A little unfair on the 70's men there Athboy, we won Leinster and reached an All Ireland Final in '70 itself and beat the reigning All Ireland Champions Dublin in the '75 League Final and were mightly unlucky not to win a Leinster or two more in that time, many of the legendary Dublin players of that time acknowledge Meath were very close to beating them on more than one occasion, it was the latter 70's and early 80's that we fell into s tailspin till Boylan came on the scene. It's only since 2013 that a sizeable gap has emerged between Dublin and the rest and it is in that time that Dublin have secured some very lucrative sponsorship deals. When I saw a huge banner on an industrial unit at Ballycoolin lauding a certain bottled water company as the official hydration partners of Dublin GAA as I travelled to the Leinster Final in 2013 I knew we were entering a different playing field. In Meath our official hydration partners are the clouds over Pairc Tailteann. Now things will change I have no doubt but they need to change soon, Dublin's recent financial windfalls have helped widen the gap, they are not the sole reason for their dominance but a definite factor. Meath officialdom has made a pigs ear of things over the years as have the club delegates who have made some extraordinary small minded decisions that have been detrimental to the football team (Eamon O'Brien being shafted in 2010!!!!) but I am hopeful if not certain that attitudes will change, we shall see.

Richieq (Meath) - Posts: 3734 - 13/04/2016 14:50:21    1845201

@ Liam

Bernard Flynn originally came from Drogheda.

OLLIE (Louth) - Posts: 12224 - 13/04/2016 15:08:48    1845220

RichieQ, caraquill would like a word! ;)

http://www.caraquill.ie/

CastleBravo (Meath) - Posts: 1647 - 13/04/2016 15:31:37    1845226

Brilliant post Joxer
I have trouble getting through to my lads 15 and 17 how good Meath were , but then again when I told them Id seen Offaly win All Irelands in both codes they nearly fainted.

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 13/04/2016 15:32:12    1845228

Ha, that's true Damo. That was a great Offaly football team though I think they won 3 Leinsters in a row in the 80s. My first real championship memory is that 1980 Leinster Final and John O'Leary made his debut that day. But Meath were in a golden era in the late 80s and 90s. A tough physical side sprinkled with some very skilful forwards. A great side, sides even as they reinvented themselves at least once.

Joxer (Dublin) - Posts: 4700 - 13/04/2016 15:43:34    1845235

Damo when i was that age, i often heard how Offaly had been the Dubs main rivals for years in the uncles time....found it hard to grasp. Also the rivalry was so real that the wolf tones wrote a feckin song about it!!!
I couldnt grasp it atall...

terrible sad to see lads in their mid teens now thinking the same re Meath!

Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts: 8166 - 13/04/2016 15:46:28    1845237

Christ just on Meath page their U16 don't have a manager , their county board really are an absolute disgrace , remember that's an age when lads are doing exams , equally talented lads at different codes often make decisions as to which sporting path to take , bloody shocking. Mentioned it to a Donegal lad sitting not to far away , he said it doesn't help having you lot as neighbours , I politely pointed out Kildare's underage structure and they don't live so far away. I'm not on here to bash Meath their county board however that's a different kettle of fish

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 13/04/2016 15:54:29    1845245

Meath may not won much in the seventies but were very competitive and little separated them from that great Dublin team in many championship matches during this period.

seadog54 (Meath) - Posts: 2151 - 13/04/2016 17:39:46    1845319

Inter county football has become a game for students and teachers. Those hardy Meath men from the 90s would be too busy out working hard all day and looking after their familes to be out training every day and worrying about whats in every meal. Seems most players spend their days doing diplomas in Mickey Mouse studies in DCU or UCD until they are 30 . And it is the fella who is out working all day who is told he is not 'committed' enough ! because he cant train every evening

bad.monkey (USA) - Posts: 4624 - 13/04/2016 17:54:23    1845331

I enjoyed reading that post joxer

bert09 (Meath) - Posts: 1792 - 13/04/2016 19:46:42    1845377

Where do I start?
Countless bad county boards with possibly the worst now in situ , lack of infrastructure in games, a blasé approach to underage, add to that getting rid of best manager we had since Sean Boylan (Eamonn O Brien) for no good reason other than looking for approval from Spillane and the media. We now have a manager who is not qualified or capable of managing a inter county team, and who has instilled a acceptance of mediocrity and lack of fitness and desire. Only hired a strength and conditioning coach this year. We are 10 years behind every other county, we have one chance of remaining somewhat competitive if we install Andy McEntee at end of this year , give him a 3 year contract and he will make us somewhat competitive with what is there plus players who would be starting on team bit have made themselves unavailable will make themselves available. Meath had a great brand but unfortunately it has been regressed by incompetents at every level, players no longer want to give everything for the county which is sad, and 8/9 point turnarounds are seen as acceptable. Sorry for the rant, there is plenty wrong within county that a new manager will not solve but it will be a step in right direction.
Hon the royal

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 15/04/2016 09:51:29    1845831

Royaldunne why was E.O.B pushed?

OLLIE (Louth) - Posts: 12224 - 15/04/2016 10:13:15    1845845

Ollie the official line was he was too slow to make subs, but unfortunately after what went on against yourselves in 10, there was a belief that a head must roll for not offering a replay, and chairman wasnt going to go, so eob was the scapegoat in a hope we wouldn't get stick of media in 11, it was a huge mistake and one we are still paying for.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 15/04/2016 14:16:00    1845935

Yeah Rd I don't think meath would be where they are now if EOB hadn't been shafted,if what you are saying is true and he was made a scapegoat for 2010 then I think it's karma for the people who pushed him out unfortunately it's tough on all the people and supporters who have meath football's best interest at heart! I remember him in his playing days with meath and he was a fairly decent player, have seen him regularly in Dublin city centre over the years where he's based as a garda in fact he's a work colleague of pillar Caffrey (I wonder what the Monday morning cup of tea was like between them after the 5 goal disaster for Dublin in 2010). Winning leinster without beating meath is like winning the all Ireland without beating Kerry, it's great but it's all the more special when you beat the old adversary, and it's God damn horrible when you lose! I know a lot about what goes on at county board level down there because the nephews are/were involved in development squads and minor teams the last few years and some of the stuff I've heard makes my blood boil and I'm not even a Royal! (thank God)

DUBJOHN (Dublin) - Posts: 932 - 15/04/2016 15:48:27    1845959

I've had a few run in's with Royal Dunne on here but I must admit - I miss them as a force too .

Growing up I never knew what a bad Meath team was . They were dirty but could mix it with excellent footballers .

I always loved Dublin / Meath games more than any other - great colour , rivalry and good football .

I must say when we beat Meath in 2002 , I found their supporters very gracious in defeat .

I would love to see Meath back .

I think things will go so bad for Meath that they will fall completely flat but will rise again .

Hopefully they do .

TheRightStuff (Donegal) - Posts: 1688 - 15/04/2016 17:04:33    1845991

What's wrong with Meath football? The million dollar question with a million different answers.

I remember saying to a Galway friend after the 2001 final, that's us finished for a few years. I just didn't think it would take so long. We had nothing coming up at underage and Dunseaghlin aside the clubs had done nothing in Leinster for years. Not much has changed.

We have a lot of the same problems as other counties, urbanisation, emigration and other sports picking up players but I think our county board just make things worse. They lack imagination, poorly resourced and seem to make poor decisions; see the championship restructuring and Pairc Tailteann floodlights as examples.

LoyalRoyal (None) - Posts: 452 - 15/04/2016 17:36:14    1846005

11Jm11: Indeed they are, Lyons's too I think although I'm not sure. Terry Ferguson's old man (Snitchy Fergusson) was from Dublin, won an AI alongside K. Heffernan. Kevin Foley's connections with Limerick, Liam Hayes has connections in Carlow. Same with most county teams, you'll find plenty of players with outside connections.

moylagh (Meath) - Posts:378 - 13/04/2016 13:39:50 1845143

From what I know I think Mick & Padraig Lyons's father moved up from Mayo as a boy when the family bought a farm outside Summerhill near the Kildare border. His father actually went on to play for Kildare as he could not get on the Meath team as Meath had one of their best team's in the 40's/ 50's. I think they are related to Liam Harnan on their father's side. On their mothers side Mick and Padraig are related to Trevor Giles through their grand father (Pat Giles, a TD for Meath for years) .

bdbuddah (Meath) - Posts: 1360 - 15/04/2016 21:20:13    1846055

I am from Ashbourne the amount of Dublin parents who have their kids in Dublin jerseys is a joke.I mean they are been brought up in Meath and they are from Meath.I did meet a Dublin lad before who had his son in a Meath jersey and I was shocked,but he agreed with me 100%.

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 16/04/2016 08:44:56    1846070

I do think that Meath have the minerals to be a success again.If we can somehow get a county board that really really care about been successful it will happen.Everyone has talked about underage and some of our development squads are very good and well coached.Its how they develop from minor to U21 thats important and how many of them we keep in the game etc.
We are not helped by a 18 team senior club championship were only one team gets relegated.Its very common to see teams dish out hammerings in the senior grade alone..
As for the current seniors? We have lost a lot of experienced players,the likes of Bray,Kev Reilly,Gillespie and Shane O'Rourke(the last 3 ravaged by injury) and Menton who opted off the panel this year.You are talking about alot of physicality there too..So our team is very young with no experience of winning.However despite that we have had the same manager for the last 4 years with no apparent system of play.I believe a better manager would have us competitive and not losing silly games like the Westmeath one,but we still wouldn't be winning things.

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 16/04/2016 09:30:17    1846073

Ziggy when Meath were successful the amount of people that were living in Drogheda that supported Meath but had no Meath connection. In 2002 when the Dubs beat Meath in Leinster I got talking to a fella that was wearing a Meath jersey down the local. I asked him where he was from? He said Meadowview. It is just in the Louth border. I asked him why he supported Meath. His answer was that all his friends supported Louth and he supported Meath to be different. The real reason was that Meath were more successful than Louth. The border between Louth and Meath in Drogheda is very thin indeed.

OLLIE (Louth) - Posts: 12224 - 16/04/2016 09:30:25    1846074