Clare GAA discussion thread

Grats · 05-03-2014 12:16PM

I suppose we can expect to find opponents of Davy and Clare take it out on the Clare players. For that reason I would suggest that somebody, a Clare poster, opens a new thread for Davy/bullying. It's just a matter of time before this Clare thread is destroyed by posters getting at Clare. Just a thought.

mcw100 · 05-03-2014 12:58PM

Whilst I agree with most of what Davy spoke about at "LIT"

His comments on a small minority of past players abusing alcohol & drugs was totally uncalled for

The media would not have picked up on this if Davy wasn't an All-Ireland winning manager, now that he is Davy needs to engage his brain before he puts his mouth in gear...

slingerz · 05-03-2014 01:23PM

I think Davy's comments were great and addressed a series of topics that are endemic in society. The piece about players using drink or harder substances in the past is more than likely true. I would also be confident that it was occurring with every other county too.

He was trying to send out a positive message as regards bullying, substance abuse and overcoming obstacles. Fair play to him

keane2097 · 05-03-2014 01:45PM

windy shepard henderson wrote: »

an example of what every county should be doing for non televised games credit to wicklow gaa here is yesterdays highlights

Very impressed by Clare's style of play in that.

Clareman · 05-03-2014 03:42PM

My big problem with all this is he making himself out to be a saviour to Clare hurling, that things were terrible and thanks to a 3 hour meeting he solved alcohol and drug abuse immediately.

Also, he's saying that he knows that there were fellas doing drugs on the Clare team since the mid-2000s, considering he was still playing himself until 2008 that means that he was willing to play with guys he knew were taking drugs and were at risk of failing drug tests, he's also admitting to being aware of crimes being committed and ignoring them.

Finally, he's pretty much saying that the managers since the 2000s were doing nothing, 2 of those were former team mates of his and 2 more were selectors/trainers on teams he played on, he's burning a lot of bridges here, if I was Anthony Daly I wouldn't be very impressed with another inter-county manager saying that players under his control were taking drugs.

deisedude · 05-03-2014 03:51PM

Clareman wrote: »

My big problem with all this is he making himself out to be a saviour to Clare hurling, that things were terrible and thanks to a 3 hour meeting he solved alcohol and drug abuse immediately.

Also, he's saying that he knows that there were fellas doing drugs on the Clare team since the mid-2000s, considering he was still playing himself until 2008 that means that he was willing to play with guys he knew were taking drugs and were at risk of failing drug tests, he's also admitting to being aware of crimes being committed and ignoring them.

Finally, he's pretty much saying that the managers since the 2000s were doing nothing, 2 of those were former team mates of his and 2 more were selectors/trainers on teams he played on, he's burning a lot of bridges here, if I was Anthony Daly I wouldn't be very impressed with another inter-county manager saying that players under his control were taking drugs.

Success has gone to Davys head as far as I can see. He shouldn't be saying these things and hanging former players/teammates out to dry. Personally I don't think he should be the poster boy for the anti-bullying movement either given the verbal abuse he engages in on the sideline

Fireball07 · 05-03-2014 03:59PM

Now he's come out saying that he didn't know he was being recorded.

Maybe he regrets saying all that.

Clareman · 05-03-2014 04:10PM

Fireball07 wrote: »

Now he's come out saying that he didn't know he was being recorded.

Maybe he regrets saying all that.

Sorry, that doesn't wash with me, you are in public giving a speech to a number of people into a microphone, assume you are being recorded. In case anyone wants to hear the speech https://soundcloud.com/morning-ireland/davy-fitzgerald

walshb · 05-03-2014 04:23PM

Fireball07 wrote: »

Now he's come out saying that he didn't know he was being recorded.

Maybe he regrets saying all that.

What a lame excuse in the 21st Century!

GrandSoftDay · 05-03-2014 04:55PM

I'm no big Davy fan by any means but I think some of the stick here is a bit undue. He hasn't hung anyone out to dry and from the interview I read he made one reference that a very small percentage of the panel were on harder stuff than drink and it's been blown out of proportion I think. Nothing wrong with him sitting down with the panel and saying drinking and drugs won't be tolerated, it was the players choice to commit. ( I'm still a bit peeved he using giving cathal mc a run because o donnell isint showing much form at the moment)

premierstone · 05-03-2014 04:56PM

Mountainlad wrote: »

At the moment all he's doing is creating a siege mentality amongst everyone else wanting to beat Clare.

Absolutely and tbf its not the silliest thing in the world, Ger Lough did the same, he instilled a kind of a us against them mentality and it certainly worked. I don't think its sustainable though and with the talent at hand in Clare I would have thought a more measured softly softly approach would have been more prudent.

slingerz wrote: »

He was trying to send out a positive message as regards bullying, substance abuse and overcoming obstacles. Fair play to him

He is so concerned about bullying that he has personally been caught twice in two weeks handing about the verbals himself?

And he is so concerned about the negative affects of alcohol, he owns exactly how many pubs??

Jaysus its like John Gilligan giving a speech on gun crime :rolleyes:

premierstone · 05-03-2014 04:58PM

GrandSoftDay wrote: »

I'm no big Davy fan by any means but I think some of the stick here is a bit undue. He hasn't hung anyone out to dry and from the interview I read he made one reference that a very small percentage of the panel were on harder stuff than drink and it's been blown out of proportion I think. Nothing wrong with him sitting down with the panel and saying drinking and drugs won't be tolerated, it was the players choice to commit. ( I'm still a bit peeved he using giving cathal mc a run because o donnell isint showing much form at the moment)

Do you not think he has indirectly tainted every member of the Clare panel, they will all be under suspicion when we dont know exaclty who he was referring to?

GrandSoftDay · 05-03-2014 05:22PM

premierstone wrote: »

Do you not think he has indirectly tainted every member of the Clare panel, they will all be under suspicion when we dont know exaclty who he was referring to?

Any panel in the country could be under suspicion if you wanted to look at it that way. There is 30 something people on the panel an I'm not going to judge the collective on what one or two might have done in the past nor would I have much respect for anyone who did. On average I would say at least one in 30 people I know have dabbled at one stage or another, would it be another issue better swept under the carpet and ignored?

premierstone · 05-03-2014 05:40PM

GrandSoftDay wrote: »

Any panel in the country could be under suspicion if you wanted to look at it that way. There is 30 something people on the panel an I'm not going to judge the collective on what one or two might have done in the past nor would I have much respect for anyone who did. On average I would say at least one in 30 people I know have dabbled at one stage or another, would it be another issue better swept under the carpet and ignored?

No other panel is under any suspicion because their manager didnt come out and declare as fact that they were taking drugs, before he saved them.

No one said anything about judging the collective, the problem is when it has been stated as fact that individuals have indulged in that behaviour then untill those individuals are identified all members of the panel will have suspicion cast on them.

I would suggest you know very little about what it takes to be an intercounty player if you think that this problem is as endemic as you are suggesting and that it is being swept under any carpet.

We have an attention seeking manager who rightly or wrongly has been given a platform because of his sucess, who wants us all to believe that he saved all these lost souls and won an AI with them. Just stick to what you are actually good at Davy!

GrandSoftDay · 05-03-2014 05:54PM

Ah ya your right sure...I haven't a clue. I'll sharpen the pitch fork now, over and out!

premierstone · 05-03-2014 06:47PM

GrandSoftDay wrote: »

Ah ya your right sure...I haven't a clue. I'll sharpen the pitch fork now, over and out!

What are you babling about now, I was merely giving my perception on what Davy has said, you don't agree thats fine, maybe thats what a public forum is for?? No need for the defensive childish retort.

Clareman · 05-03-2014 09:09PM

I've been speaking to a few of his former team mates this evening and there's an awful lot of bad blood about his comments, I've heard rumour of a meeting with the County Board to discuss it. With the GAA's anti-doping campaign as well as each County Board's responsibility to promoting the games and upholding the rules having someone saying there was widespread drug abuse can't go without investigation.

Clareman · 05-03-2014 09:12PM

GrandSoftDay wrote: »

Any panel in the country could be under suspicion if you wanted to look at it that way. There is 30 something people on the panel an I'm not going to judge the collective on what one or two might have done in the past nor would I have much respect for anyone who did. On average I would say at least one in 30 people I know have dabbled at one stage or another, would it be another issue better swept under the carpet and ignored?

A number of players who were cut from the panel are said to be very unhappy that they could be perceived as been drug takers and that's why they were cut, there has been a lot of slagging in work places today for a lot of former Clare hurlers.

GrandSoftDay · 05-03-2014 09:20PM

Clareman wrote: »

A number of players who were cut from the panel are said to be very unhappy that they could be perceived as been drug takers and that's why they were cut, there has been a lot of slagging in work places today for a lot of former Clare hurlers.

Fair point clareman. Lousy of the people jumping to those sort of conclusions. I think the media are blowing out of proportion though considering he only made the one small reference to it in an otherwise good speech I thought.

Clareman · 05-03-2014 09:57PM

GrandSoftDay wrote: »

Fair point clareman. Lousy of the people jumping to those sort of conclusions. I think the media are blowing out of proportion though considering he only made the one small reference to it in an otherwise good speech I thought.

I don't know, he mentioned it and went back to it and said how he solved it, he's an inter-county manager who's also managing a college team, coming out and saying anything about past teams will of course be "blown up".

It was an ok speech I thought as well, but he really was giving mixed messages, he was being anti-bullying but he says that he's go through someone for a shortcut and also mentions how he tried to intimidate his direct opponent by being out on the road he he went too and from work, he also has had a number of cases where it can be seen where he's not making training fun.

I will give you 1 thing, he solved years of drug taking with a 3 hour meeting and he didn't even need any Miwadai, I say send him over to Ukraine with Miwaidi for a weekend and we'll have world peace :rolleyes:

Rightwing · 05-03-2014 11:04PM

I was a mistake from davy, but the media love him, they know he'll make a f*ck up every now and then, giving him a bit of rope.

windy shepard henderson · 06-03-2014 12:05AM

lukin wrote: »

Just wondering what ye Clare fellas think of Davy Fitz's comments that have come out today? I'm not looking to stir up trouble, just interested to see what ye think. Would he have been better to let sleeping dogs lie?

if i am honest i dont like davys attitude when he is on tv doing interviews or on the sideline , chasing referees half way down the pitch to complain about a decision , or comparing how many all irelands he has to opposing players......considering he was the previous manager to the player !!

i doubt there was much of a drug culture at inter county level but 100% guaranteed there was a problem at club level and i am sure many promising young hurlers/footballers got caught up in that environment ,

i have seen over the Years where people turned a blind eye to certain players habits and uses's because of there talents on the field,

even today liam o niell was doing just that by dismissing davy's comments, it was like a step back in time to the days when everything controversial was brushed under the carpet
i honestly think if there is a problem to be dealt with ....deal with it head on,

i listened to the full interview yesterday and in truth found little wrong with what he had to say, maybe he fell into the trap of self praise on a number of occasions but other then that i would have little complaints he said he "felt" there was a bad culture going on at the time so he spoke out about it.

i would rather see a man speak out about his concerns and be wrong then know about them and do nothing

windy shepard henderson · 06-03-2014 12:42AM

keane2097 wrote: »

Very impressed by Clare's style of play in that.

infairnes it was only a 6 min video, there was plenty of scrappy play as well, i think it was more fittness that got clare over the line , wicklow completely ran out of gas with 15 or 20mins to go plus the fact that there top scorer was harshly sent off after 6 or 7mins and i have no doubt he would have scored one of those goal chances at the start of the game

i suppose you could say the clare footballers are set up similar to the hurlers , most of the players are small in stature and the game plan mainly based around high level's of fitness and ball retention

lukin · 06-03-2014 10:06AM

Seems like Davy wasn't exaggerating after all:http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/mcnamara-davy-right-about-alcohol-abuse-261049.html
I still think he would have been better to leave it behind closed doors; it seems like he only publicised it to let people know he was the one that got rid of it.

premierstone · 06-03-2014 01:54PM

lukin wrote: »

Seems like Davy wasn't exaggerating after all:http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/mcnamara-davy-right-about-alcohol-abuse-261049.html
I still think he would have been better to leave it behind closed doors; it seems like he only publicised it to let people know he was the one that got rid of it.

That headline is very misleading to what McNamara actually said and infact he was on the news last night rubishing what Davy had claimed.

premierstone · 06-03-2014 01:57PM

GrandSoftDay wrote: »

Fair point clareman. Lousy of the people jumping to those sort of conclusions. I think the media are blowing out of proportion though considering he only made the one small reference to it in an otherwise good speech I thought.

Have you listened to the speech? Not being smart but he doesnt just make a small reference to it, he brings it up and later again returns to the issue, and all the while its ''I'' did this and ''I'' sorted it.

lukin · 06-03-2014 02:30PM

premierstone wrote: »

That headline is very misleading to what McNamara actually said and infact he was on the news last night rubishing what Davy had claimed.

Yes now that I think of it he was on the news last night saying the exact opposite to what he is quoted as saying there. Weird.

keane2097 · 06-03-2014 02:48PM

I can never really make up my mind as to whether I love Davy or dislike him, but I think this speech he's made is downright dreadful.

Not only is it pompous and self-aggrandizing, but he's also managed to cast very serious aspersions on pretty much everybody involved in Clare hurling over the last decade. I find it pretty shameful to be honest.

lukin · 06-03-2014 04:10PM

keane2097 wrote: »

I can never really make up my mind as to whether I love Davy or dislike him, but I think this speech he's made is downright dreadful.

Not only is it pompous and self-aggrandizing, but he's also managed to cast very serious aspersions on pretty much everybody involved in Clare hurling over the last decade. I find it pretty shameful to be honest.

Only Davey Fitz could win the All-Ireland and then turn it into a negative five months later!
Another point is that Davey is the part-owner of at least one pub. A tad hypocritical methinks?

Clareman · 06-03-2014 04:18PM

lukin wrote: »

Only Davey Fitz could win the All-Ireland and then turn it into a negative five months later!
Another point is that Davey is the part-owner of at least one pub. A tad hypocritical methinks?

Very good point, I can think of at least 4 pubs that he has been involved in

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