Kilkenny Football - ??

eroo · 27-02-2011 7:07pm #1

As a Clareman, I have seen our footballers struggle and narrowly miss out in Div 4 over the last year. This year looks much the same.

However, struggle as our footballers may... the Kilkenny footballers have left me utterly speechless! No win in three years since they beat London(who have beaten them since). Recent results..

v Longford 4-24 to 0-5
v Leitrim 3-18 to 0-0
v Clare 5-17 to 1-1

Now I am in no way attempting to have a laugh at the teams expense or anything like that as they obviously have pride in the jersey to soldier on.. but the question has to be put out there. Should Kilkenny IC football team be disbanded? Or is there some way of getting them a win despite the lack of funding over hurling?

Flukey · 27-02-2011 7:57pm

It most certainly should not be abandoned. The Kilkenny county board should be fired for not doing their job of promoting Gaelic Games in their county. We hear this bull about Hurling dominating and there being no room for Football. What absolute rubbish. There are hurlers in Kilkenny that would walk onto almost any county Hurling team in the country, but haven't a hope of ever playing for their own county because of the glut of talent. Give those guys the big ball and then they could wear a Kilkenny jersey. There are good footballers in Kilkenny and there is interest. The problem is that the county board isn't doing their job. Every so often a high profile football manager becomes available. If the Kilkenny county board were doing their job, all they would have to do is make one phone call and they could have that manager. I've said all this before here often, and the next bit. I would genuinely love to see Mick O'Dwyer go to Kilkenny to take over the football team. They'd soon have a competitive football team and it wouldn't do the slightest damage to Hurling in the county. Wicklow have never won a Leinster Senior Football title, whereas Kilkenny have 3, yet it is Kilkenny that won't get themselves a manager. The last one is way back in 1911, but that is still better than Wicklow and quite a few other counties. Your own county, Clare, have only 2 Munster titles after all. So, Kilkenny County Board, get off your asses and make one phone call, be it to Mick O'Dwyer or some other available manager. Either make that call, or resign en masse and get in a county board that is willing to do the job.

ShamoBuc · 27-02-2011 8:39pm

I would have to agree with the above. The KK county board is not the KK hurling board!!
They are supposed to be GAA men - a love of the GAA not just Hurling. They effort they have made is either nonexistent or useless! The stats in the last 3 yrs prove that whatever they are doing is not good enough! The blame is to be put at their door!
Shame on them. Bring in an outsider! Go around the schools and promote the football competitions! Bring all the clubs together and find out why people are not playing football? There are obviously players in the clubs that want to play football - combine clubs for football purposes if the numbers are not there. There are so many things they can do- they are a disgrace to the football side of the gaa for apparently doing nothing in my opinion!

DH2K9 · 27-02-2011 8:55pm

Not at least having them in the championship is a disgrace. Sure London and new york are hopeless as well yet they play in it year after year and subsequently improve.

Captain Havoc · 27-02-2011 9:00pm

I was speaking to a KK footballer over the Christmas hols, they treat it as a jolly.

eroo · 27-02-2011 9:41pm

A jolly?

ShamoBuc · 27-02-2011 11:24pm

Captain Havoc wrote: »

I was speaking to a KK footballer over the Christmas hols, they treat it as a jolly.

Christ almighty but that just takes the biscuit.
I wonder is it a jolly feeling to be hammered EVERY time they play? Surely there are 20 footballers in that county that would treat it as a chance to represent their county. It really beggers belief.
The county board have alot to answer for.

Stevecw · 28-02-2011 12:18am

Kilkenny football is a joke. There is no way any co board should be allowed get away with how they treat football there. Their co championship is always run off real early, so it is out of the way before the hurling starts. Watch the Kilk co final be in April or May as it has been last few years.

A few years ago they sent 2 of their better teams to play in Carlows Div 2 league for a couple of seasons, but that seems to have stopped recently too. Just seems like they have totally given up.

This years Kilkenny team is worse than ever, even for last few years they'd always score a few pts or a goal or something and lose by about 15-20. This year its 30-40 pts they are losing by, crazy stuff.

KK co board should be somehow made improve football and stop ignoring it...be it by fines or cutting back grants or whatever, something has to be done fast.

Professey Chin · 28-02-2011 12:22am

I think other county boards have gotten in trouble before for not putting significant effort into either hurling or football. Definitely heard stories about it anyway. Must investigate further

eroo · 28-02-2011 12:39am

Maybe the GAA need to bring in regulations whereby every County Board must split their funding 50/50 for football and hurling?

Either way, the KK football squad cannot be allowed to continue on getting these results.

titsmahgee · 28-02-2011 12:23pm

I remember one the lads who was on the Kilkenny football panel telling me about the time they went over to London to play a league match and half the team where out drinking in London the night before. I think it was two years ago.

crucamim · 28-02-2011 3:10pm

eroo wrote: »

Maybe the GAA need to bring in regulations whereby every County Board must split their funding 50/50 for football and hurling?

Why should it do so? If people are not interested in gaelic football, why should they be made interested? And the same question applies to those not interested in hurling. Why should there be dual clubs? Or dual players? Or dual counties?

There are very few trully dual counties. Some counties contain, within their boundaries, areas which are traditional hurling areas and other areas which are football areas. Cork is ten times the size of Louth and so, not surprisinghly, it contains hurling and football areas. Galway is another huge county which contains hurling and football districts. How many men have played both codes for Galway. There is an Apartheid in the Galway GAA - whereby its football and hurling people live in separate worlds. There are similiar situations in Offaly and Down - with the situation in rural Antrim much the same. The dual player in Antrim is nearly always a Belfasty. None of the Antrim footballers come from the Glens of Antrim - depite the Eire media often describing them as "The Glensmen".

Wexford might be presented as a dual county because it often produces a more than useful county football teams. That disguises the fact that in Wexford football is a parasite on hurling, both at county level and at club level. Is there any parish anywhere in County Wexford in which gaelic football is the predominant summer game for men?

The solution to the Kilkenny county football team is simple. In football terms, Kilkenny is not a "county" in any acceptable meaning of the word. The whole purpose of inter-county competition is to raise money for the GAA. It is unlikely that the exploits of the Kilkenny footballers will raise money for anything. Indeed, it will probably consume far more money that it generates. Any time or resources, which Kilkenny people have for gaelic football should be directly solely to their game at club level. And I doubt the wisdom of even that.

The GAA is trying to promote hurling. Right throughout Ireland it has been shown that, for hurling, the most dangerous predator is gaelic football - a summer game just like hurling and, therefore, far more dangerous to hurling that either soccer or rugby. Not for nothing do camogie people regard female gaelic football as their mortal enemy. Establishing football clubs in traditional hurling terrotory would be tantamount to letting a fox loose among hens.

riffmongous · 28-02-2011 4:48pm

Personally I'd have no interest in seeing any more effort being put into promoting football here. I always watch championship football whenever its on RTE but I personally think hurling is a more skillful game and I'm not the only one here who thinks that. My old primary school used to have a decent (by Kilkenny standards) football team but not once was a game of football played at lunch time.
Football can be enjoyable and a bit of fun but I don't see the difference between Kilkenny playing competitive division 4 games and not playing at all. And I can imagine this might be a controversial opinion to some but this is how I see it.

crucamim · 28-02-2011 5:13pm

Flukey wrote: »

"The Kilkenny county board should be fired for not doing their job of promoting Gaelic Games in their county."

Why? The Kilkenny County Board has done an excellent job in its administration of hurling in County Kilkenny. Why try to distract it from that excellent work by lumbering it with football?

"There are good footballers in Kilkenny and there is interest. The problem is that the county board isn't doing their job."

If there is such interest, why do the interested parties not elect a County Board which reflects that interest?

"I would genuinely love to see Mick O'Dwyer go to Kilkenny to take over the football team."

Why? Is he a member of a club in Kilkenny? If not, why import him. A Kilkenny football team should be for Kilkeny men - and only Kilkenny men. If you are going to import a manager, why not import a dozen or so Kerry or Tyrone footballers?

"They'd soon have a competitive football team and it wouldn't do the slightest damage to Hurling in the county"

Can you prove that it would not hurt Kilkenny hurling? Can you prove that you are not a supporter of the Cork hurling team trying to sabotage Kilkenny hurling? Or, perhaps, a supporter of the Tipperary hurling team?

"So, Kilkenny County Board, get off your asses and make one phone call, be it to Mick O'Dwyer or some other available manager. Either make that call, or resign en masse and get in a county board that is willing to do the job."

Excuse me, sir. The GAA is a democracy. Membership of the Kilkenny County Committee of the GAA shall be decided by a properly convened County Convention of the GAA clubs affiliated to that County.

dcr22B · 28-02-2011 5:20pm

crucamim wrote: »

Flukey wrote: »

"The Kilkenny county board should be fired for not doing their job of promoting Gaelic Games in their county."

Why? The Kilkenny County Board has done an excellent job in its administration of hurling in County Kilkenny. Why try to distract it from that excellent work by lumbering it with football?

IIRC the Kilkenny county board receive grants from Central Council for all codes. I'd love to see how much of this goes towards football. Kilkenny are an insult to Gaelic Football, most junior teams from middling GAA counties would probably beat the county team.

[Deleted User] · 28-02-2011 5:39pm

dcr22B wrote: »

crucamim wrote: »

most junior teams from middling GAA counties would probably beat the county team.

Was just thinking that there, I reckon a junior team from a football stronghold would take them.

DH2K9 wrote: »

Not at least having them in the championship is a disgrace. Sure London and new york are hopeless as well yet they play in it year after year and subsequently improve.

Bit of a difference.

KK are being trounced by some pretty dire counties.
Leitrim has bad as they are would never rack up scores like that against London/New York.
They at least keep it competitive.

When you see the scores that minnow counties put up against them, can you imagine what an All-Ireland contender would do?....

Goals wise, it would be like reading a result from the old days where 4-8 goals would be racked up, although i could see the points being closer to 40 then 4-10 like it was back then.

crucamim · 28-02-2011 6:07pm

dcr22B wrote: »

crucamim wrote: »

"IIRC the Kilkenny county board receive grants from Central Council for all codes. I'd love to see how much of this goes towards football."

Why should any of it be spend on football when football in the county is already a parasite on hurling?

"Kilkenny are an insult to Gaelic Football, most junior teams from middling GAA counties would probably beat the county team."

Why is Kilkenny an insult to Gaelic Football? The Kilkenny County football team is probably a reflection of gaelic football in the county. So what could be wrong with that? I suspect that most clubs in Kilkenny could field a hurling team which could beat the county teams of most counties in Ireland.

ShamoBuc · 28-02-2011 7:46pm

crucamim wrote: »

dcr22B wrote: »

crucamim wrote: »

"IIRC the Kilkenny county board receive grants from Central Council for all codes. I'd love to see how much of this goes towards football."

Why should any of it be spend on football when football in the county is already a parasite on hurling?

"Kilkenny are an insult to Gaelic Football, most junior teams from middling GAA counties would probably beat the county team."

Why is Kilkenny an insult to Gaelic Football? The Kilkenny County football team is probably a reflection of gaelic football in the county. So what could be wrong with that? I suspect that most clubs in Kilkenny could field a hurling team which could beat the county teams of most counties in Ireland.

They grants received is towards ALL gaa sports - handball, football etc. which is why some of it must be spent on football - that much is as obvious as a smack in the ass! If you cannot see that....

Why are they an insult to Gaelic football ? If you have to ask, you obviously haven't seen their record for the last 3 years! If you have then it's either a rhetorical question or you would want to lay off the drink during the day! The attitude of the county board is to simply forget about football, to do as little as is humanly possible to develop the game in it's county - that is not an acceptable attitude to have and they should be ashamed of themselves!

Finally 'football in the county is already a parasite on hurling' - what a pathetic attitude to have and it encompasses all that is wrong in Kilkenny or any other county! I'm glad the Cork county board never thought like that. 20 years without a football title didn't stop them putting some of their considerable resources into football EVERY year. Had they let it slide we would not be the current All Ireland Champions! Did it act like a Parasite on hurling - Fúck no !!
I know Cork has a bigger population than KK but that is not an excuse! We also have a good soccer team- Cork City, Cobh Ramblers( hundreds if you include intermediate and junior) several top rugby teams -Cork Con, dolphin etc, top basketball teams - Neptune etc .
How many other sports are played in KK? They must all be parasites on hurling I suppose? That's a very narrow minded, pathetic attitude to have to be brutally honest!

I welcome the day a KK football team is backed by their county board but until that day happens, they will continue to be the laughing stock of the GAA, which is a pity for any footballers in KK who actually give a shít!

riffmongous · 28-02-2011 8:03pm

There are more people in Cork City than Kilkenny County so I don't buy the Cork comparison for a second.

UpTheSlashers · 28-02-2011 8:48pm

Whatever funding is being given to KK should be cut as they are not putting the effort into football. It gives them an unfair advantage over hurling counties who dont make a mockery of gaelic football

The_Kew_Tour · 28-02-2011 8:50pm

riffmongous wrote: »

There are more people in Cork City than Kilkenny County so I don't buy the Cork comparison for a second.

ShamoBuc did mention that in his post above yours.

riffmongous · 28-02-2011 8:59pm

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

ShamoBuc did mention that in his post above yours.

He did, but he then went on to list all the sports played in Cork anyway. Kerry is a much better comparison to Kilkenny than Cork.

Clareman · 28-02-2011 9:01pm

I remember having this discussion in a pub 1 night and the point was made that Kilkenny is doing no differently to the majority of counties in every province except for Munster when concentrating on 1 sport more than another, it has been almost 100 years since another team besides Galway have won the Connacht Championship, should Mayo/Roscommon/Sligo/Leitrim be penalized the same as Kilkenny?

ShamoBuc · 28-02-2011 9:02pm

riffmongous wrote: »

There are more people in Cork City than Kilkenny County so I don't buy the Cork comparison for a second.

As I mentioned (

) the population difference is not the problem!!
As you mentioned Cork City - most of the sports I mentioned are played to a very high level in the city - Cork Con, dolphin, Neptune, St. Finbarrs - previous All Ireland club champions, Nemo Rangers - previous All Ireland club champions , are all within the city, so the comparison stands!! If you ONLY had footballers and hurlers from the city representing the county they would still be bloody competitive in BOTH codes!
It is capable for Cork City to develop ALL those sports to a very high standard but poor old Kilkenny only have hurling because all the others are parasites? I don't think so fella.

riffmongous · 28-02-2011 9:40pm

ShamoBuc wrote: »

As I mentioned () the population difference is not the problem!!
As you mentioned Cork City - most of the sports I mentioned are played to a very high level in the city - Cork Con, dolphin, Neptune, St. Finbarrs - previous All Ireland club champions, Nemo Rangers - previous All Ireland club champions , are all within the city, so the comparison stands!! If you ONLY had footballers and hurlers from the city representing the county they would still be bloody competitive in BOTH codes!
It is capable for Cork City to develop ALL those sports to a very high standard but poor old Kilkenny only have hurling because all the others are parasites? I don't think so fella.

There is a big difference between being competitive/high standard and the kind of dominance Kilkenny has managed in hurling.

Seperately,I also have an idea that the interest in hurling in Kilkenny goes back to the early 20th century when cricket was ultra-popular here. My parish had 4 different clubs. The two sports are fairly similar so I think at some stage the interest transferred straight over to hurling which is why football was never able to get a hold here. Any history buffs here?

ShamoBuc · 28-02-2011 9:58pm

riffmongous wrote: »

There is a big difference between being competitive/high standard and the kind of dominance Kilkenny has managed in hurling.

Seperately,I also have an idea that the interest in hurling in Kilkenny goes back to the early 20th century when cricket was ultra-popular here. My parish had 4 different clubs. The two sports are fairly similar so I think at some stage the interest transferred straight over to hurling which is why football was never able to get a hold here. Any history buffs here?

True, but if Cork city only had hurling - and NO OTHER sport for years..... oh wait.... perish the thought!!!

Interesting that you mention Cricket, forgot about that one .... that's also played in the City !

riffmongous · 28-02-2011 10:28pm

ShamoBuc wrote: »

True, but if Cork city only had hurling - and NO OTHER sport for years..... oh wait.... perish the thought!!!

Interesting that you mention Cricket, forgot about that one .... that's also played in the City !

Well look at Kerry, similar sort of county, quite rural and one very dominant team and one very low level team. But there is no question that Kerry's hurling team is a far higher standard than Kilkenny's football team. But I think the difference is that (and I'm open to correction here) most of the Kerry hurlers come from a core region of support that does not exist for Kilkenny football.

Ah, the Munster Reds? Well I wouldn't say they are a parasite on hurling anyway

blackbelt · 28-02-2011 10:54pm

Contempt is the word I'd use when it comes to Kilkenny and football.Every year the pressure grows on them to do something about the state of football in the county and every year little or nothing is done about it.Now apparently there is something in place for underage structures but the senior team needs looking at now.There is no point just working for the future.Its fairly embarassing to be getting a hiding week in,week out.

I'm fairly sure the county board would be making progress even if they could get footballers from the border areas like Carlow,Tipp or Laois to make them somewhat competitive in the meantime.

flahavaj · 28-02-2011 11:15pm

Nothing but pure arrogance and contenpt for the sport is shown by Kilkenny and its county board. If all counties adopted their selfish and small minded approach to the sport the Association would be destroyed.

Shame on them and those in the county that stand idly by twiddling their thumbs while they make a mockery of the ethos of the GAA.

ShamoBuc · 28-02-2011 11:17pm

riffmongous wrote: »

Well look at Kerry, similar sort of county, quite rural and one very dominant team and one very low level team. But there is no question that Kerry's hurling team is a far higher standard than Kilkenny's football team. But I think the difference is that (and I'm open to correction here) most of the Kerry hurlers come from a core region of support that does not exist for Kilkenny football.

Ah, the Munster Reds? Well I wouldn't say they are a parasite on hurling anyway

The Kerry county board have put in a huge effort with regard to hurling in recent years in particular and guess what - they are paying dividends!
You say they are similar to KK in many ways and yet DESPITE having a very dominant football structure, they look after the hurlers aswell!
I do believe they have a very good structure in soccer ( junior in particular) and they have good rugby teams ( again mostly at junior level) and even very competitive basketball teams ( ask donaghy) - how is all this possible if they are very like Kilkenny

Parasite sports everywhere and yet.....

ShamoBuc · 28-02-2011 11:18pm

flahavaj wrote: »

Nothing but pure arrogance and contenpt for the sport is shown by Kilkenny and its county board. If all counties adopted their selfish and small minded approach to the sport the Association would be destroyed.

Shame on them and those in the county that stand idly by twiddling their thumbs while they make a mockery of the ethos of the GAA.

.... what he said

Kilkenny Football - ??

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