The Future for Laois Football

[clonadmad]

The template as to how to effect change at the top table is in place already

It's been done already in offaly

An approach is made to a laois person with the standing of a Duignan

You then build a cabinet around this person with people with the necessary skill set for that particular position

And you then present them as a complete package for election at convention

I've sat in a number of conventions and the number of contests for positions you can nearly always count on the fingers never mind the thumb of one hand

You get these people in

And you drive change from the top

[town1980]

There must be a manager in place as it has all gone very quiet and our big games are comming up this weekend

[The real town]

We have 16 senior clubs in laois probably 8 underage teams playing A football and that's the supply chain for most of these clubs bar a few. That's a major problem but that's been the way for a good number of years and nothing done about it.I agree with a lot off the things said here so if we can see it are they just ignoring it.who would let mouthmellick join with 4 other teams 1 yes but that's a joke.

[Ballyroan Abbey]

Critchley or Dempsey if you were looking for someone who would be seen as non biased towards either code because I could imagine some football people being unhappy with cheddar, ideally you would have all 3 involved though

[town1980]

I agree with ballyroan abbey there the only  candidates

[clonadmad]

I don't think Offaly football has been discriminated against by having a perceived hurling man such as Duignan in as county board chairman

If we have football or hurling clubs thinking straight away that men such as cheddar Plunkett would discriminate against one code over another and they in the role of county board chairman.

Then we are in an even bigger hole than I thought we already are in

But fair enough

Dempsey as Cb chairman

Critchley as hurling board chairman/hurling development/head of hurling whatever you want to call it

With Conway as his football equivalent

And you build your "cabinet" from there 

[Zooming around]

Critchley or Dempsey if you were looking for someone who would be seen as non biased towards either code because I could imagine some football people being unhappy with cheddar, ideally you would have all 3 involved though

The exact same standing would be someone like Niall Rigney, not Cheddar, Critchley etc.

[The PRO]

Chris Conway would have zero interest in getting involved with administration at county level.

[clonadmad]

Chris Conway would have zero interest in getting involved with administration at county level.

We will scrub your name from the list then,Chris

[SCFC]

Chris Conway would have zero interest in getting involved with administration at county level.

We will scrub your name from the list then,Chris

[Laois man]

Any names in the running for our Senior Manager?

[Oblivious]

We all need a good kick up the h*le in order to create an appetite for change. The forum and local papers in effect act in the same manner as the CB in expressing opinions dabbling with ideas and different computations about the next manager or a manager and what hero will ride in on a white horse and save Laois Football. Ultimately the manager will not make a significant impact unless there is radical change from juvenile all the way up to senior level at all clubs. If they had changed the captain on the Titanic as it was heading for the ice berg the result would be the same. i see a lot of fine names being bandied about as possible game changers but then, that might not go down well with one code etc. Surely both codes should be aggressive enough to stand up for their own sport in the best interest of pride and ambition.

Any county which has one team winning a number of championships in a row creates a problem and should have been seized upon years ago, the same chatter about Dublin winning too much lets split them up , so in Portlaoise its lets have another club or maybe two. So its look at them, its unfair instead of trying to reach the standard  that they achieved in order to win lets drag everyone down to the same level to make it fair. Other clubs are catching up and teh move out of t eh Town has not helped Portlaoise but teh writing has been on teh wall for teh club championship scene now for a number of years

Have a look at the way Offaly beat Dublin in the under 20's, it shouldnt have happend but it did why. Believe, agressive football, executed plan, fitness, good decision making process, outstanding individual performences, determination and trust between players. See article with interview with Under 20 manager as a blue print in how to foster a good included environment from under 16 up to senior. https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-40349624.html

The game has moved on througout the country and at all levels from under 16 up to senior we play containment football, play on the break and get the ball as quick as you can up to 2/3 marquee forwards who currently on average have a poor success rate. When is the last tie at county level have you seen a corner back making a shooting run on the shoulder of another half back or midfielder , why just in case they get caught out. The senior team would be better to enter a one hop one solo go games championship. There are talented players but doing the same stuff year in year out must be demoralising for some of these talented players who wither don't reflect their ability in a laois jersey or are not allowed too. Currently the only team I see with a number of players playing of each others shoulder is Portarlington and I see that at every level of their juveline teams coming up , even though they may be struggling this year with numbers at Minor level.. 

1. Scrap the current senior championship for a trial period of 2-3 years.  Its a numbers game and so amalgimations do work, see it in Juvenile championships over the last 10 year's . It does create a problem for smaller clubs and then clubs want to be downgraded to the B Division championships but the greater the numbers at training and at squad level should create an improved team. A lot of senior teams have no real chance of winning the senior championship and want to avoid relegation but if there is a new format it should improve the standard. Shared facilities coaching and higher quality players has to improve standard. Its a numbers game.   

2. rewrite the go games at juvenile level, maybe 3 hops 2 solos. I get the idea of trying to dumb down everyone to the same level and some sports physicologist probably got paid big bucks for it but other sports don't do 1 dribble or 1 pass. There must be a better way to reward skill and not punish it. Maybe alternative feet with the solo etc.

3. GDA overload everywhere, clubs ,schools primary and post primary

4. Increase squad sizes on emerging talent programmes and have GDA's promote and improve standard at all other clubs for players who don't make the emerging talent programmes.

5. greater senior player involvement at juvenile football from under 12 up . come on lads you got a lot of jersey's and gear over the last 20 years try and give it back to the county

6. Have a football tsar or panel of 3-4 accountable with clear set out goals and plans in improving football at all levels. take a espionage trip to somwehere where they have the answers. CB should look after the admin side and arrange the finance but be part of the solution as opposed to being perceived as the problem. Its still an amateur game.   

7. Centre of excellence is there , use it and allow clubs use gym facilities etc, I am sure the clubs have paid something towards it.

8. Football manager should be able to manage the expectations of a pretty downtrodden gaa community and be able to show significant youth injections into the squad. Dont parachute it a big name for 2-3 years to pay for their pension.

Anyway rant over, good luck to all in the decision making process                   

             
   

 
 

         

[The real town]

We cannot compare portlaoise to dublin.you compare portlaoise to newbridge similar populations to Kilkenny city which portlaoise if it keeps growing at the rate it is will soon pass it in population.all have 2 or more senior teams which all have players or had that played with county. has to be a lot of young people in portlaoise that never see a football field. Portlaoise doesn't  want competition for young players in there town which is only natural. But this is up to the county board if you  have to start at underage level out biggest town has to be one of our biggest providers

[High Fielder]

No chance of a second club in Portlaoise. That conversation needs to stop. Some members of the Portlaoise club would tell you that it's hard enough getting players for all the different teams - make what you want of that. And as for the CB making an effort to address the obvious problems in Portlaoise, you can forget that too. I'd say most of them are happy that Portlaoise are no longer dominating, because let's face it, that would be the only way their own clubs could be competitive. Ah sure it'll all fall into place one day. One harvest every 40 years or so and we'll be grand.

[town1980]

Graigue v port predictions?