I dont think I have all the answers but if we lobby all our County Board delegates, the committee will have no choice but to listen to the masses on the points I am about to list:

1. Cease the contract with the present senior management team. Former great players like Mickey Quinn, Pauric Kenny, George Dugdale, Pat Donohoe and Ollie Honeyman etc be consulted about who should take over if none of these can take the job.
2. Regionalise the coaching as suggested on another post, it seems so obvious a move that it beggars belief it has not been done already. Do not let any more county players emigrate, employ them as coaches.
3. This county has not benefitted one iota from holding up serious competitions for senior clubs because the county is playing 3 weeks later, while the risk of injury to key players is high the overall affect on the rest of the club players is obviously detrimental if we are to go by the results of our senior champions in the past few connacht club matches. The gulf between the county players and club players is opening because of this. In 1994 I watched club games between county players and players no where near John O Mahonys' thoughts and there was little or no major gulf in standards, I mention players like Brian Doyle, Derek Mulligan, Bobby O Rourke, TP McLoughlin, Tom McGuinness, Gerry Newton, Joe Darcy etc they were all high standard players. Something must be done at club level other than this shield comp, it is a complete joke with some clubs giving walkovers on a regular basis.
4. The underage setup must see coaches coming in for the long haul, staying with the under 14 development squad all the way to minor at least. Money must be made available to ensure these players want for nothing and meet up alot more often than recent squads.

This is only scratching the surface but if the will is there change can take place. I dont want another 2009 to endure.

bananapublican (Leitrim) - Posts: 878 - 07/07/2009 14:41:05    335683

Get rid of the current management would be a start. Spending time studying for McGeeney has done with Kildare is another

leon76 (Leitrim) - Posts: 12 - 08/07/2009 20:52:59    337935

living in kildare & last year every1 was calling for mcgeeneys head after wicklow bet them. now hes a god.
dont think its in m&m to do the same. coz in fairness to the lillies, even when a div. 4 team bet them in the 1st round they went far & shouldve bet cork that day.... but we lost to longford..........

mac21 (Leitrim) - Posts: 677 - 08/07/2009 22:31:05    338090

i cant really talk but get some good footballers

ew1994 (Meath) - Posts: 32 - 09/07/2009 13:53:24    338886

Good ideas there but give M&M another chance. No decent manager would come within a million miles of us if they thought for one minute that Leitrim were capable of treating management teams like that.

An idea that I have been toying with for the last while is do like what Dublin did in the hurling colleges championships. They combined all the schools to make one Dublin Schools team. They have recently attained some success in these competitions and it did not take long to filter into the senior set up..... Provincial Final soon and best a luck to em.

Leitrim schools are playing at a shocking poor level. The alphabet does not contain enough letters to grade them appropriately. We need to get these lads out of these d, c and b competitons and start getting a feel for the quality of football expected of them. School politics dictates who looks after these teams and they rarely care for the long term development of the lad or the over all picture(there are many exceptions of course). Baring in mind that there would be Rossie boys involved in Carrick & Drumsambo maybe Ross would back it.

I think there maybe only 1100 boys in secondary school in the county, there are boys schools in the country bigger than that.

Clubs, schools and Co Dev squads are ripping the best of our footballers apart all pushig their own views as the No 1. This might create a bit or cohesion in the structures.

Remember, we are all trying to do the best only in different ways.

down.on.it (Leitrim) - Posts: 73 - 09/07/2009 17:51:51    339415

I think the schools idea is a fantastic idea.

JimMorrisson (Leitrim) - Posts: 309 - 09/07/2009 18:16:13    339465

why not have 2 schools teams,one for north of the county and one for the south

masseyferguson (Leitrim) - Posts: 114 - 09/07/2009 23:57:05    340015

There is only 2 secondary schools in north Leitrim as opposed to 5 in south Leitrim. The northern schools outfit would still only be c or b grade and the southern team is still not up to consistant A' Grade.

Why are people so insistant on breaking this county up.
If its not Fianna Fail its ourselves.

down.on.it (Leitrim) - Posts: 73 - 10/07/2009 09:42:31    340177

The schools idea would only be worth pursuing if it was an all county deal.

The whole point of it would be to have all the top players playing at a decent level underage.

JimMorrisson (Leitrim) - Posts: 309 - 10/07/2009 11:49:51    340327

Another avenue worth exploring in conjunction with the combined schools departure would be the introduction of an all in 15 a side competition for all clubs at U-16 & minor levels.

If you cant make 15 and are not already amalgamated a club would be provided for you, not nessesarily your immediate neighbour. These amalgamations would be very fluid and could change every year depending on the circumstances of each particular club on any given year in order to avoid very weak and strong combinations. This would be a new competition maybe to replace the minor & u-16 leagues which are very poorly ran and drag on for any excuse. Teams could then play without 1 or 2 players cos there on hols etc which is the case at the moment, the extra players made available due to the amalgamation would render this excuse invalid.

This would afford each lad a chance to play 15 a-side football and provide a better platform for lads to perform, grow and develop while always raising the bar re standards.

The small clubs who contiously block this move will still be able to play their 9 & 11 & 13 a-side championships.

Everyone is a winner and I know that we will very quickly see a massive improvement in our underage county teams within a year.

down.on.it (Leitrim) - Posts: 73 - 10/07/2009 13:19:23    340466

The idea of amalgamations got me thinking.
Think you could have one great minor and under 16 competition if you combined the following:
1. Carrigallen and Aughavas
2. Bornacoola, Annaduff and Gortletteragh
3. Drumreilly and Aughawillan.
4. St Caillins, Kiltubrid and Leitrim Gaels
5. Sean O Heslins and Aughnasheelin.
6. Allen Gaels and Ballinaglera
7. Dromahair and Drumkeerin
8. Manorhamilton and St Osnatts
9. Mohill, Eslin and Cloone
10. Melvin Gaels and Glenfarne/Kiltclogher
11. St Marys on their own as they've big pick.

One group of five and one group of six. Top two in each group into semi finals. This should be the championship and should be played early in the year on the all weather fields in the county so as to be sharp for the county team.

bananapublican (Leitrim) - Posts: 878 - 10/07/2009 16:28:12    340835

Now your talking Mr Banana. Its looks really good when you put it like that. Makes for some real battles and would stir a massive interest about the county.

I would trick about with some of the amalgamations ie maybe a Gortletteragh\Cloone would be viable to make 12 teams(2 groups a 6). I would not get too bogged down on these small details at this stage of infancy.

Still its great to see people giving some consideration to what in my mind is a good and viable proposal. I would like to hear from some club men or women and see what would feel about joining with banabapublican suggested pairings. I know some of them are in operation and some of them existed in the past.
I hope this idea/suggestion gathers momentum, it would be great to see it come a reality.
I hope people can see past club differences for football and Leitrims gain.

down.on.it (Leitrim) - Posts: 73 - 10/07/2009 18:45:04    341038

How about just giving up the football? then ye would have nothing to fix, worry or cry about!!!

munsterdevil (Limerick) - Posts: 84 - 11/07/2009 04:16:08    341442

Well munsterdevil, I don't believe you can really talk! the term nearly men was invented in limerick, 108 years since ye won a provincial title??? You are perhaps mixing up football with rugby, you know the oval ball, you probably would have seen it in Blackrock college or old Wesley, presuming you ventured to Dublin! OMG!

patches (Leitrim) - Posts: 33 - 11/07/2009 11:47:22    341505

munsterdevil
County: Limerick
Posts: 39

341442 How about just giving up the football? then ye would have nothing to fix, worry or cry about!!!

How about moving to somewhere else, then you would have nothing to fix, worry or cry about.

Boxtyeater (Leitrim) - Posts: 774 - 11/07/2009 12:03:17    341522

Cry away boys cry away! But ye'll fix nothing the way ye are going, lol

munsterdevil (Limerick) - Posts: 84 - 11/07/2009 17:14:34    341721

Never ever respond to "contributions" from the likes of our Limerick correspondent. Dont take the bait.
Treat it like when your granny lets a fart, every body is aware it happened, but nobody says a thing.

down.on.it (Leitrim) - Posts: 73 - 11/07/2009 18:56:54    341789

Concentrate on ladies football

hitman (Longford) - Posts: 272 - 31/07/2009 17:21:30    371890