westisbest - how dare you come on here talking sense?

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 11/11/2014 14:37:57    1671440

I dont see much sense in what westisbest says cuedrocket.
If it took Galway a hundred years to agree to join Leinster, you could also say that it took leinster a hundred years to take galway in, and its a bit ridiculous that they still need more time to figure out what to do with us. They're still showing alot of disdain toward a county who have livened up what had become a stale and predictable provincial championship. I think its a pretty one sided relationship to be honest and id say that the Leinster money men are sorry they didnt take us in a long time before they did.

joncarter (Galway) - Posts: 2692 - 11/11/2014 16:01:32    1671488

I agree joncarter.Galway have livened up a stale Leinster championship.I fully welcomed ye on board.As i do yere underage teams now.I think it will happen over next couple of years.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 11/11/2014 16:34:34    1671500

To be honest,I cannot see how its OK for Leinster games to be held in Ballycastle (Antrim) and Ruislip (London), but not Galway. We are at this stage either a Leinster County or we are not, including home games and all that comes with it, not when it suits the Leinster Council.

If we play Laois, Westmeath, carlow we are going to be drawn away, even if it is 10 years in a row. We have played in Mullingar and Portlaoise two years in a row, since joining Leinster. If we get drawn against the bigger counties, its neutral venues, except we are now away to Dublin.

Sporting justice and fairness demands that counties have equal home and away games, e.g Kilkenny went to Tullamore in 2013 and offaly to Nowlan Park in 2014. This seems fair and reasonable to all except the Leinster Council. All the other Leinster Counties are rightly peeved about having to travel every time they play Dublin, and I cannot see the logic in it. Donegal refused to budge a few years ago when drawn home to Tyrone and it was the best decision they made. How are you going to sell the Leinster championship to future generations in Galway if they are never going to be playing at home. There is no inspiration. Joe canning did not grow up dreaming of a Leinster medal, and if you want to sell it to future generations, it has to be all or nothing, as what we have now is a poor compromise. I am sick of feeling in Leinster that we are almost outstaying our welcome. It needs to be all in or not at all.

The Leinster competition is great from a competitive point of view, but if we are being treated like second class citizens when it comes to everything from finance to home games, then maybe we are better off out of it. If Munster would facilitate home and away agreements, I would be in favour of going there,although Leinster in far better than nothing.

galwaydublin (Galway) - Posts: 226 - 11/11/2014 16:40:48    1671501

It didn't take Leinster 100 years to let Galway in. Galway didn't want to join Leinster until it dawned on our County Board that we were going nowhere standing alone in the West. It has only now dawned on them that winning minors etc is no big deal anymore if we cannot turn them into seniors. Hence the plea to join Leinster at this late stage. We'll eventually get in but not on our terms, and why should it be on our terms? We should be happy to get in and in time look for whatever it is we think we want! We can't even manage our own internal affairs so let's not be so quick to condemn other counties.

westisthebest (Galway) - Posts: 444 - 11/11/2014 16:45:56    1671502

Galwaydublin,i agree with your argument re - Galway having the opportunity to have some home games in Leinster.Once again,like yere underage teams trying to come into Leinster,i think it will happen over next few years.It would be great if ye could arrange a home and away agreement with the likes of Wexford,Dublin,Kilkenny and Offaly.The GAA makes decisions at a snails pace.It has always been this way.Were all hurling men here.For the greater good of the game it is brilliant that Galway seniors are in Leinster.I would be surprised if yere underage teams dont follow suit in the next few years.And ye Galway hurlingmen will hopefully see Joe Canning playing regular championship gaes in Pearse Stadium.Us Dubs would love a weekend away too.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 11/11/2014 18:45:44    1671551

I can perfectly understand any Leinster county not wanting to go to Pearse Stadium, as bar building the county stadium on the Aran islands the Galway County board could not have put it in a worse location. So until such a time that Galway is properly bypassed no major games should be held there. However leaving that aside all Galway teams including the club champions should be in Leinster, it's farcical that in 2014 the U21s go straight into an All Ireland semi final, while it not much better for the Minors, it should be all or nothing.

gilly0512 (Galway) - Posts: 1176 - 11/11/2014 19:31:12    1671573

Agree gilly.The Galway club champions should be given a go in Leinster also.Ive never agreed with Galway club sides getting a bye to the club semi finals.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 11/11/2014 19:39:49    1671576

Spot on Gilly. Tullamore should suffice. We've played Kilkenny there on a few occasions and they were great rattles. And Wexford in Nowlan Park.mcome to think of it, we never did play in any other county's home oath bar Laois. Can't ever see Wexford or Kilkenny, or indeed any team, travelling all the way to Salthill, nor should they be expected to.

westisthebest (Galway) - Posts: 444 - 11/11/2014 20:09:29    1671592

Why shouldnt Leinster teams be expected to travel to Pearse Stadium?Personally,as part of a home and away arrangement between 2 counties,i think its a perfectly valid option.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 11/11/2014 20:27:08    1671599

Well I'm not prepared to travel all the way to Wexford and back for a champioship match when Portlaoise or Tullamore makes more sense. Have you ever done a return trip from Galway to Wexford?

westisthebest (Galway) - Posts: 444 - 11/11/2014 21:27:46    1671629

Gilly 2308, I agree that Pearse Stadium is not the best location, but it has a capacity greater than that of any Leinster ground outside Croke Park. Galway might play 1 at a max 2 games there in Leinster every year, so it is not that major an inconvenience. Think back to last years Leinster Semi, Wexford were at home to Dublin, yet Galway and Kilkenny were neutral, and Tullamore is not an easy ground to get to either when it is close to capacity. I would also think that the crowds would have been greater had the first game been in Kilkenny and the second in pearse stadium. Home and away is definitely the way to go.

The home advantage might seem like a trivial issue, but for me it is a statement from the Leinster Council that Galway are full partners in this operation. I think a decision on Galway hurling really needs to be made for a generation. Lock, stock and Barrell from Junior Club to Senior Inter-County as you rightly said.

An All -Ireland open draw, while Galways preferred option, is not realistic in my view, so which ever province, and I think it needs to be Leinster given we are more or less in the door, is a province Galway needs to bed in and make themselves at home. At present, Galway seem to have 3 year agreements with Leinster, and always has the feel of "we'll wait and see". It really needs to be all in at all levels. The only other option is isolation which is not an option.

As for Leinster saying that all games have to stay in the province, I do recall the Leinster Hurling semi finals been played in Thurles roughly about 10 years ago. With that attitude, London and New York would never host Connacht Championship games, yet it is now considered par for the course.

galwaydublin (Galway) - Posts: 226 - 11/11/2014 21:41:36    1671634

Neutral venues such as Tullamore/Nowlan Park are fine with me.I thought some of ye Galway men wanted a home game in the leinster championship,and i had no problem with that.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 11/11/2014 21:42:47    1671635

Home and away arrangements are agreed by the relevant county boards and subsequently approved by the Leinster Council. There are circumstances whereby sometimes the Leinster Council give home advantage to the so called weaker counties, which I have no major issue with.

The problem I see with Galways approach is they want home matches and there is very little mention of entering home and away agreements (I mean the Galway Co. Board, not posters on here). Also, home and away agreements really only work when counties are neighbouring counties or close to one another eg, Kilkenny and Offaly, Nowlan Park and Tullamore are a mere 30 minutes either side of Portlaoise. It makes no sense to put say Galway v Wexford in Wexford Park or Salthill as it is probably a 3 and half hour drive. These arrangements need to suit all supporters. In certain circumstances, a neutral venue is best

KK4Life (Kilkenny) - Posts: 56 - 12/11/2014 11:34:29    1671682

I think some of ye are overplaying the distance aspect a bit.If the fixtures are known a good bit in advance,whats the big deal with a 3 hour drive(and thats the furthest drive u could get).And if its only 1 or 2 championshipgames a year,it shudnt be too much of a burden. Nice day out/overnight stay etc.As a Dub,we love going to games outside Croke Park.Sure in England their football fans are travelling far and wide to away games every 2nd week.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 12/11/2014 12:20:16    1671703

why do we have to play dublin in croke park this year? As a curtain raiser to a dublin football match too!

lowballplease (Galway) - Posts: 935 - 12/11/2014 13:34:24    1671737

GalwayDublin, so you think the crowds would have been bigger if the first Gal/KK game was in KK and the 2nd one in Pearse. My my, you have great faith in our ability to geta result against KK in Nowlan Park! My guess is we would have been beaten out the gate in Nowlan Pk and there wouldnt ever be a replay. Be careful what you wish for. Tullamore is a great venue for Galway games in Leinster and I am happy to see our fixtures in Leinster continued to be played there. Theres no prob either with playing Laois in Portlaoise cos they are a weaker county and if we got beaten by them in their own patch itsnot something we could complain about.

PoolSturgeon (Galway) - Posts: 1904 - 12/11/2014 13:45:52    1671742

Cuederocket - Dublin to Galway and back may be fine for the Dubs with the motorway but Wexford/Galway/Wexford would be crazy driving. There's no need for it anyway. As another Galway poster said, Tullamore is ideal and let's just accept that and get on with it. Our great county board need to start from scratch with regards to the minor and under 21s joining Leinster. Let the seniors get on with their business, stop whinging on about home fixtures and canvass the Leinster counties in the coming year in a proper and meaningful way.

westisthebest (Galway) - Posts: 444 - 12/11/2014 15:17:01    1671766

KK4Life: I am not aware of the finer workings of the County Boards. If the Galway County Board do not want home and way agreements, then the simply don't deserve home games. When I was calling for home games for Galway, it absolutely goes without saying that these arrangements should be home and away. I live 10 miles west of Galway city and to travel the 4 to 41/2 hours on matchdays to wexford would be absolutely no issue to me. I have cousins who live 1 hour further west than me and they would have no issue either as a weekend or a daytrip. I will follow Galway wherever they play, especially as the Wexford trip is only going to be once every few years. With allot of the earlier postings, you'd swear it was a chore to support your county. As for home advantage for the weaker counties, I have no issue as long as it applies to Kilkenny, Dublin, Wexford and Offaly. I don't think that has been the case since 2009.

PoolSturgeon: Where is this nonsense of us getting a hammering from Kilkenny coming from. Since Anthony Cunningham took over, our record against Kilkenny in championship is P:5, W:1, D:2, L:2. Our two defeats, both in replays, hinged on a deserved sending off and a goal for kilkenny that could have been blown for steps. Until both incidents, Galway were very competitive. I remember we sent a young team down there in the league this year and ran Kilkenny to a goal even though we never looked like winning. Nowlan Park I am sure would hold no fear for our hurlers. But winning in Nowlan Park might inspire a generation of Galway Hurlers.

Don't take this personally, but one thing that makes my blood boil about the Galway team is the negativity and cynicism that seems to always surround it. I remember in Thurles last summer, there were no more than 1,000 galway fans, in an attendance of 18,000. Considering that Thurles is nearer to Portumna than some places in South Tipperary, that made me angry. I can see that traveling is a problem to allot of so called Galway fans, again, not directed at you, just a general comment. The people who say the would not go to wexford, probably would not go to Pearse Stadium, because it is too awkward to get to.

Galway Hurlers are generally poorly supported unless they are successful. Last year against KK in tullamore, 12,000 attended and I would guess not more than 3,000 from Galway. Our following did swell for the replay, only for 1 week later for it to more of less disappear against Tipp. The Leinster final of 2012, about 80% Kilkenny fans. Its only when we get to semis and finals that the following gets bigger, but that is not when they are needed. I only wish we had Limericks following, and we should have.

galwaydublin (Galway) - Posts: 226 - 12/11/2014 15:45:48    1671774

I like Tullamore as a venue myself.So looks like nearly all are happy for Galway to play no games at home in championship.For now anyway.Your right westisbest.There are more pressing matters to deal with first i.e getting all Galway county and club teams into the Leinster championship.Looking forward to meeting ye in Croke Park year.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 12/11/2014 16:01:53    1671779