National Forum

Intermediate Football Championship 2017

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Replying To Scantermediate:  "This is a disgrace. Anybody who has watched the Intermediate this year knows that Williamstown are head & shoulders above any team at this grade, and for the Islanders to put in a complaint goes against everything the GAA stands for. I think this will haunt them in years to come - there's no honour in what they've done."
"Head & shoulders above any team at this grade"? They bet Aran by a point, scored in the last minute of extra time of a replay. Get a grip. If they didn't have Gary Kelly, they'd be closer to relegation.

Would be very surprised if this was the end of the story anyway. Surely Williamstown will appeal this decision? The Turlough case went from Galway to Connacht, back to Galway and to the DRA, not including the step they missed out on by going to Croke Park first.

GalwayFancyDans (Galway) - Posts: 75 - 24/10/2017 17:59:17    2057632

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I would be interested if it came out how Aran heard this player was ineligible. Even though the fault lies with the club in New York if Williamstown were aware there should be no Sympathy.

On the game the last day Claregalways tactic of physcially intimating Shane Walsh appeared to reap dividends as he missed scoreable frees on at least 2 occassions after shifting heavy knocks. However they were undeniably the better team.

WunderBar (Galway) - Posts: 290 - 24/10/2017 18:04:55    2057635

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I can see both sides of the Aran/Williamstown argument. On one side if rules have been broken then I'm in favor of Arans right to appeal, however looking at what we know of the circumstances it's not like Williamstown tried to play Pàdraig Joyce under somebody else's name. I believe Aran were beaten fairly on the day and the introduction of the player in question had a negligible effect on the game. That being said, rules are rules and all that. If it were the other way around I'm sure Williamstown would object too. For two small rural teams a county final is a huge deal. It will be an absolute shame if Williamstown are not allowed to contest the final having earned their right ( fairly in my opinion) to play there. Also if Aran get back in then there will be a slight mark against it because of this objection and all the mess that goes with it. I've already asked people here if Aran can contest the final as its already been said here that they can't even if their objection is upheld? Would love somebody to shed light on this. If this is in fact the case and Aran were aware of this then I think it does put a bit of a mark against them in so far as the objection would simply be to disqualify Williamstown and not to get back in themselves. Something doesn't sound right about this though and I would love to hear from somebody in the know what the situation is?

diggerhitachi (Galway) - Posts: 19 - 24/10/2017 18:45:05    2057651

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Replying To galwayman2:  "Anybody who has watched the Intermediate this year knows that Williamstown are head & shoulders above any team at this grade
You're great craic altogether scantermediate :-)
What absolute rubbish. They've done very well to get to a final but to say they're head & shoulders above everyone else in intermediate shows what you know about football.
They lost their first round game and scraped through the rest of their c'ship games.
Claregalway will beat them if indeed they do get to play in the final."
Garry Kelly will kick points until the cows come home against any team in the country. He has been unlucky with the senior team but has given fantastic performances in the Sigurdson & club level for years and if you deny that then you are living in cuckoo land.

Scantermediate (Galway) - Posts: 98 - 24/10/2017 18:47:17    2057652

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Replying To Scantermediate:  "Wouldn't expect anything else from a Dub."
Irrepective of how this concludes that is a silly comment. The Dublin poster made a point and while you may not agree it is very churlish to respond in the way you did. For the record I hope Williamstown do play in the final although I think both teams contributed brillantly this season to the intermediate championship.

kiloughter (Galway) - Posts: 1950 - 24/10/2017 19:22:51    2057659

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Will Galway have a repsetive in the intermediate club competition on Nov 5 th if final not played ? Can county board nominate a club 2 go forward ?

Kickitout (Galway) - Posts: 856 - 24/10/2017 19:45:40    2057667

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rules are rules and all that but for me Aran come out of this looking very petty. They probably couldnt care in the slightest about player eligibility etc but are just exploiting a loophole. If they win there'll be an astersisk beside this success imo.
Ive said it before that the rule should be changed anyway. Clubs these days need every man they can get so the GAA should accomodate them where possible. If your man was playing with another Galway team fair enough it shouldnt be allowed but it was in the US ffs. Its not like the two teams were ever going to play one another.

3Dhurling (Laois) - Posts: 24 - 24/10/2017 19:48:51    2057669

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Replying To kiloughter:  "Irrepective of how this concludes that is a silly comment. The Dublin poster made a point and while you may not agree it is very churlish to respond in the way you did. For the record I hope Williamstown do play in the final although I think both teams contributed brillantly this season to the intermediate championship."
Incorrect. I've been involved in Galway GAA for over forty years & I can safely say that my point is on the money.

Aran's appeal is dishonourable against Williamstown. That's not an opinion that's a fact. A Dub then throwing their hat into the ring with a ridiculous opinion obviously is going to incur a response like that. If not from me then from somebody else.

Don't know why you're getting on a moral high-horse rather than focusing on the issue at hand. Are you an Aran Island-sympathiser?

Scantermediate (Galway) - Posts: 98 - 24/10/2017 21:14:45    2057702

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Can't nominate a team for Connaught if your final hasn't being played, you forfeit the game.. Looking that way now

WolfeTone (Galway) - Posts: 123 - 24/10/2017 21:56:26    2057712

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gary kelly is hardly better than shane walsh and clonbern had more back up than williamstown have... whether it is aran or willies they will be comprehensively beaten by cg

squares_edge (Galway) - Posts: 680 - 24/10/2017 22:09:43    2057717

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Replying To Scantermediate:  "Incorrect. I've been involved in Galway GAA for over forty years & I can safely say that my point is on the money.

Aran's appeal is dishonourable against Williamstown. That's not an opinion that's a fact. A Dub then throwing their hat into the ring with a ridiculous opinion obviously is going to incur a response like that. If not from me then from somebody else.

Don't know why you're getting on a moral high-horse rather than focusing on the issue at hand. Are you an Aran Island-sympathiser?"
Rather than playing the man, play the ball and tell me what was so ridiculous about my point ... and while you're at it you might explain why you only have respect for people's opinions based on where they're from ... actually, on second thoughts, don't bother ... based on your apparent habit of lashing out at anyone who dares to offer a different opinion to your own, I don't think us engaging in a heated exchange would do either of us any good. Thankfully your fellow county men's responses are far more illustrative of the generosity and respect that I encounter when meeting Galway people either on- or off-line.

DubSanIarthar (Dublin) - Posts: 19 - 24/10/2017 22:16:58    2057720

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Replying To Scantermediate:  "Incorrect. I've been involved in Galway GAA for over forty years & I can safely say that my point is on the money.

Aran's appeal is dishonourable against Williamstown. That's not an opinion that's a fact. A Dub then throwing their hat into the ring with a ridiculous opinion obviously is going to incur a response like that. If not from me then from somebody else.

Don't know why you're getting on a moral high-horse rather than focusing on the issue at hand. Are you an Aran Island-sympathiser?"
"Aran's appeal is dishonourable against Williamstown. That's not an opinion that's a fact."

Eh, that is an opinion and not a fact. A lad asking for another player to be booked is dishonourable in my opinion, but that's also not a fact I'm afraid.
The truth is Aran aren't the first club to appeal against an ineligible player having been used and they won't be the last. The Mountbellew-Micheal Breathnach saga isn't that long ago and there have been plenty more since in both football and hurling unfortunately.
Most clubs would do it, given what's at stake. While most people say this player didn't make a difference, the game was decided by a single point after extra time, after a replay, so we'll never know. The margins were so fine.
It's an awful shame, and very harsh on the lads from Williamstown who've put so much in all year.
The rules do need to be revised to avoid this being such a common occurrence.

WanPintWin (Galway) - Posts: 2066 - 24/10/2017 23:45:21    2057735

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Heard the Sligo Intermediate team (St. Johns) are getting a bye in the Connacht Semi Final due to this mess in the champoinship, Its a pity as I believe Claregalway if won final could have gone far in the connacht and possibly all Ireland series. County board should be resolving these quicker and stamping their authority. The Dog on the street knows Aran are getting back in but the county board will not release a statement to confirm it. Now that they don't have to resolve by next week I would imagine it could take a few weeks to fully resolve. Aran will be back in to FInal but then Williamstown will launch an appeal to that.

gaaman11 (Galway) - Posts: 107 - 25/10/2017 08:01:04    2057751

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Replying To DubSanIarthar:  "Rather than playing the man, play the ball and tell me what was so ridiculous about my point ... and while you're at it you might explain why you only have respect for people's opinions based on where they're from ... actually, on second thoughts, don't bother ... based on your apparent habit of lashing out at anyone who dares to offer a different opinion to your own, I don't think us engaging in a heated exchange would do either of us any good. Thankfully your fellow county men's responses are far more illustrative of the generosity and respect that I encounter when meeting Galway people either on- or off-line."
Look lads , if Williamstown get thrown out , it would be like getting a year long driving ban after being caught doing 60km in a 50km zone, a slight infringement of the rules does not warrant the ultimate sanction..... results on the pitch should stand. However, given the experience of Turloughmore , I doubt common sense will be applied.

millertime (Galway) - Posts: 36 - 25/10/2017 08:57:00    2057765

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Replying To millertime:  "Look lads , if Williamstown get thrown out , it would be like getting a year long driving ban after being caught doing 60km in a 50km zone, a slight infringement of the rules does not warrant the ultimate sanction..... results on the pitch should stand. However, given the experience of Turloughmore , I doubt common sense will be applied."
That's a poor analogy, as you're suggesting that something other than what's in the rule nook has been applied. There are written penalties for both offences. In the case of fielding an ineligible player, the suspension is forfeit of the game, which is what would be applied. As it's a county semi final, it would mean a championship exit.
Whether the rule is unfair is a different matter and one I'd argue needs to be reviewed.
However, the county board can't pick and choose when they decide to apply the rules, as otherwise there would be chaos. They'd set a precedent that all clubs could then take advantage of.

WanPintWin (Galway) - Posts: 2066 - 25/10/2017 10:11:31    2057779

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I agree with the bulk of your post but would take issue with the following "The rules do need to be revised to avoid this being such a common occurrence"

If rules were applied consistently and without fear or favour we would not have these situations as clubs would get the message loud and clear.

If you break rules and therefore gain an illegal advantage over your opponents you will pay the price. It is that simple.

Not referring to your post but in general, I find some posters attempts to justify Williamstowns antics and attempting to give Arann a guilt complex part of the problem. Stop trying to defend the indefensible, stop moaning and grasping at straws. More power to Arann, why should they or any club put up with this behavior from any club.
Shame????

handpassking (Galway) - Posts: 433 - 25/10/2017 11:26:45    2057795

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Its a pity that investigations and appeals get dragged out and can last up to months holding up other matches in the tournament. The investigations should be thorough and final. If they had a player that played illegally and have the relevant information such as referees reports and team sheets to support this as the regulations require then the team should be thrown out. If they don't have the prescribed information to show there is an illegal player and are using information which is not definitive then throw out the appeal.

If the appeal is based on photographs and facebook posts then I believe they should throw it out. If they want to accept any evidence like this next year let them revise the guidelines to allow so and remove any confusion with dealing with appeals.

movealong (Sligo) - Posts: 1 - 25/10/2017 11:30:15    2057799

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Replying To WolfeTone:  "Can't nominate a team for Connaught if your final hasn't being played, you forfeit the game.. Looking that way now"
Is this just Intermediate or were the rules changed? I think I recall Corofin being put forward in senior in the 90s as winners of the previous championship due to a delay to the final that year.
Or would this ultimately lead to another objection / appeal further down the line?

VictorMeldrew (Galway) - Posts: 93 - 25/10/2017 11:58:58    2057817

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Replying To WanPintWin:  ""Aran's appeal is dishonourable against Williamstown. That's not an opinion that's a fact."

Eh, that is an opinion and not a fact. A lad asking for another player to be booked is dishonourable in my opinion, but that's also not a fact I'm afraid.
The truth is Aran aren't the first club to appeal against an ineligible player having been used and they won't be the last. The Mountbellew-Micheal Breathnach saga isn't that long ago and there have been plenty more since in both football and hurling unfortunately.
Most clubs would do it, given what's at stake. While most people say this player didn't make a difference, the game was decided by a single point after extra time, after a replay, so we'll never know. The margins were so fine.
It's an awful shame, and very harsh on the lads from Williamstown who've put so much in all year.
The rules do need to be revised to avoid this being such a common occurrence."
So the appeal is honourable is what you're saying. The Willies deserve their place in the final and never in my 47 years have I seen as many people defending something so wrong. It was the same with the Turlough situation.

We're here to talk about the problem at hand not win arguments. The entire intermediate is gone arse-ways as a consequence of this appeal. Galway mightn't have a representative in the Connacht because of this pettiness from the Islanders. Which is a pity because I believe the Willies could go all the way this year. Most of their players are on the pig's back at intermediate level. We need a couple of them on the senior panel if we'll ever challenge for the All Ireland, as the steel comes from the North East of Galway who have grown up with the Rossies.

We're Galway fans here. Let's not be divided over this ridiculous action. #GaillimhAbu

Scantermediate (Galway) - Posts: 98 - 25/10/2017 13:19:04    2057850

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Replying To Scantermediate:  "So the appeal is honourable is what you're saying. The Willies deserve their place in the final and never in my 47 years have I seen as many people defending something so wrong. It was the same with the Turlough situation.

We're here to talk about the problem at hand not win arguments. The entire intermediate is gone arse-ways as a consequence of this appeal. Galway mightn't have a representative in the Connacht because of this pettiness from the Islanders. Which is a pity because I believe the Willies could go all the way this year. Most of their players are on the pig's back at intermediate level. We need a couple of them on the senior panel if we'll ever challenge for the All Ireland, as the steel comes from the North East of Galway who have grown up with the Rossies.

We're Galway fans here. Let's not be divided over this ridiculous action. #GaillimhAbu"
That's not what I said. I said it wasn't a fact that it was dishonourable, just opinion. That doesn't make it honourable or otherwise. Some people will think it was dishonourable, others won't. There's no 'fact' on this.
Form my point of view, I wouldn't have appealed and would have accepted the result. That's just my take on it though. It doesn't mean Aran were dishonourable in what they did. Were Mountbellew dishonourable when they appealed against a Micheal Breathnach's player a few years ago?
I'm completely with you on the need for unity in the county. We're all Galway supporters and everyone wants to see the county team progress.
However, the county board have to apply the rules in place. They can't bend the rules on some issues, or every club would take advantage of it. We'd see how 'honourable' all clubs are then.

WanPintWin (Galway) - Posts: 2066 - 25/10/2017 15:39:41    2057913

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