I was pretty sure I was going to be marked absent for Maastricht when I woke up at 1am last night. With tonsils like golf balls and temperature soaring it was unlikely I was going to recover in time for the morning. This is the second time i've got tonsilitis in two weeks and not finishing the last dose of antibiotics came back to get me.
In 2006 and 2007 I suffered badly with back and hamstring problems and thought my competitive days were numbered. However, I managed to get back to some sort of level last year and thought I'd put the injuries behind me. Then at the beginning of this March I did a job on my ankle which kept me out nearly 7 weeks. Soon after shaking that off the back started to flare up again. It's giving me a dose of sciatica down my right side. I'd say I haven't been able to train properly for the bones of 6 weeks. I've been way off the pace as a result and am struggling to see the end of these latest issues.
Given the state of the body, I consoled myself with the fact that I would not be aggravating it further in Maastricht today. However, I was an additional absentee to an already depleted panel, one which suffered further as Ciaran Hudson injured his back in the warm-up today.
Reports back have been sketchy. The A team lost 1-7 to 1-5 in their opening game against Lux before beating Maastricht to qualify for the semi-final. They took on Amsterdam in this fixture and apparently should have been home and dry before controversy struck at the final whistle. It seems both Belgium and Amsterdam had it down as a one point win for Belgium. The ref had it as a draw and Amsterdam beat us in extra time.
The B team competed well by all accounts but won't be sorry to see the back of Benelux and head into the Shield. I'm glad the Benelux section is over too, its proved an awful couple of months. Conan, Colin and myself have had to work very hard to get two teams to each tournament and each has been a struggle. Alot of positive things were said at the team meeting before the first tournament but have not been followed up with the actions required all the time. We will draw a line under that now and move onto the Championship, starting in Munich at the end of July.
There is four weeks to prepare and hopefully fellas will put in the necessary effort. Injury permitting, we have a strong squad to travel, our strongest of the year. The best thing about travelling distance is that fellas have to put their money on the table early so are less likely to pull out. We'll get cracking on Tuesday night. As for me, I'll use this as a sign to let the body heal and make sure I'm ready for road in Munich.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Benelux FC - Round 4 - Maastricht
Maastricht. Scene of two of our finest moments in our short history. Our first tournament victory on the corresponding weekend last year and the place we won the European Championship last November. Hopefully, it will be the place we find the spark to ignite our season on Saturday. Its been a long and treacherous season so far for those who have travelled to Amsterdan, Den Haag, Lux and trained away so many nights in the Parc. Injuries, Babies, Work,Girlfriends, Departures are amongst the reasons why our season has been so. However, the year is long and the real business starts with the Pan-European Championship first round in Munich at the end of July. A season can turn in a week with the arrival of new players or the return of injured ones.
Hopefully saturday is a start. John Quinn, a young minor from Donegal arrived yesterday to work for his cousin Conan for the summer. It will be a novelty to have his youthful energy around the place. Returning this weekend are Ciaran Hudson, Kevin Keary and Emmett Devine. However, Eoghan Kelly, Eoin Sheanon, Phil Cushen, Micheal O'Flynn and Olof Gill are just some who will be marked absent. We will travel with two teams but those absentees joined with other missing men would be a formidable team in their own right.
Its a disaster but its great. A disaster because no-one likes to go into battle minus their big guns and its great that we can still field two teams even when missing 13/14 regulars. We've come along way this year in that sense and should probably be pleased we have churned a reasonable level of committment out of so many to do so.
Saturday is an exercise in preparation for the upcoming Pan-E Championship. Our defence will need to use the opportunity to get to know eachothers ways. We have not even been able to get them together to train on the same night yet. Keary and Emmett will need to stand up, lead and guide them through the challenges. Enda, our Mr. Consistent, will be paired with yet another midfield partner. Our attack is still TBC but will need to take alot of burden on its shoulders, some of whom would take offence at being called a forward!!
I'm reading 'The Last Season' by Phil Jackson at the moment. It chronicles the LA Lakers 2003/04 season. His team had won 3/4 of the previous Championships and expected to win again. Their season was ravaged by injury to Kobe, Shaq, Karl and others They bickered and complained throughout but still retained belief that it would be alright on the night, when playoff time rolled round. It wasn't and they failed.
To some extent our season has mirrored theres. Although to say there was bickering would be too extreme, just alot of frustration at times. It goes to show though, there is a relationship between the input and the output and we've seen it so far. First and foremost however, Saturday is going to be a very enjoyable day. We're lucky to be able to play over here and we should enjoy every opportunity we get. Our focus will be on playing as well as we can and working as hard as we can. We will be very positive. If we do those three things we can go home content that we did our best. If its good enough to win, which I believe it would be, then we will be very happy. If its not, we'll figure out why and get it right for Munich.
Hopefully saturday is a start. John Quinn, a young minor from Donegal arrived yesterday to work for his cousin Conan for the summer. It will be a novelty to have his youthful energy around the place. Returning this weekend are Ciaran Hudson, Kevin Keary and Emmett Devine. However, Eoghan Kelly, Eoin Sheanon, Phil Cushen, Micheal O'Flynn and Olof Gill are just some who will be marked absent. We will travel with two teams but those absentees joined with other missing men would be a formidable team in their own right.
Its a disaster but its great. A disaster because no-one likes to go into battle minus their big guns and its great that we can still field two teams even when missing 13/14 regulars. We've come along way this year in that sense and should probably be pleased we have churned a reasonable level of committment out of so many to do so.
Saturday is an exercise in preparation for the upcoming Pan-E Championship. Our defence will need to use the opportunity to get to know eachothers ways. We have not even been able to get them together to train on the same night yet. Keary and Emmett will need to stand up, lead and guide them through the challenges. Enda, our Mr. Consistent, will be paired with yet another midfield partner. Our attack is still TBC but will need to take alot of burden on its shoulders, some of whom would take offence at being called a forward!!
I'm reading 'The Last Season' by Phil Jackson at the moment. It chronicles the LA Lakers 2003/04 season. His team had won 3/4 of the previous Championships and expected to win again. Their season was ravaged by injury to Kobe, Shaq, Karl and others They bickered and complained throughout but still retained belief that it would be alright on the night, when playoff time rolled round. It wasn't and they failed.
To some extent our season has mirrored theres. Although to say there was bickering would be too extreme, just alot of frustration at times. It goes to show though, there is a relationship between the input and the output and we've seen it so far. First and foremost however, Saturday is going to be a very enjoyable day. We're lucky to be able to play over here and we should enjoy every opportunity we get. Our focus will be on playing as well as we can and working as hard as we can. We will be very positive. If we do those three things we can go home content that we did our best. If its good enough to win, which I believe it would be, then we will be very happy. If its not, we'll figure out why and get it right for Munich.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Galacticos Return To Boost Belgium
After the drama and heroics witnessed in Luxembourg, the Belgians were bullish about their chances of claiming their first Belgian title, at the fifth attempt. They welcomed backed the self styled Galacticos; captain Kevin Keary and Eoin Sheanon came back from the campaign trail, Michael Hough from his Tennessee barn dance and they were joined by Dominic King. Their return was supplemented by the debut of Daire Cotter, an All-Ireland Minor winner with Cork, way back in 1995. For the first time all season, hurling guru Martin Crowley was going to be forced to make some tough selection decisions.
There is little value in going into the gritty details of each group game as they all finished with Belgian winning by a significant margin. Lux were first to fall in a game with few highlights. Eoghan Kelly's points from wing back being the main ones. Den Haag, the only side who could realistically stop Belgian's march to European honours, were next up. Again Belgian opened up, with Daire Cotter contributing some fine scores. Pearce made a few surging runs from midfield and Willie picked out his teammates well from puckouts. Main other highlights were Eoin's airball when through on goal and his shot from 5 yards straight at the goalkeeper. We picked up a few injuries however, most notably to Conor Aylward who dislocated a thumb.
The Paris game saw Martin make some radical changes placing the docile Michael Hough and sluggish Eoin Sheanon in the half back line. Fortunately their loose play was not exposed but still, we led only by 0-2 to 0-1 at half-time. A few more second half changes did the trick and we ran out comfortable winners. One moment for the highlight reel came from Muirits who scored a splendid point on the run. The long puck competition took place afterwards and was dominated by men from the Rebel County. Daire, Aidan Harte and myself took the 1-2-3.
A little bit of complacency crept in prior to the final against Den Haag. Everyone was aware of the danger but sometimes it’s hard to counter. Den Haag went about their business early and with purpose. They lead 1-2 to 0-1 after a controversial goal (looked to be in the square). However, Belgium did enough to lead at half-time 1-5 to 1-3. Martin spoke fairly directly at the break and specifically asked Dominic to raise it the couple of extra gears we knew he had. He duly obliged, knocking over some splendid points. Hough benefited from a deft Daire touch to goal and it was curtains for Den Haag as we ran out comfortable winners.
Whilst not hard to do, no-one has actually done the maths to see where the table stands. However, considering your best four results count, and we have 3 wins in the back, it seems impossible that Belgium can be denied their first European Championship in their fifth year of business. Last year, we finished second to a top quality Lux side and to go a step further this year is great for the club. When you looked at the quality of the bench on Saturday, you can see good hurlers chomping at the bit. Our resources were tested to the limit in Lux and we came through so the campaign has not been without its close moments. Obviously winning our own tournament was a nice first too. Last year, Lux beat us in an epic game by a solitary point and the previous year, Den Haag did a similar job on us.
The organisation of the tournament went very well. We held it on two lovely pitches i.e. they had grass, out in Leuven. Malachy, an Antrim man and head of the Irish Institute there, was a great help in getting the pitches. The day went off pretty smoothly despite finishing two or three hours later than expected. As always a few injuries were picked up along the way and a couple of hospital visits were made. We wish Conor, our teak tough defender with a penchant for hitting monstrous points from downtown, a speedy recovery. Also to Dave Conlon of Paris who sustained a serious shoulder injury and underwent a painful procedure in hospital that night to put it back in place. He's one of the most talented hurlers on the scene so will be missed greatly by Paris.
Next stop on the journey around Europe is Zurich on July 12. This week we need to get ourselves booked up to travel, be it by car, plane or train. It’s the worst away trip because of the distance involved. Flying is virtually out of the question because of the cost and car/train is a hell of a spin. Still, we must travel and we will try and make it 4/4. Our goal for the year will now be to win all five tournaments and to use the coming months, where we can train a bit more freely, to develop other hurlers for next year. Hopefully that will culminate in us fielding two teams in Den Haag in mid-September.
Friday, June 12, 2009
European Hurling Championship - Brussels - Round 3
Tomorrow we host Round 3 of the European Hurling Championship. There is a new venue this year as we move to Leuven to pitches which were acquired via a contact in the Irish Institute there. As I write, an army of club Members are attempting to transport two full size goalposts and a tent/marquee type thing 30km in/on a Toyota Japan Sailing Bus.
I've never had any involvement in the organisation of these things but its obvious that its a massive operation. Teams are never able to confirm numbers until a couple of days before so the lunches are all ordered at the last minute. As mentioned, the equipment needs to be brought to the pitch and a host of questions from visiting clubs will need to be answered. Den Haag will travel on the day, as will Lux. Paris come by Eurostar into Brussels, will need to be met in Gare Midi,put on a train to Leuven and then picked up at the station and brought to the pitch. Zurich arrive the night before and should be able to find their own way.
Tomorrow we can report more returning players than missing ones for once. Out are Rochey and the broken duo of The Bull and Crusher. In are the forward trio of Eoin Sheanon, Michael Hough and Dominic King. Defensively we welcome back Kevin Keary. We must be careful though. Its win or bust for Den Haag so expect them to be bulling for it.
The last day we battled debilitating circumstances,went to the depths of the well and won, just. If we can finish off the opposition tomorrow then it will give us a lead that will be very difficult to overcome.
There is no gaurantee that we will be stronger tomorrow despite the calibre of player that is returning. We need to continue into the games with the committment and relentlessness which we possessed the last day. We saw in the football two weeks ago that Den Haag could not put three performances together. We face the same challenge tomorrow.
It took me till Wednesday to figure out why I was so grumpy this week. It was the tension that you normally feel in the build up to a Championship game. This is as close as it gets here. We won't get as good an opportunity again to win a Hurling Championship. I can't wait to get stuck in. Every ball on its own merit and beat your man. Simple message, simple game!
I've never had any involvement in the organisation of these things but its obvious that its a massive operation. Teams are never able to confirm numbers until a couple of days before so the lunches are all ordered at the last minute. As mentioned, the equipment needs to be brought to the pitch and a host of questions from visiting clubs will need to be answered. Den Haag will travel on the day, as will Lux. Paris come by Eurostar into Brussels, will need to be met in Gare Midi,put on a train to Leuven and then picked up at the station and brought to the pitch. Zurich arrive the night before and should be able to find their own way.
Tomorrow we can report more returning players than missing ones for once. Out are Rochey and the broken duo of The Bull and Crusher. In are the forward trio of Eoin Sheanon, Michael Hough and Dominic King. Defensively we welcome back Kevin Keary. We must be careful though. Its win or bust for Den Haag so expect them to be bulling for it.
The last day we battled debilitating circumstances,went to the depths of the well and won, just. If we can finish off the opposition tomorrow then it will give us a lead that will be very difficult to overcome.
There is no gaurantee that we will be stronger tomorrow despite the calibre of player that is returning. We need to continue into the games with the committment and relentlessness which we possessed the last day. We saw in the football two weeks ago that Den Haag could not put three performances together. We face the same challenge tomorrow.
It took me till Wednesday to figure out why I was so grumpy this week. It was the tension that you normally feel in the build up to a Championship game. This is as close as it gets here. We won't get as good an opportunity again to win a Hurling Championship. I can't wait to get stuck in. Every ball on its own merit and beat your man. Simple message, simple game!
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Top Ten...
...that make playing G.A.A. in Europe worthwhile.
10. Jammers
A crowded pitch with Ladies Football, Hurling and Gaelic Football teams training at the same time, in the shadow of the European Commission.
9. Camaraderie
You think you can only get it in your home club. Not true. Maybe you have to leave the island to allow yourself indulge again though. I've rarely experienced the bond lads have in this club in any other team.
8. Post-training / Pre-tournament pints
It became a ritual for a short period last year. We'd stroll down to Shuman (still togged out) for a quick pint after the last training before a tournament. It died without discussion though. Presumably because the pints never stopped at one...or two....or..... Problem 1 was when you'd emerge p1ssed around midnight and stand looking at your car wondering how you would both get home. Problem 2 would be when you woke up the next morning with a banging headache wondering where you left the car!
7. Paparazzi
Training can be like Oscar night on occasion. Runners and walkers stop to gaze. Photographers peer through their lenses from distance and the occasionaly punter wanders over to ask what the hell is going on?
6. Local Rivalries
Well, local may be stretching it. Our closest are about 200km but with 5 hurling tournaments, 8 football tournaments and many dual players, there is no shortage of opportunity to become acquainted with eachother. Generally its healthy but at times it can boil over. You'd be disappointed if it didn't.
5. The Munich Ladies Gaelic Football team.
The G.A.A. has its poster girls. Enough said.
4. Goalposts
The first time you assemble them and land them on the goal line.....putting your flag on the peak of Everest could not garner such satisfaction or pride.
3. Winning
Spend €300 to take an 8 hour train trip to Zurich and two nights accomodation and play all day in searing heat. Finish off with victory in the final and its worth every penny and ounce of sweat. The first beer cracked open on the side of the pitch and let the night begin. The hangover the next morning barely has time to register as you scour the train station for beer before you get on your midday train. 8 more hours of drinking and merriment follow before you disembark in Shuman and head for the Hairy Canary. Unbeatable, its just a pity the locals don't understand.
2. Community.
Its small put its significant. For any newcomer, they can walk straight in and seamlessly integrate. Accomodation, jobs or any other query; you name it, there will be someone only a phonecall or email away that came help. Its this spirit which brings people in and makes it harder for them to set sail for another destination.
1. Hurling and Gaelic Football
The simple enjoyment that playing the games bring. Catching a ball on the sweet spot, plucking it out of the sky with your fingertips, a full stretch blockdown or shipping a massive tackle. It cannot be matched.
10. Jammers
A crowded pitch with Ladies Football, Hurling and Gaelic Football teams training at the same time, in the shadow of the European Commission.
9. Camaraderie
You think you can only get it in your home club. Not true. Maybe you have to leave the island to allow yourself indulge again though. I've rarely experienced the bond lads have in this club in any other team.
8. Post-training / Pre-tournament pints
It became a ritual for a short period last year. We'd stroll down to Shuman (still togged out) for a quick pint after the last training before a tournament. It died without discussion though. Presumably because the pints never stopped at one...or two....or..... Problem 1 was when you'd emerge p1ssed around midnight and stand looking at your car wondering how you would both get home. Problem 2 would be when you woke up the next morning with a banging headache wondering where you left the car!
7. Paparazzi
Training can be like Oscar night on occasion. Runners and walkers stop to gaze. Photographers peer through their lenses from distance and the occasionaly punter wanders over to ask what the hell is going on?
6. Local Rivalries
Well, local may be stretching it. Our closest are about 200km but with 5 hurling tournaments, 8 football tournaments and many dual players, there is no shortage of opportunity to become acquainted with eachother. Generally its healthy but at times it can boil over. You'd be disappointed if it didn't.
5. The Munich Ladies Gaelic Football team.
The G.A.A. has its poster girls. Enough said.
4. Goalposts
The first time you assemble them and land them on the goal line.....putting your flag on the peak of Everest could not garner such satisfaction or pride.
3. Winning
Spend €300 to take an 8 hour train trip to Zurich and two nights accomodation and play all day in searing heat. Finish off with victory in the final and its worth every penny and ounce of sweat. The first beer cracked open on the side of the pitch and let the night begin. The hangover the next morning barely has time to register as you scour the train station for beer before you get on your midday train. 8 more hours of drinking and merriment follow before you disembark in Shuman and head for the Hairy Canary. Unbeatable, its just a pity the locals don't understand.
2. Community.
Its small put its significant. For any newcomer, they can walk straight in and seamlessly integrate. Accomodation, jobs or any other query; you name it, there will be someone only a phonecall or email away that came help. Its this spirit which brings people in and makes it harder for them to set sail for another destination.
1. Hurling and Gaelic Football
The simple enjoyment that playing the games bring. Catching a ball on the sweet spot, plucking it out of the sky with your fingertips, a full stretch blockdown or shipping a massive tackle. It cannot be matched.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Top Twenty...
....things that make playing G.A.A. in Europe difficult.
20 Wearing colours which aren't that of your home club.
19, Michael Hough and Willie Cashin.
18 Travelling
Our closest venue in terms of actual travel time is Maastricht (1.5hrs), our furthest is Zurich (8hrs). The novelty of these exotic venues wears off pretty quickly.
17 Challenge Games
As you can imagine, its not easy. We've lured a few teams over but it degenerates into a booze up for them. Our last vistors had two lads brought to hospital after ten minutes of the match. One wasn't even playing. Previous nights drinking was high on the list of probable causes.
16 Forgetting Jerseys
When you're a few hundred miles from home, its pretty tricky to pop home to get them. Only happened once and we aren't naming names. The tough wearing blue O'Neills 1980 versions supplied by the host were itchy and irritable in the 25+ degree heat. Still, we looked class.
15 Sightseeing
Or not. Sounds great when you say you are off to Copenhagen, Munich, Budapest, Rennes etc. However, time, money and frequency of tournaments don't allow for much wandering. Usually, you will leave work as late as possible on a Friday. Tournament all day Saturday followed by tournament dinner. Good tourist intentions are long forgetten by the time the main course arrives. The only thing you see that night is the inside of an Irish pub and if you have the energy, some local nightclub. Waking up sun burnt and hungover the next morning, the smart ones will have booked an early flight or train and will just want to exit the stage and get to their bed in Brussels.
14 Rain
It nearly does it as much as at home. We don't complain but there are nicer things than finishing training like a drowned rat, picking up your soggy gear and heading home on the metro. No dressing rooms ya see.
13 Belgian Military
They don't speak English and won't give us a key to the pitch. So we need to pick it up before training and deal with the puzzled 'key, what key?' looks they throw at us. Thats when they are there. Apparently they don't give out the key on public holidays or during Easter. Thats not so nice if no-one tells ya and you've taken the train to training from Liege.
12 DIY
There is a big do it yourself feel to the GAA here. Basically, a GAA club existed here back in the 90's but died away. The current club got going again around 2003 or 2004 with Hurling and Camogie, with Football added last year. The club was built back from scratch in this period by the players themselves. The players continue to develop it but in the absence of non-player/retired Members all the work is left to them. This means the actual running of the club in terms of committe issues, training teams, hosting tournaments. Something like fundraising is a good example of where workload may be greater here then at home. At home, you have a ready made contributing army built up over time and through families. To get a fundraiser going here requires a massive amount of time and cajoling from all the Members, who are dual assigned as player and helper
11 Drinking
The pubs stay open all night. If you don't get them straight off the boat they can get caught up in one of the hefty expat drinking clubs. There is little chance of winning their heart back thereafter.
10. Dubs
I’d never played with or against one in Ireland. Just listening to their self righteous ramblings in their fancy dan accents would be enough to put anyone off. Notable exception being Martin.
9. Mayo men
They’ve an inbuilt self-destruct button that could bring down the best of teams sindlehandedly.
8. Galway men
They think they play pure football. Yawn.
7. Getting hurleys
Tightened restrictions on luggage means you now have to check in hurleys when flying. If you are going to Cork that means four flights at €10 a pop which turns them into expensive hurls. The system has been beat though, most notably by Conan who allegedly passed his off as expensive pieces of art.
6. Pitches
There are no tailor made ones obviously. This means no high nets behind the goals, fixed goal posts and fences around the pitch. In Parc50 we are lucky to be able to store our portable goalposts and use them for training. However, the pitch is enclosed by a running track which is surrounded by deep bushes resulting in many a lost ball.
5. Committees
They’re just a pain in the arse everywhere.
4. Money
Playing tournaments costs anything from €50 to €300 euro a man. Training requires pitches and pitches cost money. You can imagine the GAA doesn’t exactly capture the imagination of an expat population which makes fundraising a right pain in the arse.
3. Business Trips
From a work point of view, most people are based here in some form of HQ which means they will be dispersed on a regular basis to subsidiary offices. This disrupts training and tournament attendance. Others work in the service industry where the hours are not conducive to training.
2. Turnover
In the last 10 tournaments, we have used 60+ players. There is a core but the rest can turnover on a month to month basis.
1. Girlfriends
Obviously these are a problem everywhere. The key distinction here is that they are all away from home; their family and old friends. This is significant because YOU become their entire life when away. Weekends are not for the lads, they are for the lady. Going away for the day playing GAA is out of the question and the need to follow it up with a night on the booze is incomprehendable for them. Red card.
20 Wearing colours which aren't that of your home club.
19, Michael Hough and Willie Cashin.
18 Travelling
Our closest venue in terms of actual travel time is Maastricht (1.5hrs), our furthest is Zurich (8hrs). The novelty of these exotic venues wears off pretty quickly.
17 Challenge Games
As you can imagine, its not easy. We've lured a few teams over but it degenerates into a booze up for them. Our last vistors had two lads brought to hospital after ten minutes of the match. One wasn't even playing. Previous nights drinking was high on the list of probable causes.
16 Forgetting Jerseys
When you're a few hundred miles from home, its pretty tricky to pop home to get them. Only happened once and we aren't naming names. The tough wearing blue O'Neills 1980 versions supplied by the host were itchy and irritable in the 25+ degree heat. Still, we looked class.
15 Sightseeing
Or not. Sounds great when you say you are off to Copenhagen, Munich, Budapest, Rennes etc. However, time, money and frequency of tournaments don't allow for much wandering. Usually, you will leave work as late as possible on a Friday. Tournament all day Saturday followed by tournament dinner. Good tourist intentions are long forgetten by the time the main course arrives. The only thing you see that night is the inside of an Irish pub and if you have the energy, some local nightclub. Waking up sun burnt and hungover the next morning, the smart ones will have booked an early flight or train and will just want to exit the stage and get to their bed in Brussels.
14 Rain
It nearly does it as much as at home. We don't complain but there are nicer things than finishing training like a drowned rat, picking up your soggy gear and heading home on the metro. No dressing rooms ya see.
13 Belgian Military
They don't speak English and won't give us a key to the pitch. So we need to pick it up before training and deal with the puzzled 'key, what key?' looks they throw at us. Thats when they are there. Apparently they don't give out the key on public holidays or during Easter. Thats not so nice if no-one tells ya and you've taken the train to training from Liege.
12 DIY
There is a big do it yourself feel to the GAA here. Basically, a GAA club existed here back in the 90's but died away. The current club got going again around 2003 or 2004 with Hurling and Camogie, with Football added last year. The club was built back from scratch in this period by the players themselves. The players continue to develop it but in the absence of non-player/retired Members all the work is left to them. This means the actual running of the club in terms of committe issues, training teams, hosting tournaments. Something like fundraising is a good example of where workload may be greater here then at home. At home, you have a ready made contributing army built up over time and through families. To get a fundraiser going here requires a massive amount of time and cajoling from all the Members, who are dual assigned as player and helper
11 Drinking
The pubs stay open all night. If you don't get them straight off the boat they can get caught up in one of the hefty expat drinking clubs. There is little chance of winning their heart back thereafter.
10. Dubs
I’d never played with or against one in Ireland. Just listening to their self righteous ramblings in their fancy dan accents would be enough to put anyone off. Notable exception being Martin.
9. Mayo men
They’ve an inbuilt self-destruct button that could bring down the best of teams sindlehandedly.
8. Galway men
They think they play pure football. Yawn.
7. Getting hurleys
Tightened restrictions on luggage means you now have to check in hurleys when flying. If you are going to Cork that means four flights at €10 a pop which turns them into expensive hurls. The system has been beat though, most notably by Conan who allegedly passed his off as expensive pieces of art.
6. Pitches
There are no tailor made ones obviously. This means no high nets behind the goals, fixed goal posts and fences around the pitch. In Parc50 we are lucky to be able to store our portable goalposts and use them for training. However, the pitch is enclosed by a running track which is surrounded by deep bushes resulting in many a lost ball.
5. Committees
They’re just a pain in the arse everywhere.
4. Money
Playing tournaments costs anything from €50 to €300 euro a man. Training requires pitches and pitches cost money. You can imagine the GAA doesn’t exactly capture the imagination of an expat population which makes fundraising a right pain in the arse.
3. Business Trips
From a work point of view, most people are based here in some form of HQ which means they will be dispersed on a regular basis to subsidiary offices. This disrupts training and tournament attendance. Others work in the service industry where the hours are not conducive to training.
2. Turnover
In the last 10 tournaments, we have used 60+ players. There is a core but the rest can turnover on a month to month basis.
1. Girlfriends
Obviously these are a problem everywhere. The key distinction here is that they are all away from home; their family and old friends. This is significant because YOU become their entire life when away. Weekends are not for the lads, they are for the lady. Going away for the day playing GAA is out of the question and the need to follow it up with a night on the booze is incomprehendable for them. Red card.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Tag...
.....was a game we used to play when we were little kids. If I remember correctly, one kid used to be 'it' and then be tasked with hunting down one of the posse, tagging him and punctuating the action with 'you're it'! Such a simple game but such an enjoyable way of spending 'small break' or lunchtimes when we were in school. It is this simplicity that probably made it so attractive to the Rugby fraternity. They have turned it into a craze as tag rugby has been branded and promoted all over the country (Ireland) and has even broken into the Belgian sporting scene. It is pure recreational sport and allows men and women mix socially on the sporting pitch. It opens the game's doors to people who do not want the cut and thrust of competitive sport and who don't want to find themselves buried under a mountain of bodies on a mucky field or go home battered, bloodied and bruised. Being a summer sport, tag can be played on good pitches and generally in good weather. A few beers afterwards can top off a joly good night for all.
The recreational side to sport is evident in other codes also. Soccer has 5-a-side, night owls and leagues that are populated by gentlemen who should place a sign saying 'recreational player' atop their oversized belly. Hockey has vets teams and a host of other 'sports' like roller blading (!) and frisbee (!) are popping up and capturing the attention of the healthy living starved public.
It highlights an issue which the GAA is struggling to tackle. If you were to look up the phrase recreational sport in the G.A.A. dictionary it would probably be accompanied by a one word definition; weak. The GAA doesn't do recreational sport, competition is just too important. The intensity and personal nature of local rivalries which are played out in schools and clubs negate any possibility of creating a recreational side to our games. We couldn't survive without them. From the age of 10 or 11 when you attend GAA camps, you are acutely aware via the Sciath na Scoil competitions and local games who your friends are and who your enemies are. I remember Barry Gray, who I played with all the way up, had Mars bars thrown at him in one such camp by Valley Rovers punks when he was U-12. Such treatment would put the fire in any man's (boy in this case) belly and the satisfaction of extracting revenge could not be matched by anything other than a Championship win, nor could the hard January slog and months of training that build up to it.
Dublin is probably the one exception. There, we can say that their Junior and Intermediate grades are practically recreational!! They are not defined by hatred or bitterness. Fellas play just because they want to play and there are leagues that can accommodate virtually every standard imaginable. Not in traditional (!) GAA counties like Cork, Kerry, Galway etc though. The belts Conor Counihan gave Michael O'Sullivan out in Brinny in 2001 were as sincere as any he may have given Colm O'Rourke in Croke Park 13/14 years earlier, and it was only a challenge game!
The GAA thrives on its competitive nature. The intensity of it means we lose players who prefer the recreational option. They will often land into a Rugby or Soccer club afterwards with a sob story of ill-treatment and see out their sporting days there. Rarely do you see people coming in the other direction. Mainly because you need to be a certain breed to play GAA and without a penchant for what is described above you will drift. If it’s a drinking club you are after, you have a lot of grief and abuse to take before you earn your pint. Many don't want that.
It is an issue though, as we compete with other codes to attract new players. Remember, those new players will go on and have kids and what they do as adults will influence those kids. I've been pondering a recreational spin-off to hurling and football but it’s a major struggle. Indoor hurling could be one option but players would find it too restrictive. The GAA needs to find a place in its organisation for the man who just wants to play for the craic. We should not ignore these people. Without them, we will see our numbers drop going forward. It’s not going to be easy though.
For rugby, it was an easy adaptation. The simplicity of the game allows for it. The positions are more easily defined. Everyone just stands facing the goal they attack with the opposition looking back at them. Everyone moves forward together, but behind the ball carrier. Objective is to break the opposition line and get over the end line. A couple of jinks or bursts of speed may 'light' up the place from time to time but other than that it’s a case of run towards the goal until someone de-tags you and then offload the ball. Rugby can be broken down this simply and still carry itself off as a sport.
To do the same with hurling would be impossible. The very thing that makes it such a great game is the skill level but the complexity of the skills is what makes it so difficult for players to take it up. You would have to remove the skills to make it playable but you would then barely be left with something that resembles hurling. Maybe something could be done with Gaelic Football but it’s still hard to see. For now, recreational sport will remain in the possession of other organisations and to some extent in less personal GAA counties like Dublin. From a GAA point of view, we should focus on keeping retiring players in the game; maybe by having 9 or 11-a-side vets leagues, played on U-12 sized pitches. Putting your thinking caps on gents.
The recreational side to sport is evident in other codes also. Soccer has 5-a-side, night owls and leagues that are populated by gentlemen who should place a sign saying 'recreational player' atop their oversized belly. Hockey has vets teams and a host of other 'sports' like roller blading (!) and frisbee (!) are popping up and capturing the attention of the healthy living starved public.
It highlights an issue which the GAA is struggling to tackle. If you were to look up the phrase recreational sport in the G.A.A. dictionary it would probably be accompanied by a one word definition; weak. The GAA doesn't do recreational sport, competition is just too important. The intensity and personal nature of local rivalries which are played out in schools and clubs negate any possibility of creating a recreational side to our games. We couldn't survive without them. From the age of 10 or 11 when you attend GAA camps, you are acutely aware via the Sciath na Scoil competitions and local games who your friends are and who your enemies are. I remember Barry Gray, who I played with all the way up, had Mars bars thrown at him in one such camp by Valley Rovers punks when he was U-12. Such treatment would put the fire in any man's (boy in this case) belly and the satisfaction of extracting revenge could not be matched by anything other than a Championship win, nor could the hard January slog and months of training that build up to it.
Dublin is probably the one exception. There, we can say that their Junior and Intermediate grades are practically recreational!! They are not defined by hatred or bitterness. Fellas play just because they want to play and there are leagues that can accommodate virtually every standard imaginable. Not in traditional (!) GAA counties like Cork, Kerry, Galway etc though. The belts Conor Counihan gave Michael O'Sullivan out in Brinny in 2001 were as sincere as any he may have given Colm O'Rourke in Croke Park 13/14 years earlier, and it was only a challenge game!
The GAA thrives on its competitive nature. The intensity of it means we lose players who prefer the recreational option. They will often land into a Rugby or Soccer club afterwards with a sob story of ill-treatment and see out their sporting days there. Rarely do you see people coming in the other direction. Mainly because you need to be a certain breed to play GAA and without a penchant for what is described above you will drift. If it’s a drinking club you are after, you have a lot of grief and abuse to take before you earn your pint. Many don't want that.
It is an issue though, as we compete with other codes to attract new players. Remember, those new players will go on and have kids and what they do as adults will influence those kids. I've been pondering a recreational spin-off to hurling and football but it’s a major struggle. Indoor hurling could be one option but players would find it too restrictive. The GAA needs to find a place in its organisation for the man who just wants to play for the craic. We should not ignore these people. Without them, we will see our numbers drop going forward. It’s not going to be easy though.
For rugby, it was an easy adaptation. The simplicity of the game allows for it. The positions are more easily defined. Everyone just stands facing the goal they attack with the opposition looking back at them. Everyone moves forward together, but behind the ball carrier. Objective is to break the opposition line and get over the end line. A couple of jinks or bursts of speed may 'light' up the place from time to time but other than that it’s a case of run towards the goal until someone de-tags you and then offload the ball. Rugby can be broken down this simply and still carry itself off as a sport.
To do the same with hurling would be impossible. The very thing that makes it such a great game is the skill level but the complexity of the skills is what makes it so difficult for players to take it up. You would have to remove the skills to make it playable but you would then barely be left with something that resembles hurling. Maybe something could be done with Gaelic Football but it’s still hard to see. For now, recreational sport will remain in the possession of other organisations and to some extent in less personal GAA counties like Dublin. From a GAA point of view, we should focus on keeping retiring players in the game; maybe by having 9 or 11-a-side vets leagues, played on U-12 sized pitches. Putting your thinking caps on gents.
Backs & Forwards
I may have ranted about this before, I'm not sure. Either way, I'm due another.
I spent years in the corner getting shafted. The game is built for forwards. Generally, the lad kicking the balls in will be placed in the middle of the pitch, isolated and under no pressure. A half forward will make a run and receive a short pass straight into his path. No hope for the wing back. Play continues and forwards being forwards, they fart around with it. A back throws himself into a crowd of traffic and retrieves the ball, bursting through the first tackle. A quick one two and the ball is back in the middle of the pitch.
Immediately after releasing the ball, the back will scan what he left behind trying to identify his man. Too often, by the time he can lock eyes on him, the ball is already floating through the air into his opposite number's arms. The white flag goes up to hurrahs from the fellow swashbucklers. The backs gritty play has already been erased from the memories and at the end of the night the knowledgeable selectors would rather purr over the scintilating points scored by their golden boys.
The game perfectly illustrates the difference in mentality between backs and forwards. Backs outwardly protest their hatred for the game but inwardly they love the doggedness of it all. They know its steels their mind for tough Championship games. The balls relentlessly rain down on top of them and they attack everyone ball like its the last. They'll get well pissed off when that ball floats over their head but they'll keeping driving on.
It will help build the necessary bonds between those in front, behind and too the side of them as each burst a gut to help the other. They'll never give up because even in training they play with their heart on their sleeve and won't want to return to the dressing room with anyone having got the better of him.
The forward on the other hand will saunter around. When the back is too close for comfort, they'll drift off away from the play to 'create space'. If the ball delivered into them isn't right on the money they'll continue the run in the direction of the giver, hands aloft, providing theatre to rival Broadway. If they are forced to make a tackle, you can be pretty sure it will be sloppy and result more often then not, in a free out.
The odd time, the trainer will switch the backs and forwards en masse. I would be surprised if any group of forwards ever got the better of any group of backs anywhere in the world, ever! The backs will run them ragged, playing fast direct ball and ploughing straight through the middle of the pitch. Such is the lack of respect forwards have for tackling, working hard or showing a bit of balls, the game will be an unsatisfying whitewash for the forwards.
Up to a certain level of football, you would take 15 backs over 15 forwards any day of the week. Its only at the top level, maybe the better Intermediate teams up where you really need the bit of class. For the rest, 15 relentless dogs will win more often then not. Maybe thats just the opinion of a back, one who would be pleased to be proved wrong.
I spent years in the corner getting shafted. The game is built for forwards. Generally, the lad kicking the balls in will be placed in the middle of the pitch, isolated and under no pressure. A half forward will make a run and receive a short pass straight into his path. No hope for the wing back. Play continues and forwards being forwards, they fart around with it. A back throws himself into a crowd of traffic and retrieves the ball, bursting through the first tackle. A quick one two and the ball is back in the middle of the pitch.
Immediately after releasing the ball, the back will scan what he left behind trying to identify his man. Too often, by the time he can lock eyes on him, the ball is already floating through the air into his opposite number's arms. The white flag goes up to hurrahs from the fellow swashbucklers. The backs gritty play has already been erased from the memories and at the end of the night the knowledgeable selectors would rather purr over the scintilating points scored by their golden boys.
The game perfectly illustrates the difference in mentality between backs and forwards. Backs outwardly protest their hatred for the game but inwardly they love the doggedness of it all. They know its steels their mind for tough Championship games. The balls relentlessly rain down on top of them and they attack everyone ball like its the last. They'll get well pissed off when that ball floats over their head but they'll keeping driving on.
It will help build the necessary bonds between those in front, behind and too the side of them as each burst a gut to help the other. They'll never give up because even in training they play with their heart on their sleeve and won't want to return to the dressing room with anyone having got the better of him.
The forward on the other hand will saunter around. When the back is too close for comfort, they'll drift off away from the play to 'create space'. If the ball delivered into them isn't right on the money they'll continue the run in the direction of the giver, hands aloft, providing theatre to rival Broadway. If they are forced to make a tackle, you can be pretty sure it will be sloppy and result more often then not, in a free out.
The odd time, the trainer will switch the backs and forwards en masse. I would be surprised if any group of forwards ever got the better of any group of backs anywhere in the world, ever! The backs will run them ragged, playing fast direct ball and ploughing straight through the middle of the pitch. Such is the lack of respect forwards have for tackling, working hard or showing a bit of balls, the game will be an unsatisfying whitewash for the forwards.
Up to a certain level of football, you would take 15 backs over 15 forwards any day of the week. Its only at the top level, maybe the better Intermediate teams up where you really need the bit of class. For the rest, 15 relentless dogs will win more often then not. Maybe thats just the opinion of a back, one who would be pleased to be proved wrong.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Girlies
You remember when you were in Primary School and you fancied one of your classmates? It is unlikely you would have taken the classy, charming approach which you would now. Instead, more often than not, you would ignore her, tease her and never pay her the compliments she deserved. Such immature behaviour surely embarrasses you nowadays. My blog has a confession to make. Whilst it has not teased, it has up to now ignored and failed to compliment the Ladies of our club. I am embarrassed and remorseful.The journey of the Ladies Footballers has run alongside ours. They too started from scratch last year and they too became European Champions in 2008. Their playing numbers have grown this year and they have travelled to the first two tournaments with two teams also. The A team was victorious in both, meaning they are in a great position to repeat last year’s feat. In 2008, Barbara Wynee led them on their maiden voyage as she took on the role of player, trainer, captain and an assortment of other responsibilities.
This year they fall under the tutelage of Willie Cashin, footballing guru! They will be captained by Mide Ni Shuilleabhain, whose sister Caoimhe (or Cuba, as her Spanish teammate Anay has to call her due to her poor english ;-) ) also plays on the team. This is a particularly nice point. Most of us would have grown up playing on the same teams as our siblings or cousins but for them to be able to follow each other to Europe and do so, is kinda unique.
They have many personalities, too many to go into detail without offending some by omitting. But i will anyway. There is The Bomber. She is from Kerry and plays full forward. She's a spin doctor with Fianna Fail so she talks alot of sh1te. There is Anay. She is Spanish and to quote is "completely utterly illogically passionately in love with football." Emily is Cluxton's wife. A revelation after taking up the game this year. They are Irish, German, Belgian, English and all sorts of other concoctions. This contrasts greatly with our lack of foreigners (only Matti is a regular). There is the Cork connection with Sylvia and Clare. The Brits with the Whisk and Steph (?). Of course, Caragh, one of the stars and just returning after pregnancy. The list goes on....Janey, Clare A, Jess etc etc Some only took up the game last year but skills picked up in other sports like handball, soccer, rugby and basketball help them adapt quickly.
Having them involved has been the makings of the club. It makes everything better; training, tournaments and the social events. It brings another dynamic to the club. They also bring more input to the committee and are particularly good at getting money out of people. They contribute to a bit of scandal every now and then too which provides some light entertainment. It also increases the chances of the boys finding female companionship which is good because then they will share the same interests with their other half and I won't have to listen to sh1tty excuses like i currently do.
Lux Claim 8th Home Title in Row
Writing a piece about a glorious victory is a lot easier than writing one about another defeat. Where to start. Probably just after 6am as we packed the final items into our bags and looked out at a magnificent May morning. I travelled with Alan Rowan, Caragh and new addition to their family Darragh. There's not too many people who would take on such a journey (both were playing) but fair play to them, they did so without drama.
The support of Colin and Conan in the organisation has helped a lot this year. Conan sends out a standard email in the days preceding the tournaments detailing everything from the draw, who will collect money, who will drive, what the directions are and even a precise weather forecast!! It works well which is obvious from how few questions/phone calls are received. One other part of this organisation is the task of delegating. After each tournament someone will 'volunteer' to wash the jerseys. Eoghan Kelly was the man given the task the last day but left Antwerp on Saturday morning without them, only realising when we were in the dressing room in Lux. This would have bothered me enormously in the past but Kelly is only a young buck, and it’s very out of character to make such an error.
Lux kindly helped out and dug out an old (last used sometimes in the 70's!) long sleeved set. Ideal for a blistering hot day. Possibly a tactic to undo us? They were fairly deadly though. Skin tight, they really showed our flawless physiques in all their glory.
The B's went into action first against Lux A. It was never going to be easy and a shortage of backs meant Conan had to be creative with his resources. Regular forwards Ruairi and Barry were given defensive chores. Because of the scheduling of games, we did not get to watch much of the B games. However, from what I saw, Pearce did well around the middle of the field, Matti was his usual bustling self and Adrian made some good saves. At times the lads moved the ball very well and very fast by hand. Lux struggled to win back possession and it is a positive sign going forward. Still, it was difficult to get the forwards enough possession to make an impact on the scoreboard and Lux ran out comfortable winners.
The A team took the field next against Amsterdam, whom we had not beaten all season! We started in lively fashion with Olof and Ciaran doing well up front. Defensively, myself, Paul and Colin were a bit shaky early on. Gearoid Sayers was making his usual bursts from wing back but we lost him to a hamstring injury late in the first half. As neither ourselves or the B's travelled with subs, we had to pull Martin from the B's to cover. We led at half time and when our defence tightened in the second half, we were able to withstand their onslaught to run out 4 point winners. The team had nice balance with Enda and Eoghan working hard around midfield and the forwards moving the ball nicely.
The B's experienced another tough outing against Den Haag A in their other group game. Again, details are sketchy and Conan has been away so no chance to give more. What i can comment on is the attitude of the B team. I know some may feel they should be given a chance with the A team but it does not affect their commitment on or off the pitch and they provide a good example. It’s a difficult period for them, trying to compete with 'Championship' sides in the Benelux section but hopefully they will survive the test and be ready for the Shield come July. Conan is working hard at getting a core group and its working well.
The A's played Lux B next and we switched around the team alot to try and conserve energy. Enda went to full back and I went to midfield. Olof went in full forward and Ciaran came to the wing. It may have been slightly disruptive but it had to be done. Ciaran goaled a couple of times but Lux hit back with goals of their own. In the end we won comfortably enough to top the group. In the other group, Den Haag beat Lux to win their group leaving the semi pairings Belgium v Lux and Den Haag v Amsterdam.
Lux looked to be considerably stronger than previous and were pumped to win their home tournament for the 8th year in a row! They started the sharper and caught us for some bad scores. Still, we settled and 0-4 to 0-3 down at half-time was not such a bad position. However, straight from the throw-in they went up field and goaled. We couldn’t claw it back and they deservedly beat us by 5 points. A lot of us were poor. I gave my man too much space and surrendered too much possession too easily. Same for others. Our support play wasn't up to scratch and we couldn't handle their strong running through the middle. It was disappointing but we could not complain.
If we are to take some positives from the day we could say Cluxton made some great saves in goal. Paul did well in his first tournament and Olof led the forwards well. Also, we cut out the b1tching and moaning and fellas stayed positive all day. I hope we continue with this attitude. Den Haag lost the other semi and refused to play the 3/4 playoff citing injuries! I'm not happy about this as i suspect they could have played the final if they qualified. Anyway, we are now in a position where we do not automatically qualify for the Championship section and need to rely on an invitation. Hopefully it will come as I expect us to get stronger as the year goes on and still hope we can mount a challenge.
There were the usual festivities that evening and many of us stayed on. Highlights would include being given the hurling cup (we could not stay to receive it two weeks ago), losing it, finding it again and then forgetting it in the bar! There was the education of the young buck by the old bucks. And of course, the dance-off as Aylward and Rochey went toe to toe in Biblyos. I’d say the Lux night club never saw the likes of the messing on the dance floor on Saturday night.
The support of Colin and Conan in the organisation has helped a lot this year. Conan sends out a standard email in the days preceding the tournaments detailing everything from the draw, who will collect money, who will drive, what the directions are and even a precise weather forecast!! It works well which is obvious from how few questions/phone calls are received. One other part of this organisation is the task of delegating. After each tournament someone will 'volunteer' to wash the jerseys. Eoghan Kelly was the man given the task the last day but left Antwerp on Saturday morning without them, only realising when we were in the dressing room in Lux. This would have bothered me enormously in the past but Kelly is only a young buck, and it’s very out of character to make such an error.
Lux kindly helped out and dug out an old (last used sometimes in the 70's!) long sleeved set. Ideal for a blistering hot day. Possibly a tactic to undo us? They were fairly deadly though. Skin tight, they really showed our flawless physiques in all their glory.
The B's went into action first against Lux A. It was never going to be easy and a shortage of backs meant Conan had to be creative with his resources. Regular forwards Ruairi and Barry were given defensive chores. Because of the scheduling of games, we did not get to watch much of the B games. However, from what I saw, Pearce did well around the middle of the field, Matti was his usual bustling self and Adrian made some good saves. At times the lads moved the ball very well and very fast by hand. Lux struggled to win back possession and it is a positive sign going forward. Still, it was difficult to get the forwards enough possession to make an impact on the scoreboard and Lux ran out comfortable winners.
The A team took the field next against Amsterdam, whom we had not beaten all season! We started in lively fashion with Olof and Ciaran doing well up front. Defensively, myself, Paul and Colin were a bit shaky early on. Gearoid Sayers was making his usual bursts from wing back but we lost him to a hamstring injury late in the first half. As neither ourselves or the B's travelled with subs, we had to pull Martin from the B's to cover. We led at half time and when our defence tightened in the second half, we were able to withstand their onslaught to run out 4 point winners. The team had nice balance with Enda and Eoghan working hard around midfield and the forwards moving the ball nicely.
The B's experienced another tough outing against Den Haag A in their other group game. Again, details are sketchy and Conan has been away so no chance to give more. What i can comment on is the attitude of the B team. I know some may feel they should be given a chance with the A team but it does not affect their commitment on or off the pitch and they provide a good example. It’s a difficult period for them, trying to compete with 'Championship' sides in the Benelux section but hopefully they will survive the test and be ready for the Shield come July. Conan is working hard at getting a core group and its working well.
The A's played Lux B next and we switched around the team alot to try and conserve energy. Enda went to full back and I went to midfield. Olof went in full forward and Ciaran came to the wing. It may have been slightly disruptive but it had to be done. Ciaran goaled a couple of times but Lux hit back with goals of their own. In the end we won comfortably enough to top the group. In the other group, Den Haag beat Lux to win their group leaving the semi pairings Belgium v Lux and Den Haag v Amsterdam.
Lux looked to be considerably stronger than previous and were pumped to win their home tournament for the 8th year in a row! They started the sharper and caught us for some bad scores. Still, we settled and 0-4 to 0-3 down at half-time was not such a bad position. However, straight from the throw-in they went up field and goaled. We couldn’t claw it back and they deservedly beat us by 5 points. A lot of us were poor. I gave my man too much space and surrendered too much possession too easily. Same for others. Our support play wasn't up to scratch and we couldn't handle their strong running through the middle. It was disappointing but we could not complain.
If we are to take some positives from the day we could say Cluxton made some great saves in goal. Paul did well in his first tournament and Olof led the forwards well. Also, we cut out the b1tching and moaning and fellas stayed positive all day. I hope we continue with this attitude. Den Haag lost the other semi and refused to play the 3/4 playoff citing injuries! I'm not happy about this as i suspect they could have played the final if they qualified. Anyway, we are now in a position where we do not automatically qualify for the Championship section and need to rely on an invitation. Hopefully it will come as I expect us to get stronger as the year goes on and still hope we can mount a challenge.
There were the usual festivities that evening and many of us stayed on. Highlights would include being given the hurling cup (we could not stay to receive it two weeks ago), losing it, finding it again and then forgetting it in the bar! There was the education of the young buck by the old bucks. And of course, the dance-off as Aylward and Rochey went toe to toe in Biblyos. I’d say the Lux night club never saw the likes of the messing on the dance floor on Saturday night.
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