU are at best luke-warm) with the Balmoral Show are much better ideas.

Whether they keep something to do with the Maze Prison and Long Kesh camp is neither here nor there with me, as long as its not tasteless.

GweylTah,

All very reasonable points.  However it seems to me the bone of contention here is that members of OWC website seem to think the GAA are maliciously involved in this scheme.  Of all the bodies involved it would appear that the GAA arrived at a late stage so can hardly be responsible for concocting the scheme (maliciously or benignly).  Also given their previous success in capital development throughout the island, they would also be the best position to take and handout and go it alone.

The pervailling view in the thread linked here is that the GAA and Sinn Féin jointly engineered the whole thing to have a get a shrine and also have a dig at "Protestant games".  The case for that appears just a tad tenous in fairness.

/Jim.

That being said, does anybody else distrust the shinners on this one?
Are they motivated by whats best for the GAA or with getting a H block preserved?
Their form says the latter - they didn't give a stuff about the GAA re the Casement charade.

I would say on balance the Shinners would be more worried about getting their museum than the overall good of the GAA.

/Jim.

The latest installment.

Have the whole thing collapse, blame the GAA and then get a purpose built stadium.


The people making the decisions should be directed to the OWC chatrooms prior to making any decisions

I'd say the conspiracies have gone to Bangor Boy's head at this stage.  Of course there is the salient fact that many on that discussion board firmly believed that the GAA only got involved to veto the whole thing and sew it into Northern Irish soccer.   Lately that has lost currency to the belief that the GAA are in cohoots with the Shinners to get a terrorist shrine.

It's takes years of dellusional paranoia to get that level.    I've no doubt if that this issue, and many other issues were divvied up by the DUP and Shinners before they go into government.  Naturally Poots can't say that but in the end the DUP probably conceeded the "terrorist shrine" and the stadium location long since.   Eventually they'll realise it's the DUP not the GAA that's running this show.

/Jim.

"The rest of the sport later but first, Gaelic Games"

Ahem but what other attitude would the GAA take, other than the above.  We had this shíte about opening Croke Park too.  The GAA is charged with promoting Gaelic Games and getting the best for those games.  There are equivalent bodies to do the same for rugby and soccer.  They should promote their wants and needs, not expect the GAA to do it.

At the end of the day, the GAA only want a stadium in Ulster that is bigger than their exisiting one.  The probably will only use it very seldom as respective County Boards will want their grounds used where possible.  But it is their right to pursue this line, it's the only one that makes sense from a GAA point of view.

/Jim.

Any accusation should always be tempered with the fact that there are decent folks in all sports and all walks of life.  No doubt Fearon is going over the top.  

However there is a substantial body of contributors on a certain website who at best always think the worst of the GAA's motives and at worst are entirely bigotted.  There is another thread ongoing over there on the subject of sporting tops and some of the contributing are dripping with irony and hipocracy:  http://ourweecountry.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=18711&st=60  Note that the Sickboy is big fan of the British security forces.  No doubt if you confronted him with your repulsion at the acts of even some of it's actions, the bigot accusation would be immediately bandied about.

At least some of the contributors have the gumption to point out that it's the fact that Nationalists wear GAA jersies that is the real issue.  

The fact of the matter is that the GAA were foisted into this stadium issue and finding themselves in the situation, why wouldn't they drive for the best deal for them.   Remember too that engagement is at Central Council not Ulster council level so the argument about Sinn Féin influence is bullshít.   I don't think the GAA have made any ultimatums with regard to the Maze site, only on the size of the stadium.   Why would they want a stadium that is no bigger than what they already have?

/Jim.

I seem to have offended the site intelligentsia with my simplistic and trite observations.  I'm no Richard Dawkins but in fairness mad clerics is one subject that you can simplistic about.

Wonder will Cardinal Law ever take a spin back to Boston?  Not before Big Ian drives the Whore of Babylon from the Vatican I'd wager.

/Jim.