Seanie Johnston Kildare Transfer?

MickySticks

KeepTheFaith wrote: »

Just on this; That is Johnston with his clubmate Kevin Meehan to his left and possibly Martin Dunne to his right.

Former clubmate :pac:

Lemlin

tayto lover wrote: »

The names are on the Cavan Boards as you well know. You can look them up yourself. You should be well aware of them anyway.
A poor manager if his powers of persuasion are so lacking that players see no option than to pack up. All counties can only play with 15 starters but their other players are not walking away. Fermanagh were in as much trouble as Cavan but Peter Canavan brough them all back and has a very united panel now. A good manager looks at the positives but obviously Val can't even explain his case well enough to the likes of McCutcheon to keep him on board. Did you hear his lame excuse about only losing by 3 points to Longford ? For a minute I thought it was you Lemlin lol. Now you're not Val, are you ??

The term "walking away" is used in this post from page 33.

Lemlin

tayto lover wrote: »

1 I believe that a phone call is the wrong and easy way to inform players of such a major decision. It is not manly at all. A manager should meet players face to face and inform them of his decision.
2 Johnston may have terminated the call but it was an incorrect way for Val Andrews to inform him he was being dropped. The fact that others were told the same way is neither here nor there in my opinion. They all should have been told face to face and not in a cowardly way.
3 Louth were indeed a poor enough team when he arrived but they progressively got worse under him. I know as I attended all their games.
4 4. It was well known that V.A. jumped before he was pushed. It was coming and he knew that.
5 I know someone quite close to a member of your County Board who shall remain nameless. He tells me that things are not right and that players are not happy. While maybe only two have walked I am told there will be more. We will have to “watch this space”.
6 I already rowed back on this but he did say he expected to get into Div 2. He has no chance.
7 Yes I said your comparison with the two Longford games was naive and a bit silly. You failed to compare the two Wexford games where you lost by 2 points last year and by 5 this year, was that progress ? This is a naive kind of argument as I already said. Andrews used it too – naive.
8 I was wrong on that as I thought you played the following week. My bad there.
9 I don’t know why Seanie was dropped by Cavan Gaels. Might have had any kind of reason for that. Was the reason made public ? If so perhaps you would provide a link.
10 10. Now this is the sneaky thing you did in putting inverted commas on the word walked. I never used that word at all. I used the word “gone” and I provided the list to Tom Joad, many of the names were of players dropped by V.A. and some who walked. I did name McKeever as I had seen a post on Cavan H.S. including his name. But there are 9 players gone from last year’s panel and I fear there may be more under this manager.

1 & 2. The entire panel from last year had already been informed by letter. If they had any questions, they could of rang then to organise a meeting. Andrews went a step further then and also made a phone call to these players. I don't see what is cowardly about making a phone call that he didn't have to make. He could of just said the lads were informed by letter.
3. That's your own opinion re Louth. Have a read of this article which disagrees totally:

http://www.hoganstand.com/louth/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=67673

I have also posted the text at the bottom of this.
4. Can you post a link to your proof of this please? You've requested one on something I posted and I duly obliged.
5. Again, a link please. Yet more convenient friends you have. You're a well connected man in the GAA world for a lad who normally never posts on this forum
6. He didn't say he expect to either. He said there's no reason they shouldn't be in Division 2. That's not promising or saying he's expecting.
7. No, that wasn't progress. I agree with you there and it's a good comparison being fair to you. To say that the comparison of the Longford games is naive is still incorrect though. Andrews was pointing that with a team of 7 U21 players from last year starting, who are hugely inexperienced, the team had improved.
9. Well he was captain at the start of the club Championship and wasn't at the end. That's fairly public for all to see. The Celt article makes reference to it - "something wasn't right at club level either, Seanie was dropped for the championship opener against Lacken". So that's your link.
10. I've quoted you above where the words "walking away" were used. Yes, you believed yet mre crap from the Hogan Stand which was totally incorrect. If you want to post there, off you go.

Now to Val's wonderful work in Louth:

Louth’s senior football team was almost unrecognisable in 2004. But Val Andrews’ new-look combination made steady progress over the course of the season, culminating in a thoroughly creditable performance against Galway in Round Two of the SFC Qualifiers in early July. All in all, considering the sheer enormity of the challenge that faced the Wee County in ’04, it was a satisfactory year.

Two-thousand-and-four was a year of change for the Louth senior footballers. New manager Val Andrews was forced to go all the way back to the drawing board. The Dubliner had to begin the arduous process of building a team virtually from scratch and, in fairness, he did a decent job.
Taking on the Louth job was a brave move from the former Cavan boss. It became immediately apparent that there would be no quick fix.

The bulk of the players who had worn the red jersey under Andrews’ predecessors Paddy Clarke and Paddy Carr had either retired or were unavailable. Thus began the chore of building a new team, one without many of the more established names in the Wee County.
Andrews unearthed not just some intercounty newcomers but also a new breed of player. Men who wanted to wear the Louth jersey. Men with determination and courage. And spirit.

Of course, Louth football had to start again - at the very bottom - and, in hindsight, it was unrealistic to expect a return in the currency of trophies or spectacular results. Essentially, ’04 represented the first stage of a long-term rebuilding programme – and it went well.

Considering that the Wee County named eight debutants for the Leinster SFC clash with Wexford, the subsequent extra-time defeat of Antrim and brave effort against glamorous Galway in the Qualifiers demonstrated that Louth are learning fast.

Granted, the league was a massive disappointment, but blooding intercounty footballers is an exercise that demands time and patience. There is every chance that, with an extra year’s experience gained, Louth might push for promotion to the top flight in the spring of 2005.
A late Noel Meehan goal two minutes into added time ended Louth’s participation in the 2004 All-Ireland SFC at Parnell Park on Saturday July 3.

Louth were unfancied underdogs for the clash with John O’Mahony’s highly-regarded team and few – even within the county – rated their chances against the All-Ireland champions of 1998 and 2001. However, those in the Wee County camp decided to give it a crack and, in the end, they could well have beaten the westerners on the day.
However, in the first-ever championship meeting of these two counties, Louth’s inexperience showed as the Wee County let Galway off the hook in an enjoyable tussle that went all the way to the final whistle.

Galway took the lead courtesy of Matthew Clancy after only 30 seconds but Louth levelled through JP Rooney, who fired over after Val Andrews’ men had been guilty of three wides.
Mark Stanfield then curled over a beautiful point to give the Leinster county a seventh-minute lead but the Tribesmen had surged three points clear by the 14th minute.

Two minutes later, disaster struck for the Wee County when Galway got their first goal. The ball ricocheted to Padraic Joyce and the All Star attacker blasted clinically to the back of the net from 30 metres to leave the maroon and whites 1-5 to 0-2 ahead.
Staring defeat in the face, Louth demonstrated tremendous resolve and a brace of frees supplemented by a classic point from St Patricks clubman Paddy Keenan kept them in the hunt. At the interval, Louth trailed by a goal, 1-5 to 0-5. There was still everything to play for.

After Galway opened the second half scoring, Louth were unfortunate not to close within a point when Rooney’s goal effort flew inches over the bar. Try as they may, Louth were unable to force the telling goal that would swing the tie in their favour and, cruelly, it was the westerners who also registered the game’s second major when Meehan popped up with the injury-time score that ultimately sent Louth packing.
Thus, while they gave as good as they got against one of the best teams in the country, Louth were unable to match Galway where it mattered most – on the scoreboard.

It was a mini miracle that JP Rooney had been able to start a championship game in 2004. It looked as though the year might pass the Supporters Club’s 2003 Footballer of the Year by after he was sidelined for months by a pelvis problem, but the Naomh Mairtin player recovered in time to take his place on the starting XV against Galway.
The pelvic injury, diagnosed in December, cleared up earlier than expected due to a lot of hard work on the player’s behalf and he made the cut for the Round Two Qualifier, having resurfaced to telling effect as a substitute against Antrim three weeks earlier.

Louth’s hopes of upsetting Galway had been boosted by Rooney’s return. He was named at left corner forward in place of David Reid, while Ray Finnegan replaced Ray Kelly in the half forward line.
Corner back Alan Page returned from suspension, which meant that his Cooley colleague Jonathan Clerkin was relegated to the subs bench.

Louth were furious that the game was staged at Parnell Park, as they were a designated team and were therefore entitled to home advantage. However, in its undoubted wisdom, the GAC opted to fix the game for Parnell Park because of fears that Drogheda’s capacity was inadequate. This represented a massive blow to Val Andrews’ team as home advantage could have been worth four or five points. Louth were also understandably unhappy that the Saturday throw-in was fixed for 3.30 rather than 7.00 and county secretary Pat Toner publicly expressed his dismay.

Louth certainly took the Qualifiers seriously. In the run-up to the Galway game, the Wee County enjoyed a superb 1-16 to 1-13 victory over fellow qualifiers Fermanagh at a neutral venue in Monaghan. (The magnitude of this win subsequently became apparent when the Erne County dumped Meath out of the championship on the same day as the Louth/Galway meeting and went on to beat Cork, Donegal and Armagh.)

Club games in the county were brought forward a week to guarantee the county panel 14 days to prepare for their second-round qualifier.
In the first round of the 2004 Qualifier series, Louth disposed of Antrim after extra time on a scoreline of 2-13 to 0-14 at Drogheda on Saturday June 12.

The winners had three early points on the board through Mark Stanfield, Ollie McDonnell and Aaron Hoey and led by 0-5 to 0-2 after 19 minutes but Antrim hit the next four scores of the game to level the match after 35 minutes of play, 0-5 apiece.
Just when it looked like the teams would be all-square at the break, up stepped Mark Stanfield: a minute into added time, Louth were awarded a spot kick and the O’Connells player buried his kick to the Antrim net to leave his side 1-5 to 0-5 clear at the short whistle.

The third quarter did not go according to script for the home side – Antrim registered six unanswered points and Alan Page saw red for his second bookable offence. However, three scores from Darren Clarke, Hoey and JP Rooney levelled the game with time almost up and, even though Antrim went back in front, Derek Shevlin sent the game to extra time with a point in the fourth minute of injury time, 1-9 to 0-12.
Louth regained their full complement for the extra 20 minutes and went on to win comfortably.

JP Rooney’s goal four minutes into the first period of extra time helped Louth to a 2-10 to 0-14 lead at the end of that period. Antrim failed to raise a flag in the second ten minutes while Louth added scores through Nicky McDonnell, David Devaney and Paddy Keenan for a wonderful win.
The Antrim victory required remarkable character from Louth, who had already lost twice to the Saffrons in two previous meetings in 2004. Antrim came out on top in the first round of the national league (1-9 to 1-7) and the Glensmen also won a challenge in between the two competitive games.

In Division 2B of the league, Antrim finished mid-table, with three wins and a draw from their seven outings. This was considerably better than Louth fared – the Wee County picked up a mere two points from their last-round clash with lowly Waterford.
In the 2004 Leinster senior football championship, Wexford were deserved 2-10 to 0-8 winners at Parnell Park on Sunday May 16. The post-match comments of Val Andrews said it all:

“There are no hard luck stories. We made chances but didn’t take them and we needed everything for us to go well and things for them to go wrong. I am extremely disappointed for the lads. It is an amateur game and they tried hard. We have a lot to do.
“There is no excuse from the management. The buck stops with us. My record as manager is abysmal, one win in the league and going out of the championship where it really wasn’t a contest for the last 15 to 20 minutes.
“You can see the deficiencies that are there. A lot of fellas retired, others didn’t come in, but they are the fellas that wanted to play for Louth and they tried exceptionally hard.”

The sublime Mattie Forde was Louth’s tormentor-in-chief, weighing in with eight points for the Model County.
Wexford led by 1-6 to 0-4 at the interval and it would have been worse for Louth but for Shane McCoy’s excellent 34th-minute penalty save from Forde.

Paddy Keenan opened Louth’s second-half account but the second period produced little of note from a Wee County perspective, except perhaps for a classy point from substitute Mark Stanfield and – less encouragingly - the dismissal for a second bookable offence of Ray Rooney.

The size of the task facing Louth was evident from the moment Val Andrews announced his championship team, including eight debutants. The side was captained by St Josephs veteran Ollie McDonnell, one of only three experienced championship campaigners on the starting XV. Simon Gerrard (he’d been out since the league game against Wicklow three months earlier)returned from suspension to take his place at right corner back, while right half back Alan Page was the only other seasoned championship player on view, although Dundalk Gaels’ Ray Rooney had been a mainstay of the senior county team a number of years back.

The presence of the following players, all of whom featured in the premier competition for the first time, confirmed that a massive rebuilding programme was underway: goalkeeper Shane McCoy, corner back Jamie Carr, centre back Paudie Mallon, midfielder David Devaney, half forwards Raymond Finnegan, Darren Clarke and Ray Kelly, and left corner forward Paddy Matthews.

Jonathan Clerkin, Patrick Keenan and David Reid had limited exposure, as they only made their debuts in the 2003 provincial competition.
Louth could hardly have asked for a more difficult opener. Pat Roe’s team were the most improved in the country during 2004 and Wexford were high on confidence heading into the championship.

They had just featured in Division One of the national football league for the first time ever. They gave a tremendous account of themselves and comfortably retained their top-flight status. Indeed, the Model County had been unlucky not to make the semi-finals - they would have progressed had they got a draw or better against then reigning Leinster champions Laois in their last group game.

Ominously, Wexford finished their campaign with by far and away the best scoring average in Division 1B - a magnificent tally of +21. Limerick and Galway, who qualified for the semi-finals, had scoring differences of +12 and -1 respectively.

Wexford came within a point of Armagh (away) in their first outing and beat Meath next day out. They recorded superb wins over Sligo (3-17 to 0-13 in Wexford Park) and Galway (5-12 to 1-7 in Tuam) and boast perhaps the finest forward in the country in Mattie Forde.
Compare this to Louth’s form in Division 2B - six straight defeats followed by a narrow victory over whipping boys Waterford.
That first competitive win under the new regime was recorded at Drogheda on April 4, when Louth prevailed by 1-17 to 1-12 against the Munster whipping boys.
Played in front of a paltry attendance of about 350, the home side led by 1-8 to 0-6 at half-time despite playing against the strong wind. The goal came after 18 minutes when wing forward Paddy Keenan finished from close range after being set up by David Devaney.

The visitors had reduced the deficit to three points, 1-12 to 1-15, with five minutes remaining, but Louth made sure of victory with late points from top scorer Darren Clarke and substitute Christy Grimes.
Prior to that game Louth had lost six league matches on the trot, losing to Antrim (1-9 to 1-7 at Ardee on February 1), Derry (0-21 to 1-7 at Celtic Park on February 8), Wicklow (1-11 to 1-8 at Ardee on February 15), Tipperary (0-16 to 1-10 at Clonmel on March 7), Kildare (0-15 to 1-11 at Newbridge on March 14) and Down (3-15 to 1-12 at Drogheda on March 21).

Earlier in the year, in the O’Byrne Cup, Louth took Westmeath to extra time and the Lake County went on to enjoy a fantastic year.
The Wee County also entered the inaugural Tommy Murphy Cup. They faced Clare at the semi-final stage at Parnell Park on Saturday August 7 but were comprehensively beaten, 2-11 to 0-8. That defeat brought the curtain down on a difficult year, but there is still hope for Louth in 2005 and beyond.

Lemlin

Looks like Louth also had huge problems before Val arrived:

Andrews wipes slate clean in Louth
Thursday, 23rd October 2003

New Louth manager Val Andrews has issued an open invitation to ALL footballers in the county to make themseves available for intercounty action.



The Wee County has been dogged by controversy in the past, leaving many players alienated or disillusioned, but the new boss insists this is a fresh beginning for everybody, writes Gerry Robinson.



When Louth faced Cavan in the championship last summer, names like Christy Grimes, David Reilly, Colm Nally, Nicky Malone and the entire Ardee contingent (most notably Niall Sharkey) were conspicuous in their absence from the first-team panel. However, Andrews is leaving the door open for all these players - as well as anybody else interested in playing for the county.



The Dubliner is looking to the future, not the past, and is determined to get off on the right foot. Speaking exclusively in this year’s Louth Yearbook, ‘Wee County 2003’, which goes on sale next week, the Louth supremo confirms:



“I intend to give everybody in the county the same opportunity. The past doesn’t matter to me. I see myself as a fair, objective and rational individual and I’ll treat all the players accordingly.

“Everybody is welcome to come in - where they’re from, who they play for, reputations, or what they may or may not have done in the past is of no interest to me. I have an open mind and no prejudice whatsoever.



“At the end of the day, my priority is to have the strongest possible team representing Louth and this means giving every fella in the county a fair crack of the whip.â€

Val doesn't sound like the dictator Tayto Lover keeps mentioning to me.

Lemlin

A review of 2005 and Louth's best ever run in the qualifiers under Val Andrews who tayto lover tells us all ruined Louth football

It's funny that he's a Tatyo lover and as the Tayto ad puts it, "there's always one".

http://www.hoganstand.com/louth/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=67633

When it comes to championship football, Louth certainly couldn’t be tagged the jammiest team in the country. Recent years have been tattooed with a litany of unfortunate and oftentimes controversial championship exits for the Wee County and – surprise, surprise – it happened again in 2005. Val Andrews’ rejuvenated charges progressed to Round Three of the Qualifiers and, after being reduced to 14-men, produced a whirlwind final-quarter performance against neighbours Monaghan in Cavan in mid-July. Having built up a head of steam, they cruelly ran out of time… By Gerry Robinson

When Louth were torn apart by Offaly in the first round of the 2005 Leinster senior football championship, things looked bleaker for Val Andrews and his team than they had ever done. That match took place in Navan on May 7 and was the very first of the new senior championship season. The Reds lost by nine points, producing one of the most insipid Wee County displays in living memory. The result apparently confirmed that Louth had slipped not just to the bottom rung of the intercounty ladder but had actually fallen off it altogether. Louth football was going nowhere fast and the knives were out. Sharp knives they were, too.

Incredibly, against all odds, Louth turned their year around, piecing together their best even run in the qualifiers. Gradually, things took shape, and after thrilling victories over Waterford and then Roscommon in Drogheda, we were within 140 minutes of an All-Ireland quarter-final place. This was a team that had been completely written off as no-hopers a couple of months earlier.

Crucially, the players never lost their belief. They ignored the cutting criticism, the mindless slatings and the generally insensitive drivel that intercounty players are subjected to at an alarming rate these days, choosing to channel their focus to on-the-field matters.

Louth senior footballers did their talking on the pitch and the critics were silenced. Despite going into the third-round qualifier against Monaghan as rank outsiders (the Oriel County had taken none other than Wexford in the previous round), Louth knew they could do a job on their neighbours. An even enough contest (both sides enjoyed periods of total dominance) ensued at Breffni Park on Saturday July 16 and the Reds were extremely unfortunate to lose by the odd point, 1-12 to 0-14.

With their backs to the wall, the Leinster county refused to go down without a fight. They started and finished strongly but lost their way somewhere in between and Seamus McEneaney’s men took full advantage, doing just about enough to advance to the final qualifying round.

Of course, there was controversy too: top scorer Darren Clarke – a man who served the team brilliantly all year - tapped over an injury-time free to bring his match tally to ten and close a gap that had once been seven points to just one. Clarke opted not to go for goal as the referee had evidently suggested that there was time for an equaliser which would have forced extra time, the cancellation of Monaghan’s numerical superiority and an almost certain Louth win (as Val Andrews’ men had all the momentum at that stage).

Breffni Park was stunned when the final whistle sounded before Louth had a chance to re-gain possession. It was a surreal end to the year for a team that had given everything and probably deserved better. Should Louth have gone for a goal right at the death? Their opponents had famously done precisely that against Meath in the Division Two national league final a few months earlier and, in the form of a freak goal, had reaped the rewards that such optimistic speculation sometimes yields.

After fighting back from a seemingly impossible position to within touching distance of an extraordinary victory, maybe the Wee County should have sensed that it was going to be their day. So deep into added time, with no guarantee of another chance, they could have been bolder. It might have worked, but knowing Louth’s luck, it wouldn’t have made any difference anyway!

Regardless, the bizarre end to the game – a match which Louth did NOT deserve to lose – shouldn’t mask the fact that, for the first time, the Wee County had played three matches in the qualifiers. They outlasted the likes of their own Leinster conquerors Offaly, Kildare, Westmeath, Wexford, Down, Donegal and 2004 heroes Fermanagh in the championship and lasted as long as Meath, which is surely enough to restore at least of vestige of pride in Louth football. A significant corner may have been turned.

Louth started their season with a reasonable run in the O’Byrne Cup, reaching the semi-final stage with performances that suggested an interesting year was in prospect.

The competitive year started as early as the calendar one: Louth faced DIT in the first round of the new-look O’Byrne Cup at the Gaelic Grounds on the first Sunday in January and only the second day of the New Year! On a sunny but freezing cold afternoon, the Reds blazed to a 4-11 to 2-9 success thanks largely to a return of 2-4 from Ardee clubman Darren Clarke, who started his season as he would finish it - in terrific scoring form. Ronan Valentine and Cormac Malone got the other goals.

In keeping with the time of year, Louth fielded an experimental side – only five of whom (Jamie Carr, Simon Gerrard, Aaron Hoey, Darren Clarke and Paddy Matthews) would start against Monaghan in the third round of the qualifiers, by which time Andrews had a clearer picture of his best XV. But they won easily, despite the fact that the unsuccessful sin-bin experiment had them down to twelve men at one stage and even though Wee County panellists Owen Zamboglou and Johnny Kermath both featured on the Students’ team.

Dublin fielded their county U21 team for the quarter-final clash in Drogheda on January 9. Louth made three enforced changes and finally got into their stride, after a poor start (they trailed by six points to no score after 19 minutes), to salvage a pleasing 2-7 to 0-9 win. Cormac Malone and captain Mark Stanfield fired the crucial goals, as Louth stole the decision with four points in the closing five minutes.

Back-to-back wins at the outset of Val Andrews’s sophomore season came as a welcome tonic, and the raising of 4,000 euro through gate receipts for GOAL’s tsunami relief fund was a nice touch.

Reigning Leinster champions Westmeath, who had beaten Louth after extra time in the first round of the previous year’s competition, provided semi-final opposition. Again the Wee County had home advantage on Sunday January 16th. There was a noticeable step-up in the class of opposition at Drogheda this time around, however, and Alan Mangan and Dessie Dolan did most of the damage as the midlanders plundered a 0-12 to 1-6 victory and an O’Byrne Cup final place. David Devanney’s 67th-minute major sparked a late Louth revival that was ultimately all in vein.

When he took over the county team in late 2003, Val Andrews immediately cited promotion to Division One as an urgent priority. The league campaign in 2004, was a major disappointment, producing one a single victory. The ’05 effort was a slightly improved one but Louth still never came close to their objective of securing a top-flight place.

Only two victories were secured – at the expense of Munster minnows Tipperary and Waterford – and there was a gutsy draw with Wicklow in Aughrim in early March – but four defeats suggested a lack of killer instinct as well as a paucity of self-belief.

Meath and Derry emerged from Division 2B to book their places at the top table, and both recorded resounding victories over a Louth side that looked out of its depth in those matches. The one-point reversals at the hands of Antrim and Cavan could be attributed to inexperience as much as anything else.
When the group stage of the competition was complete, Derry and Meath topped the table unbeaten, with 13 points apiece from seven outings. Cavan had ten points, Antrim eight, and Louth shared fifth place with Wicklow, five points each. They were eight points off the pace, ahead of only Tipp and Waterford and, frankly, at that stage, Louth’s return for the year made for pretty miserable reading.

The 1-15 to 1-6 Leinster pummelling from Offaly didn’t help but back-to-back qualifier victories over Waterford (1-12 to 1-8 on June 18) and Roscommon (0-11 to 0-10 on July 2) in Drogheda transformed Louth’s year and left them very much in contention for a surprise place in the All-Ireland series.
In an accurate analysis of Louth’s year, it must be pointed out that things seemed to conspire against the team from the off. In the run-up to the national league opener against Antrim, the squad was already reeling from a number of defections and injuries. Key personnel were provisionally ruled unavailable for the year (though Peter McGinnity and Paddy Keenan would return to help the cause) and injuries to many others left the manager juggling his resources.

The match was played in Casement Park on Sunday February 6 and Louth were pipped by an injury-time point, 0-16 to 1-12. The visitors had been completely outplayed in the first half but Shane Lennon’s goal put them in front with time almost up. However, the Saffrons finished stronger to claim the brace of points on offer.
In the second round, Louth entertained Derry in atrocious, gale-force conditions at the Gaelic Grounds. They scored only four times, just once in the second half, falling to an embarrassing 1-7 to 0-4 defeat in one of the poorest matches witnessed at the Drogheda venue in a long time.

There was a three-week break before Louth travelled to Aughrim on Sunday March 6 to face Wicklow in the third round of the league, still in search of their first win of the campaign. The Wee County landed an impressive return of 14 points in the Garden County fortress and Cormac Malone’s late point on the stroke of full time seemed to have provided a morale-boosting victory. However, Wicklow struck in injury time to earn a 1-11 to 0-14 draw. Louth were on the board at last, but with just one point rather than two.

Pointless Tipperary’s visit to Drogheda could not have come at a better time. The Reds didn’t look the March 13 gift horse in the mouth, seeing off the Premier County men on a scoreline of 1-15 to 1-9. Ardee duo Niall Sharkey and Darren Clarke struck 0-10 between them and Louth were now in mid-table with a point more than they had earned in their entire ill-fated ’04 NFL programme and still three games remaining.
Wins against Meath, Cavan and Waterford could still force a semi-final place…

It wasn’t to be, though, as neighbours Meath brought Louth back to earth with a resounding thud at Drogheda on Sunday March 20, 1-18 to 0-10. The Wee County held their own in the opening period but withered badly thereafter and only some heroics from goalkeeper Shane McCoy saved them a right humiliation. It was clear now that Louth would be in Division Two again in 2006.

A fourth game in as many weekends took place against Val Andrews’ former team Cavan in Breffni Park on Sunday March 27. Louth got the second-half collapse of the previous weekend out of their system with a much-improved performance and could consider themselves a little unfortunate to leave the Cavan town venue empty-handed after a slender 0-12 to 1-8 defeat. Niall Sharkey was top scorer with 1-4 but, worryingly, was forced out of the action with a knee injury.

In keeping with their topsy-turvy campaign, Louth closed their unconvincing 2005 national football league account with a stuttering 1-11 to 1-9 win at the expense of Munster whipping boys Waterford in Fraher Field, Dungarvan in early April. The Wee County had an injury-ravaged side on duty. Brian White made his debut and JP Rooney togged out. But, with only a month to go before the 2005 Leinster SFC was due to commence with the meeting of Offaly and Louth, it was difficult to find any cause for optimism in the prospects of the latter.
Nothing was going right and the downward spiral would continue against the Faithfuls in Navan – certainly no happy haunt for Louth in recent times.

As the countdown to the championship opener gathered pace, so too did the rumble over the Mattock Rangers club versus county dispute. Both parties were adamant that there actually was no quarrel, but Collon men remained conspicuous in their absence from the county senior football panel, which looked all the weaker without names like Grimes, Brennan and Reid.

These players were tearing other club sides apart in the Wee County as Paddy Clarke’s Mattock side emerged as a real force, but Louth were making do without them.
Anyway, the official line is that there was no fall-out and Val Andrews’ men went into the Offaly game intent on ripping up the formbook. But a heavy defeat to Wicklow in a SF challenge in the build up to the biggest game of the year didn’t augur well for their prospects.

And so it came to pass that at Pairc Tailteann on Sunday May 8, Louth flopped to a 1-15 to 1-6 hammering. The result didn’t flatter the Faithful County in the slightest and the Reds could consider themselves lucky just to lose by nine. Offaly had 18 wides to Louth’s nine (an affliction that would stay with them all year as they subsequently lost to Laois and then Carlow).

Offaly registered an amazing 23 attempts on goal in the first half and how they only led by 1-6 to 0-3 at the interval in anybody’s guess. Paddy Keenan had shook off the back injury that threatened to sideline him for the entire year and the Pats man was one of Louth’s best players (alongside full back Simon Gerrard and centre back Aaron Hoey), capping his performance with a great goal after Darren Clarke had rattled the crossbar. In general, though, the less said about this particular match the better!

The six-week lay-off was surely the longest any senior intercounty team faced in the 2005 championship, but it seemed to do Louth the world of good as they burst through the back door firing on all cylinders with three excellent displays against Waterford, Roscommon and Monaghan.
There was dismay throughout the county after the Offaly game but the first sign of a revival was posted when Cormac Malone’s goal helped the Wee County to a 1-10 to 0-11 victory over Monaghan in a SF challenge in Louth village to mark the official opening of the new St Mochtas clubhouse.

But the Louth SF camp was riddled with injury ahead of the crucial qualifier against Waterford in Drogheda on Saturday June 18. The Wee County were forced to make do without injured contingent Paddy Keenan, Mark Stanfield, Nicky McDonnell, Colin Goss, Niall Sharkey and Ronan Valentine, with Ollie McDonnell and Peter McGinnity also unavailable, while Cooley Kickhams trio Brian White, Sean O’Neill and Gavin Long hadn’t featured on the panel since the defeat to Offaly.

Staring an embarrassing exit square in the face, Louth’s makeshift team delivered the goods, overcoming a shaky start to stun the Large Bottle County with a decisive third-quarter surge that yielded an unspectacular but vital four-point victory, 1-12 to 1-8.

The players called into action for the Waterford game did themselves proud, sneaking a win that kick-started Louth’s year and provided some renewed grounds for optimism in the future of Wee County football.
For most of the match, there was little or nothing between the teams, but Waterford seemed to lose their composure towards the end and grateful Louth took full advantage, claiming a second-round place in the qualifying series with a succession of late points.

The first half was fairly even, and Val Andrews breathed a sigh of relief as the short whistle sounded with his team a point to the good, 1-6 to 1-5. The score that separated the sides at the interval arrived from the boot of prodigious Kilkerley Emmets clubman Shane Lennon, who lined out on the edge of the square.
The Decies had twice led by three points in the opening stages and also missed a glorious opportunity of taking the game by the scruff of its neck when dependable Wee County ’keeper Shane McCoy brilliantly saved Gary Hurney’s first-half penalty.

Two points from Niall Curran helped Waterford to a 0-5 to 0-2 advantage by the end of the first quarter, but JP Rooney’s trademark 18th-minute goal drew Louth level, 1-2 to 0-5. When Liam Ó Lionáin hit the crossbar at the other end, the Waterford wing forward reacted quickest to fist the rebounder to the net.
On the half-hour, McCoy turned from villain to hero when he excellently saved Hurney’s spotkick - the Louth goalie had committed the foul that conceded the penalty in the first place.

Two points from Darren Clarke and one from Ronan Clarke got the hosts back into it and Lennon made it four in a row for Louth who led by one at the break. When Lennon pointed again on the restart, the lead was two. Louth never again trailed and Waterford managed just one score from play in the second half.
When the Suirsiders levelled at 1-7 apiece, Paddy Matthews struck with two Louth points and the winners never looked back. Substitute Nicky McDonnell and Alan Page completed the scoring. As Louth closed in on victory, Waterford had three men dismissed for separate incidents, a fact which points to the highly competitive nature of this encounter.

Roscommon were next for the drop at the Gaelic Grounds on Saturday July 2. The Primrose & Blue were enduring a torrid summer, but Louth still had to finish them off and deserve great credit for the manner in which they achieved their nail-biting 0-11 to 0-10 victory with the last three points of a high-octane affair.
This was a magnificent victory for the home side, who had now negotiated two rounds of qualifiers and were gathering momentum. Roscommon refused to go down without a fight and almost pulled in out of the fire right at the death.

Four minutes into injury time, colourful goalie Shane Curran surged upfield through the middle of the pitch but his progress was halted illegally by JP Rooney. Curran then dramatically pulled off his jersey and took the free himself, from 50 yards.

Much to the despair of the travelling support and equally to the delight of all Louth folk, the kick tailed to the left and wide and the Wee County were into the third-round draw. On the evidence of this performance, confident Louth - with substitute Christy Grimes very much back in the team - could fancy their chances against anybody.

JP Rooney was the Louth hero: the St Mairtins clubman calmly fisted over the injury-time score that booked his county’s unlikely passage to the next phase. Louth led by three points a minute into the second half but found themselves two adrift with only the same number of minutes on the clock.

But points from Hunterstown’s Paddy Matthews and prodigal son Grimes - playing his first intercounty game in over a year after a dramatic return to the panel earlier that very week - drew the home side level and set the stage for Rooney’s late winner. Louth were also boosted by the return to fitness of captain Mark Stanfield and the O’Connells clubman wreaked havoc in the Roscommon defence.

Paddy Keenan got a first-minute point for Louth but the scores were tied at 0-4 apiece after 15 absorbing back-door minutes. Points from the brilliant Shane Lennon and Darren Clarke gave the ’Wee’ men a nice 0-6 to 0-4 interval cushion. When St Marys clubman Clarke kicked his fourth point on the resumption, Louth looked to be coasting but they gave their supporters plenty to worry about by then going a quarter of an hour without a score.

During this time, Roscommon got right back into it and Karl Mannion’s 67th-minute point made it 0-10 to 0-8 in favour of the Connacht men. But Louth took the laurels with a grandstand denouement courtesy of Matthews, Grimes and Rooney, who was teed up by the impressive Lennon.
Two weeks later, on Saturday July 16, Louth’s brave run was halted in a dramatic tussle with neighbours Monaghan at Breffni Park. Despite having been given little chance of success, 14-man Louth pushed Monaghan all the way but fell to an agonizing 1-12 to 0-14 defeat.

Louth started best with points from Darren Clarke and Shane Lennon but then relinquished their grip on the game completely, gifted a 12th-minute goal to Monaghan full forward Hugh McElroy, and trailed by six points at the end of the first quarter.

Clarke’s frees kept Louth in touch but they trailed at the interval by 1-8 to 0-5. Nicky McDonnell was lined for a robust challenge eleven minutes after the restart and Louth trailed by seven, 1-11 to 0-7. But the Reds had eclipsed Roscommon with a brilliant fightback a fortnight earlier and they almost caught Monaghan cold the recovery of the year.

During the 24 minutes of normal time and five of injury time that remained when McDonnell saw red, Monaghan managed to add just a solitary point to their tally and were left clinging on for dear life. Louth picked off seven points in that time but the goal they needed just wouldn’t materialise, despite JP Rooney twice finding himself in good positions.

Clarke notched ten points over the match, including the final one, before the clock ran out on Louth’s briefly-resurrected 2005 season.

bruschi

Lads, any chance of either finishing the dispute now, or taking it to PM.

Personally, I think tayto lovers 'arguments' are ridiculous and is on a personal vendetta against Val Andrews for some reason. I know Lemlin you are just defending your stance and trying to show how foolish taytos arguments are, but I think the majority can see that. I'd say this thread would only have a quarter of the posts if tayto hadnt come in all guns blazing.

tayto lover

Lermlin you are now posting match reports !!! Championship match reports too. Yes there was a bit of improvement BUT we had 6 League losses in a row in 2005. I was at them and there weren't nice.

Why did Andrews leave ? The County Board were getting fed up of his ways and had many complaints. The Chairman was about to get rid of him and he knew it. Here read his parting letter - it is hardly likely that if things were going as well as you seem to think that this situation would arise. a "tense atmosphere" does not automatically arise if things are going well now does it.


________________________________________
Louth seek new boss following Andrews exit
Tuesday, 30 August 2005 16:46
Val Andrews has today resigned as manager of the Louth senior footballers citing differences with county officials as the main influence behind his decision.
In a letter to Pat Comer, secretary of the Louth County Board, he stated a poor working relationship with the county chairman and a tense atmosphere among Louth GAA officials has made it impossible for him for carry on in the position.
He said: "I feel that the actions and behaviour of the chairman have eroded and grossly undermined my position as Louth senior manager. While respecting both his elected position and personal views, no working relationship remains and continuing on would further damage the future development of Louth football."
Andrews had just completed the second year of his three-year contract. Having experienced a poor league campaign this year he enjoyed a change of fortunes in the Championship.
Having exited the Leinster Championship at the hands of Offaly in early May they regrouped in the qualifiers to defeat Waterford and Roscommon. Monaghan scraped past them in round three with victory by a solitary point.
Irish International Rules manager Pete McGrath has been linked with the now vacant Louth position. He is currently managing Louth club side Cooley Kickams and has tasted All-Ireland success as manager of Down in the past.
Val Andrews' letter of resignation to Pat Toner, Secretary of the Louth County Board:
As you know, I was appointed for three years with a review after two years. Unfortunately with regret and on reflection I am tendering my resignation with effect from today.
I feel that the actions and behaviour of the chairman have eroded and grossly undermined my position as Louth Senior Manager. While respecting both his elected position and personal views, no working relationship remains and continuing on would further damage the future development of Louth Football.
In addition to this, the continuing County Board in-feuding creates a near impossible environment for any ambitious county manager and panel to succeed in the long term. As usual the players, who have worked hard and shown commitment to Louth are being sold short.
Finally, I would like to thank the players and indeed, the County Board for their efforts and I hope that Louth will stop the infighting and devote all their resources and energies to help a great bunch of lads achieve their maximum potential.

Story from RTÉ Sport:




Van knew that the Chairman was fed up of him and his ways and included as much in his letter of resignation. His days were numbered.
Just one of many bits of correspondence (below) from a supporter regarding Val’s reign in Louth. There are many more if you want to read them but I don’t want to tie up this Board with them. As your own post says we lost 6 League games on the trot before that improvement in the C/ship but the damage was done. Eamon Mc Eneaney got us to the same stage of the Championship in a more professional manner and using players discarded by Val Andrews and kept the supporters with him too.

"Re: Eamonn Mac and his team: I was hugely impressed last year and this year in the league, right up until the Galway game. My feeling is that the wheels came off the wagon at the end of the league and it took a while to steady the ship which lead to our rather erratic championship. Limerick was a watershed, we went down there after the depletion to the panel and ground out a good victory which was very important and for a change we were coming out the right end of a tight finish. The thing that impresses me most about the management is that they very clearly pick on form and not reputation, also, they are not afraid to make switches and tend not to leave too late.

Although, Andrews did indeed bring us to the same stage in the championship this was more by accident that design! The best example I have (and this 100% true as one of the panel travelled home with us after the game) is the Monaghan game in Cavan. The panel assembled in Smamore that afternoon to travel to Brefni, naturally enough they expected light food to be organised, no the management hadn't thought of this!! They ended up having to ring a pub close to the grounds to lay on soup and sandwiches an hour before throw in!! Picture it, a pub full of Louth and Monaghan supporters and there is the Louth panel trekking through the pub to eat up the back! If you remember Monaghan were rampant in the first half and we clawed it back in the second half (in no small part due to Clarkes kicking). Was this partly down to how close to throw in the lads ate?
It was this lack of attention to detail that made Andrews a joke. Look at how many players returned to the panel last year who didn't play under Andrews and made vital contributions to the team.

I've started now..... Do you remember the qualifier game in Drogheda (I think it was Antrim) where Nicky Mc D was playing a great game, Andrews took him off and most of us in the crowd jeered this decision. Andrews looked around as if to say "What did I do", complete rabbit in the headlights look on him. What happened later on.. He brings Nicky back in. The man was a joke.

Eamonn Mac is not the messiah that we might have thought he was after last year, but they are doing a good job and after my confidence in the management team being dented somewhat this year I am still fully behind them."


Now we are not going to see eye to eye on this matter. Your mention of the Article in the Anglo Celt regarding Johnston being dropped did not really explain the reason. There could have been many for all you know. He could have had a family dilemma or dispute with someone in the club and simply not been up to it at the time, maybe he even asked to be given a break.

I will leave you all to it and get back to H.S. for now. BUT just because someone has not posted on these G.A.A. Boards before does not make their opinions wrong or yours right. Again I have no agenda except to say that I believe this man will not do a good job with your county team. It is my belief and I have seen nothing yet to make me change it.

DARK-KNIGHT

Jesus tattoo will you just stop posting waffle your hurting my eyes now

tayto lover

bruschi wrote: »

Lads, any chance of either finishing the dispute now, or taking it to PM.

Personally, I think tayto lovers 'arguments' are ridiculous and is on a personal vendetta against Val Andrews for some reason. I know Lemlin you are just defending your stance and trying to show how foolish taytos arguments are, but I think the majority can see that. I'd say this thread would only have a quarter of the posts if tayto hadnt come in all guns blazing.

"There are none so blind as those who will not see" Time will tell.

bruschi

tayto lover wrote: »

"There are none so blind as those who will not see" Time will tell.

thing is, your point is completely valid, except it should be taken on by yourself. Cavan needed a clean out and Andrews was the one to do it. In the long run, whether or not he is there for when the success comes, it is the right thing to do. And that is what the whole thing has been about.

Your personal vendetta and constant personal criticisms of him are not relevant to the thread or the work he is trying to do. You can have your opinion on why you think he is a poor manager, many will think that, but the way you are going about it here is so tedious.

tayto lover

bruschi wrote: »

thing is, your point is completely valid, except it should be taken on by yourself. Cavan needed a clean out and Andrews was the one to do it. In the long run, whether or not he is there for when the success comes, it is the right thing to do. And that is what the whole thing has been about.

Your personal vendetta and constant personal criticisms of him are not relevant to the thread or the work he is trying to do. You can have your opinion on why you think he is a poor manager, many will think that, but the way you are going about it here is so tedious.

Cavan's best forward was made a scapegoat. His own countymen turned on him and I don't like that especially when it was done in favour of someone who is not half the man he is talent-wise.

bruschi

tayto lover wrote: »

Cavan's best forward was made a scapegoat. His own countymen turned on him and I don't like that especially when it was done in favour of someone who is not half the man he is talent-wise.

I'm done. really wasnt wanted to get dragged into this clusterfcuk. there is more to playing for a team than having undoubted talent. and I dont think he was made any sort of scapegoat at all. good luck with the rest of the thread.

tayto lover

bruschi wrote: »

I'm done. really wasnt wanted to get dragged into this clusterfcuk. there is more to playing for a team than having undoubted talent. and I dont think he was made any sort of scapegoat at all. good luck with the rest of the thread.

Again then we will agree to differ. To hell with it i'm away too.

Gophur

tayto lover wrote: »

[...............

Cavan's best forward was made a scapegoat. His own countymen turned on him and I don't like that especially when it was done in favour of someone who is not half the man he is talent-wise.

100% BS, completely untrue. SJ was not scapegoated. First time things got tough, he ran for the hills.

Tom Joad

tayto lover wrote: »

Cavan's best forward was made a scapegoat. His own countymen turned on him and I don't like that especially when it was done in favour of someone who is not half the man he is talent-wise.

Where do you get off??

This thread should be closed as it has been completely derailed by your personal vendetta and fabrications to suit your arguments.

DARK-KNIGHT

tayto lover wrote: »

Again then we will agree to differ. To hell with it i'm away too.

Finally some peace!!!

GOODBYE don't let the door hit you slap on the arse when your leaving

Lemlin

DARK-KNIGHT wrote: »

Finally some peace!!!

GOODBYE don't let the door hit you slap on the arse when your leaving

I've reported posts of his which are complete and utter waffle and I can't understand how the mods have allowed him to keep going.

It's clear that his only agenda is to criticise Andrews and tell endless ubran myths from what the yearly reviews above describe as a successful tenure in Louth by Andrews.

tayto lover

I will drop back in from time to time to see how both Seanie and Val are getting on but I promise not to gloat. I expect one to be in Div 1 and the other in Div 4 though. But I won't gloat.
See yis around.

Lemlin

For anyone from Cavan who wants to discuss Val's performance as manager in an objective way, its being discussed over on the Cavan thread.

I've also just started discussion about the weekend's round of League games.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056198368&page=16

munchkin_utd

back to the actual subject of the transfer

New twist in Johnston transfer saga

THE PROTRACTED Seánie Johnston transfer saga looks set to lie in the hands of the executive committee of Cavan county board once again, following Tuesday night’s hearing on the application.

The Central Competitions Control Committee quizzed the former Breffni captain about his permanent residency, and members of the panel were presented with a number of documents as evidence that he was living in Straffan.

These included confirmation that Johnston held a utility account for the address he is giving as his home, as well as a tenancy contract with his landlord.

As a result, the committee has opted to return the matter to Cavan board, as it is they, rather than Johnston’s club, Cavan Gaels, who questioned the 27-year-old’s permanent residence and whether a transfer to St Kevin’s and Kildare would be within GAA rules.

Speaking after Cavan’s management committee decided not to sign the transfer form last month, county PRO, Declan Woods, said they had received no evidence to support the fact that Johnston was living in Straffan.

“As far as we’re concerned, the Seán Johnston that we know works full time in Cavan and lives in Cavan,” Woods stated at the time.

Having received evidence to the contrary, the committee is referring the matter back to the Cavan executive for comment.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2012/0223/1224312243654.html

I couldnt be arsed commenting on this as the next 30 posts will be about Andrews being a muppet or bad manager so at this stage whether seanie gets a transfer or not seems to be a matter of irrelevance to most posters so why bother.

sgarvan

munchkin_utd wrote: »

I couldnt be arsed commenting on this as the next 30 posts will be about Andrews being a muppet or bad manager so at this stage whether seanie gets a transfer or not seems to be a matter of irrelevance to most posters so why bother.

Well said.

Lemlin

munchkin_utd wrote: »

back to the actual subject of the transfer


http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2012/0223/1224312243654.html

I couldnt be arsed commenting on this as the next 30 posts will be about Andrews being a muppet or bad manager so at this stage whether seanie gets a transfer or not seems to be a matter of irrelevance to most posters so why bother.

To be honest I'm surprised that more than a utility bill and rental contract with a landlord are not needed. The two of those would be relatively easy to get. I'd also be interested to see if the dates on these agreements are post November when Johnston is meant to have first met McGeeney.

If the lad is living in Kildare, as per the Celt article, why was he recently still using the gym in Breffni Park?

I think the Central Competitions Control Committee have taken the coward's way now and forced the Cavan County Board into a corner.

My opinion is just give the lad his transfer. We've a new team to move on with. I wish Seanie all the best and I'd like to see Kildare being successful with him as a part of the team.

It could be the opening of a whole can of worms for the GAA though.

munchkin_utd

Lemlin wrote: »

To be honest I'm surprised that more than a utility bill and rental contract with a landlord are not needed. The two of those would be relatively easy to get.

I think the Central Competitions Control Committee have taken the coward's way now and forced the Cavan County Board into a corner.

My opinion is just give the lad his transfer. We've a new team to move on with. I wish Seanie all the best and I'd like to see Kildare being successful with him as a part of the team.

It could be the opening of a whole can of worms for the GAA though.

errrrrr

I posted a (Non Andrews related) post regarding Frank Murphy and a Rules Committee coming up with a bunch of things tidying up the Official Guide including the promise of a proper definition of "Permanent Residence". All supposedly to be ready for congress in April.
But amongst the lot of ye it got buried in the smoke of war regarding Andrews.
This transfer seems like it will have to go under the almost anything goes current rules but the can of worms will be presumably closed with whatever the rules committee has come up with in the next couple of months

Anyhow, I find the mechanics of the transfer interesting not least because the spirit of the rule (that seems to be the reason of its existance) is to allow lads who have had to move for family and job reasons to play football in their new home location but the Seanie case is a lad moving for football reasons and clearly leaving family and job in situ in Cavan.

As it stands, he has all the documentation that would satisfy the legal requirements (as in of the irish government and department of finance rather than GAA) to allow him to open a bank account in Kildare so with that paperwork sorted he has at least fulfilled one commonly agreed definition of residence (more than the "Letters magically get to me if you post them to a certain apartment in Kildare" definition of residence).

Lemlin

munchkin_utd wrote: »

errrrrr

I posted a (Non Andrews related) post regarding Frank Murphy and a Rules Committee coming up with a bunch of things tidying up the Official Guide including the promise of a proper definition of "Permanent Residence". All supposedly to be ready for congress in April.
But amongst the lot of ye it got buried in the smoke of war regarding Andrews.
This transfer seems like it will have to go under the almost anything goes current rules but the can of worms will be presumably closed with whatever the rules committee has come up with in the next couple of months

Anyhow, I find the mechanics of the transfer interesting not least because the spirit of the rule (that seems to be the reason of its existance) is to allow lads who have had to move for family and job reasons to play football in their new home location but the Seanie case is a lad moving for football reasons and clearly leaving family and job in situ in Cavan.

As it stands, he has all the documentation that would satisfy the legal requirements (as in of the irish government and department of finance rather than GAA) to allow him to open a bank account in Kildare so with that paperwork sorted he has at least fulfilled one commonly agreed definition of residence (more than the "Letters magically get to me if you post them to a certain apartment in Kildare" definition of residence).

To be honest Andrews plays a big part in the transfer so I don't see the problem with the posts about him, beside those which were totally incorrect.

There were also posts about Cavan GAA because we had a number of posters stating that they couldn't see why Cavan were allowing their best player to leave. That had to be explained.

Hopefully the rule will get closed because it is making a mockery of the whole idea of GAA being about the community you are from/live in. I've no problem with a player moving if a change of circumstance requires it but it's fairly clear that Johnston is moving because he has been told he's not required by Cavan GAA team this year. He's as much as admitted so himself.

I'd be interested to see how he plays against the likes of Dublin and Meath, teams on a level above Cavan. I've seen him have unbelievable games for Cavan but it was generally against your Wexfords and Antrims. That said, a man can only play against the opposition that he's pitted against so it'll be interesting to see when he moves from being in one of the bottom 8 teams in the country to one of the top 8.

Hammer Archer

Hmmm. The plot thickens.

Seanie Johnston looks to have given up on his move to Kildare after he trained with Cavan Gaels last night.

The shock development came just hours after the want-away forward met the Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC) to put his case for a switch to the Lilywhites to them. Cavan officials were also summoned to Croke Park to meet the CCCC.

Johnston has claimed he is now living in Straffan, Co. Kildare and even invited GAA officials around to his house "for a cup of tea" to prove he is living there. But in spite of this, doubts have remained over his residency and it would appear his proposed transfer to the Leinster county is now dead in the water.

The 27-year-old, who has trained with Kildare club St. Kevin's in recent weeks, is eager to revive his inter-county career after he was sensationally left out of Cavan manager Val Andrews' squad last October.

So just recently he said that it would be impossible for him to train in Kildare and live in Cavan, but apparently it is possible to train in Cavan and live in Kildare. Sure.
I'm not sure this saga has quite run its course yet.

munchkin_utd

Seanie Johnston looks to have given up on his move to Kildare after he trained with Cavan Gaels last night.

Jaysus.
He'd be home fierce late to his home in Kildare if training in Cavan town of an evening wouldn't he?
And up the next morning at crack of dawn for the 2 hours spin back to cavan with barely 8 hours sleep.

Lucky as a teacher he has summer holidays so he can enjoy his new home in Kildare without all that pesky travelling to where his work (and family and friends and supposedly also girlfriend) is.
:rolleyes:

munchkin_utd

the examiner is now reporting on the CCCC hearing and adds an interview from county PRO Declan Woods .
http://www.examiner.ie/breakingnews/sport/cccc-hear-johnston-case-540970.html

Cavan GAA PRO Declan Woods has previously stated that Cavan would not attempt to deny Johnston his transfer should he be able to legitimately prove his residency in Straffan.

However, Woods subsequently outlined that the Breffni County's role in this particular case is finished and that the CCCC are now the ultimate decision makers.

"As far as we are concerned, we have no further role in the control of Sean Johnston's transfer," he told the Irish News.

"Contrary to reports, we never even had to sign the transfer. The transfer form came to the Cavan County Board signed by the player, the Kildare County Board and the St Kevin's club.

"A two-line note was attached which stated that, unless we had an objection, the transfer would go through automatically within 10 days.

"When we saw the transfer application, it was the first time it had been presented to us that the player wasn't living in Cavan. As far as we all knew, he worked in Cavan and he lived in Cavan.

"As a result of that, we felt it would be wrong of us not to question that. We didn't look for proof, but we don't need to look for proof because we are not the governing body of inter-county transfers.

"We simply informed Croke Park that we had an issue in relation to his permanent residency in Kildare.

"We would contend that our role is now over. Our feeling is that it is now a matter for Croke Park. If Croke Park is satisfied, then we have no difficulty whatsoever. Because, if Croke Park is satisfied, then we feel it is under rule and everything is in order.

"We have no axe to grind. It's not up to us to counter-prove anything, if the governing body is satisfied then we have no issue."

it now looks like Seanie's in Limbo.
(EDIT: It seems) Neither county board nor CCCCCCCCCCCC... feel they have the authority to give the green light.

Tom Joad

Whatever the rights and wrongs of this it does look as if he is in limbo as he is caught up in a stand-off between the CCC and the county board with neither wanting to sanction the move. The timing off this i feel is working against Johnston as there are a lot of things like this that a blind eye may have been turned to in the past that are now under the microscope.

Somebody from Croke Park needs to step in and sort this out.

Lemlin

Hammer Archer wrote: »

Hmmm. The plot thickens.


So just recently he said that it would be impossible for him to train in Kildare and live in Cavan, but apparently it is possible to train in Cavan and live in Kildare. Sure.
I'm not sure this saga has quite run its course yet.

Apparently this was just for convenience. He is still pushing for the transfer. The word I'm hearing is that the relevant boards are taking their time as there are no timelines set for making a decision.

roy rodgers

I think st kevins only train once a week at the moment and if seanie johnson wants to be playing and training for kildare he is going have to be super fit to be even taught of been picked for the team.
So dont knock the lad if he is training 5 nights a week with what ever team.
Canvan Gaels are not stopping the tranfer anyways its the county board that is, so he can train all he likes with the gaels to bring himself up to the standard that kildare will be looking for.
come june time at the start of the championship seanie will be starting his summer holidays so he will be down in kildare in his house 7 nights a week!
kildare only have 5 more matches before the start of the championship so hopefully we will get to see him in a white jersey by the last game or two with early and lynch also back!!!!