Cheese, I said Im 'from' Ballinasloe, not living there. If I was there on a regular basis or still living there, believe you me, I'd be fully involved. But I'm not so instead I express an opinion on a discussion board. I've been listening to this don't be 'putting the down the town' horse**** all my life and its still not cutting the mustard. Most people from or living in the town of a certain age will accept that its gone to the dogs in a lot of respects in recent years, and I'd certainly agree. Its a very different place from the town I grew up in. I take no pleasure in saying that, but thats what I think and the failure to produce or maintain a capable hurling team, for me, is typical of the kind of apathy that seems to be strangling my home town. Sorry if my opinion upsets you and if you would like me to expand further, I'd be happy to do so.

TVH (Galway) - Posts: 30 - 10/12/2008 16:56:24    161239

cheese...TVH is right just cut the mustard!!

vadge (Galway) - Posts: 78 - 10/12/2008 17:32:05    161277

I think its a bit much putting the second most successful football club in Galway history in this thread. Every club has its ups and downs, 10 years ago few would have predicted Portumnas dominance? New pitch/clubhouse on the way and I hear some great men working in the background. They have had recent success in under-age football and hurling. Hard to see them ever contest in the hurling but should be able in football.
TVH Hurling is way down the pecking order of sports in the town, its the poor relation of Football, Soccer and Rugby.

captaincajun (Galway) - Posts: 54 - 10/12/2008 19:05:10    161376

"Being a town is not an advantage, along with a town comes other distractions such as other sports and social activities. For country clubs whose pick can span for miles and miles the only distraction from the mundane life of school/work and farming is the local GAA club and the odd village dance!"

Mowtastic you got it in one with the social activities. The main problem with players from B'sloe is cider. Many of the players are too fond of the golden nectar and living the good life in Joes and The Usual. GAA in B'sloe has become a laughing stock. The rural clubs in the surrounding hinterlands have completely eclipsed B'sloe and the majority are now a full two divisions above B'sloe. Smaller local clubs like Kiltormer,Mullagh, Cappataggle, Caltra and Sarsfields are all now plying their trade in the Senior division. It wouldn't surprise me to see B'sloe drop to Junior B in football in the next few years.

zola (Galway) - Posts: 9 - 10/12/2008 19:31:06    161432

"TVH Hurling is way down the pecking order of sports in the town, its the poor relation of Football, Soccer and Rugby"

Truth be told the towns soccer team is playing in a rubbish league in Roscommon and would be annialted in a top division such as the Leinster Senior league. Granted they won the Connaught Cup a few years back, with the help of a favourable draw and a huge slice of luck, but have gradually declined in standards since. The footballers are an average Junior A team which was proven last year and the Rugby team are playing in a lowly division also. If the hurlers are the bottom of such a prestigious and "talented" pecking order then god help them!

zola (Galway) - Posts: 9 - 10/12/2008 19:37:06    161441

just wait and c 4 yourselves so....

milk (Galway) - Posts: 35 - 10/12/2008 21:58:06    161546

Zola do you mind me asking where your from yoursel? You been studying bsloe GAA in Mountbellew Ag college for long?
"Mowtastic you got it in one with the social activities. The main problem with players from B'sloe is cider. Many of the players are too fond of the golden nectar and living the good life in Joes and The Usual. GAA in B'sloe has become a laughing stock. The rural clubs in the surrounding hinterlands have completely eclipsed B'sloe and the majority are now a full two divisions above B'sloe. Smaller local clubs like Kiltormer,Mullagh, Cappataggle, Caltra and Sarsfields are all now plying their trade in the Senior division. It wouldn't surprise me to see B'sloe drop to Junior B in football in the next few years"
Every club mentioned above specialises in 1 sport which helps. Cappy have just gone senior for the first time in 50 years, there football team (Gabriels) wouldn beat a bslo minor team.Kiltormer are weaker than bsloe in under-age hurling at the moment. If you knew the ins and outs of GAA in the county you would know that Bslo cannot actually be relegated to Junior B. I have a feeling your just a sh!t stirrer that wouldn know a sliothar from an O'Neils size 5.
When you go to a game involving any of the teams mentioned above you will see many men from the town out supporting there neighbours. The suck valley league has also been a great help to neighbouring villages. In opposite circumstances country lads come to Ballinasloe matches hoping they will lose. I dont know why ye begrudge the shams, its not our fault ye were dragged out of bed at 5 in the morning when the calves were in labour or a sheep was caught up in barbed wire!

mowtastic (Galway) - Posts: 98 - 10/12/2008 22:18:21    161566

I think its very unfair to label Bsloe the worst club, they have had such success in the past and have given us so many All Ireland winners. I believe 2001 was the first Galway winning team without a ballinasloe panel member. There are plenty worse clubs in Galway. Seems to be a lot of lads out to put the knife in to them this year for whatever reason, hopefully ye can prove them wrong and get back in the big time soon!

jimfahy (Galway) - Posts: 81 - 10/12/2008 22:24:27    161574

It has already been stated in a diff thread that the Roscommon league is by design not choice for bsloe, geographically way back when they had no choice they played where it suited. As for the draw helping them? Who cares, look at Cappy they wont care that they got the easy draw in intermediate. They are senior and fair play.
I was referring to the choice of youngsters my own age, Bsloe reached the FAI quarter final last year U18 soccer and won connaucht cup. Garballly won a senior cup 2 years ago and there is bslo underage aswell as Buccs U20 as an option, the football team won county 2 U16 and an U21 title in the last 2 years. The Minor hurlers won 2 C titles in the last 2 years and and U16 C. Not that bad pecking order to choose from after all!

captaincajun (Galway) - Posts: 54 - 10/12/2008 22:40:43    161585

TVH, yes, please enlighten us even further on whats wrong with the place you grew up in, I'd be fascinated to know. Zola, as pointed out by other posters your ignorance of the GAA and others codes knows no bounds. Firstly to the soccer, if you bothered to look up the league at all, you would see that the Roscommon league is pretty much made up of teams from south Ros/east Galway. It is purely for geographical reasons. Also, Ballinasloe, along with other clubs, last year tried to form a Connacht soccer league, with the top 3 teams from each league but this fell through at the last minute, and plans are under way for this to go ahead again, possibly even next year.The Ros league played the Clare league on Saturday, 8 of the starting team were from Bsloe, and they beat the best of the Clare league 3-2 away, must be playing at a pretty poor standard alright. Also, as you seem to know a lot about Ballinasloe and its inhabitants social lives and waterholes, you would know damn well that the club was at an all time low there for a few years but great work is underway. You would also know that the reason the town doesnt excel in any one sport is because there is no dominant sport in the town, unlike an area, for example, shall we say Cappataggle, which has a massive pick and is in the hurling heartland of east Galway, where football pretty much doesnt exist. I predict over the next 2 years you will see bsloe intermediate in both football and hurling ,and if they are not, maybe we should all wear some nice matching bracelets as it seems to do the trick.

Kippy (Galway) - Posts: 2 - 11/12/2008 11:24:57    161798

Its great to see jimfahy and kippy getting so irate. Ye build yerselves up every year only to be knocked down. Have a look at last years Junior A thread and some of the hilarious boasts made by B'slovians. You have become like England at World Cup time and Dublin in the championship where evrybody loves to see ye knocked out. I look forward to yer impending self destruction, because it will happen, and your early exit again this year.

zola (Galway) - Posts: 9 - 11/12/2008 13:14:58    161946

you can not compare the situations in cappy and bsloe on the same level!! for bsloe to say cappy have a massive pick is a joke to say the least. there are very very few young lads to pick from in cappy compared with bsloe. there are at least 3 big national schools in bsloe.....am i right! the numbers in one of these is far greater than the numbers of young lads in all the national schools in 4 small villages which make cappy hurling club not 2 mind if u counted all 3. bsloe have no excuse for numbers.....regardless of the amount of sports ye play.....i no alot of people from bsloe the soundest of people but just with the wrong attitude!! ye are sayin people are out 2 put the knife in 2 bsloe....no they are not!!start putting in the hours with the right attitude n stop sayin ye dont hav the numbers players i hav never seen less than 20 tog out for bsloe!! stop hiding behind a couple of C hurling finals....put work in with your young lads in a higher grade from the begining because winning C hurling will not improve your hurling if u aspire 2 have a intermediate team again! if u r playing a slow grade in the begining you will always be dat bit slower.....thats not a dig i no bsloe does hav talent but ye have ruined some good players playin them at this level....when they do make it to junior or intermediate they wont have the skill and that extra bit of bite to compete at a higher level!! bsloe cannot compete with cappy at any level!! there young lads have put in the work as you can see with the amount of young lads on their intermediate team!! if you want the repect of the smaller clubs with prob less than half the numbers and half the facilities go earn it!!

hurling567 (Galway) - Posts: 13 - 11/12/2008 13:52:52    161994

I would not say my last post was irrate and do not try and include me in your petty slagging match Zola. Gladly my playing days are over but I do look on in interest at the club scene. I just find it amusing that a club who won under-age hurling club of the year and have just built fantastic new facilities can be put into this thread.
With regards catchment area, Pearses, Ahascragh, Killtormer, Gabriels/Cappy all define our borders. Clubs like Caltras pick span for miles, there are far more national schools in Caltras catchment are (from Killure to Mountbellew) than there is in bsloe. ballinasloe have 2 schools, the town school and Gael scoil. Creagh would be made up of mainly Pearses and Gael Scoil 50/50. Zola what great club do you hail for seeing as you are an authority on Ballinasloe?

jimfahy (Galway) - Posts: 81 - 11/12/2008 15:39:59    162136

hurling....567......

The biggest mistake bslo ever made was giving up there facilities the Duggan Park to the County board. This year will be the first year they have there own pitch. Hopefully success on the field will follow the success off it!

mowtastic (Galway) - Posts: 98 - 11/12/2008 15:46:28    162149

Well said hurling567 respect has to be earned. The problem with Ballinasloe as I mentioned earlier is down to a beverage produced in Clonmel and a general attitude among the players that stinks. Ye think ye've a devine right to play Senior when ye aren't even good enough to compete in Junior as last years proved. Maybe ye can turn it around this year and if so then fair play.

"there are far more national schools in Caltras catchment are (from Killure to Mountbellew) than there is in bsloe"
That has to be one of the most ludicrous statements I have read on the hoganstand. What difference does that make! The numbers in these schools combined are miniscule compared to the three national schools in Ballinasloe. To even try and argue the point is ridiculous!

"I dont know why ye begrudge the shams, its not our fault ye were dragged out of bed at 5 in the morning when the calves were in labour or a sheep was caught up in barbed wire!"
Maybe theres something in that. Country lads seem to be that but tougher the their town counterparts. They don't complain when the training gets gruling and hard and just get on with it. There seems to be less twinges and "hamstrings" than their towny opposition to boot. Maybe if ye just toughened up a bit and put in the hard slog ye might start getting some just rewards.

zola (Galway) - Posts: 9 - 11/12/2008 20:50:57    162522

"there are far more national schools in Caltras catchment are (from Killure to Mountbellew) than there is in bsloe"
That has to be one of the most ludicrous statements I have read on the hoganstand. What difference does that make! The numbers in these schools combined are miniscule compared to the three national schools in Ballinasloe. To even try and argue the point is ridiculous!
Not that ludicrous, Ahascragh, Caltra, Killure, Eglish, Castleblakney etc its a massive catchment area for a football mad area. Of course it has its down sides, travelling to training and stuff. Also bslo is really 1 and a half national schools as was pointed out earlier by someone.

Zola the brave still wont name his club altough backing hurling full stops cappy rant I think we can guess. Its very easy to pick holes in other clubs. Only Corofin and Portumna cannot be slagged this year as senior champs. Although if one was picky they could ask how there hurling teams are doing and why they do not contest both. In fact we should start a thread to slag Killkenny, shame on them not having a good football team!

captaincajun (Galway) - Posts: 54 - 11/12/2008 23:37:03    162651

"Zola the brave still wont name his club altough backing hurling full stops cappy rant I think we can guess"

Is this even english?

Jimfahy and mowtastic (who i'm pretty sure are the same person!) trade an insult first and then ask where you are from. You hardly think I would answer in that format! Listen buddy your the one that seems obsessed with Cappataggle not me, I mentioned them once along with many other local slubs as an example of a senior team. Yourself and your mate had a go at them and Kiltormer so maybe its a jelousy thing or something.

As usual a thread that involves B'sloe in some shape gets wildly out of hand and grows by the day. All talk!

zola (Galway) - Posts: 9 - 12/12/2008 00:23:58    162671

Maybe theres something in that. Country lads seem to be that but tougher the their town counterparts. They don't complain when the training gets gruling and hard and just get on with it. There seems to be less twinges and "hamstrings" than their towny opposition to boot. Maybe if ye just toughened up a bit and put in the hard slog ye might start getting some just rewards.

Your right there Zola, ive heard every excuse in the book from lads this year. Strains and Pulls in places I have never heard of before, a pulled peck was one such injury. Dead legs is another favourite of todays youth when things are not going there way! Hopefully the recession will toughen them up!

As for me being the same person as Jim Fahy, whatever you think!

mowtastic (Galway) - Posts: 98 - 12/12/2008 11:44:02    162860

Lads it's a simple as this: The B'sloe lads from 18 onwards are so cocky and feel thay should be on county panels and when their not its the selectors fault. If their left on the bench for a club game their down the pub after giving out and telling everyone their off playing soccer or giving up all sports, might keep on the pool in Joe's though.
If they dont get this arrogance out of their young players this will continue. They need to keep their head down and work hard. When they win games and medals then go on the lash as much as they want. It's nothing got to do with amount of schools in an area, it's got to do with the attidude of the players that are involved. The great Caltra team of 03/04 all grew up together as did this years Cappy team. Lot of brothers and Cousins on those teams who would all go through a wall on the pitch for each other. Dont think B'sloe are like that to be honest.

bman (Galway) - Posts: 143 - 12/12/2008 13:30:18    162998

a pulled peck!!! That is priceless, mother of jesus what will ye shams think of next!

zola (Galway) - Posts: 9 - 12/12/2008 13:57:50    163031