Whose Stadium Is It Anyway!?

Joe Dooley, manager of the faithful hurlers, has hit out at the treatment the county board dished out to the team at training. A letter was sent by the team to the county board in complaint that training was not allowed to take place on the pitch at O'Conner Park, he said- 'It is very clear to all involved that we are not wanted in O'Connor Park. Every reason seems to be used to keep us out of the pitch or off the pitch during training sessions'. The letter also requested that all GAA clubs in Offaly should be making their facilities open for training. Apparently the county board will discuss the letter tonight. What is your reaction to the treatment of the Offaly hurlers?

In other news Kildare cornerback Andriú MacLochlainn has branded the square ball rule as "humanly impossible" to implement as the speed of the ball and size of the square makes it near impossible to be in the square after the entry of the ball. Isn't it about time we just ditched this pointless rule?

My reaction is that all this has totally blown out of proportion. I see this Offaly business has now extended to the footballers. Well I say extended, it seems that people are airing their dirty laundry in public as my mother would say.

Following Michael Duignan dragging the footballers into the dispute by claims that Offaly's footballers are "...ill disciplined, lack pride and drink too much" the team's manager Tom Cribbin has responded angrily saying "He's totally out of order. I'd be disappointed to hear an Offaly man and ex-All-Ireland medal winner talking about the county's footballers like that". More mud slinging to follow no doubt...

Incidentally I thought most Irishmen were partial to the odd so is it a case of state the bleedin' obvious...?

There are some really rotten County Boards around the country and it looks like Offaly is one of them. It is all about poltics and control and divvying out the positions at the agm. Nepotism and petty squabbles to the detriment of the players.

My reaction to the plight of the Offaly hurlers is a little bit different to my reaction to Daithi O'Regan's reaction to the Offaly senior team.

It is incomprehensible to me why any county board anywhere in the country would wish to hinder the development of their senior team in any code. Of course it is absolutely ridiculous that they should be treated in this way. I say that in the knowledge that it is likely that we will play them in the qualifiers, if things go to form.

Daithi O'Regan on the other hand is an ignorant, ill informed fool who saw fit to stick the boot in on Cork when our dispute with the county board was at its height, now sees fit to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Offaly hurlers. The man is a bluffer with more faces than the Shandon clock.

The square ball is I suppose to stop people standing in front of the keeper for the entire game.I believe it is easier for everyone to call it from the point at which the ball is kicked rather than enter the square. i have thought that an ideal solution, or at least an attempt at a solution for a while now.

Cari wrote:My reaction is that all this has totally blown out of proportion. I see this Offaly business has now extended to the footballers. Well I say extended, it seems that people are airing their dirty laundry in public as my mother would say.

Following Michael Duignan dragging the footballers into the dispute by claims that Offaly's footballers are "...ill disciplined, lack pride and drink too much" the team's manager Tom Cribbin has responded angrily saying "He's totally out of order. I'd be disappointed to hear an Offaly man and ex-All-Ireland medal winner talking about the county's footballers like that". More mud slinging to follow no doubt...

Incidentally I thought most Irishmen were partial to the odd so is it a case of state the bleedin' obvious...?

If sporty dan were to read this, he could tell you a thing or two about the Roscommon boys. there was a time there where nary a summer went by without a Rossie tale of naked pool or copious amounts of drink taken.

Naked pool? Are Roscommon the world champions in this sport?

naked pool is like road bowls. Very few counties play it, but it is taken deadly seriously by the Rossies. I think the entire team was given their marching orders off the back of it.

I was told from the horses mouth that a Roscommon player from the 81 all ireland was hungover for the game.

What's so special about 81? They did not even reach the Connacht Final that year. Do you mean 1980? I would'nt say it was uncommon back in the 70' and 80's. I could imagine Páidí O Sé having a few pints the night before a match.

yeah, 80.

This particular player reckoned he was very hungover, rather than just a few pints.

Typical hypocritical GAA imo. We bemoan the lack of competition overall in wee balls and they talk about initiatives to improve the hurling scene in non-traditional counties and then something like this happens to a traditional county's team.

As for the square ball, they did get rid of it temp in last year's NFL and I don't recall any major problems. Can't they just do something simple like penalising players for standing near the keeper the whole game, have the umpire to tell them to p1ss off or something?

I should've got myself canned for watching some of those Ulster games, might have made it look better.

Yet another embarrassing situation for the g.a.a, it's actually beyond belief that the Offaly hurler's could be treated like this by their own county board. Not allowed train on a ground that has been leased for that very purpose??

Im back to answer some questions about roscommon

I never heard about this story until i googled it and i will say no more