Transferring to the local 'rivals'

ccosgrave

I played hurling and football up until the age of 15 or so with my local club, and I'm considering going back to play again this year (19 now). However, I'm thinking that I'd like to take this venture rather seriously, and essentially become the best player I can be. I'm more naturally suited to playing football rather than hurling, though I'd like to give both a shot this year. The problem here is that my local club, while having a decent hurling team (intermediate level), has a joke of a football team (Junior B, I believe). From what I've heard, neither the club nor the players take it seriously, they don't train before matches, and is generally second-fiddle to the hurling team. Though they have a decent pack of players that can do quite well when they get going, I can't imagine it would be great for my development to train so rarely and to be amongst people that aren't willing to give it everything the way I feel I would.

In the town, there is another club which is attracts a larger number of players, have much better facilities, and are more widely known on a national level. I'm thinking that a club like that would be a bit better for me to play with, and I'd be more likely to progress as a player with a more dedicated group of individuals.

As you can imagine, there was always a fierce rivalry between the two clubs in the town, and I guess I'm somewhat worried about being branded a traitor or something like that. It's not as if I'm particularly well-known or anything, but I was a decent player in my time. Perhaps more important in my decision is the fact that my dad was heavily involved with my local club for six or seven years as a result of my playing with them, and thus I'd kinda feel like I was betraying him and negating his work, which he probably felt was an attempt to help me. I've talked to him a few times about it, and he said he didn't mind if I switched over, but he's the kind of person that wouldn't tell me if he did mind.

So, as you can gather, there are a few things to take into consideration here.. As it stands, I'd be inclined to transfer to the other club and to make a new start at it with a new group of lads I don't really know. On the other hand, there's a chance to correct past mistakes, as the lads in my local club weren't always huge fans of me at the time. The current centre-back for the county switched from my local club to the other club in order to progress his career, so I know it wouldn't be a bad idea, but I'd still be extremely reserved about moving on from my childhood team.

So, any thoughts? Has anybody any experience with this sort of thing? The transfers have to be in by the end of January as far as I know, so

An Citeog

I'd definitely go for it. You haven't played with your old club for 4 years, so it's not like the other club are poaching you. That's usually where the resentment comes from, when a bigger club poaches one of the smaller clubs best players. Only you can make the decision.

Okey Doke

Theres been a gap and your young and willing to step up so I'd go for it. Hard decisions like that you've just got to with gut instinct as simplistic and cliched as it might sound.

Daysha

I know it seems like a tough decision OP, but to me there's only one thing you can do.

This may sound selfish, but the only person you need to take into consideration when wanting to improve your own career is YOU.

Go to the new club and be the absolute best player you can be.

ccosgrave

Thanks for the help lads, I ended up deciding to follow your advised route, as much as it pained me.

Unfortunately, I spent an awful lot of time considering and re-considering my decision, so now I have to get back home tomorrow and miss college to try and get the transfer form sorted out before the Friday deadline.

I can't seem to find the form online though. They have pretty much every form ever on the GAA website (http://www.gaa.ie/page/gaa_forms.html), but not the one I need. Am I supposed to get this from my county board? I had a look on the county website too, but the link to the "Forms" section isn't working.

It's pretty much my own fault for leaving it so late, but if anyone has any help to give in trying to find the right form, it'd be much appreciated. I'll head down to the new club tomorrow to see if they can help me out but I'd like to get my old club to sign the transfer first before I head down to them.

Many thanks!

Zzippy

Go for the transfer and do yourself a favour. I was in a similar situation before, played football and hurling for local team, hurling team broke up after u-14 with not enough players so I transferred to the rival club. They reformed the hurling team a few years later and I got awful abuse for not going back, even though I was playing about 4/5 divisions above them by now. Only thing was my da was manager of the old club and even he told me to stay where I was and play at the highest level I could, the guys giving abuse were just local toerags at best. Ignore any abuse you get and enjoy your game!