Wexford Hurling Thread

Replying To Sliotharyslope:  "Our local media are referring to the Fethard v Rapparees game this week as a relegation final. As everyone will agree, finals are played by the 2 teams who have been unbeaten ( or in the modern round robin set up in some sports, lost the least amount of games). The Rapparees have won 1/5 games, whereas Fethard have lost all 5. How then can this relegation game to maintain senior status be called a final. It is a very important game for both clubs, but should only be referred to as a relegation playoff.
Does insisting on it being called a final reward mediocrity and failure to call a spade a spade. Of course both teams will not be happy with their performances to date, but what does insisting on such events say about our level of ambition or even our mindset as a county?
Good luck to whoever wins, but I would hope that the victors feel a sense of relief rather than feel they have any reason to celebrate avoiding relegation."

Replying To Sliotharyslope:  "Our local media are referring to the Fethard v Rapparees game this week as a relegation final. As everyone will agree, finals are played by the 2 teams who have been unbeaten ( or in the modern round robin set up in some sports, lost the least amount of games). The Rapparees have won 1/5 games, whereas Fethard have lost all 5. How then can this relegation game to maintain senior status be called a final. It is a very important game for both clubs, but should only be referred to as a relegation playoff.
Does insisting on it being called a final reward mediocrity and failure to call a spade a spade. Of course both teams will not be happy with their performances to date, but what does insisting on such events say about our level of ambition or even our mindset as a county?
Good luck to whoever wins, but I would hope that the victors feel a sense of relief rather than feel they have any reason to celebrate avoiding relegation."

Replying To Viking66:  "Its a final as in final game of the series. The word final doesn't imply anything great about a game."

Replying To Pikeman96:  "I can be nit-picky myself about terminology etc., but that one goes beyond the level of anything even I'd reach! :D

The official fixtures spreadsheet sent to clubs calls them Relegation Finals. I see that they're listed on the Wexford GAA website and social media as relegation finals too.

Quick browse of websites of a couple of other counties where I know they've had relegation "finals" recently (Waterford hurling & Kerry football) shows that the deciding games are listed as "finals" there too.

"Relegation play-off" doesn't have the same ultimate meaning. There could still another play-off to follow for the losers. Indeed, both Waterford & Kerry use the term "relegation play-off" for what could otherwise be referred to as a relegation semi-final, but they then say "relegation final" for the ultimate deciding game itself.

But don't worry - nobody is under any illusions that "getting to any sort of final is a good thing" or that winning them would be cause for celebration. In fact, these are often called "the finals that nobody wants to be in". Across hurling and football, my own club has been in three of them over the past eight or ten years. Fortunately, we won all three. But we didn't feel cause for celebration. Instead we just felt cause for relief and to resolve to do better the following year."

Replying To Sliotharyslope:  "Removing 'final' and replacing it with 'playoff' removes any ambiguity or indeed any illusions that may emerge from merely preserving senior status."

Replying To Sliotharyslope:  "Removing 'final' and replacing it with 'playoff' removes any ambiguity or indeed any illusions that may emerge from merely preserving senior status."

Replying To Viking66:  "Ah not sure, agree relief would be the overriding feeling, but Id celebrate maintaining your grade when the alternative is going down."

Replying To Pikeman96:  "From experience - you celebrate for a few seconds, with an initial 'Yes!'. But then that quickly turns into just the relief and resolve I've already mentioned. You don't go out on the lash and decide to take the next day off work in order to celebrate in the way you'd celebrate winning an actual championship title final."

Replying To Pikeman96:  "From experience - you celebrate for a few seconds, with an initial 'Yes!'. But then that quickly turns into just the relief and resolve I've already mentioned. You don't go out on the lash and decide to take the next day off work in order to celebrate in the way you'd celebrate winning an actual championship title final."

Replying To Pikeman96:  "From experience - you celebrate for a few seconds, with an initial 'Yes!'. But then that quickly turns into just the relief and resolve I've already mentioned. You don't go out on the lash and decide to take the next day off work in order to celebrate in the way you'd celebrate winning an actual championship title final."