I have just read about this clubs actions against soccer, and I think it should be applauded. Fair play to them for trying to get a committed bunch of lads to turn around the clubs fortunes which apparently ahvent been successful with these boys, so what have they got to lose. I firmly believe a committed bunch is much better that a crowd or pre madonna's or bucks that think they can be done without. The club obviously have the numbers to deal with this. Success will come for this club, i guarantee you. Pity some other clubs wouldnt sit up and take notice. Why should a club risk a player picking up an injury the day before a game and maybe an important game at that. Well done to the committee of Fintona Pearses. Take a bow and dont back down.

houserules (Donegal) - Posts: 165 - 01/01/2009 13:59:12    171783

This may be true, clearly commitment is required if there is to be any success at the club. Unfortunately the issue has split the club and the community, success remains a long way off. They do not have the numbers to deal with this situation and the senior team profile is continuing to age. Add to this the possibility of legal action and the fortunes for the club are looking poor. The problems are clear to most but some fail to see what is staring them in the face. There is a total lack of qualified and committed coaches in the club. In addition a robust policy on Alcohol and Drugs is just one of the things required. This will not happen when they ostracise the people who are in a position to bring the club forward.

ednasop (Tyrone) - Posts: 50 - 01/01/2009 16:07:58    171815

horse, i would disagree entirely with what you've said on this. the fact is that fintona simply does not have the numbers to cope with this problem. fintona is the second largest town in the omagh district, but its neighbours, dromore and trillick, both with a fraction of the population it has have grown and prospered while the pearses stagnate. they are in the lower league for a reason, because problems such as this have been allowed to fester. they have missed mccarron, an exceptional club footballer who has played for both tyrone and new york, a third division team cannot lose a player of this stature and expect to replace him with this arttitide. with anything up to another 12 to go, would prove fatal for a club. if you took 12 from any training session in the county you would struggle to field, that's the reality.
at a time when the gaa world is complaining about the aussie poaching our young and talented a attitude such as the one you expressed is the height of hypocrisy. remember the amateur ethos, these players are not contractually bound to own sport. instead of harping about why people are leaving and attacking their perceived 'lack of committment' we should be asking what the club has down to keep them.

milo (Tyrone) - Posts: 238 - 01/01/2009 17:59:06    171843

I have played for fintona all my life and I have to say that last year was one of the most enjoyable, we had no arguements between players on or off the pitch and everybody involved kept their heads down and worked away, maybe if the play offs were in action last year we mite of got promotion. I would just like to remind my fellow fintonian that we got relegated with the soccer players on board 2 years ago, aidan mc carron and all! I can tell you also that the seniors and reserves will have the numbers next year and for many years to come!

garvallagh (Tyrone) - Posts: 3 - 01/01/2009 18:18:23    171847

If they were a senior team they might be in the right but Fintona dont have the numbers or quality to deal with this type of exodus. It is a policy that could ruin the club and its unfortunate because they have such potential. The GAA club shouldnt be going to head to head with its players, diplomacy is the only solution to this problem.

trileacman (Tyrone) - Posts: 759 - 01/01/2009 18:26:20    171849

houserules, i apologise for referring to you as 'horse' earlier, i initially read it as 'horserules' for some reason!
ps cindi lauper was "pre madonna" i'd say she would be a nippy corner forward! as for the 'prima donnas', it looks like the club are going to find out sooner or later the consequences of this sorry debacle!

milo (Tyrone) - Posts: 238 - 01/01/2009 18:34:05    171853

Can anyone name me a likely fintona team for next year?

gaa player (None) - Posts: 4 - 01/01/2009 19:15:51    171870

In return to milo It is obivious to me that you are badly mislead in your view over Aidan Mc Carron! I believe he is of little loss to our club having played little over the last number of years -----

fintonagael (Tyrone) - Posts: 3 - 01/01/2009 19:27:08    171873

this is stoneage rules unbeliveable in modern ireland.

olivers (Tyrone) - Posts: 283 - 02/01/2009 13:23:37    172050

I apologise for my ignorance but can someone please inform me of the policy Fintona have employed?? I can only assume it is something like anyone interested in playing for them cant play soccer??? Its hard to tell lads what they can and can not do but it is up to the committee to make the decisions they feel are in the best interests of the club and maybe a fit bunch of committed lads on a sunday morning is better than a dozen lads carrying injuries from a soccer game on saturday. I think that if people do leave to play soccer then maybe they arent the kind of lads you want playing for you anyway. Also with respect and admiration you get from playing for your GAA club will never be rivelled by playing ( what is generally a **** poor standard ) of soccer, and true gaels will 9 / 10 come back.

cluaineo91 (Tyrone) - Posts: 27 - 02/01/2009 13:41:47    172052

Is it just me or would a policy of this sort not have to go through a club AGM rather than committee setting the standard.
Also at this time of year it would be safe to say that if the club as a whole did not suppport this move the committee would have been overturned.

number8 (Tyrone) - Posts: 40 - 02/01/2009 15:05:28    172083

possible fintona team for the year...

1.stephen mc williams
2.stephen monteith
3.niall donnelly
4.sean wilson
5.kevy mc girr
6.paul martin
7.jasy donnelly
8.fegal mc cann
9.sean connolly
10.aaron mc carney
11.benny mc carney
12.bernard cassidy
13.sean monteith
14.mark donnelly
15.herby mellon

Fintonian (Tyrone) - Posts: 5 - 02/01/2009 18:18:21    172167

It is strange to see such a variation of comments on this Gaa 'v' soccer issue. When you see current players backing it strongly and stating the soccer boys were they at relegation 2 years ago, I would say the club have made the right call. I feel it is unfair to slag the club under the drug and alcohol policy too. All clubs including my own in Donegal promote this, however it is out of the control of the club when the player steps outside the gates. I hope this is an issue which will sort and the GAA in Fintona can reap the rewards. Was looking at your website too, and your fine grounds which has won awards, so the committee do have the club at heart given the fine facilities you have.

houserules (Donegal) - Posts: 165 - 02/01/2009 20:55:08    172235

did a certain dromore not employ this policy a few years ago?

pairsaighs (Tyrone) - Posts: 13 - 03/01/2009 13:03:06    172349

Best of luck to fintona, Clonoe commitee tried this under john morrison, did not work big time mainly because two or three commitee members wanted soccer banned and then when a few "soccer" players pulled them on why this was happening the same commitee men then said "nothing to do with me it was john morrison" needless to say come convention they where out ,morrison resigned, cassidy takin in,boys mostly did not play soccer before clonoe games and we won the oneill cup. With out this comprimise our club was on the brink of being split.Very hard rule to enforce but thank god our players knew when too put soccer first and when to put clonoe first especially before a clonoe game they where mature enough to make there own decision.

istolethegiro (Tyrone) - Posts: 73 - 03/01/2009 13:27:26    172354

all the soccer players are good for is going 2 the papers (and we all know who that was)any true gael would b proud to wear their club colours

bmpms1 (Tyrone) - Posts: 10 - 03/01/2009 13:50:35    172358

bmpms1
County: Tyrone
Posts: 2

172358
all the soccer players are good for is going 2 the papers (and we all know who that was)any true gael would b proud to wear their club colours

so your not a true gael if you play soccer, is that what your implying? the soccer season runs durin the winter and the occasions when soccer and gaelic fall on the same weekends are limited to about 6 or 7 times a year! it shouldn make a difference to anyone whether or not you play both. very few players would play soccer if their team was still involved in the championship or for promotion/relegation until those games were over and there was nothing to play for only pride! not to mention the fact that playing over the winter in soccer will help keep some level of fitness and sharpness in the players.
sure if your gonna make players pick between soccer and gaelic then why not do the same with those who play gaelic and hurley to keep the whole thing even!

UpTheRagh (Tyrone) - Posts: 69 - 03/01/2009 14:54:58    172375

possible fintona team for the year...

1.stephen mc williams/barry cunningham: both weak enough kick outs but young cunningham is a good shot stopper
2.jasy donnelly
3.gerard mc williams
4.sean wilson
5.kevy mc girr
6.niall donnelly
7.bernard cassidy
8.fegal mc cann
9.sean connolly
10. Paul Martin
11.benny mc carney
12.Nial Mellon
13.sean og Monteith
14.Markd Donnelly
15.Aaron Mc Carney

Tyrone_Geal (Tyrone) - Posts: 11 - 03/01/2009 16:22:54    172405

'very few would play if involved in promotion or relegation battles???

how wrong..about nine chose soccer over gaelic one weekend when the chips were down.
is it fair to force the committed boys to play with different team'mates' each week?

pairsaighs (Tyrone) - Posts: 13 - 03/01/2009 23:13:54    172525

You all need to ask yourselves why this is happening. Is it really about soccer at all? Or is more to do with Management, Teamwork, Motivation and Leadership? This is an amateur sport and you cannot force people to do things they do not want to. You need to provide them with the motivation. Clearly the politics in the Fintona club did not allow for this. The same attitude permeates throughout the community in Fintona. As for Dromore and their soccer ban. They are a senior club and they went about it in the right way and brought people along with them. In Fintona they did not even attempt to bring people with them. They threw the baby out with the bath water. Sticking their head in the sand and pretending a problem does not exist is not dealing with it!

ednasop (Tyrone) - Posts: 50 - 04/01/2009 11:04:37    172573