Kilkenny Football - ??

eroo

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

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

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

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

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

eroo

A jolly?

ShamoBuc

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

dcr22B

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

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

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

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

UpTheSlashers

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

flahavaj

riffmongous wrote: »

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.

Kerry play to a decent standard of hurling in the lower divisions of the NHL. They're no world beaters but they're no where near the embarrassment that KK footballera are Bear in mind it is also a far more specialised game than football is. Kerry do a far better job of competing and promoting hurling than many counties in Ireland in fact, despite it being a county obsessed with the bigger ball.

If Kerry can field a respectable hurling team, why can't KK field a respectablfootball team - a far less specialised sport?

crucamim

Why should a county in which there is little interest in football try to change that state of affairs? Why should a county in which there is little interest in hurling try to change that state of affairs?

If people enjoy hurling, let them do so. If people enjoy football. let them do so. And if some people enjoy both codes, let them.

Why this political correctness fascism which seeks to dictate what anyone's gaelic games preferences should be? People involve themselves with football/hurling in order to enjoy themselves. Why not leave them alone?

crucamim

ShamoBuc wrote: »

crucamim wrote: »

dcr22B wrote: »

"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!"

Why must some of it be spent on football? I am confident that the democrativally elected Kilkenny Board will respond to the wishes of the clubs of Kilkenny.

"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!"

What could be worng with that?

"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."

Please compare like with like. Football in Cork is not a parasite on hurling. Cork has very many mainly football clubs and some exclusively football clubs. The situation in Kilkenny could not be more different.

"I know Cork has a bigger population than KK but that is not an excuse!"

That might be your opinion. I have a different opinion.

"How many other sports are played in KK? They must all be parasites on hurling I suppose?"

So far as I know, hurling clubs in Kilkenny are not funding soccer or rugby. Nor is the County Board.

"I welcome the day a KK football team is backed by their county board"

I would welcome the day when Cork people learn to mind their own business.

ShamoBuc

crucamim wrote: »

Why should a county in which there is little interest in football try to change that state of affairs? Why should a county in which there is little interest in hurling try to change that state of affairs?

If people enjoy hurling, let them do so. If people enjoy football. let them do so. And if some people enjoy both codes, let them.

Why this political correctness fascism which seeks to dictate what anyone gaelic games preferences should be? People involve themselves with football/hurling in order to enjoy themselves. Why not leave them alone?

There really is some tripe in there fella.

How much enjoymment are the KK footballers getting do you think?
Your last line is quite funny when you think how that is exactly what the KK county board are doing to the footballers!!

riffmongous

flahavaj wrote: »

Kerry play to a decent standard of hurling in the lower divisions of the NHL. They're no world beaters but they're no where near the embarrassment that KK footballera are Bear in mind it is also a far more specialised game than football is. Kerry do a far better job of competing and promoting hurling than many counties in Ireland in fact, despite it being a county obsessed with the bigger ball.

If Kerry can field a respectable hurling team, why can't KK field a respectablfootball team - a far less specialised sport?

There is no interest among the people maybe? Blame the county board all you want but I've never seen any kids playing a game of football in my local pitch. And they spend plenty of time playing soccer so I don't think it would be too hard for them to pick up the ball and kick it out of their hands.

ShamoBuc

crucamim wrote: »

ShamoBuc wrote: »

crucamim wrote: »

dcr22B wrote: »

"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!"

Why must some of it be spent on football? I am confident that the democrativally elected Kilkenny Board will respond to the wishes of the clubs of Kilkenny.

"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!"

What could be worng with that?

"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."

Please compare like with like. Football in Cork is not a parasite on hurling. Cork has very many mainly football clubs and some exclusively football clubs. The situation in Kilkenny could not be more different.

"I know Cork has a bigger population than KK but that is not an excuse!"

That might be your opinion. I have a different opinion.

"How many other sports are played in KK? They must all be parasites on hurling I suppose?"

So far as I know, hurling clubs in Kilkenny are not funding soccer or rugby. Nor is the County Board.

"I welcome the day a KK football team is backed by their county board"

I would welcome the day when Cork people learn to mind their own business.

I dealt with most of your point earlier and really couldn't be bothered doing it again.
As for your last line - is everyone commentating on the joke/disgrace that is KK football from Cork?
My opinion is based on the fact that I am a GAA man ( aswell as being passionate for other sports of course) and when I see something that DISGUSTS me I WILL comment on it, if you have a problem with me being from Cork.... well...... tough shít to be honest!

ShamoBuc

riffmongous wrote: »

There is no interest among the people maybe? Blame the county board all you want but I've never seen any kids playing a game of football in my local pitch. And they spend plenty of time playing soccer so I don't think it would be too hard for them to pick up the ball and kick it out of their hands.

That's the bloody point fella !!!!! It wouldn't be hard !!!! They should be encouraged.... I wonder who could do that.... certainly not the county board:rolleyes:

riffmongous

crucamim wrote: »

Why not leave them alone?

I think we know why a lot of people would be happy to see Kilkenny divert some of its attention from Hurling

And as for promoting football as its part of the GAA where are all the threads condemning the lack of promotion for handball and rounders? They are part of the GAA too

riffmongous

ShamoBuc wrote: »

That's the bloody point fella !!!!! It wouldn't be hard !!!! They should be encouraged.... I wonder who could do that.... certainly not the county board:rolleyes:

And my point was that they would play it if they wanted to, regardless of being encouraged Football is on the tv every 2nd week during the summer, its not like they won't have seen a game before in their life

flahavaj

riffmongous wrote: »

There is no interest among the people maybe? Blame the county board all you want but I've never seen any kids playing a game of football in my local pitch. And they spend plenty of time playing soccer so I don't think it would be too hard for them to pick up the ball and kick it out of their hands.

Of course there's no interest - the county team is a laughing stock! Until your county board makes a genuine committment to promoting the game (our NATIONAL game) in the county no young fella in KK is going to have anything to aspire to in terms of football in the county.

Your attitude is shameful but unsurprising.

flahavaj

riffmongous wrote: »

And as for promoting football as its part of the GAA where are all the threads condemning the lack of promotion for handball and rounders? They are part of the GAA too

Sh*te argument. If there was a national league in handball or rounders where a KK county team was getting humiliated every week aned a county board that seemed not to care one jot there'd soon be more of a fuss made of it, you can be sure of it.

riffmongous

flahavaj wrote: »

Sh*te argument. If there was a national league in handball or rounders where a KK county team was getting humiliated every week aned a county board that seemed not to care one jot there'd soon be more of a fuss made of it, you can be sure of it.

Oh aye if it was a KK team I'm sure there would be a fuss being made alright. But when Ducksy was winning everything a few years back there wasn't a word said about any other county.

Your attitude is shameful but unsurprising.

Nice.

eroo

The reason the KK Board should promote football, as well as other gaelic games, is because that is what their purpose is.

With regards to why football isn't being played by kids in KK even though they play soccer etc. Simple reason. They have never seen their IC football team be a success. They have seen their hurlers taste success, and have seen their favourite premier league teams taste success. They wish to emiluate this by playing the sport their heroes play. Same reason they play hurling.

Do you think if the situation was reversed, and KK had a history of success at football, that hurling would be where it is in the county?

riffmongous

eroo wrote: »

Do you think if the situation was reversed, and KK had a history of success at football, that hurling would be where it is in the county?

I do, see post #25

flahavaj

flahavaj wrote: »

Kerry play to a decent standard of hurling in the lower divisions of the NHL. They're no world beaters but they're no where near the embarrassment that KK footballera are Bear in mind it is also a far more specialised game than football is. Kerry do a far better job of competing and promoting hurling than many counties in Ireland in fact, despite it being a county obsessed with the bigger ball.

If Kerry can field a respectable hurling team, why can't KK field a respectablfootball team - a far less specialised sport?

I know you were trying to compliment Kerry hurling, but i actually think you were being overly critical.

KK footballers play in D4, they get whalloped every week to levels nobody does in hurling(Cavan come close but are minnows in football too).

Kerry hurlers on the other hand while not Liam McCarthy material are actually in the second tier and only a small bit behind Laois/Antrim and on the fringes of the Liam McCarthy giving them a rank in Ireland of around 13-16.

They only lost the Christy Ring final by a point last year.

TBH there isn't actually a decent comparison to KK.

I've just spent the last while comparing the counties hurling and football.
No county who have had success have a woeful team is the other code.
(the ulster clubs are the exception, where in hurling they make up most of the bottom tier, however all games seem relatively close)
Even Down manage to stick out two teams in the hurling, with one is D2 and the other in D4.
Fingal can even manage a hurling team to play competitively in Dublin, where hurling isn't overly popular.

Then KK footballers point difference after four games is 1-8 to 12-75.
As bad as a county like Leitrim is(slim success in their premier code), where football is more prominent, you wouldn't expect their hurlers to be losing by that much.

So it's strange to see a county which has been so dominant in one code, to be so poor in the other.
It's not exactly the smallest county either population wise(20 from the 32 from what I can find)

bruschi

crucamim wrote: »

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.

with regards to Wexford, you are talking absolute rubbish. Wexford were the first county to win 6 Leinster football titles in a row, and 4 All Irelands. It was a football county long before hurling, and despite years of football being in the wilderness, it still managed to produce decent players and decent teams, and only for the efforts of a few in schools and clubs, they got some success translated to inter county level. Hurling is pushed and pushed by the county board, but it is certainly a dual county.

As for clubs which football is the main summer game, off the top of my head, Kilanerin, Castletown, Gusserane, Horsewood, Ramsgrange, Bannow, Clongeen, Kilmore, St Fintans, Volunteers, Maudlintown, Taghmon, Ballyhogue and probably more I am missing. A parasite? give me a break. Football is an easy excuse to give for the complete lack of co ordination and succes with hurling.

But to be honest, if you think the whole purpose of the inter county competition is to raise money for the GAA then I dont think there is much point in even discussing anything.


Kilkenny dont take football seriously, that we know. I know a few very good footballers form there, and they are fed up of it. They dont have the proper training facilities, and the championship is only a warm up for the hurling. If they got in a decent coach and a good set up, it would improve things, but until that happens, it will remain as hurlers using it to get fit.

The other thing is, why do Kilkenny get so much stick for not taking football seriously, when there are a lot more counties who do worse for hurling?

Martin567

gilberto_eire wrote: »

I know you were trying to compliment Kerry hurling, but i actually think you were being overly critical.

KK footballers play in D4, they get whalloped every week to levels nobody does in hurling(Cavan come close but are minnows in football too).

Kerry hurlers on the other hand while not Liam McCarthy material are actually in the second tier and only a small bit behind Laois/Antrim and on the fringes of the Liam McCarthy giving them a rank in Ireland of around 13-16.

They only lost the Christy Ring final by a point last year.

TBH there isn't actually a decent comparison to KK.

I've just spent the last while comparing the counties hurling and football.
No county who have had success have a woeful team is the other code.
(the ulster clubs are the exception, where in hurling they make up most of the bottom tier, however all games seem relatively close)
Even Down manage to stick out two teams in the hurling, with one is D2 and the other in D4.
Fingal can even manage a hurling team to play competitively in Dublin, where hurling isn't overly popular.

Then KK footballers point difference after four games is 1-8 to 12-75.
As bad as a county like Leitrim is(slim success in their premier code), where football is more prominent, you wouldn't expect their hurlers to be losing by that much.

So it's strange to see a county which has been so dominant in one code, to be so poor in the other.
It's not exactly the smallest county either population wise(20 from the 32 from what I can find)

Kerry is not a good example, their hurling team is far better than the Kilkenny footballers. This is due to a small pocket of the county where hurling has always been popular. Geographically, Kilkenny simply doesn't have anywhere similar for football.

There are at least 8 or 10 hurling teams in the country as poor as the Kilkenny footballers. The difference is that they have each other to play against and so there are not as many hammerings (although Cavan are starting to change that). Kilkenny simply don't have anyone to play against in football anywhere near their own lowly level. Longford are in Div 4 but only lost to All Ireland finalists Down very narrowly in last year's Championship. Clare are in Div 4, their county champions played in the Club All Ireland last year. There is a much smaller gap between Div 1 & Div 4 in football as compared to hurling. Kilkenny are the one exception. If all Div 4 football teams were far weaker, Kilkenny wouldn't get half as much criticism. Look at how little comment there is about the state of hurling in Tyrone, Donegal, Cavan, etc. Some of these County Boards recently proposed disbanding their senior county team to apparently "concentrate the resources on promoting underage hurling"!

It is clear that the main motivation of some of those attacking Kilkenny for the treatment of football is to try to undermine the hurling success. Would the situation really be better if Kilkenny were average at both sports instead of brilliant at hurling and rubbish at football? I know for a lot of people it would. I will believe anyone's concern for the state of Kilkenny football to be genuine when they display equal concern for the state of hurling in many more counties.

blackbelt

But the issue is Kilkenny football and not hurling in the weaker counties...thats a different thread.

Each county board gets funding from central council for the promotion and running of each code.Kilkenny put little/bare minimum into football while most of the funding is continuously pumped into hurling.GAA is made up of two codes...hurling and football not just hurling.It is not the Kilkenny Hurling County Board.

Therefore,they should start reducing funding for hurling and do a decent job of promoting football within the county or get their total funding cut.Such resources could help county boards that are in financial strain...county boards that go out of their way to promote both codes!!!

Martin567

blackbelt wrote: »

But the issue is Kilkenny football and not hurling in the weaker counties...thats a different thread.

Each county board gets funding from central council for the promotion and running of each code.Kilkenny put little/bare minimum into football while most of the funding is continuously pumped into hurling.GAA is made up of two codes...hurling and football not just hurling.It is not the Kilkenny Hurling County Board.

Therefore,they should start reducing funding for hurling and do a decent job of promoting football within the county or get their total funding cut.Such resources could help county boards that are in financial strain...county boards that go out of their way to promote both codes!!!

But the point is why is the Kilkenny football team always such a big issue while the standard of hurling in far more counties is not? Show me the thread stretching into 4 or 5 pages bemoaning the work done in promoting hurling in 10 or more counties. Point me in the direction of the half page articles in newspapers about the hurling teams from any of these counties.

Another contributor above mentioned the Cavan hurlers but seemed to excuse them on the basis that their footballers are fairly mediocre also. In other words, the real problem in Kilkenny is the quality of the hurlers, not the footballers. The crime seems to be to excel at one sport at the expense of the other. Win nothing at either and you get off the hook totally. I repeat the question, would it be better if the Kilkenny footballers were at the level of Longford or Wicklow and the hurlers several levels below what they actually are?

There is simply no love for football in Kilkenny while there is a huge love for hurling. There are few enough true hurling counties playing the game at a high level as things stand. Your proposal is that some Kilkenny people should be taken away from hurling and forced to play football instead.

ShamoBuc

Martin567 wrote: »

It is clear that the main motivation of some of those attacking Kilkenny for the treatment of football is to try to undermine the hurling success. Would the situation really be better if Kilkenny were average at both sports instead of brilliant at hurling and rubbish at football? I know for a lot of people it would. I will believe anyone's concern for the state of Kilkenny football to be genuine when they display equal concern for the state of hurling in many more counties.

KK have more All Ireland senior hurling titles than anyone else ( everyone knows that) but the comments made towards kk football are trying to undermine the hurling success? - christ almighty that is some load of nonsense. People are commenting because of the disgrace that is the kk football team and how the kk county board apply themselves towards the development of football in their county.
Also just because an effort is made with the footballers DOES NOT mean a fall from grace for the hurlers !! Why do you believe this? Dublin have put in a huge effort with the development of hurling in their county ( a good win over kk on sunday by the way ) has this lowered the capability of the footballers ( who beat Kerry and the All Ireland Champions Cork in the league already). And please do not spout populations - they made an effort, plain and simple! Therein lies the difference!