Neighbouring Clubs - Club Allegiance - and best club for child

twinston

Hi,

I live in Leitrim (bordering) but am from Roscommon originally and have always been an avid Rossies follower. The problem is my young lad (aged 6) is starting GAA. There is a local Leitrim club and a neighbouring Roscommon club just over the border. The club over the border in Roscommon use the facilities in Leitrim to train - so really both clubs are local to us for training etc. There was a nursery run by the Roscommon based club last year which he attended. However he has outgrown that and that club are now asking for him to register.

The problem is I am conflicted about what club to sign him up to.

- The Leitrim based club as a huge number of more players registered than the Roscommon club so chances of getting a run in a game may be slim.

- We are living in the catchment for the Leitrim club

- Perhaps I shouldn't let it influence me but I am from Roscommon and have a certain allegience to any club from that County.

- I'm concerned that he might be bullied down the road by his peers for not playing for the local club


Has anyone had a similar situation or do you have any advice.

meep

I’d give very strong consideration to where his current and future school friends would be playing. My 13 year olds best friends are all the lads he plays football with and I can’t imagine how that would have worked out in primary school if he’d been in a different club.

In particular, the friendships made through football were very beneficial in the transition from primary to secondary school as he had a lot of support and advice from the older lads on the team who were a year ahead of him.

Remember also for community games, you won’t have a choice.

beertons

Where does he go to school? If all the lads in class play in a different county, he might feel left out.

nice_guy80

he'll never win anything with Leitrim

just saying...

I'd put him playing in the Leitrim club, but he could still play for Roscommon!
if the Leitrim club aren't look after the kids as he gets older he can always transfer.

twinston

Hi,

Thanks for the responses!

He goes to school in Leitrim but some (not many) of his friends in his class are playing for the Roscommon club on the other side of the river. I might just change him to the Leitrim club - looks like it will make for less headaches in the long run.

Thanks!

theoneeyedman

Look, the answer is quite simple: if he's any good, he can play in Roscommon, if he's not let him off to play in Laytrum

Ah no, look, I'd say let him go with his school mates unless there is a good reason not to. Rest who he's 'entitled' to play with, is it your home club he's training with at present? He won't play competitive football for several years more (12 Yr old at present, and a good chance U12 won't count as competitive in 6 years more when he's 12. He's not officially 'tied' to a club until he plays competitively. If you're worried about getting games etc, none of the clubs either side of the border there will be oversubscribed.

Let the lad enjoy the games with his mates, there is a better chance of him sticking at it longterm. Good luck!

twinston

No, it's not my home club. That's another 30 miles away in another part of Roscommon, so no chance of that anyway.
He has more friends playing in the Leitrim club - I think only one of his friends is in the Roscommon one. He doesn't recognise anyone else. He is a bit young to know any different but I guess I just wanted to avoid any transfer politics down the road (if by any long shot he IS any good.). For the moment though I just want him to have a bit of fun. Thanks again.

nice_guy80

and also...

make sure he goes to all trainings in Roscommon gear

theoneeyedman

nice_guy80 wrote: »

and also...

make sure he goes to all trainings in Roscommon gear

That's a given!

By rule, if he's living in Leitrim, then he really has no entitlement to play with the Roscommon club so, AFAIK. If it was a club you (or his mother) played for then yes, but as it stands I don't think he has. From my reading of it, he has really no link with the club in Roscommon, he's not living there, wasn't born there, isn't in school there (which is a tenuous link anyway but rule), etc.... You might actually be walking INTO a transfer/eligibility minefield, rather than avoiding one.

Let the goasun off. What were you thinking moving to Leitrim anyway FFS ðŸ˜

nice_guy80

a player can declare for parents' home county.

former senior player Mark Nally recently transferred to Longford using that rule.

LoughNeagh2017

A different scenario but the club Ballinderry in Derry (Enda Muldoon most famous player) has their field just on the Derry border but most of their players are from Co. Tyrone.

There is also this clown who flies his Tyrone flag in my townland in Derry, I think he tries to be provocative but the way I see it the red hand represents this region anyway given that the O'Neills ruled it in medieval times too, you dare not tell that to a Co.Tyrone GAA head though.