Quality of O'Neill's Footballs

[parttimeexile]

Is it just me or has anyone else noticed that the quality of O'neills footballs has dropped. Most of the ones in our club went badly out of shape very quickly after being bought and many of them have come apart at the joints. Are they currently/always been made in Ireland? Let me know what you'se think as i'm sure you will.

[stpauls]

it all depends PTE, if the ones that were bought were brand new or seconds.
any of the seconds that our club have bought tend to go out of shape after a while, but the brand new ones would stay in pretty good nick.

[North Longford]

Saw a lad in our club last week giving out to another fella for sitting on one. (You know when fellas are in a group listening to some advice! from a trainer). He reckoned (and was backed up by a couple of others) that thats the cause of them going out of shape. Plausible I suppose?!

[Balboa]

Saw a lad in our club last week giving out to another fella for sitting on one. (You know when fellas are in a group listening to some advice! from a trainer). He reckoned (and was backed up by a couple of others) that thats the cause of them going out of shape. Plausible I suppose?!

Especially if it is someone like Ruairi Woods.....

[Buckass]

A big source of the eggitis suffered by the O'Neills is lads pumping them up to the last. Once overpumped they lose their shape( also happened to an ex of mine)

[mannix]

Good man buckass, i hope you returned her!

I bought a new ball on 3 different occasions and twice they were offround after a few months.I never sat on them or pumped them too hard.Made in Ireland too, had one repaired when the liner got damaged so they must make them in dublin on the naas road plant.

[parttimeexile]

As far as I know they were all new but could be wrong. I was thinking that it may be lads sitting on them was putting them out of shape that was doing the damage but dont think they went out of shape a few years ago and i'm sure boys were just as heavy and were sitting on them just as much. It's no big deal i'm sure they are the same as all companies. They probably brought in an accountant or engineer to save expenses and they are probably using slightly less high quality materials or even less of the original materials. Is there some rule aboout gaelic sports equipment having to be made in Ireland?

[stpauls]

yeah, any kit/equipment must be made by an Irish company if it is used by a team in Ireland. don't think they are as strict on applying the rule if you are a team outside of Ireland, as I know the Munich Colmcilles were able to source their jersies from local companies!

[AbbeySider]

We usually store GAA balls at home for certain club teams and I have noticed down through the years that its better to store the balls indoors at night and keep them out of the elements as much as possible.
Elements such as prolonged rain and especially frost have a terrible effect on the life of the balls.

Another thing is to change the air in the balls now and again.
New and fresher air give the balls new life and they are much lighter and easier to kick.

I have found that after a while the air in the balls goes stale and old and subsequently they get heavy and have less of a bounce.
So let all the air out and re pump them and you will notice the difference straight away.

Ok maybe I should shut up taking balls 

[Get a Jersey]

It's definitely true. I purchase the balls for my club and we are spending a fortune these past few years on new balls. They don't last any length. They go out of shape very quickly and do not retain the firmness of a new ball. As far as i know they are made in far east (of world, not ireland).
Looks like a deliberate thing to me to sell more balls.

[longball]

def true the standard is away to pot. lets boycott oneills and only dead with them intercounty balls!!!

this is all a loada balls

[Leo]

For those of you who are concerned about the state of your balls I recommend the essential online guide "How to handle your balls" . On your computer, just Goolie "flattenednuts" and it will send you to the website "www.loadaballs.com".

[gwan-ye-boy-ya]

A big source of the eggitis suffered by the O'Neills is lads pumping them up to the last. Once overpumped they lose their shape( also happened to an ex of mine)

lol

[orangeman]

It's great to get one straight out of the shop - all that leather and lovely smell ! Standards have dropped ok -

[southdown]

two years ago we bought a load of them gaelic gear balls.  a few weeks later we had to go back to oneills, the GG balls were like balloons.