Sigerson cup draw
p Preliminary Draws:
NUIG V IT Blanchardstown

after the draw yeserday hu ye think is the favourite for the sigerson cup
Athlone V Trinity College
Round One
UCC v Cork it
Sligo it v Queens
ul v MaynoothUniGAA
ITCarlowG v ITTralee
UCDG v AthloneItor TCD
DIT v GMIT
St_Marys v nuig or ITB
Jordanstown vs DCU

antoman (Mayo) - Posts: 140 - 11/12/2014 10:13:46    1677962

or any new players playing in the sigerson cup in 2015

antoman (Mayo) - Posts: 140 - 11/12/2014 13:40:25    1678042

ya Graham Geraghty is playing in it :P

ziggy320001 (Meath) - Posts: 2432 - 11/12/2014 13:41:14    1678043

Totally lost interest in this competition over the last few years. Just clicks of lads in Universities - a lot of who get access due to their football skills only - being the superstars around campus etc. Jordanstown are such a bad example of a club in my opinion, assembling all-star teams of lads, doing ridiculous one year courses while other youngsters are being turned away because they dont have enough points - or good footballers not getting a chance because they weren't a 'big name' at county level.

Brolly (Monaghan) - Posts: 4472 - 11/12/2014 16:08:57    1678074

Have to agree with you Brolly.

It used to be about lads getting scholarships because they happened to be acaedemic enough lads who were at University but just happened to be good at football and every university might have one or two like a Trevor Giles or a Paul Galvin etc. That should be the spirit of the competition.

But nowadays it has gone beyond ridiculous with universities stockpiling "students" and Ive absolutely no interest in it. Theres a nouveau riche GPA vibe off it.

Going by the palty crowds in attendance at the Sigerson cup it seems we aren't alone in our views.

Crinigan (Meath) - Posts: 1318 - 11/12/2014 16:34:45    1678079

I played for Queens back in the 90s and the one bug bearer I had back then was that the Poly (Jordanstown) were able to play anyone who went to any of the Technical Colleges so you had guys not at Jordanstown (and who maybe were only signed up to Evening Classes in their local Tech) playing for them and as such they had the pick of a lot larger player base. This hasn't improved over the years with Universities now offering guys ridiculous courses just to get them playing for their Sigerson team.

Offside_Rule (Antrim) - Posts: 4058 - 11/12/2014 17:12:47    1678089

11/12/2014 16:08:57 Brolly County: Monaghan
Totally lost interest in this competition over the last few years. Just clicks of lads in Universities - a lot of who get access due to their football skills only - being the superstars around campus etc. Jordanstown are such a bad example of a club in my opinion, assembling all-star teams of lads, doing ridiculous one year courses while other youngsters are being turned away because they dont have enough points - or good footballers not getting a chance because they weren't a 'big name' at county level. Clicks?? Really?? There isn't enough scholorships given for large percentages of teams to be made up of scholorships and is there not a ruling about the type of course you have to do to qualify to play sigerson?
11/12/2014 16:34:45 Crinigan
Have to agree with you Brolly.
It used to be about lads getting scholarships because they happened to be acaedemic enough lads who were at University but just happened to be good at football and every university might have one or two like a Trevor Giles or a Paul Galvin etc. That should be the spirit of the competition.
But nowadays it has gone beyond ridiculous with universities stockpiling "students" and Ive absolutely no interest in it. Theres a nouveau riche GPA vibe off it.
Going by the palty crowds in attendance at the Sigerson cup it seems we aren't alone in our views. The crowds are generally always small af Fitzgibbon/sigerson group games. Only Fitzgibbon games I remember going to in Limerick that ever had decent crowds at them were LIT v UL.
How exactly are colleges stockpiling students when vast majority of students who play sigerson are in the college based on 2nd level results?
11/12/2014 17:12:47
Offside_Rule
I played for Queens back in the 90s and the one bug bearer I had back then was that the Poly (Jordanstown) were able to play anyone who went to any of the Technical Colleges so you had guys not at Jordanstown (and who maybe were only signed up to Evening Classes in their local Tech) playing for them and as such they had the pick of a lot larger player base. This hasn't improved over the years with Universities now offering guys ridiculous courses just to get them playing for their Sigerson team. What are the "ridiculous courses" universities are offering to get people to play for sigerson teams?

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 11/12/2014 18:21:54    1678096

Have to agree with all the posts, I think that the Higher Education board have too much say in Gaa matters. It has definitely become a home for inter county players only. We hear of the burn out phrase all the time but it doesn't apply to your average player in third level, this year I witnessed freshers teams been selected, the first team had a full time coaching officer from the county in charge who should be active in secondary schools where Gaa is dead or dying. At trials, those with inter county experience were fasttracked despite the fact that some other guys shone at training. To top it all one young man played minor club & county, freshers, senior club, U21 club & county & is now in the Sigerson panel. On the other side thousands of ordinary Gaa players in third level play nothing at all ! A mirror image of club players & county players scenario at present. Don't expect it to change, Gaa is going to go semi pro because the GPA will get their way. Look at the propaganda been spouted by Sean Potts, Donal Og Cusack & others & the millions been given to them by the Gaa. Inevitably this will lead to the death of the club scene & Sigerson & Inter County to the forefront.

Uimhir.a.3. (Galway) - Posts: 409 - 11/12/2014 18:51:50    1678101

This hasn't improved over the years with Universities now offering guys ridiculous courses just to get them playing for their Sigerson team.

What are the "ridiculous courses" universities are offering to get people to play for sigerson teams?

Ridiculous courses in the circumstance/context of why they are being given out. I am talking about intercounty players being offered courses where, lets be honest, in normal circumstances those players wouldn't be going back in to education at the point in their lives they are at i.e. being in working life for 10+ years or players who are maybe on to their 3rd, 4th or more Degree/Qualification which again in normal circumstances its a path they probably wouldn't be following.

But in my personal experience there were Fermanagh and Antrim players on the Poly side who were attending (and I use the word loosely) evening classes at their Regional Colleges for only one purpose and that was so they were eligible to play on the Poly team.

Offside_Rule (Antrim) - Posts: 4058 - 12/12/2014 08:37:00    1678152

Personally, I love Sigerson, highest level of football that I'll ever play in but I have to admit that some of the wheeling and dealing going on behind the scenes leaves a bad taste. Never really happened at our place, but we have been on the other end, we have lost marquee players to "better offers" over the years ~PHS

Pope_has_spoken (Dublin) - Posts: 138 - 12/12/2014 10:33:22    1678176

This competition is farcical. No harm to it. There are students up and down the country who work tirelessly to get into a college through the CAO route, and then because a person has an exceptional talent at football, all of a sudden, they're taken into some of the best colleges, given accommodation and an x amount of money, and walk away and the end of the year with a certificate. College is a learning faculty, not to play football. I am open to correction!

xxB3B0Stunnahxx (USA) - Posts: 94 - 12/12/2014 10:51:02    1678183

It was great to see UCC win the Sigerson this year, it was mainly a panel of Cork and Kerry players - shows it's not all about big names.

I think they will find it hard to retain it in 2015 but who knows, Paddy McBrearty, Cillian O Connor , Michael Argue good additions for UUJ.

FoolsGold (Cavan) - Posts: 2763 - 12/12/2014 10:54:40    1678186

xxB3B0Stunnahxx
County: USA
Posts: 1

1678183
This competition is farcical. No harm to it. There are students up and down the country who work tirelessly to get into a college through the CAO route, and then because a person has an exceptional talent at football, all of a sudden, they're taken into some of the best colleges, given accommodation and an x amount of money, and walk away and the end of the year with a certificate. College is a learning faculty, not to play football. I am open to correction!

The same can be said of College football in the USA. Scholarships to BC and BU, notre Dame etc etc. It is a fraction of the problem it is over here as it is over in North America

Donegalman (None) - Posts: 3830 - 12/12/2014 11:11:48    1678191

Bring in rules stating that you can play Sigerson for only one college and only in your undergraduate degree.

It'll stop the merry go round of players from college to college or lads doing course after course just to play football. The GAA must be full of some of the most redundantly over-qualified people!

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13707 - 12/12/2014 11:12:19    1678192

Although this is slightly off the topic, the UCC Fitzgibbon team in the early 90s was practically the same as the Cork senior hurling panel with some very dubious students. So it's not a new phenomenon in 3rd level GAA.

rcarragh (Dublin) - Posts: 305 - 12/12/2014 11:13:00    1678193

MesAmis
County: Dublin
Posts: 8093

1678192
Bring in rules stating that you can play Sigerson for only one college and only in your undergraduate degree.

It'll stop the merry go round of players from college to college or lads doing course after course just to play football. The GAA must be full of some of the most redundantly over-qualified people!

Here here. I know of at least one prominent former inter-county player who could barely pass the leaving, yet ended up with a postgraduate degree after playing for more than one team at Sigerson level.

Gleebo (Mayo) - Posts: 2208 - 12/12/2014 11:54:50    1678207

How exactly are colleges stockpiling students when vast majority of students who play sigerson are in the college based on 2nd level results? Ormo, having done my masters with 2 sigerson players I can assure you that colleges are stock piling players to play football. One fella scrapped a third in his degree. Considering you require at least a second class honours to do a masters, it would suggest that this individual was brought in just to play ball. The other fella hadn't wasn't blessed with brains either.

Both were decent lads and would openly admit to being approached by the University to come play football with them for the year. Neither had to pay any fees or any accomodation.

gotmilk (Fermanagh) - Posts: 4971 - 12/12/2014 12:04:47    1678211

Donegalman
County: All
Posts: 1775

The same can be said of College football in the USA. Scholarships to BC and BU, notre Dame etc etc. It is a fraction of the problem it is over here as it is over in North America

I agree Donegalman, and with another post where it was pointed out that there are over-qualified people who have degrees or certificates in many disciplines to, in many cases, end up getting a coaching officers role of some sort through a county board.

xxB3B0Stunnahxx (USA) - Posts: 94 - 12/12/2014 12:15:00    1678217

is mattherw donnelly and ronan o neill with ujj i heard conor mc mannus is there this year

antoman (Mayo) - Posts: 140 - 12/12/2014 13:25:42    1678238

Paddy Mc Brearty and Cillian O connor with UUJ also

Tir Conaill Abu (Donegal) - Posts: 1671 - 12/12/2014 14:31:43    1678264