Minors 2016

[GaillimhIarthair]

Wouldn't be something I'd associate with Galway. They have some lovely footballers too. Where did this team come from? I was up at a Sean Purcell Academy day in Milltown 3 years ago with our 'B' team  (17 year olds now), and we played Mayo West, Leitrim, Mayo East and Galway North. Leitrim had hammered Galway north, and we managed to beat Leitrim, so Galway North gave us a walkover because they didn't want their young lads to get another hammering, which was fair enough, and I was happy because we had 3 other games anyway.

I was talking to a lad after who was apologising for the walkover, and he said 'Galway football is in a bad way, we're in big trouble at underage'. I was surprised to hear it, as I always associate Galway with nice loose football, which is basically what underage is. And given he was so downbeat, I'm surprised at this minor team, 3 years later, because they'd have been a year ahead of the bunch I saw, and obviously were contributing to the sense that they were in 'big trouble'.

Fair play to them for turning it around.

Quite a few of the better players on that team yesterday would be City + West so you may not have run into them in the above competition - Galway and Mayo always field 2 teams each in the annual Ted Webb Connacht competition (U16).  I would also say that the current minor team are probably missing 2 of the better footballers in the county through injury all year and I thought it would catch up with us yesterday but the team played very well despite being quite wasteful at times(typical minors!!).  Hard to judge how lads will progress in the coming years but I would be hopeful of getting a few good quality players out of this current crop - they just need to be managed and transitioned properly to the next level and that is where there has been a gap in recent times here in Galway as I see it, more so that the juvenile or underage structures being an issue. 

[AZOffaly]

Yeah we didn't see the City+West lads. I thought Tuam/Milltown would be a football area too though. But it was more the béal bocht that surprised me, and he made it sound as if it was something that had been building. Maybe he was 'cute hooring' me

[GaillimhIarthair]

Yeah we didn't see the City+West lads. I thought Tuam/Milltown would be a football area too though. But it was more the béal bocht that surprised me, and he made it sound as if it was something that had been building. Maybe he was 'cute hooring' me

The above 2 would be in the traditional heartland of Galway football but the dynanmic is starting to change a little in recent years and will continue to do so from what I see with my own involvement at a juvenile level.  There are a few commuter towns around Galway where their population has exploded in the past 10 years so the likes of Claregalway, Moycullen, Oranmore, Salthill & possibly Bearna will start to have a bigger influence at club level and representation on county teams. 

[AZOffaly]

We had Moycullen down at an U12 blitz/tournament thing there in June, and they were very impressive. Played lovely football.

[mouview]

Yeah we didn't see the City+West lads. I thought Tuam/Milltown would be a football area too though. But it was more the béal bocht that surprised me, and he made it sound as if it was something that had been building. Maybe he was 'cute hooring' me

The decline of St. Jarlaths as a football college in Tuam has perhaps had a fair bit to do with the extended fallow period of North Galway football. Was a supply line and academy for many years. Not too many from the supposedly 'heartland' clubs on the current Minor team, i.e. Tuam, Dunmore, Milltown, Killererin, Kilkerrin, Caltra, Ballinasloe have none. Nor have Corofin or Mountbellew, though injury rules out their representatives. Those that are there from the north, Annaghdown, Monivea, is through testament of these clubs' sterling work at underage rather than by any systematic structure.

[Walter Cronc]

Did Jarlaths not take a lot of boarders, some from as far away as Kildare?

Know a couple of Mayo lads who attended Jarlaths.

[seafoid]

Yeah we didn't see the City+West lads. I thought Tuam/Milltown would be a football area too though. But it was more the béal bocht that surprised me, and he made it sound as if it was something that had been building. Maybe he was 'cute hooring' me

The decline of St. Jarlaths as a football college in Tuam has perhaps had a fair bit to do with the extended fallow period of North Galway football. Was a supply line and academy for many years. Not too many from the supposedly 'heartland' clubs on the current Minor team, i.e. Tuam, Dunmore, Milltown, Killererin, Kilkerrin, Caltra, Ballinasloe have none. Nor have Corofin or Mountbellew, though injury rules out their representatives. Those that are there from the north, Annaghdown, Monivea, is through testament of these clubs' sterling work at underage rather than by any systematic structure.

Ballinasloe is a special case. It hasn't produced much for Galway teams for over 30 years

[galwayman]

Wouldn't be something I'd associate with Galway. They have some lovely footballers too. Where did this team come from? I was up at a Sean Purcell Academy day in Milltown 3 years ago with our 'B' team  (17 year olds now), and we played Mayo West, Leitrim, Mayo East and Galway North. Leitrim had hammered Galway north, and we managed to beat Leitrim, so Galway North gave us a walkover because they didn't want their young lads to get another hammering, which was fair enough, and I was happy because we had 3 other games anyway.

I was talking to a lad after who was apologising for the walkover, and he said 'Galway football is in a bad way, we're in big trouble at underage'. I was surprised to hear it, as I always associate Galway with nice loose football, which is basically what underage is. And given he was so downbeat, I'm surprised at this minor team, 3 years later, because they'd have been a year ahead of the bunch I saw, and obviously were contributing to the sense that they were in 'big trouble'.

Fair play to them for turning it around.

The Galway North team won the Ted Webb 2 years ago, while the West team won last year so we've been doing well in that competition (West lost final this year by one point).
I know from a friend of mine who has been involved at underage level a few years ago that there can be several different squads up until the Ted Webb, so at u14 and u15 there can be four or five squads playing games who are then whittled down at u16 to 2 squads for the Ted Webb.
This may have been the case in that blitz AZ.
I know 3 years ago we had a bad Ted Webb with both teams performing poorly but last years minor team won Connacht in spite of this so you never know.

[muppet]

Did Jarlaths not take a lot of boarders, some from as far away as Kildare?

Know a couple of Mayo lads who attended Jarlaths.

Even Donegal.

[Maroon Manc]

It certainly looks like Galway's management have learnt from their mistakes last year where Tipp won the tactical battle against a naive Galway. I was expecting more from Donegal, its a Galway should have won more comprehensively and that was without Evan Murphy having too much impact on the final.

I was at the Kildare v Mayo match, Kildare were the better team but I thought its the poorest Mayo minor side i've seen in a while. Jack Robinson I think was the Kildare no 10 and he comfortably looked the best talent on the pitch.

[Ohtoohtobe]

Did Jarlaths not take a lot of boarders, some from as far away as Kildare?

Know a couple of Mayo lads who attended Jarlaths.

Yep, James Kavanagh went there.

[galwayman]

Did Jarlaths not take a lot of boarders, some from as far away as Kildare?

Know a couple of Mayo lads who attended Jarlaths.

Yep, James Kavanagh went there.

Kavanagh was originally from Galway I think. Family moved to Kildare.

[PW Nally]

Half time
Kerry 0-11
Kildare 0-7

[Rossfan]

Lot of wides from Kerry keeping Kildare's hopes alive.
Was wondering what part of Kerry the ref was from at one stage....

[twohands!!!]

No wide for Kildare. 8 wides for Kerry.

Kerry were on top for long periods and also had a good goal chance as well.

Would have to fancy Kerry to get the win at this stage - however if Kildare could get a bit more ball to their forwards they might have a chance. Feel Kildare will need a goal. Devent enough game of ball. Yer man Clifford for Kerry does look a serious operator. Robinson too for Kildare but he went out of the game as it went on.