Kildare footballer droped for attending Oxygen

longpuck

Seán Hurley was dropped off the Kildare panel by Kieran McGeeney for going to Oxygen. The fella is only 19, the GAA has gone way too serious. Intercounty players should be allowed a night off after a match in all fairness. Young fellas can't be expected to totally give up their social lives during the league and championship can they?

People wonder why young people give up on GAA at a young age for other sports. Rugby players who are professionals go and have a few after matchs and there seems to be nothing wrong with that. GAA players are amatures they are as entitled to go to a music festival or what ever just the same as anyone ealsel.

There were rules in place im sure and they were broken thats fair enough but as i said before there not professionals there giveing up there own time to play so they really should be able to have a night out when they want

Lemlin

longpuck wrote: »

Seán Hurley was dropped off the Kildare panel by Kieran McGeeney for going to Oxygen. The fella is only 19, the GAA has gone way too serious. Intercounty players should be allowed a night off after a match in all fairness. Young fellas can't be expected to totally give up their social lives during the league and championship can they?

People wonder why young people give up on GAA at a young age for other sports. Rugby players who are professionals go and have a few after matchs and there seems to be nothing wrong with that. GAA players are amatures they are as entitled to go to a music festival or what ever just the same as anyone ealsel.

There were rules in place im sure and they were broken thats fair enough but as i said before there not professionals there giveing up there own time to play so they really should be able to have a night out when they want

Were Kildare playing that weekend? I know there was scandal in Cavan in 2009 where three players apparently attended Oxegen before the Wicklow qualifier when we lost.

DoctaDee

What has the world come to - I remember 3 replacements on the Westmeath hurling team having a smoke on the sidelines oh 20 years ago !and not an eye batted

largepants

Lemlin wrote: »

Were Kildare playing that weekend? I know there was scandal in Cavan in 2009 where three players apparently attended Oxegen before the Wicklow qualifier when we lost.

Yes we had a game that weekend. Playing Laois as far as I remember.Maybe there is more to this than meets the eye. Maybe the papers don't know the whole story. But people will judge the 'truth' in the papers. Geezer should be tried in The Hague for crimes against humanity.

The_Kew_Tour

Lemlin wrote: »

Were Kildare playing that weekend? I know there was scandal in Cavan in 2009 where three players apparently attended Oxegen before the Wicklow qualifier when we lost.

My mate from Cavan told me he one of them collected them at Oxygen and drove them to the game...slept in car too:o...

roy rodgers

I think management done the right thing. They are told on the first night of joining the team about the sacrifice that they will have to make if they are to be included into the team.
It was in 6 more days that they had a big game in Navan and it wasn't apart of their perpartion to be heading to oxygen!!!
Ok Sean is only 19 but he's not a child and should of had more cop on and not of went but now he made his own bed so he may lay in it..

premierstone

Fully agree with the managements stance on this, the chap has shown a terrible lack of judgement tbh and im sure alot of hes dressing room colleauges would feel the same.

heffomike54

No sympathy for the guy involved here at all, most people would kill to play for the county and they would happily put that ahead of see a music festival.

Triangla

Crazy, he's 19 and trains/plays in his own free time - so what if he goes to Oxygen.

If they want players to not have a life outside GAA the very least they can do is actually pay them.

StupidLikeAFox

In fairness mcgeeney wont want anybody in th panel whos not giving 100%, he'll want everybody in the panel competing for places.

If this lad is going to oxegen when the rest of the panel is giving it all, hes not going to be picked ahead of them, so whats the point in having a passenger on the panel

I dont begrudge him goin to oxegen, hopefully if he has the talent he will be back

itsalltrue

I'm sorry to hear this has happened but if it was said at the start of the year then management were right to get rid of him. All of the other players stick to the same agreement and it would be unfair on them if no action was taken

Lemlin

I don't begrudge the lad going to Oxegen as others have said but I know plenty of people have missed events like it for local club matches.

The lad is 19 and had a choice of lining out for his county or going to Oxegen.... he chose Oxegen.

Therefore it looks like McGeeney probably wants lads who are willing to show their passion for the jersey, which this lad didn't. Imagine being a fella who attended training sessions and games all year and then your place on the team is taken by the lad who skipped a game to head to Oxegen.

We also don't know the full story. Perhaps there would have been no problem if he'd cleared it with management in advance.

Indie.

Lemlin wrote: »

Imagine being a fella who attended training sessions and games all year and then your place on the team is taken by the lad who skipped a game to head to Oxegen.

He didn't skip the Laois game.

munchkin_utd

longpuck wrote: »

.....There were rules in place im sure and they were broken thats fair enough but as i said before there not professionals there giveing up there own time to play so they really should be able to have a night out when they want

but thats the thing.

The rule in the first place is harsh (and I'd say unfair)
BUT
if you dont punish those who break the rules, you end up with the crazy chaotic situation like was (allegedly) in Donegal where the whole panel was partying the whole time totally distracting from the task in hand.

The Donegal team of a few years back is as talented as what they have now.
The only difference now is player discipline and respect for the management.

In contrast this young Kildare player here showed no discipline nor showed respect for the management so had to go!

schemingbohemia

Without knowing the full story i'll put this out there, what's the difference between going to Oxygen and going to a local pub? Are Kildare players banned from drinking or going out during the championship?

He's not obliged to get off his head at Oxygen and that hasn't been included in the stories. He could have gone there and not had a drink or maybe just a couple.

UpTheSlashers

How long was he there for? If it was just for one evening to enjoy a bit of music thats grand, but if did the 3 or 4 day camping hes taking the piss and deserves to be booted off the squad.

Indie.

UpTheSlashers wrote: »

How long was he there for? If it was just for one evening to enjoy a bit of music thats grand, but if did the 3 or 4 day camping hes taking the piss and deserves to be booted off the squad.

The Kildare Laois game was on in Portlaoise at 7 so presume he got to Naas at around 10/11 which would have meant he was there for 3 hours tops.

kerosene

I think Kildare are over rated as a team and McGeeney is over rated as a manager. We do not know the full facts of this incident but for me McGeeney seems too obsessive and while he will get Kildare so far, he wont win anything with them. Mid table in league, beaten in Leinster and when they meet a decent team in qualifiers they will be gone too.

For some reason the media love Kildare, I just dont see why myself.

IsThisIt???

I've heard of this kind of thing happening at intermediate club level, never mind intercounty.

TopOfTheRight

If he was just their for the one night then this is crazy altogether, i went up myself on the saturday cause i'm a huge Foo Fighters fan and played senior championship the next day. It is possible to go there without drinking and just actually listen to the music?
I seriously doubt the same thing would have happened if he had gone to see Take That in croke park instead! :pac:

premierstone

TopOfTheRight wrote: »

If he was just their for the one night then this is crazy altogether, i went up myself on the saturday cause i'm a huge Foo Fighters fan and played senior championship the next day. It is possible to go there without drinking and just actually listen to the music?
I seriously doubt the same thing would have happened if he had gone to see Take That in croke park instead! :pac:

That would be punishable by an association wide life time ban, and rightly so!

royaler83

Mcgeeney is fond of himself, coaching suits him, all a big power trip with him. Loves the after match huddle, looks good, same as the Banty.

That's not saying he's a bad manager but he's like a lad that craves power

doc_17

UpTheSlashers wrote: »

How long was he there for? If it was just for one evening to enjoy a bit of music thats grand, but if did the 3 or 4 day camping hes taking the piss and deserves to be booted off the squad.

Yeah that'd be my sentiment.

I know people on here say ing that team rules are team rules....so did McGeeney specifically say to them that they were not allowed to go to music concerts? If so then that is bordering on slavery.

As a few others have said......if he got drunk then fine. If he went to a concert and didn't touch the stuff then this is extremely unreasonable. What next? No late shows at the cinema?

longpuck

roy rodgers wrote: »

I think management done the right thing. They are told on the first night of joining the team about the sacrifice that they will have to make if they are to be included into the team.
It was in 6 more days that they had a big game in Navan and it wasn't apart of their perpartion to be heading to oxygen!!!
Ok Sean is only 19 but he's not a child and should of had more cop on and not of went but now he made his own bed so he may lay in it..

Its not like him going to oxygen was going to undo all the training he had done all year now it is?

Yes he's not a child but he's being treated like one

longpuck

kerosene wrote: »

I think Kildare are over rated as a team and McGeeney is over rated as a manager. We do not know the full facts of this incident but for me McGeeney seems too obsessive and while he will get Kildare so far, he wont win anything with them. Mid table in league, beaten in Leinster and when they meet a decent team in qualifiers they will be gone too.

For some reason the media love Kildare, I just dont see why myself.[/QUOTE

It would be interesting to hear McGeeney's thoughts on managing Kildare and not getting a penny for it would be, which is exactly the situation that this player is in - he's not getting paid for his efforts.

Lord Trollington

royaler83 wrote: »

Mcgeeney is fond of himself, coaching suits him, all a big power trip with him. Loves the after match huddle, looks good, same as the Banty.

That's not saying he's a bad manager but he's like a lad that craves power

making a judgement on someone you've never met or spoken to.

About a team and people you know nothing about.

After match huddle is something he's always done from the time he began with Kildare. When they were nothing and also rans, be it an O'Byrne cup game the first week of January against DIT or All Ireland Semi Final in August.

Lord Trollington

Cant understand how there is 2 pages of comments on something that people know nothing about.

He left the panel, does that automatically mean McGeeney dropped him ?No.

Hear say is what the people on here are dealing with, the Kildare management and panel know the full story.

longpuck

whycliff wrote: »

Cant understand how there is 2 pages of comments on something that people know nothing about.

He left the panel, does that automatically mean McGeeney dropped him ?No.

Hear say is what the people on here are dealing with, the Kildare management and panel know the full story.

Hurley on the ditch

20 July 2011


Kildare's Sean Hurley
Sean Hurley has been axed from the Kildare senior football squad.

The promising young player - who appeared as a substitute in the Leinster semi-final against Dublin - has been dropped for a breach of discipline.

It's believed he attended the Oxegen festival in Punchestown after the qualifier win over Laois the same weekend.

This was a breach of team management's instructions regarding preparations for the Meath game in Navan last weekend.

Hurley was informed of the decision last week and was not in the squad for Saturday's Round Three qualifier.

Nineteen-year-old Hurley was part of Kildare minor team that beat Dublin after a three-game epic last year and is regarded as one of the Lilywhites' hottest properties.

All of the bold parts would say he was droped and didn't leave as you say

Cill Dara Abu

kerosene wrote: »

I think Kildare are over rated as a team and McGeeney is over rated as a manager. We do not know the full facts of this incident but for me McGeeney seems too obsessive and while he will get Kildare so far, he wont win anything with them. Mid table in league, beaten in Leinster and when they meet a decent team in qualifiers they will be gone too.

For some reason the media love Kildare, I just dont see why myself.

Congratulations you have just won the most idiotic post of the year award!

Kildare are over-rated?? By whom exactly?

Kildare were in an All-Ireland semi-final last year and if the umpires and referee had done their job properly, they could have been in the final.

McGeeney is over-rated?? By whom exactly?

As mentioned above, he took Kildare to an All-Ireland semi-final last year which is more than 29 other inter-county managers could manage.

jive

Hard to comment without knowing the full story. If I was to hazard a guess I'd say that they were warned not to go on the beer following the match as it's not ideal preparation for the Meath game and then the young fella went on the beer at Oxegen. I don't blame him, you're only young once and he has many years ahead to play football. You could argue that he might have been drinking at home, but he wouldn't have been caught then so it's a different matter altogether :P I don't think it's unreasonable for a manager to ask his players to not drink leading up to championship matches, given the sacrifices they already make to train and play for championship you'd think they'd stay off the drink anyway. I'd imagine a lot of them don't drink during the championship by choice anyway, but there's always one

harpsman

munchkin_utd wrote: »

but thats the thing.

The rule in the first place is harsh (and I'd say unfair)
BUT
if you dont punish those who break the rules, you end up with the crazy chaotic situation like was (allegedly) in Donegal where the whole panel was partying the whole time totally distracting from the task in hand.

The Donegal team of a few years back is as talented as what they have now.
The only difference now is player discipline and respect for the management.

In contrast this young Kildare player here showed no discipline nor showed respect for the management so had to go!

Much bigger difference is that Tyrone and Armagh are pale,pale shadows of the teams they were a few years ago.
Tyrone should have been home and hosed after 20 minutes against Donegal.
Also,between 2002 and 2009 Donegal got to 1 All Ire semi,3 other quarter finals,3 Ulster finals and won a National League which was a decent enough return for what was always a tier 2 team.Plenty of other comparable counties achieved alot less in that time.
Im not sayin there wasnt plenty of drinkin when there shouldnt have been, just that the reason they didnt win an Ulster title was that they kept running into an Armagh team who were simply too good for them.

Sorry for going off topic.On the main issue I'm not a fan of players havin to live like monks but I suppose I could understand McGeeney having a zero tolerance rule at this time of year when Kildare are playing every week.After all the lad will be able to go mad at electric picnic in sept-although he might be a bit young for that one!!

DoctaDee

Cill Dara Abu wrote: »

Congratulations you have just won the most idiotic post of the year award!

Kildare are over-rated?? By whom exactly?

Kildare were in an All-Ireland semi-final last year and if the umpires and referee had done their job properly, they could have been in the final.

McGeeney is over-rated?? By whom exactly?

As mentioned above, he took Kildare to an All-Ireland semi-final last year which is more than 29 other inter-county managers could manage.

They're over-rated by the "pundits" - look the last thing that we need to hear just like the hurling championship - is that it's a 2 horse race, being honest only Kerry or Cork will win Sam this year. They throw out prospective winners like confetti at a wedding. Spillane with his patronising "I'd say Kildare have moved up to number 3 in the order" after their and Dublin's respective wins against Laois and Wexford. Should Kerry and Cork be drawn against one another this year it'll leave a vacant spot in the AI Final most likely filled by Kildare/Dublin or Donegal.

Kildare's run to the Semi Final last year was as chequered as Dublin's .. losing to Louth, needing a replay against Antrim, Leitrim, Derry, Monaghan and in fairness outclassing a vastly over-rated Meath team. Kildare are a very good team on their day, but there's an underlying frailty to them that's hard to put your finger on. To make your mark as a "2nd half team" belies the fact that there's something wrong with their play in the 1st half - against the best teams (Cork & Kerry) it won't do to play for only 35 mins.

I've always liked McGeeney he brings an intensity and honesty to the game, he's a born winner but maybe he's expectations of others outweigh their limitations.. just my tuppence worth

roy rodgers

longpuck wrote: »

Its not like him going to oxygen was going to undo all the training he had done all year now it is?

Yes he's not a child but he's being treated like one

The chap is an athlete that has to be focused at all the time, he has to be in bed at a certain time up that a certain time, eat the proper food, have nothing on is mind but winning. Not standing in a field for 12 hours watching young one's fall around the field and be tormenting himslf watching Beyonce shaking her booty!! It hard work going to oxegen as it drains the life out of ya..

kerosene

I still think being thrown off the panel is excessive.

TonyStark

Cill Dara Abu wrote: »

Congratulations you have just won the most idiotic post of the year award!

Kildare are over-rated?? By whom exactly?

Kildare were in an All-Ireland semi-final last year and if the umpires and referee had done their job properly, they could have been in the final.

McGeeney is over-rated?? By whom exactly?

As mentioned above, he took Kildare to an All-Ireland semi-final last year which is more than 29 other inter-county managers could manage.

I think there is fair point in the post somewhere. They should have turned the screw in Dublin when they had a chance and won the game by about 4/5 points making the Brogan free thing irrelevent.

They haven't had a real test year at all. Their last outing against Meath.. they just about got over the line. If they hadn't gotten then goal when they did it would have probably been a lot more edge of the seat stuff.
However when you put the Meath game in the context of a team that scraped it against a Galway team that were no great shakes themselves that were easily beaten by Mayo. The result narrower than before really only shows that Kildare probably have reached their peak already.

Winning a whole load of qualifiers really doesn't do a lot other than burn a team out.. I don't expect their winning streak to continue past the next game to be totally honest.

longpuck

roy rodgers wrote: »

The chap is an athlete that has to be focused at all the time, he has to be in bed at a certain time up that a certain time, eat the proper food, have nothing on is mind but winning. Not standing in a field for 12 hours watching young one's fall around the field and be tormenting himslf watching Beyonce shaking her booty!! It hard work going to oxegen as it drains the life out of ya..

Rugby players are athletes aswell but that doesn't stop them from having a life outside of the game does it?

He went after the Laois game so he wasn't there all day 2/3 hours max.

With the amount of diving in football now he wouldn't need to go to oxygen to see lads falling around the place....

homerjay2005

kildare are a very good team and he is a very good manager. to slag them both off, is very very wide of the mark.


dont forget that gooch and tomas were dropped off the kerry team 2 years ago for socialising. nobody knows the story here, but i cant beleive the level of depth that people are going into.

maybe he was seen drinking a few pints or breaking a curfew. he choose to accept the place on the kildare panel and he should have known the rules...

he broke them, he pays. simple really.

premierstone

longpuck wrote: »

Rugby players are athletes aswell but that doesn't stop them from having a life outside of the game does it?

While I dont like the whole comparing GAA to other sports as a rule, do you really think if Munster or Leinster had a heineken cup game in 6 days time the players would be attending a music festival with the blessing of management??

And put yourself in the shoes of the rest of the Kildare panel who were abiding by the embargo and home in their beds, would you be comfortable being a part of a panel with someone else who choose to ignore such rules?

Life is about choices, the young lad made he's and now he must suffer the consequences.

castletownman

Brian O'Driscoll had a banquet with the Queen a week before the Heineken Cup final. That alone should be a droppable offence!!

premierstone

castletownman wrote: »

Brian O'Driscoll had a banquet with the Queen a week before the Heineken Cup final. That alone should be a droppable offence!!

It was the Royal wedding that was on the week before the final and BOD turned down the invitation for this very reason

Live4Ever

Whats everyones opinion on the lad going to Oxegen, but not drinking?

If he was dropped for going to a festival and not drinking its a fcuking disgrace imo.

If he went and drank.... his problem, deserved to be dropped, im sure the management organises nights out for the lads every now and then..

MariaBlaah

He got dropped for attending oxygen? But surely he isn't Superman and needs oxygen to breath? =/

tipptom

DoctaDee wrote: »

What has the world come to - I remember 3 replacements on the Westmeath hurling team having a smoke on the sidelines oh 20 years ago !and not an eye batted

There was a bit of a barney about that afterwards i think because it was half time and the boys were supposed to be keeping warm,so it was a fine hot day and the 3 boys decided they would warm up alright,they hopped up on the roof of the concrete dugout,pulled their shirts up passed their nipples,had an auld schmoke and caught some rays.Think it got a piece on the sunday game,and they talk about heady days with Paudie,those were the days and it was another glorious defeat as well.If anyone could give me a link to this it would be great,sorry for going of topic a bit.

Cill Dara Abu

MariaBlaah wrote: »

He got dropped for attending oxygen? But surely he isn't Superman and needs oxygen to breath? =/

harpsman

premierstone wrote: »

It was the Royal wedding that was on the week before the final and BOD turned down the invitation for this very reason

Yeah but i have seen him out on the absolute lash 6 days before an international test.

hardybuck

If you are out in Dublin you will very often see professional rugby players on the lash, and top international players for that matter. A good few times they've been the drunkest people in the place.

After every six nations game there is a banquet where they'll be drinking where they would often be playing the week after. It is also a tradition for a new cap to be bought a shot by every member of the two squads.

Fandango

Without the whole story its impossible to say but...

In his favour:

Seems very harsh especially if he wasnt on the beer. Also, from what i gather he missed alot of the festival to play the match so shows commitment in itself. Those tickets arent cheap so even missing the early performers is tough! Also, i suppose you cant expect an amateur unpaid sportsman to act like a professional. Most choose to do so themselves anyway and im sure this guy didnt think (and probably wasnt) he was doing any harm by attending the gig. After all, he is a young man with 6 days before his next match. I cant see that it would have effected his/the teams performance the next weekend in the slightest by spending a few hours at a festival


Against him:

If your given a rule by your manager, you know the possible implications of breaking it. He took the risk and got caught so has to deal with the consequences. We dont know obviously if he had a few drinks but if so, he would be booted from most panels with serious ambitions for the championship for that.


Overall it seems a bit harsh imo. If they had training the next morning and he was knackered/hungover then id say fair enough but being the day after a championship match im guessing they didnt. Seems everything about the game is pretty much professional these days from the levels of fitness/skill to the lifestyle expected from players....apart from the wage. Seems unfair to demand things like this from amateur players but having said that we dont know the full story so who's to say he didnt get off his trolley at the festival!

Fandango

hardybuck wrote: »

It is also a tradition for a new cap to be bought a shot by every member of the two squads.

:eek:

You serious??? Thats alot of drink!!

hardybuck

Fandango wrote: »

:eek:

You serious??? Thats alot of drink!!

Well in practise I'm sure he won't be physically capable of drinking them all!

buckwheat

It comes down to whether the was on the beer or not. If he just headed over after the match, didn't drink and just watched a few bands with his mates I can't see any issue and I doubt mcgeeney would either but if he was drinking with a game 6 days later then he had to be dropped for at least a game or two

sendit

He's a grown man not a baby and he not being paid to play for Kildare he shouldn't have to ask if he wants to do something this isn't North Korea