I've noticed on a lot of threads on here that posters from weaker counties keep using excuses such as 'we do not have the budget' 'the gaa just looks after big counties' and finally the population excuse! Now the last one there could contribute to it a bit yes but not in a huge way.In my Opinion these counties problem is that the work has not been put in at underage level to the same extent that let's say Tyrone or Dublin put in,instead of this they just play the same old 'poor old us' card. If these counties stop this and try to sort out there own house then I can see the championship getting a lot more competitive and the standard rising in a few years time. Ulster did it with there counties in the 80s and 90s and continue to do it. Dublin did it about 15 years ago and now in recent times,Mayo,Kerry and Kildare have done it too....county's like Donegal,Tyrone,Kildare,Roscommon,Armagh etc. Have focused on their underage at some stage in the past 20 years and its paid off. Time for some counties tonwake up and stop sulking.

Viva2012 (Donegal) - Posts: 108 - 27/07/2014 15:11:01    1626500

Gross over simplification. Budget and population do matter, of course they do. Now I agree self-pity will get you nowhere but to suggest that a rolling up of the sleeves is all that's needed is real hurler on the ditch stuff.

doublehop (Kildare) - Posts: 4172 - 27/07/2014 15:21:07    1626508

lot of counties huge work being put in..what have armagh and roscommon achieved?..nothing at senior level in recent years...hardly worthy of same bracket as other teams mentioned...population and budget matter hugely..if they didnt you would have to explain why its generally the biggest counties who win the all ireland every year

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 27/07/2014 15:27:46    1626513

I agree that SCM (Small county mentality) will get you nowhere.

waynoI (Dublin) - Posts: 13650 - 27/07/2014 15:32:44    1626519

easy to say that though speaking from a position of strength waynol...grand talking about this from a big county but what do you really know about the struggles of a small county fan who goes to all the games?..a disappointing year for dublin is winning leinster and losing an ireland semi or final...more realising limitatons than anything..still huge work being put in in lots of smaller counties

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 27/07/2014 15:36:58    1626525

Some factors can contribute to the reason but the gap in the gaa between the top teams and the rest is too big for everyone's liking! I'm not saying it will even up the playing field but it would make it a lot more competitive? When people talk about Dublin's great team and say its only because they are in Dublin nis rubbish,there's 4 sports there competing against each other. The reason they got so good over the last few years is because the sorted out there house..put massive work in at underage and did what was needed!

Viva2012 (Donegal) - Posts: 108 - 27/07/2014 15:38:08    1626526

They havnt got the numbers in a lot of cases.Low population,fewer clubs by far.Fighting an unequal fight.They have every right to feel aggrieved.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 27/07/2014 15:40:46    1626530

no doubt viva and fair play to them but to say smaller counties are whinging?..they are doing their best and putting in major work..it is not that simple as you are trying to make out...at the end of the day if a small county loses some of their best players to emigration or injury than it is exceptionally hard to replace them with any sort of county standard...it doenst help that certain smaller county boards appoint poor managers from bigger counties with no track record of note which sets them back years

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 27/07/2014 15:42:59    1626532

Viva2012 There is a lot of logic to what you are saying in that if its not there at under age it is unlikely to be at senior. Smaller populated counties are at the disadvantage of having less revenue, so less funding for under age development. However. If the Tyrone model (club Tyrone) was used where by the wealthier supporters contributed to under age structures, smaller counties could target the best young talent (like the academy system in rugby) and invest in them that way. Remember for all the player pool in Dublin they can only put out 15 at a time.

mhunicean_abu (Monaghan) - Posts: 1044 - 27/07/2014 15:45:30    1626535

I'm not saying it will even up the playing field but it would make it a lot more competitive

Can you explain the difference?

doublehop (Kildare) - Posts: 4172 - 27/07/2014 15:47:40    1626539

perplexing thread. Huge football counties, Mayo, Cork, Down, Donegal, Tyrone etc etc rarely win Sam if you study the past 50 years. Even Dublin have only 2 since 1995 and the Dublin drought is coming. This post would be more suited to hurling perhaps

maroondiesel (Mayo) - Posts: 1196 - 27/07/2014 15:48:55    1626541

I'll use my own county for example..we were a small county up until the 80s! Used to get an odd ulster final appearance but that was it! The county board decided that something needed to be done! So a programme was to be put in to completely change the underage structure by first fundraising and then getting proper coaches who could develop the youth,it only really got off in the 90s and since then we haven't looked back,we have won more at all levels since 1990 than we ever won the 100 years before that and have created more all star players. And its only getting stronger,we have a population of 150,000 so its not like we have a huge one!

Viva2012 (Donegal) - Posts: 108 - 27/07/2014 15:49:54    1626543

We are obviously handicapped financially with the hurlers too being much heavierly financed. Not an excuse, we have been brilliant this year but our worst performance came v galway where we were knocked out. Sometimes it's just on the day

tipp11 (Tipperary) - Posts: 353 - 27/07/2014 15:54:51    1626547

Somewhere in between lies the truth. Although it was a hurling conversation on Off The Ball yesterday they were saying, rightly, that a great underage structure is never a guarantee to senior success. Players develop at different rates. Some players develop into good seniors at 19, others start college and women and beer leave football and hurling in the shade, sure why not!

I think the current league structure does no favours to the weaker counties. Playing Div3 and 4 teams most of the year will keep them at a poor standard. They should try putting 2 from each division into 4 new divisions. Yes they'll get hammered by the top teams the first few years but eventually some old Div 4 standard teams will beat an old Div 1 standard. Split them up each year from seedings, spread the levels around. Have a Senior and Junior playoffs for 2 League trophies from the top 4 and bottom 4 of each division and let some imaginative people amongst you propose a more imaginative championship. I'd be thinking 8 round robin, home and away, groups where the winners go in the quarter finals. Scrap the back door.

Then, if the so-called weaker counties want to sink, let them. Most of them will swim.

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7345 - 27/07/2014 15:58:28    1626552

Attendances have held up this year but things are reaching a stage where the early rounds of the championship are so predictable , the weak getting weaker and the strong stronger, that the general public will only start to take an interest in the football championship when it reaches the quarter or even semi final stage. Sligo vs Corkk for instance...who in their right mind wud want to watch that?

PoolSturgeon (Galway) - Posts: 1903 - 27/07/2014 15:59:15    1626555

compared to the likes of some of the really small counties like leitrim and longford you do viva..plus donegal are lucky to have probably the best manager in gaa in jim mcguiness who is rare innovative and forward thinking trying new ideas and tactics

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 27/07/2014 16:15:03    1626565

I can see where you's are coming from and I respect everyone's opinions whether there agreeing with me or disagreeing! But its time for the county boards to get there acts together in these counties! I mean London got to the last 12 last year? Surely that gives hope not to mention Tipperary and Sligo have been very good this year!

Viva2012 (Donegal) - Posts: 108 - 27/07/2014 16:17:52    1626568

The GAA tried to help them out with the Tommy Murphy Cup but the counties turned their backs on it.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 7844 - 27/07/2014 16:24:04    1626571

that was purely the luck of the draw though..wouldnt happen in ulster or leinster where there is lots of counties who are mostly at least decent..london got to play leitrim and sligo on same side of draw..and were then beaten comprehensively...type of situation is why i want open draw system

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 27/07/2014 16:26:41    1626576

Hah, yeah. London got to where they did because they sorted out their underage structures. Good one! I think they had one London born player.

doublehop (Kildare) - Posts: 4172 - 27/07/2014 16:44:06    1626592