hill16no1man
County: Dublin
Posts: 3026

im not taking shots im telling the truth you can buy into the media hype around celtic all you want but the plain answers are there to be seen they play in a league that is of the exact same standard as the airtricity league

one of the better attended leagues hahahaha are you for real apart from celtic no side can get more then 10 thousand for home matches and tat is onlywhen they play celtic,the league is poorly attended

Per head of population attending top tier matches, the last time an annual report was carried out, Scotland was the third best supported league in Europe, coming in just behind Iceland and Cyrus.

If you want to talk about support in terms of biggest attendances each week then the German league is the best supported numbers wise. But when you factor in population it only ranks 18th in Europe, one place above Northern Ireland. Ireland only (unsurprisingly I suppose) comes in 27th but is still three places ahead of Ligue 1 in France.

The SPL is a fully professional league, well organised (for the most part), where teams have good training facilities and youth structures. The Airtricity League is a million miles away from that standard. We are nowhere close to having a full time, professional, well run league in this country. To suggest Celtic play in a league on a par with our own domestic league is absolutely absurd and I'd seriously hope for your own sanity that you're wumming with a statement like that.

Do you honestly think Celtic would be second behind Sligo if they were playing here in Ireland?

Without wanting to go back over old ground, or open another can of worms your downgrading of the Scottish league is hardly a surprise when one thinks back to your feelings on Ciarán Kilkenny taking the chance to play in the AFL...

Anyways back on topic.

Best of luck to Jim.

Massive opportunity for him to make a career for himself in a professional sport. No doubt it's going to be tough for him to try and balance both roles initially but when you look at how he approached things with Donegal, then you can be sure he wouldn't be getting involved if he felt he wouldn't be able to commit anything less than 100% to both Celtic and Donegal.

Hopefully it all works out well for him, there's bound to be some sort of mutual benefits and crossovers between working in both sports.

Wouldn't be at all surprised if we see more people make moves like this. I'm sure there's plenty of other people out there involved in the GAA at various levels with more than enough experience and qualifications to work in different areas of professional sports.

if_in_doubt (Kildare) - Posts: 3691 - 13/11/2012 18:56:51    1297232

out of interest what courses did big jim study?

shurle (Mayo) - Posts: 48 - 13/11/2012 19:06:29    1297241

hill16no1man
County: Dublin
Posts: 3029

so if jim mcguinness or any other gaa player went to join glasgow rangers would it be as well recieved.

Sure why wouldn't it be?

If anybody coming from an amateur organisation is given then chance to work at the top level in a professional sporting environment then they should be wished well.

Shouldn't matter whether it's Hawthorn, Celtic, Rangers, the LA Lakers, New York Mets or the Jamaican bobsleigh team, fair play to them.

if_in_doubt (Kildare) - Posts: 3691 - 13/11/2012 19:09:06    1297243

yes well the situation would be rather different with glasgow rangers..i realise hill you are just trying to wum but for people from donegal who are well known to have close links with celtic and big celtic supporters glasgow rangers would be a difficult place to go..mcguiness more than likely would not be offered a job from that club mainly due to his religion and where he comes from so its a non argument

ffgg (Longford) - Posts: 2571 - 13/11/2012 19:10:56    1297244

There is no such thing as glasgow rangers any more, just a point of information there.

Donegalman (None) - Posts: 3846 - 13/11/2012 19:44:23    1297261

fair point

ffgg (Longford) - Posts: 2571 - 13/11/2012 19:48:58    1297265

if_in_doubt
County: Kildare
Posts: 1307

you forget to mention soccer is the main sport in scotland unlike ireland or wales.population is only one elemant defining something and how can you only count support based on the people living in the catholic part of glasgow for celtic that be like saying man utd supporters all come from manchester when clearly most of manchester supports man city so its a very bad way of judging.

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 13/11/2012 20:52:34    1297315

if_in_doubt
County: Kildare
Posts: 1307

1297243
hill16no1man
County: Dublin
Posts: 3029

so if jim mcguinness or any other gaa player went to join glasgow rangers would it be as well recieved.

Sure why wouldn't it be?

If anybody coming from an amateur organisation is given then chance to work at the top level in a professional sporting environment then they should be wished well.

Shouldn't matter whether it's Hawthorn, Celtic, Rangers, the LA Lakers, New York Mets or the Jamaican bobsleigh team, fair play to them.


so if a kildare player left kildare to play for shamrock rovers you think he is doing the right thing and should do this becuase he is getting played to play sport .

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 13/11/2012 20:54:13    1297318

ffgg
County: Longford
Posts: 1534

1297244
yes well the situation would be rather different with glasgow rangers..i realise hill you are just trying to wum but for people from donegal who are well known to have close links with celtic and big celtic supporters glasgow rangers would be a difficult place to go..mcguiness more than likely would not be offered a job from that club mainly due to his religion and where he comes from so its a non argument

why would it be differant you are not from donegal like you were not from dublin or cork for the other two defectors.
shouldnt matter he is leaving for another sport for professional reasons,to feed his family these were your reasons for congratulating them not that they are a protestant club wouldnt that be an anti british attitude to have which you previously accuse me and culann of having?

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 13/11/2012 20:57:39    1297325

many catholics who left ireland to form the club known as celtic are originally from donegal..celtics support is mainly catholic or those of irish descent to use a more accurate term...yes he should leave for professional reasons the problem i have with your comparison is its not an accurate 1 as rangers are known to be anti catholic and anti irish especially a gaa man!! so there would be no chance he would be offered a job by this club is what im saying so stop trying to insuinate me being anti british...why are you bringing up soccer being the main sport in scotland are you backtracking now or something?

ffgg (Longford) - Posts: 2571 - 13/11/2012 21:09:29    1297335

i never claimed to be from any of these places so why have you brought this up?everybody knows celtic have huge support in donegal and jim himself is a celtic fan

ffgg (Longford) - Posts: 2571 - 13/11/2012 21:10:27    1297336

defectors lol you would swear these people are evil cause they left to play professional sport!!..did they betray the gaa?..i bet you didnt like what the down fella had to say the other day about the gaa?

ffgg (Longford) - Posts: 2571 - 13/11/2012 21:14:50    1297347

ffgg
County: Longford
Posts: 1536

1297335
many catholics who left ireland to form the club known as celtic are originally from donegal..celtics support is mainly catholic or those of irish descent to use a more accurate term...yes he should leave for professional reasons the problem i have with your comparison is its not an accurate 1 as rangers are known to be anti catholic and anti irish especially a gaa man!! so there would be no chance he would be offered a job by this club is what im saying so stop trying to insuinate me being anti british...why are you bringing up soccer being the main sport in scotland are you backtracking now or something?
13/11/2012 21:10:27
ffgg
County: Longford
Posts: 1536

1297336
i never claimed to be from any of these places so why have you brought this up?everybody knows celtic have huge support in donegal and jim himself is a celtic fan

forget the donegal i said gaa player not have to be from donegal and anyway what should it matter where he from you really buy into the whole im from ireland i have to support celtic malarky dont you.oh and celtic arent secterian driven club? is it not a fact that soccer is main sport in scotland? to show you and if in doubt that there are other factors apart from population to consider.
wow jims a celtic fan thats great if he was offered 150,000 to coach rangers kids would he do it?or would he turn it down?so its ok to turn your back on gaa for pro soccer but not ok to turn your back on gaa for pro soccer with rangers?

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 13/11/2012 21:19:47    1297354

what are you on about?..im just saying donegal people would probably be bigger celtic fans than most in ireland due to the strong links they have with the club that is it....compared to rangers no i not regard celtic as bad although there is a sectarian element there but as rangers refused to play catholics up until the late 80s was it amongst other things have shown themselves to be exceptional sectarian meanwhile celtics most famous manager jock stein was a protestant while arguably their most famous player kenny dalglish was a protestant also was he not?that is what i am trying to say he would not be offered this due to the policy rangers have as they are very anti people such as jim mcguiness who is a gaa man and from ireland which is everything a lot of rangers supporters hate....this is why i do not regard this comparison as accurate whatsoever...i never said it was not ok to join if he needed to feed his family or anything like that he could do whatever he wants all i said was rangers would not offer him a job for the reasons i have explained above

ffgg (Longford) - Posts: 2571 - 13/11/2012 21:31:10    1297366

hill16no1man
County: Dublin
Posts: 3036

so if a kildare player left kildare to play for shamrock rovers you think he is doing the right thing and should do this becuase he is getting played to play sport .

You mean like Kevin Feely (Athy midfielder, once of the most promising young players in the county) turning down the chance to train with the senior team this year because of his commitments to Bohs?

Yeah I'm fully supportive of his decision. He won the fans Young Player of the Year with Bohs this year and is currently on trial with Peterborough, after already having trials with Everton and Charlton, as well as being scouted by Celtic, all in the past few months, so obviously people are aware of his talent.

He could no doubt be a massive loss to the future of Kildare GAA but I definitely wish him all the best in whatever he chooses to do sports wise, and would fully understand a decision to make a move professionally.

If he has to chance to earn a living from playing sport then best of luck to him, and anybody else in that position.


you forget to mention soccer is the main sport in scotland unlike ireland or wales.population is only one elemant defining something and how can you only count support based on the people living in the catholic part of glasgow for celtic that be like saying man utd supporters all come from manchester when clearly most of manchester supports man city so its a very bad way of judging.

I have literally no idea what point you're trying to make here.

I'm in no way claiming all Celtic fans come from the Catholic part of Glasgow (surely there's more than one part anyways) or that all Man Utd supporters come from Manchester, to do so would be as ludicrous as claiming the professional set up of the SPL is on the same level as the Airtricity League.

You claimed the SPL is or was poorly attended. I'm merely pointing out to you that in terms of national populations the SPL is one of the best supported leagues in Europe. I suppose if you want to add up the total attendances of every league in Europe then you will get different figures, but nonetheless there's no way you can claim the SPL is poorly supported with clubs only getting over 10,000 through the gate when they play Celtic.

Attendance wise Hibs are up 9% this season, Aberdeen and Inverness are up more than 10% each, St. Johnstone are up 14%, Kilmarnock are up over 16% and Dundee United are up over 22%. Hardly the sign of a poorly supported league I'd say.

if_in_doubt (Kildare) - Posts: 3691 - 13/11/2012 21:32:58    1297369

soccer is the main sport in scotland what is your point?both me and if in doubt have already showed you the league is far better attended and run then you claim

ffgg (Longford) - Posts: 2571 - 13/11/2012 21:33:58    1297370

3 clubs over 10,000 outside of celtic if im not mistaken..pretty good attendence

ffgg (Longford) - Posts: 2571 - 13/11/2012 21:37:47    1297374

For starters lads rangers dont exist anymore so its impossible that the bauld Jim or anyone else will be offered a job by them..There is however a team called "the rangers"currently playing in the 4th tier of Scottish football but due to a combination of bigotry on their part and a perilous financial position they are in,its highly unlikely they would have 150,000 odd to spend on anyone nevermind a GAA man:)

juniorbsub (Wexford) - Posts: 646 - 13/11/2012 21:38:32    1297376

yes exactly..the comparison is not an accurate 1 to make..if he received a similar offer by anybody in the airtricity im sure it would be welcomed as why would it not be?...the sad part is its just a bit more awkward for jim as he has to do it in scotland instead of ireland as there were no offers of this kind on the table here

ffgg (Longford) - Posts: 2571 - 13/11/2012 21:42:20    1297380

if_in_doubt

even though he was playing at the top level in the top sport played in the country you reagrd it as a step up for him to play for bohs?
last years champions shamrock rovers are now trained by a gaa player phily mcmahon this shows that while it may be called professional that gaa players are better trained atheltes so it would be a step backwards to play soccer here.

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 13/11/2012 21:44:57    1297384