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@StoreysTash - just on your point about Electric Picnic weekend and your suggestion to play all matches on the Thursday, because either you simply don't understand or else you haven't thought it through properly.
There are 30 matches in each round of championship group fixtures (six each in the five grades from Senior down to Junior 'A'). So, to play them all on the same night instead of over the course of Friday evening/Saturday/Sunday, among the things you'd need that evening would be:
- 30 venues. Say three of them are Wexford Park, St. Patrick's Park, and COE. This means 27 club pitches in use, at a time when those clubs have one, two or even three matches of their own at different venues. You're asking those clubs to provide people at their own ground for things like car parking, looking after the dressing rooms, operating the scoreboard, running the shop if they have one, etc., instead of being able to go look at their own team play.
- At least 54 match officials on duty. 30 referees, and even if you only provide linesmen for senior matches, 24 linemen. Or 48 linesmen (meaning 78 match officials total) if you want to provide linesmen for Intermediate matches too.
- At an estimate, anywhere from 60 to 80 gate people. You'd get away with one at some venues, but would need three, four or five at others.
- Clubs having matches for their first and second teams at exactly the same times and at different venues. So for example, a junior player who might be brought on for the seniors/intermediates has to choose which match to go to, or have that decision made for him.
- Also consider the impact on the underage games programme. Thursday night is normally a full round of U14 matches. They couldn't go ahead that week. Other underage GAA sides, and girls/women's sides couldn't train that night either in the venues being used for matches.
And they're just some of the more obvious things that come to mind straight away. I could add several others too.
If Electric Picnic really is such a big deal for the minority of club players who harp on about it, I suggest they'd be better off lobbying the Electric Picnic organisers to hold it in June instead, before the club championships start at all.
Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 2617 - 14/11/2024 21:08:29
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I have to say maybe I'm alone but I absolutely loved the April club month when I was playing club hurling and football.
It was something definite to focus on from January onwards, a real target and every was on board, it was I felt the most competitive games we played all year those years, no holidays, no bizarre campaigns for weeks off to go to a damn music festival!!
And again everyone had a fair idea when we were going to be playing in the summer. I mean it's wexford! In the 20 odd years I played we were in 5 or 6 semi finals across both codes, unless you were a dreamer ye had a fair idea when you were going to be playing ckub again.
And the thing is back then you knew if you definitely didn't want to miss club championship games you needed to take a holiday before the end of June and the situation now is exactly the same!
We changed the entire structure of the GAA for the worst in my opinion and still we have players taking holidays during championship and wanting weeks off to attend a bloody music festival!
We are laying the ground works for semi professionalism and professionalism imho by the increasing of club game and county games and pushing through a separation of club and county and we have "vested interests" pushing more and more games for the sake of it ala this year's club hur.ing championship structure which was a joke.
I think across the board club and county we need to take a step back and review what we really want and it isn't just wexford, it's all county's and the organisation as a whole as I'm not sure we should be comfortable with the direction we are heading
tearintom (Wexford) - Posts: 1425 - 15/11/2024 08:25:09
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Clubber are covering the Martins v Naas game on sundaÿ. Their price per game is now €14.99. Last year it was € 11.99. This represents a big percentage increase.
CLUBBER are basic enough and use one camera which is difficult to watch on a small devise.
Surely if they kept their prices low more people would use the service.
I did purchase the game but i let my heart rule my head. Hopefully the Martins will get through to the semi final and break the losing hoodoo that has been the case for so long.
Magpie2 (Wexford) - Posts: 386 - 15/11/2024 09:03:09
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Replying To Pikeman96: "@StoreysTash - just on your point about Electric Picnic weekend and your suggestion to play all matches on the Thursday, because either you simply don't understand or else you haven't thought it through properly.
There are 30 matches in each round of championship group fixtures (six each in the five grades from Senior down to Junior 'A'). So, to play them all on the same night instead of over the course of Friday evening/Saturday/Sunday, among the things you'd need that evening would be:
- 30 venues. Say three of them are Wexford Park, St. Patrick's Park, and COE. This means 27 club pitches in use, at a time when those clubs have one, two or even three matches of their own at different venues. You're asking those clubs to provide people at their own ground for things like car parking, looking after the dressing rooms, operating the scoreboard, running the shop if they have one, etc., instead of being able to go look at their own team play.
- At least 54 match officials on duty. 30 referees, and even if you only provide linesmen for senior matches, 24 linemen. Or 48 linesmen (meaning 78 match officials total) if you want to provide linesmen for Intermediate matches too.
- At an estimate, anywhere from 60 to 80 gate people. You'd get away with one at some venues, but would need three, four or five at others.
- Clubs having matches for their first and second teams at exactly the same times and at different venues. So for example, a junior player who might be brought on for the seniors/intermediates has to choose which match to go to, or have that decision made for him.
- Also consider the impact on the underage games programme. Thursday night is normally a full round of U14 matches. They couldn't go ahead that week. Other underage GAA sides, and girls/women's sides couldn't train that night either in the venues being used for matches.
And they're just some of the more obvious things that come to mind straight away. I could add several others too.
If Electric Picnic really is such a big deal for the minority of club players who harp on about it, I suggest they'd be better off lobbying the Electric Picnic organisers to hold it in June instead, before the club championships start at all." Changing games for Electric Picnic - christ on a bike will ye cop on .. You obviously have very little clue on how fixtures work and how even changing one fixture can have a knock on effect for the majority of other fixtures.
Some of the motions are absurd - I hope this U18 thing gets knocked on the head soon. It's just not feasible for a dual county like Wexford to afford U18s to play adult hurling / football. The underage season is going on way too long as it is .. 3/4 weeks between games .. As I said before the kids / parents that aren't fully committed slowly start to slip away as the season goes on - kids miss training .. school is back along with the 100s of other activities that start back in September. We should be working on trying to get more kids through to playing adult instead of scaring them away.
Two interesting Leinster Games this weekend:
Naas V St Martins - I think this is a tough challenge for St Martins especially in Newbridge. Naas are a very good outfit and are well seasoned team after winning last 5 championships and competing well in Leinster. It all depends on how focused St Martins are on competing in Leinster. To win this game they will need to be firing on all cylinders. St Martins should have enough fire power but there may be only a point or two in it.
Rathnure V Commercials - In theory this should be a Rathnure win but a week after a county final is difficult to get players back grounded. A home tie is a massive advantage - Oulart had to head into Parnell Park a few years ago and paid the ultimate price. The Dubs don't like travelling! .. Commercials aren't bad - They have some sweet forwards and play nice brand of hurling. If Rathnure can repeat the same pace and level of hurling as they did in first half against St James they will win easily but I can't see this happening. I do expect a win in a bit of a dog fight
MyOhMi (Wexford) - Posts: 159 - 15/11/2024 09:10:58
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Replying To Wexfordgaa: "Naas favourites on Sunday unbelievable but understandable with the way wexford club hurling has been. If martins turn up they will win as Jack Rory joe o Conner fit. Codd hurled like he did in the firrst half and solid at the back. They will need everyone hurling well and hopefully don't take Naas lightly" Why is Naas being favourites unbelievable? They did something last year that no Wexford club has done in years, win a game in Leinster, and were only down by a point in injury time when they lost to na Fianna in the semi final. Na Fianna only lost the final by a point to OLG, who only lost the AI final to a wonder point at the death.
Naas are a superclub, with massive underage numbers.
Are you basing your post on the fact that they are in Kildare?
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 13849 - 15/11/2024 09:12:10
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Replying To tearintom: "I have to say maybe I'm alone but I absolutely loved the April club month when I was playing club hurling and football.
It was something definite to focus on from January onwards, a real target and every was on board, it was I felt the most competitive games we played all year those years, no holidays, no bizarre campaigns for weeks off to go to a damn music festival!!
And again everyone had a fair idea when we were going to be playing in the summer. I mean it's wexford! In the 20 odd years I played we were in 5 or 6 semi finals across both codes, unless you were a dreamer ye had a fair idea when you were going to be playing ckub again.
And the thing is back then you knew if you definitely didn't want to miss club championship games you needed to take a holiday before the end of June and the situation now is exactly the same!
We changed the entire structure of the GAA for the worst in my opinion and still we have players taking holidays during championship and wanting weeks off to attend a bloody music festival!
We are laying the ground works for semi professionalism and professionalism imho by the increasing of club game and county games and pushing through a separation of club and county and we have "vested interests" pushing more and more games for the sake of it ala this year's club hur.ing championship structure which was a joke.
I think across the board club and county we need to take a step back and review what we really want and it isn't just wexford, it's all county's and the organisation as a whole as I'm not sure we should be comfortable with the direction we are heading" I don't know what anyone else wants, but I do know what I want. I want to see a Wexford captain go up the steps and get the Liam McCarthy Cup and bring it back down here. I'd also like to see our club be more competitive on the pitch.
I've posted on here numerous times there are too many intercounty and club games, but that's the way it is sadly.
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 13849 - 15/11/2024 09:17:47
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Replying To Wexfordgaa: "Naas favourites on Sunday unbelievable but understandable with the way wexford club hurling has been. If martins turn up they will win as Jack Rory joe o Conner fit. Codd hurled like he did in the firrst half and solid at the back. They will need everyone hurling well and hopefully don't take Naas lightly" Maybe this is an eye-opener to people that we as a county need to realise how poor the standard of our senior championship has been over the past few seasons. Naas / St Mullins would not fear any Club in Wexford. Wexford Clubs record in Leinster Club Championship hasn't been overly good either. I'm not been overly negative - but we as a county seem to think we are a lot higher up the GAA pecking order than we actually are.
MyOhMi (Wexford) - Posts: 159 - 15/11/2024 09:23:37
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Replying To Magpie2: "Clubber are covering the Martins v Naas game on sundaÿ. Their price per game is now €14.99. Last year it was € 11.99. This represents a big percentage increase.
CLUBBER are basic enough and use one camera which is difficult to watch on a small devise.
Surely if they kept their prices low more people would use the service.
I did purchase the game but i let my heart rule my head. Hopefully the Martins will get through to the semi final and break the losing hoodoo that has been the case for so long." I'm going up to the game though I have the clubber subscription. Their product has been noticeably better this year than last to be fair to them.
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 13849 - 15/11/2024 11:00:57
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Replying To MyOhMi: "Maybe this is an eye-opener to people that we as a county need to realise how poor the standard of our senior championship has been over the past few seasons. Naas / St Mullins would not fear any Club in Wexford. Wexford Clubs record in Leinster Club Championship hasn't been overly good either. I'm not been overly negative - but we as a county seem to think we are a lot higher up the GAA pecking order than we actually are." Think that's a little hard on our championship. It would be alot more competitive than Kildares.
What people here seem to lose sight of though is that the top clubs in many of the second tier counties would be very competitive if they played in our championship, and would possibly win it. The reason those counties are 2nd tier isn't because their best club sides are poorer, it's because they have less of them, and less adult hurlers overall. Clubs like MLR and St Mullins have reached Leinster club finals in the recent enough past, as did Clogh Ballacolla.
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 13849 - 15/11/2024 11:06:21
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Replying To Viking66: "Think that's a little hard on our championship. It would be alot more competitive than Kildares.
What people here seem to lose sight of though is that the top clubs in many of the second tier counties would be very competitive if they played in our championship, and would possibly win it. The reason those counties are 2nd tier isn't because their best club sides are poorer, it's because they have less of them, and less adult hurlers overall. Clubs like MLR and St Mullins have reached Leinster club finals in the recent enough past, as did Clogh Ballacolla." Just because it is competitive doesn't mean the quality is great .. Last two championships have been a damp squib .. Last two county finals were a damp squib .. Oylegate and St Annes tactics were to play very conservative and not concede goals. Backfired and neither had a Plan B. St James did the same last weekend against Rathnure - stood off them for the first 25 minutes and then decided, you know what we have nothing to loose here and gave it one hell of a battle for the second half. I think Thomastown showed in KK county final what can be done - OLGs were raging hot favourites and instead of standing back they stuck into them from the start.
Sorry but I am a bit of a negative nancy today :-)
MyOhMi (Wexford) - Posts: 159 - 15/11/2024 11:28:59
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Replying To MyOhMi: "Just because it is competitive doesn't mean the quality is great .. Last two championships have been a damp squib .. Last two county finals were a damp squib .. Oylegate and St Annes tactics were to play very conservative and not concede goals. Backfired and neither had a Plan B. St James did the same last weekend against Rathnure - stood off them for the first 25 minutes and then decided, you know what we have nothing to loose here and gave it one hell of a battle for the second half. I think Thomastown showed in KK county final what can be done - OLGs were raging hot favourites and instead of standing back they stuck into them from the start.
Sorry but I am a bit of a negative nancy today :-)" You are spot on. Quality was really poor this year. And I agree 100%, Oylegate, Annes and Jimmies went out and forgot what got them there in the 1st place.
TT were excellent value for their win, but CTG will give them plenty to think about next time out. I'm sure they will have a plan for John Donnelly, and if they can match TTs fight they have every chance of beating them.
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 13849 - 15/11/2024 11:37:54
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Replying To Viking66: "Think that's a little hard on our championship. It would be alot more competitive than Kildares.
What people here seem to lose sight of though is that the top clubs in many of the second tier counties would be very competitive if they played in our championship, and would possibly win it. The reason those counties are 2nd tier isn't because their best club sides are poorer, it's because they have less of them, and less adult hurlers overall. Clubs like MLR and St Mullins have reached Leinster club finals in the recent enough past, as did Clogh Ballacolla." Exactly. A county like Kildare can have one particularly strong club like Naas, far better than all the rest there. And then it looks "bad" for a county like Wexford if our champions lose to them, because "Wexford shouldn't be losing to Kildare in hurling".
I've just looked up the Naas results from this year's Kildare Championship:
- There was a preliminary qualifier round, to determine who'd go into what group. They won by 18 points.
- Then they won their first group game by 21 points, also won their second by 21 points, and won their third group game by 30 points.
- That put them straight through a semi-final, where they again won by 30 points.
- And then they won their final by 16 points. With tongue in cheek, you could say that was a "close" one. :)
They're obviously an exceptional side by Kildare standards, and would probably be a match for many of the senior clubs in any hurling county. It's nowhere near as simple as "any Wexford team should beat any Kildare team". Those days are long gone in club hurling.
Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 2617 - 15/11/2024 11:41:48
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Replying To Pikeman96: "Exactly. A county like Kildare can have one particularly strong club like Naas, far better than all the rest there. And then it looks "bad" for a county like Wexford if our champions lose to them, because "Wexford shouldn't be losing to Kildare in hurling".
I've just looked up the Naas results from this year's Kildare Championship:
- There was a preliminary qualifier round, to determine who'd go into what group. They won by 18 points.
- Then they won their first group game by 21 points, also won their second by 21 points, and won their third group game by 30 points.
- That put them straight through a semi-final, where they again won by 30 points.
- And then they won their final by 16 points. With tongue in cheek, you could say that was a "close" one. :)
They're obviously an exceptional side by Kildare standards, and would probably be a match for many of the senior clubs in any hurling county. It's nowhere near as simple as "any Wexford team should beat any Kildare team". Those days are long gone in club hurling." But ask yourself why? .. I do understand that Naas are a superclub and have the numbers then to reflect this rise. But why have MLR and St Mullins rose to such a level to now be probably on par / better than much of the Wexford senior teams. 20 years ago both played in Intermediate / Junior ACHL in Wexford. They now compete in KK in both adult and underage.
MyOhMi (Wexford) - Posts: 159 - 15/11/2024 12:07:22
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Replying To MyOhMi: "But ask yourself why? .. I do understand that Naas are a superclub and have the numbers then to reflect this rise. But why have MLR and St Mullins rose to such a level to now be probably on par / better than much of the Wexford senior teams. 20 years ago both played in Intermediate / Junior ACHL in Wexford. They now compete in KK in both adult and underage." Surely Wexford changing their championship around so that the winners aren't waiting around for nearly three months for their first game in Leinster will be a big help. Martins have a bit of experience in Leinster aswell they should be going very close to beating Naas the weekend.
Redzer99 (Waterford) - Posts: 84 - 15/11/2024 12:38:39
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Replying To Viking66: "Why is Naas being favourites unbelievable? They did something last year that no Wexford club has done in years, win a game in Leinster, and were only down by a point in injury time when they lost to na Fianna in the semi final. Na Fianna only lost the final by a point to OLG, who only lost the AI final to a wonder point at the death.
Naas are a superclub, with massive underage numbers.
Are you basing your post on the fact that they are in Kildare?" Sorry I didn't get my point across. I've seen Naas a couple of times and are very good. I was at the ballyhale game a couple of years ago and was very impressed. My point was that it's a sad state that wexford club hurling is in. OLG
Wexfordgaa (Wexford) - Posts: 310 - 15/11/2024 12:45:09
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Replying To Pikeman96: "Exactly. A county like Kildare can have one particularly strong club like Naas, far better than all the rest there. And then it looks "bad" for a county like Wexford if our champions lose to them, because "Wexford shouldn't be losing to Kildare in hurling".
I've just looked up the Naas results from this year's Kildare Championship:
- There was a preliminary qualifier round, to determine who'd go into what group. They won by 18 points.
- Then they won their first group game by 21 points, also won their second by 21 points, and won their third group game by 30 points.
- That put them straight through a semi-final, where they again won by 30 points.
- And then they won their final by 16 points. With tongue in cheek, you could say that was a "close" one. :)
They're obviously an exceptional side by Kildare standards, and would probably be a match for many of the senior clubs in any hurling county. It's nowhere near as simple as "any Wexford team should beat any Kildare team". Those days are long gone in club hurling." Sure kildare u21 hurlers beat wexford u21s in the championship a number of years back
Bon (Kildare) - Posts: 2085 - 15/11/2024 13:26:29
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Replying To Bon: "Sure kildare u21 hurlers beat wexford u21s in the championship a number of years back" Oh, I'm very aware of that. I was at it. :(
No disrespect to yourselves, but that one really was a bad defeat for us. You'd still expect any Wexford inter-county hurling team to beat their counterparts from Kildare, much as you'd expect any Kildare inter-county hurling team to beat another Leinster county from a lower tier, like Longford or Louth.
And no disrespect to Longford or Louth either!
Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 2617 - 15/11/2024 13:43:02
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Replying To Redzer99: "Surely Wexford changing their championship around so that the winners aren't waiting around for nearly three months for their first game in Leinster will be a big help. Martins have a bit of experience in Leinster aswell they should be going very close to beating Naas the weekend." St Mullins haven't hurled in 8-9 weeks.
My point is what has happened Club hurling in Wexford that we are now on par with Carlow club teams - and this isn't been dis-respectful to MLR or St Mullins - It is simply trying to figure out why they have got so much better and we seem to be in a state of limbo
Is it just a fact that they now put more into hurling in Carlow?
We seem to have fallen off the radar in Schools Hurling also - could we even say that Wexford schools are very competitive in Leinster Senior Hurling or Football.
My point is we have more investment in coaching from a county board perspective than there ever was - but this is no way reflecting the state of our club hurling scene
MyOhMi (Wexford) - Posts: 159 - 15/11/2024 14:03:18
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St. Mullins have actually had a 13-week break since winning their County Final.
The break would have been 14 weeks if their final hadn't gone to a replay.
Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 2617 - 15/11/2024 15:47:02
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Replying To Pikeman96: "Oh, I'm very aware of that. I was at it. :(
No disrespect to yourselves, but that one really was a bad defeat for us. You'd still expect any Wexford inter-county hurling team to beat their counterparts from Kildare, much as you'd expect any Kildare inter-county hurling team to beat another Leinster county from a lower tier, like Longford or Louth.
And no disrespect to Longford or Louth either!" Agree with you 100%, it was a shock indeed
Bon (Kildare) - Posts: 2085 - 15/11/2024 16:59:26
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