Drinking Bans

[Hank Everlast]

I was just looking a few opinions of how long is the norm to be off the drink before a club championship match.....

We have been told to work out amongst our selves as to how long we think is realistic and would be best!

I think this is a better idea than the manager imposing a ridiculous ban and half the boys not sticking to it....

[Smokin Joe]

I didn't think that Audi was as democratic as that 

[el_cuervo_fc]

not much point in making it too long, the boys will end up thinking more about the session afterwards than the match

[Candyman]

TBH i dont think they really work..... someone always ends up breaking it and then there is unrest in the camp!!!

[screenexile]

Yeah I think the Drink ban has become a thing of the past really... THANK GOD! Most teams now realise the amount of drinking they can do and still keep themsleves in top condition. At this time of year it is hard to enforce a drink ban with weddings and BBQs and the like going on. As long as you can have a couple without going overboard you should be OK. As long as you're not filling yourself full of 40 Vodka and Red Bull a couple of days before a match I think you'd be fine. My opinion would be 2 weeks before a game including one whole weekend off the drink would be easily sufficient for performance and if players can't cope with one weekend off it then they shouldn't bother their arse playing championship football!

[AZOffaly]

I think you're more or less spot on screenexile. It's quite a complicated matter though. You could rwrite a thesis on this. In fact, I'm sure someone has

The concept of the drink ban serves two purposes really. As well as the obvious benefits during training, recovery times, performance etc that not carrying a bellyful of porter around with you brings, it was primarily a tool to reinforce the 'we're all in this together' mantra, and the concept of trust between team mates, and not to 'let the others down' by having a drink.

Nobody playing seriously should be a heavy drinker in any case, because it hurts you when you are training, and training is when the hard work is being done, not in the week up to the game. But if people are sensible, and drink ocassionaly, and relatively lightly, they can train and prepare well.

As for targetting specific games for a drink ban, again it's more back to the sacrifce for the team, rather than any performance benefit (I'm not talking about a blow out with 14 pints here) but I would think screen is right. 2 weeks, with the weekend before the game included, and you'd have no alcohol in your system or holding you back.

However, as I say, lads drinking like fish for 4 months, and then suddenly going on the dry for a fortnight is fcuk all use. The damage is done in the way it would have affected your training. Moderation is everything.


On a side note, this reminds me of the famous Johnny Pilkington quote, playing the media of course, the Thursday night before the 1998 All Ireland final against Kilkenny (I think). He was asked whether Offaly were really serious about winning the game and he said (I'll paraphrase) 'Of course we are taking this seriously. This is a big game for Offaly and we are training very hard. Some of the lads are even off the drink since Tuesday'.

[bingobus]

At present in our club, the drink culture is greatly reduced (at senior level anyway). Over the last few years, the young lads who have come through aren't overly big drinkers and would look after themselves. They are mature enough to know that drinking in excessive before a big game isn't on. The older players would largely adopt the same mentality now. A few strays that would lead others, have moved on.

If a championship match is on this weekend, very few would have went overboard last weekend, although a few would have taken a few. As the season goes on and the matches become bigger, their will be less taken in lead up to matches. No players left where they would have to be told and then watched.

The no drink thing is a mental thing, as well as been below par on the field. It affects attitude and effort at training.

I remember the Tuesday training before an Ulster club match under John Rafferty a few years back. 13 players trained, many had avoided training as the after affects of the championship winning celebrations had taken hold. 

[haranguerer]

Agree with the last few; I think now theres more of an attitude that when you come to training/play a match, its up to you to be fit to do that to the best of your ability. Its you whos gonna look like an idiot otherwise. players too are wising up a bit, knowing that if they get locked tonight they're gonna be below par for a few days, and that could well see them off the team.

[Hank Everlast]

Well i was thinkn along the lines of 4 weeks anyway, thats not just for the benefits that come without drinking but for the comraderary as well.  I know the majority of the benefits are in your head but i think you put in a better effort at training and doin your own bits and peices and therefore it wud have a good result.

On the other hand as it has been said, if asome players break it thenit can lead to rows.

[bingobus]

4 weeks too long for a club side. Some lads would go stir crazy and as someone, the session afterwards rather than the match would become the focus.

Was reading thing about La manga at weekend and Big Joe was saying in the 5 camps he was involved with, no one drink was taken by anyone in any of the trips. His attitude was that they were their to do a job and reap the full benefits and drink wasn;t part of the it.