Great shout summerhillof69

rath_togh (Meath) - Posts: 740 - 10/09/2012 09:35:01    1262873

Well after Ratoath were meant to "bottle" it against Bective, and then let the "big game" against Summerhill get to them, I hope they fall to pieces agaisnt Simonstown!!! Strongest team in it by a country mile and if they play like they did against Summerhill again they will be unstoppable!!! Any prices on the championship now at this point?

ratlag (Meath) - Posts: 585 - 10/09/2012 09:48:23    1262886

In fairness Ratlag Ratoath should have stayed Intermediate when they got there a few a years ago. For a parish with such a large population they should not be Junior. Indeed they should be Senior. About 10 years ago they were beaten by the Tones in this competition. Tones went on to win both Intermediat & Senior championships since and have been consistently a top Senior team. They would only have a fraction of Ratoath's population so why can Ratoath not at least be Intermediate. Similarly, that was Summerhill's second team you beat. It was a terrible result for them but these days as you know well it's not easy to keep two teams at the top of their respective grades. Best of luck to Ratoath in this competition but for God's sake get up a grade and chalange for the Senior ranks where you should be.

The real Árd Rí (Meath) - Posts: 990 - 10/09/2012 10:06:08    1262904

The real Árd Rí

Don't dispute any of the above. Everyone tries to be the best they can and things don't always work out. Take for instance Meath being knocked out of the championship by a county with 104k people less living in it this year. How many times have our U21's & Minors been knocked out by Longford over the past 10 years which had the same pop. as Navan in 2006? Maybe you deserve a similar lecture to your own for being a Meath man?

Cycles come and go, we'd love to avoid them at club and county level but they're inevitable, despite population or growth.

rath_togh (Meath) - Posts: 740 - 10/09/2012 10:23:27    1262929

Ard its all well and good having a big population but not worth a fiddlers if none of them will tog out for the club.

lagoreX (Meath) - Posts: 223 - 10/09/2012 10:28:28    1262935

rath_togh
I think your missing the big picture here. Instead of slagging off Senior clubs who's second team under preform against first teams from areas with considerably larger populations, you should be doing something to improve the standard of your club. A much better use of ones time don't you think. When was the last time Ratoath were a Senior club. Summerhill are Senior for about 40 years now and have about five or six Keegan cups in that period. Are current Senior champions and many peoples favourites to retain the Keegan cup. Not a bad record for a parish with an average population level even if my own club would love to hammer them.

The real Árd Rí (Meath) - Posts: 990 - 10/09/2012 10:40:09    1262949

The real Árd Rí

Again I don't dispute that we need to get our house in order, but tell me where or when did I discredit Summerhill? My reference was to a poster "Great shout summerhillof69" for his statement, " Summerhill to pull through , Ratoath to bottle it again when the big occasion arises "

So my friend I NEVER made any reference to, never mind slagged off Summerhill's 2nd string but rather reminded a poster of his/her unfair post prior to the game.
I look forward to your apology.

*NB Summerhill are indeed fantastic champions and superpowers both now and at times during the early nineties, and 80's especially but their cycle like everyone else's swings low as evidenced by many a relegation battle in the last decade

rath_togh (Meath) - Posts: 740 - 10/09/2012 10:55:23    1262968

Ard I dont think he was slagging off Summerhill, just saying that they played well against them (We are in no position to be slagging any clubs )
But sometimes big population doesnt equal success, We would love to be in a position to emulate that brilliant Tones team or Summerhill
Hopefully the team can start by bringing Junior Success but it will be massive challenge

lagoreX (Meath) - Posts: 223 - 10/09/2012 10:55:26    1262969

Getting under your skin then are we rath_togh. Well you don't mind getting under others yourself do you. I simply pointed out that this was Summerhill's second team and that in a parish of average population it is difficult to maintain two teams at the top of their respective grades. It should be possible for areas of larger populations to do better than Ratoath have traditionally done. Indeed Ratoath are not alone with this problem. large population centres like Kells and Athboy are even worse. Incipiently I don't have anything against Ratoath. I was always treated very well on visits to their ground and would love to see them get up the grades. But that won't happen by looking over your shoulder at the second string other clubs put out. Remember the team and club is a fair reflection of the general support from the local population for the club and it is up to you and all other Ratoath supporters to get out there and put as much work as you can into your club. You don't have to be a player to make an impression.

The real Árd Rí (Meath) - Posts: 990 - 10/09/2012 11:54:58    1263027

The real Árd Rí, I've agreed with everything you've said re us having to get our act together so what's the problem?

''Great shout summerhillof69'' is actually my 1st post since about May or June so how can you say I'm running down or slagging anyone's 2nd time?

Again I'll explain that my comment is regarding his unkind prediction that ''Ratoath to bottle it again when the big occasion arises''. So for the 2nd time where or when did I discredit any Senior club's 2nd team?
You might answer the question this time.

rath_togh (Meath) - Posts: 740 - 10/09/2012 12:10:17    1263043

How does a big population mean a great team ???? by that account China should have the best team at everything the enter!!!! Ratoath have only had the teams coming through in the last 2-3years and its showing now. I wouldn be surprised to see them senior in the next 3 years and if they continue at the rate they are going then I think they will be very hard stopped. Yea it was summerhills 2nd team, but considering the comment that Ratoath were meant to bottle it I felt it was fitting to throw it in the posters face as im sick of people saying the same crap year in year out. The people who hype ratoath up the whole time seem to be the ones outside the team because this is the first year the players have been saying they feel they can win in and are fully confident and focused on it

ratlag (Meath) - Posts: 585 - 10/09/2012 13:36:34    1263172

The real Árd Rí
Is it possible that you might have mixed my comment up with Ratlag's?

rath_togh (Meath) - Posts: 740 - 10/09/2012 13:42:21    1263184

Ratlag and Rath_togh, great if Ratoath are Senior in a few years. God knows they should be. No a large centre of population won't win it every year. Otherwise Dublin in the AI or NOM in the Keegan would be unbeatable. However you would expect them to get there now and again. I'm not just having a go at Ratoath here as I already said. Other large population areas have similarly failed to impress. In some of these cases it is because of financial pressures but in others it is because the club is badly organised with little or no support from locals. Yes they will turn up when the team reaches the concluding stages of a championship but will they pay a membership or bring in local lottery contributions. You will find that more successful clubs will have a well oiled machine. Less successful clubs whether they be in large areas of population or not don't have this input and it shows on the field. Summerhill as a club have impressed me since the early seventies when they first went Senior. The only thing that I don't like about them is that when they start winning the tend to forget that the rest of us want a look in too. Clubs like Summerhill. Skryne, NOM, etc are the ones that everyone want to beat because of their success. but that success comes at a price called hard work. When others put the same amount of hard work into their clubs they will in time get the rewards. Best of luck to Ratoath if they are now doing the hard work. It will show in time but you need to get to Senior level sooner rather than later and that's no easy task.

The real Árd Rí (Meath) - Posts: 990 - 10/09/2012 14:05:04    1263228

Rath Lag , You say that we will go Senior in 3 years and that the players are going around saying they are going to win it (which is total BS)
and then you go on to give out about people hyping the team!!!?? First of all its very disrespectful to the likes of Bective,Don/Ash and Simonstown.Lads can we please change the subject back to the Junior A championship not Ratoaths population

lagoreX (Meath) - Posts: 223 - 10/09/2012 15:51:39    1263355

i suppose the semi's will be the weekend after the All Ireland?

onehoponesolo (Meath) - Posts: 21 - 10/09/2012 17:25:02    1263486

Lagorex i said i could see them going senior in 3 years not that they will definitely b there!!!
I also said that the players never hype the team up as the best in junior over the last years but that this year is the first they believe they can do it as the focus and commitment is right (which is true)!!!! and never gave out about people hyping the team, merely that it seems to be people outside the club (i.e. not involved in the team itself)
and how is it disrespectful to any of the remaining teams??? All it is sayin is that confidence is high among the plyers and they feel they can win the championship this year, so you may take your "BS" and give over. Read comments properly rather then just trying to argue!!!!

And getting back to my origional post, anyone know any odds on the championship at this stage?

ratlag (Meath) - Posts: 585 - 10/09/2012 17:58:06    1263518

Ratoath v Simonstown
Donaghmore/Ashbourne v Bective

any predictions on these fixtures and the peoples favourite at this stage

daboy (Meath) - Posts: 56 - 12/09/2012 18:16:35    1265135

Oh yes I'm working hard on my predictions for the Junior A semis.Putting in a lot of taught and this stuff takes time want to make sure that I get it right and keep my great record up. Dont worry I will have them soon

glenny (Meath) - Posts: 1119 - 12/09/2012 20:19:44    1265216

Ratoath v Simonstown - Ratoath proved me wrong the last day. 2 good wins on the trot and they'll have to be favourites going into this one. Still reckon Simonstown will nip it though. Simonstown by 2
Donaghmore/Ashbourne v Bective - Bective been knocking on the door for long enough. They bounced back well from the Ratoath match. Good win for Don/Ash also but I'll go for Bective by 4

Are the two finalist being promoted to Intermediate this year?

giversally (Meath) - Posts: 11 - 12/09/2012 21:47:16    1265324

Ratoath v Simonstown - Ratoath proved me wrong the last day. 2 good wins on the trot and they'll have to be favourites going into this one. Still reckon Simonstown will nip it though. Simonstown by 2
Donaghmore/Ashbourne v Bective - Bective been knocking on the door for long enough. They bounced back well from the Ratoath match. Good win for Don/Ash also but I'll go for Bective by 4

Jaysus, hard to say if it comes down to a derby match. But I'll go for Bective. Seem the most consistant team in the last couple of years in all completitions and might just have that extra drive to in them to finish it off this year.

Are the two finalist being promoted to Intermediate this year?

giversally (Meath) - Posts: 11 - 12/09/2012 21:53:25    1265334