Its been particularly evident this season that 4/5 teams,Kerry,Dublin,
Mayo etc are well ahead of the rest of the teams????

Should the GAA be pumping more of its millions into the other counties
to close this gap???

REDANDBLACK30 (Down) - Posts: 1618 - 03/08/2015 11:01:11    1762915

The smaller counties need the money yes but more importantly they need the advice and guidance both financially and coaching wise in how to use this money. Too many county boards that are just not up to scratch. Look at the antrim shambles!

Definitely the gaa need to wise up and stopping giving so much to counties who can self generate their own funds. I know we don't get a lot as it is but we have great structures in place to generate our own funds and some smart people involved.

redhanddefender (Tyrone) - Posts: 913 - 03/08/2015 11:07:24    1762924

This year has completely proved the point I have been making on here. The GAA needs to ensure that resources are shared among all the counties if gaelic football is to survive. No wonder so many kids are turning to Rugby and soccer.

bryanadams (Kildare) - Posts: 733 - 03/08/2015 11:16:33    1762937

I dont think money is the issue. Dublin can be beat by teams with less money. It is up to each county to ensure its own success not HQ. Do you really think if you give Carlow millions they will win sam? Or if you give Armagh millions will the capture liam?

DoireCityFC (Derry) - Posts: 1580 - 03/08/2015 11:31:23    1762948

When we look at the top 4 its no surprise year in year out they are always to the fore front. However of those top 4 only Mayo have not won an All-Ireland. I hope they do it this year.
Dublin have a large population to choose from and fundraising is not an issue due to the massive support they have.
Kerry I know used to charge extra money onto tickets as a way of fundraising some money dont know if this is still the case. Besides they have a tradition and some of the greatest players to ever kick a ball come from down there.
Donegal & Mayo are big counties and when I lived in New York for a few months the supporter clubs were over fundraising money.

Everything starts at grassroots level and only when you have success underage can you mould a good Senior team. It wont come overnight or you wont win an All-Ireland in the first couple of years but if no work is being done on coaching in the lesser counties beatings will be handed out every year.

Just as an example in my own county Tipp won Munster U.14 , U.16 , U.17 Minor & U21 Titles in football. Some of the players had never lost to Kerry or Cork they were so used to beating them at underage that we dont fear playing them anymore.W Tipp have a 20 / 20 vision plan in place to get to an All-Ireland QF / Semi Final by 2020 and believe me some of the county executive laughed in the board meeting when it was bought up for discussion. some even walked out as they felt it was not possible.

WildPundit (Tipperary) - Posts: 1709 - 03/08/2015 11:33:57    1762951

I think the so called weaker counties need to take responsability for themselves here. They are caught up in Strength conditioning and defensive systems. I wonder if the players really buy into this? When a weaker team defemsive system fails, it fails bad. The teams are not scoring and without scores they cant gain confidence as the game goes on. They just see sore after score against them and we saw with Kildare against Dublin and Kerry they just fell apart. Teams need to work on attacking, basic skills, kick passing etc. Yes they still will lose because the Dublin, Kerry, Mayo are all better teams but they will be closer games and they might leave croke park with a smile on their faces like Fermanagh and the fans will have some pride that they gave the other team a lash !

Sean867 (Dublin) - Posts: 25 - 03/08/2015 11:35:32    1762953

Anyone here old enough to remember the gulf in class between Kerry, Dublin to an extent, and the rest from about 1974 to 1985? Probably only Cork, Roscommon, Offaly, maybe Galway just about, were additional contenders at times over those dozen years. It hasn't changed a lot really. It's just that the qualifier system accentuates the quality gap in at least two ways:- 1)it gives really good teams a second chance, so the early banana skin is no longer a potentially killer exit for serious contenders, and 2) the backdoor takes us through this tortuous process of mediocre teams beating mediocre teams, so that 1or2 mediocre teams eventually emerge for a July/August q-final, where they inevitably get their ass kicked. If these 'mediocre' teams could build on their progress year on year, it would be great, but they don't in main, and that is the truly unsatisfactory aspect of the current competition. We were fed the myth for years that if bad teams got a second chance, and were hurling 'til July, or footballing 'til July, they'd have a better chance of improving, and joining the big boys some day. That of course was pie in the sky, and it's the Kerrys & Kilkennys who derive the most benefit from the qualifier format. Them lads don't need to be asked twice, but when it rarely happens, they'll bite your hand off for the second invite too!!

Pope_Benedict (Galway) - Posts: 3481 - 03/08/2015 11:37:07    1762956

The gap between the top 4 and the rest is massive. The media seem obsessed with the idea of a 2 tier championship but this will do nothing to close the gap between the top 4 and the next 12, similarly do nothing to help the worst 3 or 4 counties. The only effect it would have is to financially cripple a lot of smaller counties

ros1 (Roscommon) - Posts: 1211 - 03/08/2015 11:50:21    1762971

The competition structure is not the main cause of the gap. The second chance for stronger teams is probably the only element of the competition structure that is a part of that problem. The main cause of the gap imo is the increased professionalism. Really good squads adopting modern professional standards continually will drive themselves way ahead of mediocre or bad squads adopting the same standards. That is at the core of the current imbalance. For a live example regarding competition structure, if Kerry hadn't got a dodgy penalty from a refereeing mistake in the drawn Munster final, and if they're was no qualifier route, Kerry WOULD BE GONE from this year's championship, just like in the pre-2001 old days. Instead, they're up in Croker in August kicking all colours of sh1te out of the lilies, looking like very serious contenders for Sam retention.

Pope_Benedict (Galway) - Posts: 3481 - 03/08/2015 12:14:24    1762988

I don't believe throwing money will address the quality gap of the non-elite counties. To level the playing field - I'd have most players drafted from the national talent pool - szy, each county 'protdcts' 9 players of gheir own that meet current home counyy eligibility - then each county 'drafts' from the genrral pool, in sequential order starting with thd weakest county, then 2nd weakest etc, so the likes of Kerry chooses 32nd in the 1st draft round.
With each county having 9 home grown and up to 6 'foreigners' on its team, the playing field will be more even, alghough not flat.
This obviously is a departure fron tradition - but would you rather any system that gave all counties a shot at Sam or Liam ?

omahant (USA) - Posts: 2635 - 03/08/2015 12:42:13    1763010

I am amazed that the issue of the four divisions has not been discussed. Ever since they went to Divisions 1-4, instead of 1A1B2A2B, there has been a widening of the standards. The top 4 have generally always been in division 1, and this has facilitated their rise. Whoever says the league does not matter has not a clue. The six teams left in the 2015 championship are Dublin (2nd D1 Winners), Kerry (6th D1), Mayo (5th D1), Donegal, (4th D1,SF), Monaghan (3rd D1 SF) and Tyrone (7th D1). Only Cork who finished first in Division 1 are out, and their season could have been different had they held out in Killarney.

Id go back to 1A and 1B instead out 1 & 2. If you are a D4 team at present, it'll take 3 consecutive promotions to make the top division, whereas in the 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B structure, it only takes one good year. It may not solve anything but I have no doubt the being in Division 1 and STAYING THERE is a major help towards winning the All Ireland, and being consistently outside it is not helpful.

galwaydublin (Galway) - Posts: 226 - 03/08/2015 13:30:17    1763056

You make a good point,Galwaydublin

worple (Roscommon) - Posts: 340 - 03/08/2015 17:33:51    1763236

Have to agree with galwaydublin. I don't think whether you finish top in the league matters in championship but even if you're in div1 and losing you still see how your players compare to the other teams and what needs to change in order to compete with them. Whereas other teams have to wait until championship.

galwayfball (Galway) - Posts: 1679 - 03/08/2015 19:08:51    1763295

I don't think millions is needed to bring teams up to speed, simply time and effort. And I don't mean more early mornings in the gym or better diet or conditioning, I mean tactical awareness training for players and Indeed in some cases managers.

It is up to the management team to ensure every player knows what their specific duty is, and what the overall team plan is. I have seen County teams this summer leaving massive space at the back against the big guns, and wasting possession by lack of knowledge of what to do in attack.

Every County team and even club teams spend months every year working on strength and conditioning, and I sometimes forget to hone the essential skills of the game, such as general kicking, taking free's and 45's.

I think much more time needs to be spent with each player, explaining positioning and how to react to various scenario's. When possession is won, the attacking players should know precisely were they each should be going, with some pulling opposition defenders out of the way, while others bomb through the middle.

GaryMc82 (Derry) - Posts: 3017 - 03/08/2015 19:12:34    1763301

Are Donegal top 4 anymore??? I think the fourth spot has been well and truly earned by Monaghan, and people should stop dismissively just put Donegal ahead of them, they are better than Donegal as had been proven this year.
Show some respect. Until Donegal get to semi finals they not ahead of Monaghan.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 03/08/2015 19:26:02    1763312

Wildpundit,even though it is a good success story for yere footballers to have been successful in recent times at various underage levels,i could understand how a few co board members sniggered at the plan for ye to win the Senior football All Ire by 2020.Winning one minor All Ire & reaching an U21 All Ire final,is not to be sniffed at,but it really would be no big deal for some of the traditional football counties.If Kerry/Mayo/Dublin/Cork did this,nobody would bat an eyelid.I know counties have to aim high,but i dont believe it is realistic for Tipp to be talking about winning the big prize at senior.Looking at yere second half collapse to Tyrone a few weeks back,i think its fanciful thinking.Tipp are a long way off the top teams.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 03/08/2015 19:37:36    1763325

royaldunne
County: Meath
Posts: 8014

1763312
Are Donegal top 4 anymore??? I think the fourth spot has been well and truly earned by Monaghan, and people should stop dismissively just put Donegal ahead of them, they are better than Donegal as had been proven this year.
Show some respect. Until Donegal get to semi finals they not ahead of Monaghan.

Probably because Monaghan have never won an All Ireland Quarter final to date, Donegal on the other hand have beaten every other top side in the All Ireland series since 2011, even winning an All Ireland and losing another All Ireland final. Example: Since 2011, Donegal have beaten Dublin, Kerry, Mayo, Cork, Kildare, Galway, Laois and Armagh in the All Ireland series. In Ulster, they have also beaten everybody except Fermanagh who they haven't played in that time.

It's Billy the kid and Pat Garrett stuff, Monaghan beat Donegal in the Championship, but failed to do anything else outside of Ulster, and this will be the third All Ireland QF in a row.

If Monaghan reach the All Ireland SF and Donegal don't, then 4th place can be awarded this year on merit. But as of right now, both sides are still in the All Ireland Quarter finals, and it remains to be seen if either will progress to the SF.

GaryMc82 (Derry) - Posts: 3017 - 03/08/2015 19:48:13    1763334

if you look at the results and All Ireland tables you will see there is really only one team in the football. That is Kerry. 37 All Irelands and probably this year also- unless the Dubs can beat them. Is that good for the game?
One team winning all the time? I don't think so.

galwayford (Galway) - Posts: 2522 - 03/08/2015 20:05:57    1763353

if you look at the results and All Ireland tables you will see there is really only one team in the football. That is Kerry. 37 All Irelands and probably this year also- unless the Dubs can beat them. Is that good for the game?
One team winning all the time? I don't think so.

galwayford (Galway) - Posts: 2522 - 03/08/2015 20:06:03    1763354

galwayford
County: Galway
Posts: 239

1763353
if you look at the results and All Ireland tables you will see there is really only one team in the football. That is Kerry. 37 All Irelands and probably this year also- unless the Dubs can beat them. Is that good for the game?
One team winning all the time? I don't think so.

Kerry had a good headstart on many other counties, and probably had 30 All Ireland titles before some of the present day top Counties had even won their first.

GaryMc82 (Derry) - Posts: 3017 - 03/08/2015 20:18:38    1763366