Who takes responsibly for Meaths decline? Co board, senior managements or clubs, for me clubs have got away with the blame so far as I believe there is just to big a divide as clubs fight Co board as opposed to working with them example of cohesion is donegal their championship starts after donegal are out. Would thinking like this improve Meath football? With only 3 or 4 full time coaches in Meath how can they possibly improve standards? Or introduce new people to the game? Either or something has to be done there's more people living in this county now than ever before yet we've never been so bad at all level is it only up to club to introduce people to the sport

username.if (Meath) - Posts: 67 - 30/06/2015 18:51:29    1745648

When you look at it Meath have a bigger population than Donegal, Kerry and Mayo and have just as much if not more tradition. They really should be competing every year.

Personally I have no idea how well or badly Meath football is being run but something has to be done. As much as it pains me to say it but Meath's decline over the past fifteen years or so is bad for football, a few half decent seasons since has maybe made the problem look smaller than it is but it seems to go across all codes and age groups. While the senior game took all the headlines this weekend the Meath ladies were also beaten (convincingly) by Westmeath and the minors were beaten by Longford.

Even though we're all really enjoying yer problems in the west, change is needed fast for the sake of Leinster football and football throughout the country.

yopwestmeath (Westmeath) - Posts: 10 - 30/06/2015 19:58:29    1745683

Did Sean Boylan stay on too long? Will the lenght of Micky Harte's tenure at Tyrone cost them over the longer term?

bert09 (Meath) - Posts: 1790 - 30/06/2015 20:16:01    1745689

If i recall correctly Sean Boylan agreed to come back as director of football a couple of years ago. Anyone know did that happen? Am i alone in wondering whats the story on that at the moment? Is he in situ???

nobull456 (Meath) - Posts: 1224 - 30/06/2015 20:28:25    1745693

nobull

not a clue,wasn't there something were McEntee,O'Rourke and Boylan teamed up? But thats gone all quiet and not sure what their job was.

The Westmeath lad is correct.There is no excuse or reason why Meath should not be among the best.We have everything going for us.But as I have said a million times,the standard of coaching is terrible at all levels in this county.

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 30/06/2015 20:45:28    1745698

username.if- Are you trying to tell us if we closed down club football for most of the year we might improve our county team!

browncows (Meath) - Posts: 2342 - 30/06/2015 20:59:22    1745706

Ziggy it cant be disputed that coaching is sadly very poor at all levels as you say. I understood that was to be a key task for director to examine coaching standards and generally oversee all development plans at all ages etc. Cannot understand the silence on this.. Anyway football is in a right mess now in the county..Yet maybe its the heatwave affecting the head but maybe the next game could be when we see a Meath TEAM where we say "Why the hell couldnt they play like that against Westmeath for the whole match?" Dont look for the logic in that because it is mostly wishful thinking.But maybe....just maybe....

nobull456 (Meath) - Posts: 1224 - 30/06/2015 21:34:16    1745728

I really believe a complete overhaul of Meath Gaa is needed from top to bottom. Preferably from someone outside the County. There is a distinct lack of leadership on and off the field and no sense of direction or how we will get out of the mess we have been in for years. Where is the money being spent ? what is the standard of coaching across all grades? What is the long term goal ? People/companies who have done this in the past with other counties or other sports ie Lenister, Munster Rugby should be brought in and their professionalism should be used. We got ourselves in this mess and dont believe we will can get ourselves out again without serious help.

MeathNo3 (Meath) - Posts: 23 - 01/07/2015 10:35:01    1745824

Meathno3

I agree with you,I said this 5 years ago,yet we continue to be in a state.I reckon we are waiting until we go down to dv4 at some stage to actually do something.

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 01/07/2015 12:55:22    1745949

dont understand the comment at the start with clubs fighting the county board for most of the past decade the clubs have been fine with the county boards bar the odd levy its more the fixtures over the past 3-4 years. i would say its both clubs and county board to blame no structure put in place during the glory years by co board for develpoment and clubs not pushing for it do be done now we're playing catch up

srgt_slaughter (Meath) - Posts: 462 - 01/07/2015 13:08:08    1745960

srgt_slaughter- Agree with you on that and will add that success does not happen overnight. All we need to do is relax! (I mean as posters). Maybe our various team managers need to be a little more astute in how we manage.

browncows (Meath) - Posts: 2342 - 01/07/2015 13:32:14    1745983

The point i was trying to make is what we're doing at present doesn't work both underage and adult county and club. For example we've only 4 divisions and if you looked at the tables more than half the clubs have no chance of competing,div4 has intermediate and junior B clubs. How does anyone expect to take the league's seriously if there's club to grades above. It's this type of stuff only makes it harder to develop weaker teams. My suggestion would be to have a championship with north,south,east and west clubs in which each club would provide 3 or 4 of there best players and develop this from 14 up.

username.if (Meath) - Posts: 67 - 01/07/2015 13:48:39    1745999

i see your point the leagues can be meaningless at times but ive always been against the divisional sides coming into this this was proposed a few years ago and failed for me it would take away from the smaller clubs. i dont think youd get the same sense of pride playing with a divisional side

srgt_slaughter (Meath) - Posts: 462 - 01/07/2015 14:32:41    1746032

My thinking is link the county development management teams with each age grade of championships thus giving good competitive games. Cause the blitz at underage county aren't they way forward just not competitive enough playing 3 teams in 40 min games in one day. I don't feel the weaker teams would loose out actually quiet the opposite the stronger players in weaker teams would have better players to compete against if this was played from 14 the players would find the transition to county squads easier.

username.if (Meath) - Posts: 67 - 01/07/2015 14:52:05    1746046

1.The problem is massive.But with a genuine effort from everyone within the circles of meath gaa it can be turned around.In a time like this cool heads are needed because simple changes with a rigid governing of them will turn things around. I'm not sure that the correct personnel are in position to implement though.

The introduction of the back door system is 100% responsible for the demise of football, and hurling in the weaker counties, like Meath.
The clubs have been destroyed as the inter county game has developed into a money making force that is too lucrative to the gaa to give up.More games at this level has led to elite and practically professional teams being created. This has fed down the chain to inter county underage levels, also to the demise of the club.The club has been the back bone of the Gaa since it was founded. We develop the players from young ages to adult levels and always will.We have been left in the cold and looked at as the poor relation instead of being looked after and held in the highest of esteem by our county boards and croke park.WE supply OUR players to the county teams to represent our county. we get nothing in return.Levies and arrogance instead of thanks and help.

Every club has the responsibility of developing its own players.Can we say we are doing it to the best of our ability, i doubt it.Are our coaches educated and qualified to the standards? I doubt it, Has each team in our clubs someone with first aid education? i doubt it. Those are the first 2 requirements in clubs in Dublin like Kilmacud Crokes.These are basic starting points for any club that wants to go in the right direction. Most likely, like in my own,its the same lad there for the last 20yrs doing the same aul drills with plenty giving out but no one really prepared to commit and help.Clubs are closed shops and we don't embrace change. Until we do we wont develop as we should and reach our potential.

The competitions in Meath are completely diluted. A league system with 14 teams starting in Feb and finishing in Oct is a waste of time. 18 teams in the senior championship is contributing to a drawn out event that only gets going from quarter finals on.Games in championship that have no relevance to the outcome of the group are killing championship football. Competition is what brings out the best in people in sport. A fixture that has something at stake is everything to a player that wins and hurts a loosing team for days.We simply dont have enough of that. Young fellas go away round the world and return 2 months later and not miss a championship match. How are we to cope and improve with such a system.What are we asking our delegates to do about it?

leftnright (Meath) - Posts: 30 - 01/07/2015 16:08:41    1746093

2 My opinion would be to reduce the leagues to 2 groups within each division giving 6 games. top 2 each side play off in semis, with bottom 4 in relegation semis. Immediately we have something to play for and relevance to teams at the lower end.
Championship has got to be reduced to 16 teams MAX. 4 groups x 4, top 2 in each into qf, 3rd team out, bottom in each group play relegation semis. Every game in this system has the championship edge to it and all is at stake.
This system should be repeated down through the ranks with the responsibility on the club to ensure you are honestly trying to be the best you can be. There can only be one winner in anything but the important thing is for every club to try and be the best it can be.

That is how I see the responsibility of our clubs. After that I see it as the function of the county board to ensure all the structures are correct and fair to every one.Already we are in trouble. We have had a hugely unstable period since the end of the reign of Fintan Ginnity. Nobody particularly liked the man in club circles, which proved the great job he did.We've never replaced him imo.Nobody who came since, including the current establishment have moved with the times or brought the county into the modern time.
25/30 yrs ago we were at the top table in football, and making progress in hurling being competitive in the old Div 2. We all remember the games v offaly wexford and dublin. We never capitalised on any of that success especially in regard to our under age development and structures. Our golden age lost. At that very time Dublin went about implementing the changes and structures that has brought about they're finest players to play for Dublin in BOTH codes.

So as I see it we've been blaming everyone from MOD to the players when we should be looking far closer to home.Every one of us has a role to play in turning the fortunes of Meath Gaa around.There's no quick fix or solution going to come from the heavens. Its about investing in our schools, underage in football & hurling. Up skilling our coaches and devoting endless hours in the club.1% inspiration 99% perspiration. St Pats has the potential to be like St Kierans in Kilkenny but we're not tapping into it even with calls from CORourke.
There has to be a 10 yr plan put in place with an end point that we have to achieve, and try our best to be better in the mean time.If we cant help ourselves no one else is going to.We have no right to expect great things when we are not doing great things behind the scenes.Simple as

leftnright (Meath) - Posts: 30 - 01/07/2015 16:09:23    1746095

Leftnright Yes many very valid points there . In my view to get the relevant people to accept there is a massive task ahead to get out of the crisis is the major problem. For example in March last 3 men were said to be coming together to deal with many of the issues that needed attention for years.Boylan, Mc Entee and O Rourke..what happened after that? I suspect nothing? WHY? Your point about coaching and quality of same throughout the county is very relevant. To my knowledge there is currently no qualifying standard to be achieved to work as a coach.. Not really hopeful that fundamental issues will be given proper attention,and not used as just another photo opportunity by someone.

nobull456 (Meath) - Posts: 1224 - 01/07/2015 17:26:10    1746136

I have said many times,the quality of the coaches is the biggest problem.There are a lot of side problems too.We have a lot of development squads from U14-U16,and many of the coaches are essentially volunteers,which little to no coaching ability.Not their fault of course,but who oversees this?

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 01/07/2015 17:56:48    1746149

Plus they are not looked after as well as other counties.They have to bring their own gear and their own water forgod sake!

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 01/07/2015 18:01:27    1746153

If you look on GAA website you'll see a section in coaching. The Games Development committee is working since 1992 developing coach education.At the moment if I want to work with a team I must have minimum foundation level coaching course done and be garda vetted.To Manage a club adult team I must have level 1 and at the moment inter county standard is Level 2. They expect to bring that to level 3 in the near future. How many coaches in all our clubs from top to bottom have these done?
You are not on your own if you dont know about this. People within the county board know it but its not being enforced.Im certainly not saying if I walk in off the street and do the courses that im a coach but i know from people in Dublin & Westmeath its bringing a whole new way of learning to play the game to light.Its no surprise for me to see dublin striving ahead with 100 full time coaches. Westmeath hurling is advancing rapidly to being competitive with the top teams in minor and u21 and senior wont be far off soon. See how they push Limerick this weekend. All because of coach education and better modern methods.Leinster council have an obligation to be pushing this on every county.

leftnright (Meath) - Posts: 30 - 01/07/2015 18:02:22    1746154