The darkest of days ......

I can appreciate that the Go Games are taking place in clubs all across the county but once children reach Under 12, they have leagues and cups to compete for and a win at all costs mentality creeps in and the late starters often slip through the loop because they don’t get a proper chance. As Vinny Murphy said last week the Gooch would not have gotten a chance in Dublin because he would not have had a chance to develop like he has in Kerry.
By the time these children reach the Féile (U14) the same clubs are always in Division 1 etc; Now most of these clubs – Kilmacud Crokes and St Vincents for example, would have players from their senior team playing for Dublin so they want to emulate their success which is great but as these young players come through the minor ranks and onto the adult team in their club, they cannot get into the team because of your Brian Kavanaghs and Austin O’Malleys etc and some of these players either play at a lower level in their clubs and although they may have a happy day when their club collects the Andy Merrigan Trophy. Brian Kavanagh and Austin O’Malley are not going to help Dublin in their quest for a Sam Maguire.
Now as one of many country people living in Dublin, I think its great that so many great players want to continue playing and my own club has also benefitted from players from other counties joining us but how is it that players of inter-county standard are joining the same 5 or 6 clubs throughout the county? Surely there should be a cap on how many inter-county players from outside Dublin a club can have.

I also know that although trials do take place, many of the places are sewn up before anyone even turns up. A friend of mine who plays half forward for my clubs senior team, went along to trials for Dublin but as they had plenty of half forwards on the day so instead of giving him a few minutes they put him in at corner back because there weren’t enough defenders there on the day. He told me of others he spoke to who didn’t even get a run out on the day.
Is Pat Gilroy telling us that nearly all the players that were on the 2008 panel were the best players in the trials for the 2009 panel? The 2008 Dublin Junior panel won the All Ireland and Denis Bastic (who played midfield) is the only one who gets a shot at the senior team (albeit at full back) Is he telling us that the likes of Eoghan O’Gara, Colin Prenderville amongst others weren’t good enough?

For the last 2 years of Pillars reign, people bemoaned the fact that he was loath to make changes in games or to drop under-performing players and yet while Gilroy makes changes they are inevitably the wrong ones. Why was Sherlock taken off ahead of Connolly yesterday? Why was Whelo on the bench? Why was Shane Ryan put on with about 9 minutes to go?
For Dublin to progress from this they need a manager that is ruthless. They need a Mickey Harte or a Jack O’Connor who will make the big decisions for the good of the team. Ger Brennan was lucky not to be sent off against Meath. When he was booked and then ticked he should have been hauled ashore and shown that indiscipline will not be tolerated but it doesn’t happen and off he goes against Kildare and gets sent off and almost cost Dublin the leinster title. In 2005, Owen Mulligan was having a poor season so Mickey Harte drops him to the bench. He comes on as a sub in a game or two and does well. He starts against Dublin. He scores that goal and ends up that year with an All Ireland medal and All Star in his back pocket.
Colm Cooper had been having a torrid summer and was lucky not to be taken off in a few games; himself and Tomas O’Sé are rewarded for a breach of discipline by being given seats on the bench. What do they do when they come on against Antrim? Kick-starts the revival and sets them up with a date against Dublin and the duo were back to their best yesterday.
No player is bigger than any team, no club bigger than any county team and unless they get an outsider in to manage the team – one who has no affiliation or loyalty to any clubs or players then we will be writing posts like this for the next God knows how many years.

I am not writing this to kick Dublin fans when they are down; I just think that unless changes are made at the grassroots level, these problems will still be here this time next year and the year after etc; No amount of “the fans all thought they’d win” and “lets all have a go at Dublin fans” will change that.

Loyal2TheRoyal wrote:I wouldn't say Dublin supporters as a group are scum - and I don't think I said that anywhere on any forum! But definitely, there are people who would claim to be Dublin supporters and who are scum. I once seen two lads in Arnotts jerseys - years ago now - standing up on the top tier steps at the back of the Cusack Stand spitting down on other people!!! You don't forget things like that easy! There also a lot of very unpretty videos on YouTube of Hill16. Not many Dublin fans stepped in to stop a lad throwing a bottle at a guard. People don't say these things for nothing just like people will have a problem with the Meath support over a flag incident.

I thought Alan Brogan was Dublin's best player. He probably thought I'm wasting my time passing and would you blame him? He left FOUR Kerry backs for dead in the first half before he hit the crossbar, he, his brother and Barry Cahill are class acts.

i didnt alan was class. there was a time yesterday when he was one on one with a kerry lad and whelan was running into goal completly free, no man around. and brogan payed no heed. and missed. him and bernard were guilty of this a few times, granted most where towards the end

A lot of life and sport comes down to "if".

If Brogan had found the net, and then Connolly, what then?

If Tyrone hadn't scored a "scrappy" goal last year and McConnell hadn't saved from O'Sullivan.........

Yes, someone will say if your Aunt had balls and all that but things are not as cut and dried as they seem.

The Dubs were entitled to feel confident yesterday. But they were also entitled to be wary, as most were.

Meath are still in the championship, true, but unlikely to win it. They are entitled to hope, but need to be very wary.

And why all this **** about winning? Life would be dull if it was win, win win all the time. It is a SPORT, a SPECTATOR sport. Watch and enjoy.

Life would be dull if it was win, win win all the time. It is a SPORT, a SPECTATOR sport. Watch and enjoy.

agreed with all your post but I highlighted that last line, I really wonder what it would be like to have that feeling.
My own club are now gone to 35 years before we can claim the Wexford senior champ (football)
1945 sice wex won leinster (granted we have had a few hurling titles to soften the blow)
1918 sice we last saw all-ireland we have yet to meet sam.

But the manner and sentiment of your post I wholeheartly agree with but wouldn't ming to flavour that winning feeling

Jim, we won two football games this year and it was great, but I still had to go to work the next day, same as if we had lost.

We all like to win, but not at all costs.

Maybe being a hurling man from Antrim helps. You know you are never going to win an all Ireland so appreciate the greats you can see down the years, including Storey, Dunne, Doran, and Willie Murphy from your own county.

1968 final, perched on the wall at the canal end, great game, great day.

That's the beauty of it.

Loyal2TheRoyal wrote:Samin10

Nobody is allowed to argue with JayoCluxton, he is JayoCluxton. He is allowed to start threads like short summer long summer blah blah blah. How the Dubs will march on and how Meath would be out of the championship by Monday. He also labels me a hypocrite despite the fact that he continues to give out about HS on here and still he posts there?

No I don't post there and will never ever post there again for reasons I will not go into here publicly.

I never said the Dubs would march on and Meath would be out - but I make no secret of the fact that IMO this Meath team is very poor.

Argue with me all you f***ing like - but don't lie and twist things - argue on your merits. Yes I started the Long Summer thread and f**k me - as a Dub supporter if I don't know how to laugh at myself I don't know how anyone else is.