Laois Senior Footballers 2026

[High Fielder]

with the full two rounds played now after yesterday we now find ourselves in third from bottom with 1 point with a -14 points difference. The -14 total is the joint second worse difference in the divisions with Monaghan in Division 1 with -18 below. Our major problem is that we are a very low scoring team currently, 22 points after two rounds with only Longford and Waterford in Division 4 lower. Sligo's win at the weekend will give them a boost for the next day but they probably will be more satisfied with getting 1-19 against Fermanagh. while I hope we would get a result against Sligo to ease relegation wonders if we don't we are heading into our harder fixtures away to Clare, Down and Fermanagh and home to Westmeath in serious bother. Clare might be positioned below us in the league with zero points but they have probably played their two hardest matches first against Down and Westmeath and still managed to score 40 points over the two games. the big hope when the fixtures were first released that we would have four points after the opening games and possibly 6 after Sligo and then tackle the next games with a push for promotion but as we have seen things didn't go that way.

I never had you down as a Make Believer. Look at the evidence in front of you. Our own Championship. The players we're producing. The apathy.

It's a total mess and it's rotten. It has been this way for many years, and shows zero signs of changing. We get a report every year basically telling us we have all the problems in the world, it goes up on the shelf, and then nothing until next year. The people of Laois want nothing to do with it. The empty stands tell you everything

[Laois Rising]

Something is going very wrong at underage level with the development of players. With our bigger clubs they can go from having a decent team one year to a weak team the next-tends to be down to the quality of parents involved with certain teams that decides their development. Schools are hugely disappointing-outside of Knockbeg who are competitive at senior level without ever really looking like winning the competition. In other counties we see schools playing a big role in helping the progression of young players. 

The minor panel for this year is a perfect example of something amiss in the county. Crettyard have five players on the minor panel this year with probably 15-20 boys maximum in the parish of that age to draw upon and then you have a town of 20,000 plus in Portlaoise and they feeding in 2 players. Traditional strongholds like Stradbally-no players, St. Joseph's 1. What is happening in these clubs with the size of pick available to them that they are not developing and bringing through players on an annual basis.

Laois will only be strong when the likes of Josephs, Stradbally and Portlaoise are strong. Traditionally when Laois go well its when are stronger, traditional clubs are going strong too.

[The Boy Wonder]

The small crowds at Laois games over the past few years is clear evidence of the apathy among supporters.

One just has to look at Cavan and Roscommon, counties with similar populations, to see that supporters will get behind their team when they see their county making the best of their resources.

Hopefully the negativity that's around at the moment does not spread to the current panel and they avoid relegation.

A huge effort is needed at underage level - it has been proven in the past that success is achievable.
I'm not close to the club scene (living in Dublin) but I understand the number of senior teams will be reduced.