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I think he may have passed his sell by date. No work rate on the pitch
kodak13 (Wicklow) - Posts: 77 - 12/11/2024 13:53:57 2579363 Link 0 |
I think there is a certain amount of delusion amongst supporters. For me there's been three senior Wicklow teams that have achieved something notable in the last 140 years - Baltinglass winning the All Ireland club championship in 1990; this won't be emulated by a Wicklow club for a long time, if ever. Rathnew winning the Leinster club championship in 2002 and Wicklow seniors under Mick O'Dwyer between 2007 - 2012. No other club outside Baltinglass and Rathnew have done anything worthy. Ok, An Tochar and TInahely have reached the Leinster club finals in 1984 and 1995 respectively. Without strong underage and/or club scene; it is impossible to have successful county teams. This is where we are. We have some NICE footballers but they are not WINNERS. This might sound harsh but when games are there to be won, Wicklow teams seldom win those type of games. Even our win over Westmeath this year was built on a big lead and hanging on at the end. I think the biggest problem in Wicklow is an willingness to change and take a different approach. It is hard to see how the fundamental change that is required, will materialise but as you say, to be a Wicklow supporter, you have to be an optimist above everything else.
wicklowsupport (Wicklow) - Posts: 2021 - 12/11/2024 14:23:53 2579369 Link 0 |
Hurling is no comparison to the level of Football in this county and I think we are to quick to knock the standard of football in this county when I genuinely believe the standard of player and what is expected of them has changed drastically in the last decade. I have been around development squads in Balinakill in hurling and football and the level the hurlers are at is miles behind the footballers in terms of ability and opponents. We're not far behind Leitrim on the funding issue if we're honest. Albundy19 (Wicklow) - Posts: 67 - 12/11/2024 17:28:41 2579395 Link 0 |
I would love to be able to agree with you and hats off to you for working with youngsters around Ballinakill. You, and others like you, and they, are our future. Having said this, our results in Leinster U17 and u19/20 don't back your belief up. We still can't beat the top 5/6 teams in Leinster when it matters and haven't been able to for years now. Like I have said on here previously, it's as if when we think we have reached the desired standard, the top teams have pushed the bar a little higher. When we can reach the standards of Dubs, Meath, Kildare, now Louth, Offaly and even Longford, beat them reasonably regularly, then, and only then, will we be able to say that we have improved. I fear we are a bit off achieving this still. It's one thing beating Wexford, Carlow, even Laois but the next step up seems to be always one too far. And that's no disrespect to these counties. They are in a struggle to lift themselves just like us.
Freethinker (Wicklow) - Posts: 1255 - 12/11/2024 20:12:54 2579412 Link 0 |
I'm really not quite sure where the basis of this point is coming from that the football standard is far ahead of the hurling. Absolutely no basis for that argument going on any minor/u21 football team since the 97 minors were beaten by Laois in a Leinster final. Thats 27 years ago. Let that sink in.
Gaa_supporter (Wicklow) - Posts: 19 - 13/11/2024 00:00:46 2579444 Link 0 |
We beat yourselves last time we played you in a championship game, beat Offaly the last time we played them in Leinster too. Since you last knocked us out of Leinster in 2020 I think we have only lost to Dublin, Laois and Louth. We've a decent recent record against Longford in the League. Agree we both have to improve, though it's hard for us to improve in Football when alot of the best Footballers we have play intercounty hurling. Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 13737 - 13/11/2024 09:20:14 2579454 Link 0 |
Thought it was obvious we were talking underage here, but whatever floats your boat.
Freethinker (Wicklow) - Posts: 1255 - 13/11/2024 09:55:46 2579462 Link 1 |
Ah ok lad. I saw your minors in Enniscorthy back in April, not a great night for it, you had some good young lads coming through. How did they get on after beating us? We ended up beating Meath, but losing to Dublin. Then in the tier 2 AI we beat Monaghan, but lost to Tyrone, although our preparations for that game were severely hampered as the Gorey lads were just home from a tour and the game got delayed and moved up to Tyrone as a result. So there you go, you are in the same company as Tyrone and Dublin, the 3 counties who beat our minors in Championship this year! Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 13737 - 13/11/2024 10:11:29 2579466 Link 0 |
Our minor footballers play in the minor championship proper our minor hurlers play in the minor C or even D championship so as you say "let that sink in"
Albundy19 (Wicklow) - Posts: 67 - 13/11/2024 12:30:28 2579498 Link 0 |
There is no other championship available in Leinster for the footballers so they have no choice. Believe me if there was a lower level minor football championship we would be there! Due to the fact we would only beat a couple of teams in Leinster any given year on a really good day at that
Gaa_supporter (Wicklow) - Posts: 19 - 13/11/2024 14:53:49 2579531 Link 0 |
In fairness, it's hard to disagree with you on this. We have won 1 Leinster minor championship in whatever amount of years since the minor championship was inaugurated and that was 50 yrs ago. 1974, if memory serves. We have never won an u20/1 so, you are very probably right. If there was a B or C in either grade we would very likely opt for them.
Freethinker (Wicklow) - Posts: 1255 - 13/11/2024 15:22:10 2579533 Link 0 |
I just browsed into this thread as it was top of the list when I went to the Forum page. Anyway, there is indeed a lower level minor football championship, that was introduced for the first time this year. Difference is that it kicks in after the main provincial championship (like the Tailteann Cup), rather than teams being allocated to it from the outset (like for the minor hurling championship lower tiers, and the Joe McDonagh, Christy Ring, etc. at adult level). And yes, Wicklow competed in the bottom one of the three grades this year. Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 2605 - 13/11/2024 15:22:52 2579534 Link 0 |
Think you are correct. The Leinster u17 was "graded" this year. The danger here for "weaker " counties is that this grading will become structured and permanent.
Freethinker (Wicklow) - Posts: 1255 - 13/11/2024 16:12:19 2579544 Link 0 |
Yes but you can progress from lower grades to play teams from higher grades in both football and hurling though can't you? We beat Meath after losing to Wicklow and beating Carlow. Technically Wicklow, or ourselves, could've won the Leinster minor double if we won all our games?
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 13737 - 13/11/2024 17:02:33 2579554 Link 1 |
I think the idea was to give teams a few games. A kind of round robin then get matched up with the stronger teams. I think Louth knocked us out and did they win Leinster ?
Freethinker (Wicklow) - Posts: 1255 - 13/11/2024 22:04:34 2579579 Link 0 |