Sligo V London Connaught C'ship

[Syferus]

O'Hara may have been correct in his sentiments but the way he delivered it was poor imo. He should have left his personal angle out of it as it basically came across as "Sligo lost because Walsh wouldn't play me".

Two of the main things he focussed on are completely unrelated to Sligo losing (but are obviously personal gripes):
- wanting players to start training on 1st Nov
- bringing a Mayoman into the squad in February

Instead, he should have focussed on what the real problems are:
- poor quality of training
- poor team selection
- ructions in the county board

That's very well put but I'd emphasise that O'Hara was responding to a direct question put to him by Cahill.  He was asked why he wasn't there and he certainly answered the question in an unambiguous way.
I was very surprised that nobody else present didn't pass any comment or put some questions to him so he was basically given a free run.
However, if that's a fault, it lies with Cahill and the other panellists. 
I'd agree completely that the issues he harped on were not directly related to the embarrassing loss yesterday but, again, he was answering a direct question. He certainly left no one in any doubt over his personal feelings on the current state of Sligo football or the ability of the manager.
Now I know I can be a bit pernickety at times but he gave his reasons for not being involved yesterday, as he was invited to do, and it's up to others to accept or deny the validity of his gripes.
Again, I agree that those were personal issues and the ones most likely to grab headlines whereas the real problems lie with the county board and Walsh's managerial style.
Strictly speaking, Walsh isn't obliged to answer to anyone other than to the county board that appointed him in the first place.
Seems to me that getting rid of Walsh won't solve Sligo's problems; I think his position is untenable but his resignation/dismissal alone won't change Sligo's football fortunes one little bit.

I agree we need people who are sabotaging the cb to step away and those who in for power, title, ego, junkets etc... to walkaway aswell. Of course its not all walsh but his tactics and team selection has sabotaged any chances of the seniors winning connacht. But yes the bigger picture is the mess the cb are in and thats the changes that will make all the difference. One step at a time though. We dont a situation where the guys who are sabotaging either to get back in and that could easily happen given the numpties at cb level.

apart from infight can you list what the county board are doing wrong.
rember London have pushed galway and may close in recnt years  surely it was not big of a suprize that one day they would win a match against a leitrim roscommon or a sligo

That's a bit rich coming from a county that drew with them only two years ago and needed extra-time to get the job done.

[Blowitupref]

apart from infight can you list what the county board are doing wrong.
rember London have pushed galway and may close in recnt years  surely it was not big of a suprize that one day they would win a match against a leitrim roscommon or a sligo

You are mixing New York and London up http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/football/2009/0524/249573-galway_london/

Galway play London next year they have been warned with yesterdays result,the narrow Leitrim win last year and rotten robbery in Ruislip two years ago.

[Plain of the Herbs]

Financial disaster for the Connacht Council looming if London reach the Connacht Final.  Imaging a Mayo v London or a Roscommon v London Connacht Final?  There's be about 3,000 there.  This at €35 a head, in case anyone has romantic notions of a mahoosive crowd arriving from five corners of Connacht to witness the novelty.

Having London join in the Connacht championship is all very well.  But they're not really supposed to win the darn match, are they?

Guess they'll have to have a word in the referee's ear pre-match.  "Don't have London win."  "You do want to referee another match, don't you?"

[Syferus]

Financial disaster for the Connacht Council looming if London reach the Connacht Final.  Imaging a Mayo v London or a Roscommon v London Connacht Final?  There's be about 3,000 there.  This at €35 a head, in case anyone has romantic notions of a mahoosive crowd arriving from five corners of Connacht to witness the novelty.

Having London join in the Connacht championship is all very well.  But they're not really supposed to win the darn match, are they?

Guess they'll have to have a word in the referee's ear pre-match.  "Don't have London win."  "You do want to referee another match, don't you?"

There will be at least three thousand Rossies there if we make the minor final alone.

They'll take a big hit no doubt but you went off the deep end there. Firstly tickets are €25 a head for the stand, €20 for the terrace and not €35 which you seem to have pulled out of the sky from who knows where.

And who really gives a flying f**k about the costings but the bean counters? That's just sport. Prenty will be crying into his money hat but that would probably bring a smile to the rest of Connacht.

I'd love to see London in a Connacht final.

[ck]

What I find interesting is that Sligo people today are relieved that the sh*ite in the county has been exposed and we are more proud of O'Hara than ever.
Yet people from other counties are on here giving off about O'Hara. Come off your moral high grounds and appreciate that this episode of straight talking will help Sligo GAA. Too many commentators sit on the fence and speak out of both sides of their mouths. Brolly and O'Hara give voices to the unheard and for that I welcome the platform the Sunday game has given them. Long may it continue.

[anglocelt39]

Success has many parents failure is an orphan (or County Team manager or County Board). Remind me again how many years ago is it that Mayo were nearly handed their arses over in Ruislip. Perhaps there is a serious lack of respect for the victors here. Put it this way, if Cavan had been heading over to Ruislip in the first round of anything I wouldn't be getting too far ahead of myself.

[Syferus]

Success has many parents failure is an orphan (or County Team manager or County Board). Remind me again how many years ago is it that Mayo were nearly handed their arses over in Ruislip. Perhaps there is a serious lack of respect for the victors here. Put it this way, if Cavan had been heading over to Ruislip in the first round of anything I wouldn't be getting too far ahead of myself.

London is just the lightning rod for something that extends much deeper. There's not many London supporters here so there's plenty of reason for the reaction to focus on Sligo even before you get to what O'Hara said.

[Plain of the Herbs]

Perhaps you should give a "flying f**k" as you put it.  A substantial loss of revenue is a serious concern to everyone.

Clubs may have applied to the CC for capital grants, grants which might not be possible.

Coaching activities currently being paid for by the CC may have to be curtailed.  Or scrapped.  Jobs may consequently be lost.

The Association does not on fresh air run.

There will be at least three thousand Rossies there if we make the minor final alone.

They'll take a big hit no doubt but you went off the deep end there. Firstly tickets are €25 a head for the stand, €20 for the terrace and not €35 which you seem to have pulled out of the sky from who knows where.

And who really gives a flying f**k about the costings but the bean counters? That's just sport. Prenty will be crying into his money hat but that would probably bring a smile to the rest of Connacht.

I'd love to see London in a Connacht final.

[Rossfan]

Financial disaster for the Connacht Council looming if London reach the Connacht Final.  Guess they'll have to have a word in the referee's ear pre-match.  "Don't have London win."  "You do want to referee another match, don't you?"

Like 1998 all over again 

[Rossfan]

Perhaps you should give a "flying f**k" as you put it.  A substantial loss of revenue is a serious concern to everyone.

Jobs may consequently be lost.

Cathal Cregg's among them Syf ya clown.

[Syferus]

Perhaps you should give a "flying f**k" as you put it.  A substantial loss of revenue is a serious concern to everyone.

Jobs may consequently be lost.

Cathal Cregg's among them Syf ya clown.

I doubt Cregger's job depends on London not making a Connacht final, you court jester's behind.

You can't act like costings are something you can build your house on in sport because the very essence is everyone has a chance. Connacht GAA take a hit this year, whatever. If London derseve to be there they deserve to be there, simple.

It'd be one of the GAA's stories of the decade and I would love to see it happen. Exiles reaching a provincial final. Tell me another sport, another country where this can happen at the top level. It goes to the heart of our national identity and it's worth a hell of a lot more than a few thousand ticket sales in one year out of 129 Connacht finals.

[Buckass]

On the sg question...it look like a pre-prepared answer. The reason i d proffer for the non-intrusion was the panel knew what was coming. Eamonn was obviously unhappy with his treatment and having given 20 years to the cause he deserved accommodating. Think Paul mc grath. His combative approach would have been well suited to ruislip.
Lets call the spade a digging implement though..blaming management is the easy route. If we re honest about our club football @ the min, the raw material for senior provincial honours is lacking at present. Curry were excellent last year but Sean davey and Kenny Morley were the main men. Once the other curry star was shackled last Sunday where had we to go. No David Kelly meant we were relying on fit and commited lads to do what they can't...score. That being said we almost replicated what mayo and Leitrim managed...comebacks in the last 10. Dare I say that had it been mayo or galway the 45 at the death wud have been given?that's straying however.
Definitely the county board childishness needs sorting, but talk about walking into a room full of scorpions and snakes. The revenue wud have fun finding the books never mind going thru them.

[Lar Naparka]

As expected, the Sligo County Board have given their backing to Kevin Walsh and also rejected claims that there was acrimony of any sort between members of the board.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-football/sligo-throw-weight-behind-boss-walsh-after-ohara-broadside-29300574.html
COLM KEYS – 28 MAY 2013
Sligo County Board have given their full backing to manager Kevin Walsh in the wake of former All Star Eamonn O'Hara's call for him to step down.
O'Hara used the platform of 'The Sunday Game' to criticise Walsh's tactical nous and suggested that he had "lost" the players.
But Sligo secretary Gerard O'Connor insisted that there was no question of Walsh (above) being pushed out of the job or leaving before the end of the year on the back of Sunday's defeat to London. The indications are, however, that Walsh will end his time with Sligo when he completes his fifth season in charge.
OPINIONS
O'Connor said O'Hara was entitled to his opinions but added it was "obvious there is a personality clash or spleen between him and the manager, but it's nothing to do with Sligo County Board".
Walsh was not available to comment on O'Hara's outburst on Sunday night, which concluded with a call to step down.
O'Hara had wanted to play on for a 19th championship season but claims Walsh produced a comeback deadline last November that he couldn't meet.
"It is very easy to be critical at times like this, but what's forgotten is that London have been threatening to pull off a result like this for quite some time," O'Connor added.
"It is important to remember that Kevin Walsh brought us up two divisions in the league in his first two years as well as reaching two Connacht finals.
"Eamonn is a commentator and he is paid for his comments, but that is just his opinion."
O'Connor also refuted the suggestion that Sligo GAA was split at administrative level .
"There are no major splits in the board. People didn't take up posts for their own reasons.
"And as for the failure to finish the centre of excellence that Eamonn referred to, we will not ask him back to finish the job until we have finance in place to pay the contractor."




Sligo throw weight behind boss Walsh after O'Hara broadside
COLM KEYS – 28 MAY 2013
Sligo County Board have given their full backing to manager Kevin Walsh in the wake of former All Star Eamonn O'Hara's call for him to step down.
O'Hara used the platform of 'The Sunday Game' to criticise Walsh's tactical nous and suggested that he had "lost" the players.
But Sligo secretary Gerard O'Connor insisted that there was no question of Walsh (above) being pushed out of the job or leaving before the end of the year on the back of Sunday's defeat to London. The indications are, however, that Walsh will end his time with Sligo when he completes his fifth season in charge.
OPINIONS
O'Connor said O'Hara was entitled to his opinions but added it was "obvious there is a personality clash or spleen between him and the manager, but it's nothing to do with Sligo County Board".
Walsh was not available to comment on O'Hara's outburst on Sunday night, which concluded with a call to step down.
O'Hara had wanted to play on for a 19th championship season but claims Walsh produced a comeback deadline last November that he couldn't meet.
"It is very easy to be critical at times like this, but what's forgotten is that London have been threatening to pull off a result like this for quite some time," O'Connor added.
"It is important to remember that Kevin Walsh brought us up two divisions in the league in his first two years as well as reaching two Connacht finals.
"Eamonn is a commentator and he is paid for his comments, but that is just his opinion."
O'Connor also refuted the suggestion that Sligo GAA was split at administrative level .
"There are no major splits in the board. People didn't take up posts for their own reasons.
"And as for the failure to finish the centre of excellence that Eamonn referred to, we will not ask him back to finish the job until we have finance in place to pay the contractor."

[Buckass]

Good man lar...looks like they backed him twice!

[Lone Shark]

Perhaps you should give a "flying f**k" as you put it.  A substantial loss of revenue is a serious concern to everyone.

Jobs may consequently be lost.

Cathal Cregg's among them Syf ya clown.

I doubt Cregger's job depends on London not making a Connacht final, you court jester's behind.

You can't act like costings are something you can build your house on in sport because the very essence is everyone has a chance. Connacht GAA take a hit this year, whatever. If London derseve to be there they deserve to be there, simple.

It'd be one of the GAA's stories of the decade and I would love to see it happen. Exiles reaching a provincial final. Tell me another sport, another country where this can happen at the top level. It goes to the heart of our national identity and it's worth a hell of a lot more than a few thousand ticket sales in one year out of 129 Connacht finals.

First of all, stand tickets were €30 last year, or so it seems - http://www.swinfordgaa.ie/news/ticket-details-connacht-gaa-football-championship-finals-2012/

Secondly, even allowing for an attractive pairing in the minor final, you'd still do well to get more than 5,000 or 6,000 people, which would be a loss of revenue of the order of half a million euro or so. There's no way that the Connacht Council would have budgeted for this contingency since this has never happened before and it would have been considered a hugely unlikely outcome before the draw was made. That will of course have a knock on effect, it would be foolish to pretend that it wouldn't.