Meath vs Dublin 17th June

[highorlow]

A couple of comments:
I'd love to warm to the Dubs but just can't seem to.
This shite of standing in front of the Hill (btw, i thought there was supposed to be a flick for ends for the warm up following last year semi - did Meath lose it twice or what ?) turns me off.
The level of booing for opposition frees turns me off and generally by the second half the other teams fans resort to the same level.
The fans that arrive late - like the 2 lads that arrived today after 20 minutes and were completely tanked and sat in front of me and turned giving the fingers and extreme verbals to the Meath folk around me on every Dublin score - turns me off.
The abuse of the "Maor Uisce" by having backroom staff fulfilling the role running on with instructions - effectively Dublin had 2 or 3 runners today - what is the rule on this ? Should Dublin county board not be banned for this ?
Pillar having the young fella beside him on the sideline near fulltime in most matches - doesn't bug me as such but it would annoy me if i was a Dub. Should the county board not be fined for this ?

I've gone in with an open mind to the last 2 games just looking to be entertained and not taking sides but ended up almost hoping Meath would beat them .. and by jaysus that takes extremes.
Anyway, have a sneaking suspicion Offaly will be much more troublesome next week than what is expected. Dublin might not be able to raise themselves to the levels required again so soon in a game they will be red hot favourites for .....

This is the usual at matchs these days and its unfair to pin it on the Dubs alone. The GAA fans have become noticably more agressive over the last few seasons in general. Its only a small few.

My opinion on this is that its stemming from the players. Did you see Keaney yesterday going physco at the Meath back when he scored. This carry on started last year with Donaghy against Armagh. Its childish and has no place in the game. Eoin Kelly also did it yesterday to the Cork fans after his goal. I think i read somewhere that some of the Tyrone lads were at it.

The only honorable player yesterday on view was Mark Vaughan - he got on with the job without any bullshit. He didn't even bother collecting his MOM award last night. Teams need more like him.

[northsideboy]

On a separate note can the guards or stewards not do anything about the dopeheads openly smoking joints in the stands. In a family section yesterday - Lower Canal and 3 buckos puffing away merrily but nothing done about it. Only saving grace is that they were too relaxed to be concerned with what was going on!!

Declan, did you bring the matter to the stewards in the Canal End?

[DUBSFORSAM1]

This is the usual at matchs these days and its unfair to pin it on the Dubs alone. The GAA fans have become noticably more agressive over the last few seasons in general. Its only a small few.

My opinion on this is that its stemming from the players. Did you see Keaney yesterday going physco at the Meath back when he scored. This carry on started last year with Donaghy against Armagh. Its childish and has no place in the game. Eoin Kelly also did it yesterday to the Cork fans after his goal. I think i read somewhere that some of the Tyrone lads were at it.

The only honorable player yesterday on view was Mark Vaughan - he got on with the job without any bullshit. He didn't even bother collecting his MOM award last night. Teams need more like him.

I'd say a lot of this comes in relation to what the backs etc have been saying before to the players....I would say some of the Meath defenders might have been talking about Dublin being chokers etc when they started coming back.....and Eoin Kelly probably remembered Corcoran's comments etc.....

Thought the best was near the end one of the Meath forwards gave Casey a clip on the back of the head and Casey just pointed to the scoreboard and seemed to say - just look at that...

[INDIANA]

And again i say, its easier to make childish comments to enhance the siege mentality than to actually counter the points i make

I would have to be an idiot to waste my valubale time talking about "maor uisce's" - pillar and his son etc. We had a highly entertaining game yesterday which i'm happy to debate with anyone -but all this extraneous bullshit you're bringing into it -is just that -bullshit and does a dis-service to both sets of players- and quite frankly says more about you then anything else.

[highorlow]

I'd say a lot of this comes in relation to what the backs etc have been saying before to the players.

Thats been going on for years.

The animated reaction from the players is recent enough.

Keaney been a smart lad will, i imagine be embarressed with todays photo in the indo (if Pillar allows them to buy papers?).

Sportsmanship is leaving our games and is affecting small pockets of rival fans....

[DUBSFORSAM1]

I'd say a lot of this comes in relation to what the backs etc have been saying before to the players.

Thats been going on for years.

The animated reaction from the players is recent enough.

Keaney been a smart lad will, i imagine be embarressed with todays photo in the indo (if Pillar allows them to buy papers?).

Sportsmanship is leaving our games and is affecting small pockets of rival fans....

Highorlow - but in the old days you could hit someone who mouthed off a good tackle/shoulder etc to make them pay but unfortunately today it has become a far more sanitised sport in that regard...

With the diving, appealing, looking for cards, mouthing at the ref, hitting the ref, appealing every suspension etc its obvious that sportsmanship is leaving but does anyone have the balls to do anything about it......

[highorlow]

but in the old days you could hit someone who mouthed off a good tackle/shoulder etc to make them pay but unfortunately today it has become a far more sanitised sport in that regard...

True, and the camera's are picking up everything these days.

Its time the GAA introduced the Sin Bin...

[DUBSFORSAM1]

but in the old days you could hit someone who mouthed off a good tackle/shoulder etc to make them pay but unfortunately today it has become a far more sanitised sport in that regard...

True, and the camera's are picking up everything these days.

Its time the GAA introduced the Sin Bin...

We had that but there were certain managers/provinces that refused to accept it as being a requirement!!!! The problem is that the camera picks up the hitting back but won't pick up the abuse given beforehand.....

[blast05]

I would have to be an idiot to waste my valubale time talking about "maor uisce's" - pillar and his son etc. We had a highly entertaining game yesterday which i'm happy to debate with anyone -but all this extraneous bullshit you're bringing into it -is just that -bullshit and does a dis-service to both sets of players- and quite frankly says more about you then anything else.

I didn't really want to debate it in the first place - just posting observations as to why i find it difficult to warm to the Dubs depsite wanting to. If somebody wanted to debate it, then fine, i would.
The fact however that you replied with offensive and childish tripe entitles me to at least stand up for myself and ask you why you thought my comments were as you said .... but no, it seems you think you can set the agenda for the debate here.
Chip, shoulder, etc.
Anyway, QED for me.

[Dinny Breen]

8-point gap? Don't be ridiculous.

I'm not myopic in my views, Dublin hit a tremendous amount of wides, at one stage it was 10 - 2, Brogan kicked five including two good goal chances not to metion Collie Morans open goal that he missed. Meath were only close because of Dublin ineptitude, Bray was the only player who rose to the challenge. Personally speaking I don't think any side in the qualifiers will be too worried about playing Meath at home, in Navan maybe. Anyway if my Aunty had balls she would of course be my uncle....

[INDIANA]

The fact however that you replied with offensive and childish tripe entitles me to at least stand up for myself and ask you why you thought my comments were as you said

nobody else responded either to you (take a hint)- case closed.

[Hardy]

I'm not myopic in my views

Dinny – do you mean to imply I'm myopic? Maybe you're right, but I can't win the argument if we start from that premise, so let's just debate the facts.

Dublin hit a tremendous amount of wides, at one stage it was 10 - 2, Brogan kicked five including two good goal chances not to metion Collie Morans open goal that he missed.

How does the fact that they can't convert scores make them an 8-point better team?

Meath were only close because of Dublin ineptitude

So what you mean is that if Dublin weren't inept, they'd be an eight point better team. What were you saying about your aunt?

Bray was the only player who rose to the challenge.

With due respect, I think that's nonsense. Darren Fay would have been arguably man of the match, if it wasn't for Vaughan (I have an aunt too!). Geraghty was absolutely outstanding (dive notwithstanding), anytime he had even a chance of possession. Moyles was excellent. Far from being an 8-point inferior team, for a team with only one player rising to the challenge, Meath came very close to winning it and four points was an exaggeration of the difference between the sides. (OK – I can't say that's a fact, but it's an opinion I'll support all night).

Personally speaking I don't think any side in the qualifiers will be too worried about playing Meath at home, in Navan maybe.

I'd agree with that – even in Navan. Meath are not good qualifier competitors. And their home record is nothing to ehhh ... write home about. Geraghty as much as said in yesterday's Tribune that he found it hard to get motivated for the qualifiers. And, as agorm was suggesting, it wouldn't be a surprise to see them using the qualifiers to try some things, blood some lads, etc.

Anyway if my Aunty had balls she would of course be my uncle....

And if she was from Dublin, that alone would give her a good chance of getting a spot in the full back line.

[Uladh]

Anyway if my Aunty had balls she would of course be my uncle....

And if she was from Dublin, that alone would give her a good chance of getting a spot in the full back line.

well certainly at right half back

[cavanmaniac]

I forgot to say - what a player Darren Fay is. Probably the performance of his career yesterday.

And that's saying something. Darren Fay is comfortably the best fullback I've ever seen by a country mile, every time I watch him my admiration grows all the more. Dubs, Aussies, he doesn't care, he just takes them on and comes out on top every time. What Cavan wouldn't give for a player of this stature.

[DUBSFORSAM1]

Anyway if my Aunty had balls she would of course be my uncle....

And if she was from Dublin, that alone would give her a good chance of getting a spot in the full back line.

well certainly at right half back

I don't think Casey did to bad yesterday at all.......Bray scored 4 points but Casey was tightly marking him each time I thought and sometimes you just have to accept the forward did really well...