100% agree Ned in terms of Senior Championship. But if clubs want to remain for other competitions I wouldn't force them to fold altogether. The more players we have playing the better, just have proper well run competitions for everyone. Back to Kerry again, as well as their 2 main championships they also have their local championships like the North Kerry, South Kerry etc. that all the small clubs look forward to. But as much as they love their local rivalries and no matter how heated they get, they are still able to pull together when it comes to the bigger competitions. Nothing wrong will the fire and blood of a local derby. Indeed looking back over the years, if you wanted to see good competitive balls out football the Denn Gold Watch Tournament was hard beaten.

Hardtimes (Cavan) - Posts: 1056 - 26/10/2015 16:30:34    1801998

Run the championship and the league off with the respect it deserves. Try and finish a 9 round league between Feb and Nov . Treat club players right . Then and only then might clubs and club players start respecting the Co Board and what it stands for. Then players might get interested from club level if they are shown respect . The way clubs and club players have been treated this past few years is appalling . No wonder players are not interested in the county set up.

Awwwwnow (Cavan) - Posts: 1050 - 26/10/2015 17:03:29    1802010

Hard to disagree Awwwwnow. But it comes from further up than just the Co. board although they could do a lot more to revitalise the club scene. They club scene definitely feels like the last stop on the train bound for nowhere. You get the feeling from top brass that if it weren't for the inconvenience of needing the clubs as a feeding ground for developing inter county players, then they wouldn't bother with us at all.

Hardtimes (Cavan) - Posts: 1056 - 26/10/2015 17:37:10    1802016

Hardtimes you kinda hit the nail on the head there. The sad thing about it is these committees like the fixtures committee are made up of club delegates . Are these ppl just allowing their names to go forward to these committees without any real interest in what's at stake? The club v county thing is a problem too. I don't see any reason why a county player can't play with his club 2/3 weeks before a county championship game. There players nowadays getting injured st county training so what's the problem playing with the clubs? It would in fact sharpen them up playing competitive club games rather than meaningless county challenge matches. If we don't look after club players we won't have county team. If you leave the last 5 u21 teams out of it there a poor return in the squad for players over the age of 26. That can't be right. Any players over 26 like Keating are playing in Dublin club scene. Why? If you had a proper good club scene here no player would want to leave . Givney , o Mara , Keating .. Left and there probably lots more.

Awwwwnow (Cavan) - Posts: 1050 - 26/10/2015 18:21:48    1802025

I take it you werent around in the 80's or 90's benbulbenhead when you come up with a statement like that " those were the decades when the standards slipped and Cavan football went to the bottom of the heap " Cavan were playing Division one and two football regularly in the 80's and 90's losing a National League semi-final very narrowly to Dublin in 1989 with a superb display of football . If we had players of the calibre of Derek mc Donnell , Jim Reilly , John Brady , Michael Faulkner & Stephen King to name a few at our disposal nowadays we would be in a much better position . Far from being at " the bottom of the heap " we were competitive with the top teams in the country at the time without making the breakthrough in a very tough Ulster championship with no back door.

tenyearplan (Cavan) - Posts: 130 - 26/10/2015 18:29:39    1802027

Agree tenyearplan ... Every decade from when I started watching them we had leaders.. Leaders to pick us up even if we were losing or on a bad run. St pats 72 team and minor team of 74 were the basis of 2 Ulster final appearances in 76 and 78.. And very unlucky in 76 after a replay. 83 Ulster final team was built on st pats losing mc Rory finals in mid 70s plus what was left over from the 78 team. 97!winning team came from 2 u21 sucesses and a losing Ulster final in 95.. NOW we have 5 u21 final appearances winning 4 and we can't get past the first round of the championship at home? The stuff is there. So where's the problem?

Awwwwnow (Cavan) - Posts: 1050 - 26/10/2015 18:42:43    1802039

Tenyearplan,

Don't forget we outplayed Donegal TWICE in 1992, in the first game and the replay, but lost in an agonizingly close game. Donegal of course went on to win Sam that year and Cavan gave them their toughest game.

We genuinely could have won an All Ireland in the 90's. We had the players to do it.

Ned_Stormcrow (Cavan) - Posts: 1022 - 26/10/2015 19:07:04    1802050

A very competitive ulster in the 80s which yielded no all Ireland champions, competitive but mediocre. Cavan barely won a game in ulster each year in the 80s and early 90s. What you can tell is the era some lads on here come from when they look at the 80s and think how great it was. I expect you also remember that the winner of div 4 in the league got a run out in Croke park too in the league. Please if you want to look at the world through rose tinted glasses at least go back to the 60s for a top class Cavan team.

benbulbenhead (Sligo) - Posts: 52 - 26/10/2015 20:45:30    1802082

Ned. What was the score in the 92 replay? Beaten by 11 points I believe but you reckon we put played them?

benbulbenhead (Sligo) - Posts: 52 - 26/10/2015 20:48:39    1802083

Ned, I think your memory might be playing tricks on you. We were comprehensively beaten in a completely miserable rainsoaked Ballybofey in 92 in the replay. Went down to 14 men early due to some afters continuing from the game in Breffni the week previously. But otherwise agree with the sentiments. We had some great players in the 80s and 90s. Indeed on that day in Ballybofey Steven King and Damien O'Reilly were probably the two best players on show.

Hardtimes (Cavan) - Posts: 1056 - 26/10/2015 20:55:03    1802086

benbulbenhead
County: Sligo
Posts: 35

1802083
Ned. What was the score in the 92 replay? Beaten by 11 points I believe but you reckon we put played them?

Got it wrong. Not sure what I was thinking. Wishful thinking perhaps! Someone was filling me with old wives tales. Apologies!

Ned_Stormcrow (Cavan) - Posts: 1022 - 26/10/2015 21:58:34    1802101

Tomsmith here

Well now that the Cavan Gaels fellows have a bit of a rest ( first in years with championship County and \Ulster) perhaps a few of the players may reconsider joining the County set up.
I know that it may not go down well with some of you but just look at the service that Cavan Gaels footballers have given to the Club/Town/and wider area over a vast number of years

tomsmith (Cavan) - Posts: 3275 - 27/10/2015 10:09:07    1802129

Awwww now, the problem with county players lining out for their clubs two weeks before an Ulster Championship game is that the best county teams have gone so close to professional now that the lesser counties need to have their players at every possible opportunity. It might do the players more good physically playing for their club but the analysis and tactical approach taken means that they need to sit down and watch videos and go through gameplans at every chance.

Just look at McGuinness's article in The Times a few days ago where he explains their approach to playing Dublin last week. It's an incredible amount of dedication involved to compete at that level.

Skelling (USA) - Posts: 288 - 27/10/2015 10:29:20    1802140

Well Skelling if you take a leaf out of Brian Codys book you will find that he releases players back to their clubs very often. And it's done Kilkenny no harm. I don't believe in postponing all club championships games while waiting for a qualifier draw to be made. That's why club players get the hump.

Awwwwnow (Cavan) - Posts: 1050 - 27/10/2015 11:13:25    1802168

So your telling me that players can't play with their clubs 2/3 weeks before a county championship match because they have to watch videos and discuss game plans at every chance? You for real? Well if that really is the case there wasn't much learned last year!!

Awwwwnow (Cavan) - Posts: 1050 - 27/10/2015 11:20:08    1802171

tomsmith
County: Cavan
Posts: 2439

1802129
Tomsmith here

Well now that the Cavan Gaels fellows have a bit of a rest ( first in years with championship County and \Ulster) perhaps a few of the players may reconsider joining the County set up.
I know that it may not go down well with some of you but just look at the service that Cavan Gaels footballers have given to the Club/Town/and wider area over a vast number of years


None of them are good enough it's that simple.

mowbar (Cavan) - Posts: 452 - 27/10/2015 13:40:33    1802258

Mowbar I don't know where you are watching potential co footballers but the Gaels lads are certainly good enough. Love him or hate Johnston is the best scoring forward in the county. Maloney Derham , Declan Meehan Dunne, Paul o Connor Darragh Sexton Kevin Meehan are as good as anyone one who played county football this year. When you are judging your football With your so called 50 year of experience you should take the blinkers off and name 5 or 6 players who haven't played county football last year that are better than these I mentioned

Awwwwnow (Cavan) - Posts: 1050 - 27/10/2015 14:08:06    1802273

Cavan play a challenge game against meath tonight in skryne to try out new players

gaelsutd (Cavan) - Posts: 602 - 27/10/2015 14:26:51    1802284

Valid points Awwwwnow. Although if a player gets injured playing club before a big county match you'll have people complaining that he shouldn't have been playing and unfortunately this is the stance where most make the call from.
If it were up to me I'd let the club games go ahead. Players need to be playing football including the regular club players. You can get injured just as easily training. Too much training without matches can be counter productive after a while for both county and club players. Nothing more disheartening than a long slog of training with no matches in sight.

Hardtimes (Cavan) - Posts: 1056 - 27/10/2015 15:04:32    1802312

Awwwwnow
County: Cavan
Posts: 155


I replied to your post but as usual hoganstand felt maybe I was being unfair to the people you named so you will just have to take it that it did not agree with you. Just in case they do agree to post this little piece the best player you have is Sean Johnston he is the best in the county no question but will hyland have him back ???

mowbar (Cavan) - Posts: 452 - 27/10/2015 18:18:23    1802417