Kerry 75-86 v Crossmaglen 97-08

[GalwayBayBoy]

The best way one can come up with a comparison of the above is Weight divisions in boxing! Kerry - Ali, Cross - Leonard. Ali would have whipped Leonard, but in their respective weight divisions they were kings. Look Cross have won Ulster and AI titles having to play 10 plus games! How many games did it take Kerry to win their 8 AIs.......24 plus a few mickey mouse earlier round games ( Note that the Munster council has arranged for this to happen again with seeding this year!). In that respect Crosses achievements are amazing.

Footnote: If Kerry is the home/Kings of Football, how come they have struggled in recent years to win club, under 21, minor, Munster and AI titles?

And if Cross/Armagh football is so strong how come Armagh have only one AI senior inter county. Not being smart but one of the imponderables of kerry football recently is a lack of AI success at underage yet there's one or two coming in to the senior panel every year and a successful senior panel at that.

As i said different weight divisions, both are/were very strong in their respective grade, this does not transfer when out of their grade.

On the Kerry Footnote, It puzzles me at the lack of success for such at strong football county at other grades other than Senior. Is club football in Kerry weak as there seems to be little or no success AI wise there for 15 years plus? Or could it be the Ulster excuise that it is so hard to win the county title, you are burn't out for AI and Munster title challenges.....But sure the cream always rises to the top!

Kerry club football does though have an illustrious record in the All Ireland Club. Laune Rangers, Castleisland Desmonds, Dr Crokes, Austin Stacks and East Kerry have all won the title once each. I think an Gaeltacht also have a title, if my memory serves me well! 

An Gaeltacht have never won it. Caltra beat them in the final in 2004.

East Kerry was an amalgamated side which of course aren't allowed to enter any more.

[Rufus T Firefly]

The best way one can come up with a comparison of the above is Weight divisions in boxing! Kerry - Ali, Cross - Leonard. Ali would have whipped Leonard, but in their respective weight divisions they were kings. Look Cross have won Ulster and AI titles having to play 10 plus games! How many games did it take Kerry to win their 8 AIs.......24 plus a few mickey mouse earlier round games ( Note that the Munster council has arranged for this to happen again with seeding this year!). In that respect Crosses achievements are amazing.

Footnote: If Kerry is the home/Kings of Football, how come they have struggled in recent years to win club, under 21, minor, Munster and AI titles?

And if Cross/Armagh football is so strong how come Armagh have only one AI senior inter county. Not being smart but one of the imponderables of kerry football recently is a lack of AI success at underage yet there's one or two coming in to the senior panel every year and a successful senior panel at that.

As i said different weight divisions, both are/were very strong in their respective grade, this does not transfer when out of their grade.

On the Kerry Footnote, It puzzles me at the lack of success for such at strong football county at other grades other than Senior. Is club football in Kerry weak as there seems to be little or no success AI wise there for 15 years plus? Or could it be the Ulster excuise that it is so hard to win the county title, you are burn't out for AI and Munster title challenges.....But sure the cream always rises to the top!

Kerry club football does though have an illustrious record in the All Ireland Club. Laune Rangers, Castleisland Desmonds, Dr Crokes, Austin Stacks and East Kerry have all won the title once each. I think an Gaeltacht also have a title, if my memory serves me well! 

An Gaeltacht have never won it. Caltra beat them in the final in 2004.

East Kerry was an amalgamated side which of course aren't allowed to enter any more.

Fair enough GBB - I was wrong about An Gaeltacht and you are of course right about East Kerry. That still leaves four different winners, which is still an envious record.

[AZOffaly]

Also, the very fact that Divisional sides are not allowed enter the provincial club championships (rightly so) mitigates the chance of a Kerry team winning an All Ireland Club, even though the likes of Castleisland, Laune Rangers and Stacks have been successful in the past.

The thing is the Kerry County Board, and the various Divisional Boards, are more interested in having a high quality County Championship, thereby raising standards within the county and thus helping develop players for the County team, than winning club All Irelands.

Regarding the underage scene, yes it is a mystery why Kerry have not won more minor/U21 All Irelands, but again, the main aim is grooming lads for senior football. And every year another two or three at least come along to push for places, which keeps the whole thing fresh.