With two of the three Pan-Euros outside the normal travel circuit this year, it opens the door to a skewed Championship.
Given the presence of the EU institutions in Brussels, there are frequent air routes to every major destination in Europe, heavily bolstered by a large number of Ryanair routes in and out of Charleroi. Combine this with Brussels being within driving distance of the majority of the most active clubs and it makes for a very accessible (from travel and cost point of view) venue.
The same could not be said of the other two venues this year; Guernsey and Limerick. Guernsey in particular, is an absolute nightmare, as mentioned in the previous entry. This is reflected by the necessity to cancel the Ladies round due to a lack of teams. The Men's Championship survives but with some threadbare panels expected to travel. I heard The Hague were struggling to get bodies and Stockholm couldn't get a team together at all. Lux are travelling as far as I know but I presume they are in the same situation as us.
Everyone understands that it is difficult and expensive for the likes of Guernsey and Jersey to participate so teams have made as big an effort as possible to travel this year. I can't see many teams doing it again considering the cost and the time off work required. A compromise for the future would be to host a tournament in somewhere like Rennes which is close to the crossing to the channel islancs. It is well connected by train from Paris and is within driving distance (just about) for a lot of teams and would require max half day off work. Still that wouldn't help the outliers in Scandinavia or Eastern Europe much.
When you don't have all the teams at each tournament it distorts the overall competition. Guernsey and Jersey will be red hot favourites for next weekend considering the struggles of so many teams to travel. With the competition being decided over just three tournaments, such an advantage is difficult to claw back for the rest.
The water gets further muddied by the final round being in Limerick. Again, this is a difficult venue to get to as the air routes in and out of Shannon are limited, especially on a Friday evening. Still, people can stomach taking a bit of time off work seeing as they can link in a visit home but it is still far from ideal. We are lucky in Brussels that there are a couple of flights to Dublin on a Friday but these are always expensive as they are full of politicos. Our other option is to drive to Amsterdam and then go to Cork or Dublin and go on to Limerick from there. Again, difficult without taking time off work and increasing cost.
Something that came up in a conversation with one of the lads from a competing club recently was the 'weekend' player. It is still within the rules to utilise a limited number of such players during a season. His team are considering bringing a couple of guys on board for the Limerick weekend. He recognises that a situation may occur whereby his club is already out of the running for the Championship but by bringing in such players, it could strengthen their hand and ruin the hopes of a team in contention. Is such distortion fair? And these are the guys talking about doing it above board. One can only imagine the shenanigans which may go on below the line.
We are now in a situation in Europe where our competitions are competitive and the majority of teams can easily field without fishing into the pool at home. The rule seems dated and inappropriate for the current state of the European game.
Staying on the whole player movement topic, I heard (but can't confirm it is true!) that one club processed eight transfers in recent weeks. The word is that these guys may indeed be living in the city they represent but the timing of the transfer suggests they may have waited until their home clubs have been knocked out. I'm not sure of the circumstances of these situations but how player transfers are handled in general probably needs reviewing. Is there a rule about playing in two County championships in one year with two different clubs (excluding Colleges)?
Another issue, but more linked to the final round (in any year) itself is that teams make an extra effort to attend. We had an example two years ago where Budapest arrived with a very strong team and created quite a stir. It was the only Pan-Euro they attended. In the end, The Hague saw off their challenge but how fair would it have been had they knocked out a contender in the semi-final despite not having taken part in any other round?
The structures and rules implemented in Europe were made at a certain point in time and I am sure they fitted the purpose then. With the game developing rapidly, it may now be time to review these and discuss whether they are still fit for purpose.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Changing Tune
This time last year we were preparing to go to Budapest for the second round of the Pan-Euro Championship/Shield. My frustration with everything had peaked. I'd told Collie B that I was done with it once the season finished. I'd been thinking about it for a good while so it wasn't just a knee-jerk reaction.
For fear of sounding like a broken record (!), I won't regurgitate all the factors that would bring one to that point of disillusionment but they could be summarised in a few headline one; Munich, team selection, organisation, players buy-in, trainer-player role.
My biggest issue is always the players as Colin leads the off field logistics. The size of the gap between what I would expect as trainer and what players actually do has always fluctuated and rarely aligned (speaking generally). In my mind, the expectations are very straight forward.
- Make every possible effort to turn up to training and be available for tournaments
- Show up on time
- If you can't make training or will be late, communicate that to myself, Colin or Conan
- If you are injured or sick, proactively keep us up to date on your status and what you are doing to solve it
- Don't treat being part of the group as a recreational pastime; it is more important than that!!
Stealing a phrase coined by Cork Ladies Football coach Eamonn Ryan, it's about making the 'winning choices'. I like his play on words. He uses the phrase instead of the word sacrifices, which he hates when it comes to G.A.A. Sacrifice implies some sort of pain or loss. In his mind and mine, being involved in hurling and football is a joy, not a pain. The things which need to be cast aside on the journey are sometimes unfortunate but always necessary if you are going to enjoy it, improve and ultimately win.
I struggle to understand many of the reasons lads give for missing training/tournaments. If you are busy at work, start earlier, work through lunch and a little later.
Lateness is down to the individual in most cases. The same guys are always late, no matter what time training is. In general, it's their own carelessness for not organising themselves properly.
Since Guernsey, a good few guys have gone totally AWOL. Not a word from them. I know their status because I ask their friends what the story with them is. I find it hard to believe that you'd want to be part of something and not be keeping the people running it in the loop. I used to contact fellas when they were injured or absent. Now I don't. The communication channel is two way and thus I'd expect a more proactive approach.
I've tried to disconnect from all the above issues in the last couple of months. It's not that you don't care or you don't think it's important to push home these points but at a certain point, you have to protect what you are getting out of it. As importantly, you must protect what those who are out training and doing the right things are getting out of it. I'm sure there is some consequence to stepping back like this. There will always be a few more that you will get out if you constantly harass them. We may have lost them or get less out of them now.
Back to the current situation and those present. The week immediately after our home tournament we only had six and eight players on the nights we trained that week. Now it is around 12-14. Far from the number we would normally expect or be happy with. The fact I've sidelined the aforementioned frustrations means I've focused more on the positives i.e those at training, and credit to all the lads, the effort has been fantastic.
I've sat out a few of the sessions and from that placing, you can easily observe who is putting it in and who is not. You can tell by the concentration on their faces, the way their body is moving, how they react to a mistake and how vocal they are. It's been very good and it would be difficult to find fault with anyone.
I think the players would generally agree that the sessions have gone well. We've got a good mix of ball drills, running and games. We've also taken on board some of the feedback from the training before the last tournament and incorporated it i.e. more point shooting!!
The tone at training has been a lot more positive too. I’ve ranted less and guys have talked more. A throw away comment by Timmy a couple of weeks ago about how close he’s come on occasions to snapping back at me gives me a good idea where the line is. The relationship between player and trainer is difficult in our situation. We’ve always managed to manage it without conflict and must continue to do so.
Tomorrow, we’ll know where we are at in terms of Guernsey and will use the last two sessions to tune things up. We’ll be down lads but we will again highlight Maastricht 7’s as a turning point in our mentality. The collective is more important than the individual.
For fear of sounding like a broken record (!), I won't regurgitate all the factors that would bring one to that point of disillusionment but they could be summarised in a few headline one; Munich, team selection, organisation, players buy-in, trainer-player role.
My biggest issue is always the players as Colin leads the off field logistics. The size of the gap between what I would expect as trainer and what players actually do has always fluctuated and rarely aligned (speaking generally). In my mind, the expectations are very straight forward.
- Make every possible effort to turn up to training and be available for tournaments
- Show up on time
- If you can't make training or will be late, communicate that to myself, Colin or Conan
- If you are injured or sick, proactively keep us up to date on your status and what you are doing to solve it
- Don't treat being part of the group as a recreational pastime; it is more important than that!!
Stealing a phrase coined by Cork Ladies Football coach Eamonn Ryan, it's about making the 'winning choices'. I like his play on words. He uses the phrase instead of the word sacrifices, which he hates when it comes to G.A.A. Sacrifice implies some sort of pain or loss. In his mind and mine, being involved in hurling and football is a joy, not a pain. The things which need to be cast aside on the journey are sometimes unfortunate but always necessary if you are going to enjoy it, improve and ultimately win.
I struggle to understand many of the reasons lads give for missing training/tournaments. If you are busy at work, start earlier, work through lunch and a little later.
Lateness is down to the individual in most cases. The same guys are always late, no matter what time training is. In general, it's their own carelessness for not organising themselves properly.
Since Guernsey, a good few guys have gone totally AWOL. Not a word from them. I know their status because I ask their friends what the story with them is. I find it hard to believe that you'd want to be part of something and not be keeping the people running it in the loop. I used to contact fellas when they were injured or absent. Now I don't. The communication channel is two way and thus I'd expect a more proactive approach.
I've tried to disconnect from all the above issues in the last couple of months. It's not that you don't care or you don't think it's important to push home these points but at a certain point, you have to protect what you are getting out of it. As importantly, you must protect what those who are out training and doing the right things are getting out of it. I'm sure there is some consequence to stepping back like this. There will always be a few more that you will get out if you constantly harass them. We may have lost them or get less out of them now.
Back to the current situation and those present. The week immediately after our home tournament we only had six and eight players on the nights we trained that week. Now it is around 12-14. Far from the number we would normally expect or be happy with. The fact I've sidelined the aforementioned frustrations means I've focused more on the positives i.e those at training, and credit to all the lads, the effort has been fantastic.
I've sat out a few of the sessions and from that placing, you can easily observe who is putting it in and who is not. You can tell by the concentration on their faces, the way their body is moving, how they react to a mistake and how vocal they are. It's been very good and it would be difficult to find fault with anyone.
I think the players would generally agree that the sessions have gone well. We've got a good mix of ball drills, running and games. We've also taken on board some of the feedback from the training before the last tournament and incorporated it i.e. more point shooting!!
The tone at training has been a lot more positive too. I’ve ranted less and guys have talked more. A throw away comment by Timmy a couple of weeks ago about how close he’s come on occasions to snapping back at me gives me a good idea where the line is. The relationship between player and trainer is difficult in our situation. We’ve always managed to manage it without conflict and must continue to do so.
Tomorrow, we’ll know where we are at in terms of Guernsey and will use the last two sessions to tune things up. We’ll be down lads but we will again highlight Maastricht 7’s as a turning point in our mentality. The collective is more important than the individual.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Plan B
The primary objective of all the teams competing in our competitions is to win. Ours is no different but from the end of 2008 we were faced with the challenge of increasing numbers. In Maastricht ’08 we had two teams for the first time.
In 2009, numbers at training continued to grow but it was touch and go in terms of fielding two teams when we travelled to some tournaments. We’d go with somewhere between 22 and 25 players which meant two very tight panels, when you consider how draining a tournament day can be and the high likelihood of picking up injuries.
This often meant the A team would have the bare 11 or maybe 12 players for a whole day. The likes of Paris and The Hague would often come with 18 or 19 and that allowed them freshen up their team as the competition progressed.
We persisted because it meant it encouraged greater numbers at training and also because the club should aim to promote participation. To do this, you must give guys games. The pain was short lived as numbers continued to grow and we got to the stage where we had too many for two panels of 15.
The next challenge we faced was that our second string were regularly facing off against some big hitters in Benelux. Frankfurt and Amsterdam are two of the top Shield teams, surely with Championship ambitions in the future. Furthermore, The Hague, Belgium A and Luxembourg have won the last four European Championships between them.
Only on very rare occasions between 2008 and 2010 did another club enter a B team in Benelux. This made for long days often punctuated with some heavy defeats for our lads. Last year, we saw some light and a third place in the final Benelux round in Luxembourg was testament to the undiminished commitment of all those involved in the team.
During the first half of the season, it’s the thought of the Pan-Euro Shield that gives lads the drive. The team knows it will be more competitive at that level and last year proved it with some sterling performances, especially in Budapest.
In 2011, there has been a growth of numbers in the other Benelux clubs. Luxembourg and Amsterdam have regularly fielded a second team. However, similar to the struggles of our B team in recent years, they have to scrap for every positive out of the regional rounds.
Looking ahead to 2012, I think there should be a push to run a Shield competition at each Benelux round. This competition would include the second teams of each club (with a provision that there are at least three teams) and run along side the ‘Benelux Championship’ round on the same day.
The competitions would be broken up along the following;
Championship; Belgium A, The Hague A, Luxembourg A, Amsterdam A and Frankfurt.
Shield; Belgium B, The Hague B, Luxembourg B, Amsterdam B, Dusseldorf.
I named The Hague B and Dusseldorf. The Hague have rarely fielded a B team but considering the close proximity of the Benelux tournaments and the fact that we don’t all go at them as intensely, they could use it as an opportunity to get more players involved.
Dusseldorf is a club who came to the Maastricht 7’s so there is clearly some interest there. The Shield would be a suitable standard for them to find their feet. I’d even suggest that this competition could have the option of playing games 9-a-side in cases where one club is a few short on the day. As a start anyway.
For a club to take off, it needs to capture as many players as possible. There are a lot of things that need doing during the year and many hands make light work. To get people involved, you need to give them an opportunity to play. Beyond that you need to give them an opportunity to improve and then ultimately, have a chance to feel the buzz from winning.
In the current Benelux structure, we don’t encourage that growth so we risk losing players and club members. Of course, the logistics of it all would need to be considered but I hope this is something which is progressed over the winter.
Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section.
In 2009, numbers at training continued to grow but it was touch and go in terms of fielding two teams when we travelled to some tournaments. We’d go with somewhere between 22 and 25 players which meant two very tight panels, when you consider how draining a tournament day can be and the high likelihood of picking up injuries.
This often meant the A team would have the bare 11 or maybe 12 players for a whole day. The likes of Paris and The Hague would often come with 18 or 19 and that allowed them freshen up their team as the competition progressed.
We persisted because it meant it encouraged greater numbers at training and also because the club should aim to promote participation. To do this, you must give guys games. The pain was short lived as numbers continued to grow and we got to the stage where we had too many for two panels of 15.
The next challenge we faced was that our second string were regularly facing off against some big hitters in Benelux. Frankfurt and Amsterdam are two of the top Shield teams, surely with Championship ambitions in the future. Furthermore, The Hague, Belgium A and Luxembourg have won the last four European Championships between them.
Only on very rare occasions between 2008 and 2010 did another club enter a B team in Benelux. This made for long days often punctuated with some heavy defeats for our lads. Last year, we saw some light and a third place in the final Benelux round in Luxembourg was testament to the undiminished commitment of all those involved in the team.
During the first half of the season, it’s the thought of the Pan-Euro Shield that gives lads the drive. The team knows it will be more competitive at that level and last year proved it with some sterling performances, especially in Budapest.
In 2011, there has been a growth of numbers in the other Benelux clubs. Luxembourg and Amsterdam have regularly fielded a second team. However, similar to the struggles of our B team in recent years, they have to scrap for every positive out of the regional rounds.
Looking ahead to 2012, I think there should be a push to run a Shield competition at each Benelux round. This competition would include the second teams of each club (with a provision that there are at least three teams) and run along side the ‘Benelux Championship’ round on the same day.
The competitions would be broken up along the following;
Championship; Belgium A, The Hague A, Luxembourg A, Amsterdam A and Frankfurt.
Shield; Belgium B, The Hague B, Luxembourg B, Amsterdam B, Dusseldorf.
I named The Hague B and Dusseldorf. The Hague have rarely fielded a B team but considering the close proximity of the Benelux tournaments and the fact that we don’t all go at them as intensely, they could use it as an opportunity to get more players involved.
Dusseldorf is a club who came to the Maastricht 7’s so there is clearly some interest there. The Shield would be a suitable standard for them to find their feet. I’d even suggest that this competition could have the option of playing games 9-a-side in cases where one club is a few short on the day. As a start anyway.
For a club to take off, it needs to capture as many players as possible. There are a lot of things that need doing during the year and many hands make light work. To get people involved, you need to give them an opportunity to play. Beyond that you need to give them an opportunity to improve and then ultimately, have a chance to feel the buzz from winning.
In the current Benelux structure, we don’t encourage that growth so we risk losing players and club members. Of course, the logistics of it all would need to be considered but I hope this is something which is progressed over the winter.
Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Europe Make A Mark
As we assembled in the hotel lobby on Saturday morning, we became quickly aware of the task ahead. Sharing our accommodation were 2011 All-Ireland Junior Champions St. Marys of Kerry. Also in situ were the 2010 Down Junior Champions Drumanees as well as Cork’s 7’s specialists St. James. It reminded me of my favourite G.A.A. quote, given by a team mentor at half-time in a Championship match where they were suffering heavily. “Lads, the longer we stay in here, the longer we stay in the Championship.” The hotel lobby seemed the safest place to set-up camp for the day!!
Our team flew in Friday night from exotic destinations like Brussels, The Hague, Maastricht, Oslo, Malmo, Stockholm and Goteborg. There were some late adjustments to the panel after the news that Paul Bradfield of The Hague would need to pull out due to hamstring problems. Fortunately, Colin Courtney of Stockholm was in town for the All-Ireland so he filled in. The tenth member would Paddy from Dubai, famous for breaking Eoin Sheanon’s nose (allegedly) in Dubai in 2009.
Most of the panel were strangers to each other so mixing up the rooms worked a treat, except for the fact that it left me to square off for a double bed with Billy Finn. It’s well known that I don’t do bed share so well but Billy doesn’t look like someone you’d mess with so I offered him the bed and I called for a camp bed.
Our bus driver for the weekend, Frank, was a right lad and we knocked a good bit of craic out of him. There was a quick get to know you opportunity en route to St. Jude’s, Templeogue on Saturday morning and already a bit of banter to build the spirit.
We got to mull over our draw whilst watching Ireland’s win against the Aussies. We had the aforementioned Down champions along with St. Brigids, St. Judes and last year’s Ulster champions and defeated All-Ireland finalists, Swalinbar of Cavan. It wasn’t going to be easy.
The average age of the teams was probably around 22. We calculated ours to be 29.4. They all looked young, fast and fit. It was the source of great amusement. Had we dismissed 21 year old Simon Malone, we would have been comfortably in the thirties.
As game time approached, our focus narrowed and we began to sideline thoughts of all the possible advantages our opponents had over us. We had two great motivators in any case. The first was to put Europe on the map, so to speak. When I was watching Ireland in the bar, I overheard a good few people commenting about us. No-one knew anything about the team and no-one seemed overly concerned with the challenge we would pose.
Their viewpoint was totally justified but that’s one of the reasons we were there. We all believe there are quality footballers in Europe and that our competitions are tough and competitive. People at home pay us lip service and think it’s all a bit of a jolly. Competitions like the 7’s are where we can gain respect and that was our collective mission.
From an individual point of view, it was a rare chance to test ourselves back in Ireland. For some of us, these are the last chances we have and that’s the main reason I opted to play this year.
Shay O’Doherty is the Football Officer on the County Board and he was the main who pulled the team together this year. Niall Scullion’s injury misfortune meant he would support Shay on the line. There initial challenge was to get everyone up to speed on the 7’s game. Some had played it previously but others hadn’t and we couldn’t afford a slow start.
All our group games were on the same pitch which had a fairly steep hill running from one end to the other. To compound this, the wind was strongly favouring the team playing down the hill. It put pressure on you to score as much with the wind and to defend like dogs against it.
Our first two games were drawn. First with Judes and then Swalinbar took a share of the spoils with a last gasp point. We had earmarked Drumanees as the toughest game and it proved so as we went down to two quick goals in the second half, one a wicked deflection and the other a penalty. However, to demonstrate the competitive nature of the group, St Judes (who we drew with) beat them both in the group and Championship semi.
A draw with Brigids left us in fourth place (out of five) and heading for a tough Shield draw. We would play O’Donnells of Belfast. There was relief that we had at least qualified from the group but also a steely determination that we would progress. We’d got to grips quickly with the game and the togetherness in the team was clearly evident.
One major set-back was the loss of Darragh Cotter who came out worse from a shoulder challenge with a big bullock from Cavan. On we went though with a slight tweak to the tactics, playing Simon a bit higher to give us more attaching threat.
The impact was instant and we blitzed the Belfast team in the first half, hitting them for four goals. They got cranky and distracted and we were able to close the game out comfortably.
At this stage, we were ticking over nicely, learning with every passing half. Lads were showing great versatility, with the likes of James O’Dowd and Billy Finn appearing regularly in both attack and defence. Mark O’Kane and Michael Lynch were everywhere as was Colin Courtney who looked like he was developing a reluctant liking for defending.
We would face off against St. James (Ardfield) of Cork in the semi. Our big advantage at this stage of the day would be our tournament experience. A G.A.A. players mind can be weak enough when it comes to their own fitness. They worry when they lose their breath early in a match or can’t keep the pace an odd time at training. Put them into a stop start tournament and I’m sure the doubts come in when they feel the pains, aches and tiredness that go hand in hand with this format of play.
This is our bread and butter though. We all know the feelings well and we know our bodies have reserves unimaginable to a player who is used to playing sixty minute matches.
The St. James game would prove tough and it was tight enough at half-time. Probably because we had more to prove, we were able to dig that bit deeper in the second half. A couple of goals gave us a lead that they had to come out and chase. They searched for goals but Shane O’Sullivan was using every body part to block their advances. Their attacks left gaps in their rearguard which we gratefully exposed to run out eight or nine point winners.
There had been talk since the quarter final that we were in bonus territory. We saw it more as no mans’ land. We’d achieved nothing and everyone wanted to make our mark on the final. When you consider what Swalinbar achieved last year and that they didn’t make it out of the group, the shield is far from a second rate competition. We came to gain respect and winning the final was the way we wanted to do it.
All the teams involved on the day were perfectly kitted out with their club gear. We’d arrived like a rag ball rovers outfit. No-one had matching gear and there were various crests on show. Our jerseys were without sponsor and even crest. Previously, they had a habit of going missing so the County Board bought a set of bog standard gear in the hope no-one would even want to knick them.
People were looking at us all day wondering who we were. As we came out for the Shield final, people’s curiosity was pricked further. I don’t overdo the pride in the jersey craic but I did feel very proud to be part of this group of unknowns as we headed out for the last game. Our mindset was unchanged on that walk to the pitch. We had been very calm all day. The instructions were to the point and as we progressed, the focus only sharpened. We’d broken new ground but there was still one hurdle to jump.
By now, our support had swelled. Mick Cryan had come over after completing the half marathon to accompany Tony Bass and Tom McGrath. Darragh’s sister and husband were there and Eoin Sheanon had also popped in. It really was a boost to see some familiar faces and hear them cheering you on as the bodies tired.
The final was against a Galway outfit whose name was a struggle to pronounce or spell. They flew out of the traps, knocking over a few scores but we settled and recovered well, taking the lead before half-time. Then they got a crucial goal from a breakaway. It was a one on one and with a bit more experience I may have stayed on my feet a fraction longer. I didn’t though and they took a two point lead.
Their goalmouth was by far the busier in the second half but we couldn’t get the goal we needed. The lads were out on their feet. With the clock ticking down, we trailed 1-06 to 0-07. We needed to get the ball back so I came out to join the effort. Such risks must be taken in 7’s but it didn’t pay off. They held it well and then, with the very last kick of the day, sealed victory 2-06 to 0-07.
To come so close to doing something so significant, but ultimately not getting over the line, is very disappointing. Still, we are realists as well. On Saturday we faced club teams who have been very successful in their grade. They train together a few times a week and have played together most of their lives. Some of our guys’ season finished months ago. Some had never played 7’s and many had not even met until we hopped aboard Frank’s bus. To get as far as we did, leaving some big names in our wake, was a big achievement. It’s the furthest any European team has ever gone, in any code.
Our team received many compliments during the presentation and not the usual patronising ones. We had done what we had come to do. We had gained respect from our opponents and the people who came to watch.
As I left the presentation area, I had a number of people follow me to congratulate us on our team’s performance. I don’t take it as a moral victory but I do take a lot of pride in it. I haven’t played at home in six years. For others it’s been longer. We proved we can still do it and as individuals that was one of the goals of the weekend.
Even yesterday morning at breakfast, people were coming up wanting to talk to us about where we were from and pay their compliments about how we played. Everyone wanted to know where we were from. When our lads were asked the question, everyone answered with the name of their adopted European club. The questioner, nearly frustrated, would say, “no, no, where are you really from?”. Well, these days we’re really from Brussels, The Hague, Maastricht, Oslo, Malmo, Stockholm and Goteborg. And this weekend we were from Europe and proud to be so.
Our good performances had stemmed from how quickly we gelled. Shay had tried to get guys in who he thought would get on well and be up for making a mark. On paper we may not have been as strong as last year but on the pitch we proved stronger.
We’d topped the day off with a few pints in town on Saturday night. Yesterday morning we parted ways and now we will head back to fight it out between ourselves for the Pan-Euro Championship and Shield. We’ll remember this trip though.
Runners-up medals and plaques usually mean absolutely nothing to me. However, there will be a place on the mantle piece for this St. Jude’s one. Personally, I haven’t enjoyed a day’s G.A.A. as much in a long time. Hopefully our performance will give other European teams confidence that we can compete. Next weekend is the Ladies turn. They have a strong team so may even go one step further.
Our team flew in Friday night from exotic destinations like Brussels, The Hague, Maastricht, Oslo, Malmo, Stockholm and Goteborg. There were some late adjustments to the panel after the news that Paul Bradfield of The Hague would need to pull out due to hamstring problems. Fortunately, Colin Courtney of Stockholm was in town for the All-Ireland so he filled in. The tenth member would Paddy from Dubai, famous for breaking Eoin Sheanon’s nose (allegedly) in Dubai in 2009.
Most of the panel were strangers to each other so mixing up the rooms worked a treat, except for the fact that it left me to square off for a double bed with Billy Finn. It’s well known that I don’t do bed share so well but Billy doesn’t look like someone you’d mess with so I offered him the bed and I called for a camp bed.
Our bus driver for the weekend, Frank, was a right lad and we knocked a good bit of craic out of him. There was a quick get to know you opportunity en route to St. Jude’s, Templeogue on Saturday morning and already a bit of banter to build the spirit.
We got to mull over our draw whilst watching Ireland’s win against the Aussies. We had the aforementioned Down champions along with St. Brigids, St. Judes and last year’s Ulster champions and defeated All-Ireland finalists, Swalinbar of Cavan. It wasn’t going to be easy.
The average age of the teams was probably around 22. We calculated ours to be 29.4. They all looked young, fast and fit. It was the source of great amusement. Had we dismissed 21 year old Simon Malone, we would have been comfortably in the thirties.
As game time approached, our focus narrowed and we began to sideline thoughts of all the possible advantages our opponents had over us. We had two great motivators in any case. The first was to put Europe on the map, so to speak. When I was watching Ireland in the bar, I overheard a good few people commenting about us. No-one knew anything about the team and no-one seemed overly concerned with the challenge we would pose.
Their viewpoint was totally justified but that’s one of the reasons we were there. We all believe there are quality footballers in Europe and that our competitions are tough and competitive. People at home pay us lip service and think it’s all a bit of a jolly. Competitions like the 7’s are where we can gain respect and that was our collective mission.
From an individual point of view, it was a rare chance to test ourselves back in Ireland. For some of us, these are the last chances we have and that’s the main reason I opted to play this year.
Shay O’Doherty is the Football Officer on the County Board and he was the main who pulled the team together this year. Niall Scullion’s injury misfortune meant he would support Shay on the line. There initial challenge was to get everyone up to speed on the 7’s game. Some had played it previously but others hadn’t and we couldn’t afford a slow start.
All our group games were on the same pitch which had a fairly steep hill running from one end to the other. To compound this, the wind was strongly favouring the team playing down the hill. It put pressure on you to score as much with the wind and to defend like dogs against it.
Our first two games were drawn. First with Judes and then Swalinbar took a share of the spoils with a last gasp point. We had earmarked Drumanees as the toughest game and it proved so as we went down to two quick goals in the second half, one a wicked deflection and the other a penalty. However, to demonstrate the competitive nature of the group, St Judes (who we drew with) beat them both in the group and Championship semi.
A draw with Brigids left us in fourth place (out of five) and heading for a tough Shield draw. We would play O’Donnells of Belfast. There was relief that we had at least qualified from the group but also a steely determination that we would progress. We’d got to grips quickly with the game and the togetherness in the team was clearly evident.
One major set-back was the loss of Darragh Cotter who came out worse from a shoulder challenge with a big bullock from Cavan. On we went though with a slight tweak to the tactics, playing Simon a bit higher to give us more attaching threat.
The impact was instant and we blitzed the Belfast team in the first half, hitting them for four goals. They got cranky and distracted and we were able to close the game out comfortably.
At this stage, we were ticking over nicely, learning with every passing half. Lads were showing great versatility, with the likes of James O’Dowd and Billy Finn appearing regularly in both attack and defence. Mark O’Kane and Michael Lynch were everywhere as was Colin Courtney who looked like he was developing a reluctant liking for defending.
We would face off against St. James (Ardfield) of Cork in the semi. Our big advantage at this stage of the day would be our tournament experience. A G.A.A. players mind can be weak enough when it comes to their own fitness. They worry when they lose their breath early in a match or can’t keep the pace an odd time at training. Put them into a stop start tournament and I’m sure the doubts come in when they feel the pains, aches and tiredness that go hand in hand with this format of play.
This is our bread and butter though. We all know the feelings well and we know our bodies have reserves unimaginable to a player who is used to playing sixty minute matches.
The St. James game would prove tough and it was tight enough at half-time. Probably because we had more to prove, we were able to dig that bit deeper in the second half. A couple of goals gave us a lead that they had to come out and chase. They searched for goals but Shane O’Sullivan was using every body part to block their advances. Their attacks left gaps in their rearguard which we gratefully exposed to run out eight or nine point winners.
There had been talk since the quarter final that we were in bonus territory. We saw it more as no mans’ land. We’d achieved nothing and everyone wanted to make our mark on the final. When you consider what Swalinbar achieved last year and that they didn’t make it out of the group, the shield is far from a second rate competition. We came to gain respect and winning the final was the way we wanted to do it.
All the teams involved on the day were perfectly kitted out with their club gear. We’d arrived like a rag ball rovers outfit. No-one had matching gear and there were various crests on show. Our jerseys were without sponsor and even crest. Previously, they had a habit of going missing so the County Board bought a set of bog standard gear in the hope no-one would even want to knick them.
People were looking at us all day wondering who we were. As we came out for the Shield final, people’s curiosity was pricked further. I don’t overdo the pride in the jersey craic but I did feel very proud to be part of this group of unknowns as we headed out for the last game. Our mindset was unchanged on that walk to the pitch. We had been very calm all day. The instructions were to the point and as we progressed, the focus only sharpened. We’d broken new ground but there was still one hurdle to jump.
By now, our support had swelled. Mick Cryan had come over after completing the half marathon to accompany Tony Bass and Tom McGrath. Darragh’s sister and husband were there and Eoin Sheanon had also popped in. It really was a boost to see some familiar faces and hear them cheering you on as the bodies tired.
The final was against a Galway outfit whose name was a struggle to pronounce or spell. They flew out of the traps, knocking over a few scores but we settled and recovered well, taking the lead before half-time. Then they got a crucial goal from a breakaway. It was a one on one and with a bit more experience I may have stayed on my feet a fraction longer. I didn’t though and they took a two point lead.
Their goalmouth was by far the busier in the second half but we couldn’t get the goal we needed. The lads were out on their feet. With the clock ticking down, we trailed 1-06 to 0-07. We needed to get the ball back so I came out to join the effort. Such risks must be taken in 7’s but it didn’t pay off. They held it well and then, with the very last kick of the day, sealed victory 2-06 to 0-07.
To come so close to doing something so significant, but ultimately not getting over the line, is very disappointing. Still, we are realists as well. On Saturday we faced club teams who have been very successful in their grade. They train together a few times a week and have played together most of their lives. Some of our guys’ season finished months ago. Some had never played 7’s and many had not even met until we hopped aboard Frank’s bus. To get as far as we did, leaving some big names in our wake, was a big achievement. It’s the furthest any European team has ever gone, in any code.
Our team received many compliments during the presentation and not the usual patronising ones. We had done what we had come to do. We had gained respect from our opponents and the people who came to watch.
As I left the presentation area, I had a number of people follow me to congratulate us on our team’s performance. I don’t take it as a moral victory but I do take a lot of pride in it. I haven’t played at home in six years. For others it’s been longer. We proved we can still do it and as individuals that was one of the goals of the weekend.
Even yesterday morning at breakfast, people were coming up wanting to talk to us about where we were from and pay their compliments about how we played. Everyone wanted to know where we were from. When our lads were asked the question, everyone answered with the name of their adopted European club. The questioner, nearly frustrated, would say, “no, no, where are you really from?”. Well, these days we’re really from Brussels, The Hague, Maastricht, Oslo, Malmo, Stockholm and Goteborg. And this weekend we were from Europe and proud to be so.
Our good performances had stemmed from how quickly we gelled. Shay had tried to get guys in who he thought would get on well and be up for making a mark. On paper we may not have been as strong as last year but on the pitch we proved stronger.
We’d topped the day off with a few pints in town on Saturday night. Yesterday morning we parted ways and now we will head back to fight it out between ourselves for the Pan-Euro Championship and Shield. We’ll remember this trip though.
Runners-up medals and plaques usually mean absolutely nothing to me. However, there will be a place on the mantle piece for this St. Jude’s one. Personally, I haven’t enjoyed a day’s G.A.A. as much in a long time. Hopefully our performance will give other European teams confidence that we can compete. Next weekend is the Ladies turn. They have a strong team so may even go one step further.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Europe On The March
7’s in Dublin this weekend with a ‘County Europe’ selection. We’ve fielded such teams in Hurling before but last year was the first year we got it together in football.
That wasn’t the smoothest of trips and most of us went away feeling it was less hassle than it is worth. It wasn’t necessarily anyone’s fault, just that it was all pulled together so close to the actual tournament. Trying to coordinate a Pan-Euro team and making sure everyone books flights etc can’t be easy. There is funding from the County Board for such weekends but because the flights were sorted late, that ate into it meaning there was nothing left for accommodation so we were scattered around Dublin in friend’s houses. Not ideal preparation.
This year Shay from Maastricht took the lead and has been plotting since early summer. That’s not to say it is much easier as the panel was only confirmed this week. And that was after we lost Stockholm’s Niall Scullion who injured his knee at the Belgian Tournament last Saturday. I haven’t seen him play that much but he looks quality, so will be a big loss.
Two of his fellow clubmen join the party; Colin Courtney and Mark O’Kane. We could claim they are more ours i.e. Belgium’s, than Stockholm’s though! Back in 2009, when the Swedish club was just a thought, they travelled to Copenhagen and played for us. Turns out Colin and myself have a mutual friend in Conor O’Brien. Small world. But we know that already.
The Hague contributes Shane O’Sullivan, Simon Malone and Paul Bradfield. From Malmo and Oslo (correct me if I’m wrong), come Michael Lynch and Billy Finn. We’ve never crossed swords but Shay tells me they are two of the shining lights up in Scandinavia. Then there is myself, Darragh and James from our club.
That brings us to ten players with Niall swapping playing duties to help on the line and Shay may well yo-yo between playing and managerial duties.
How we fare will largely come down to how fast we pick-up the nuances of 7’s football, like utilising the keeper, creating overlaps, working backwards and forwards en masse and retaining possession at all costs.
The first couple of times I played, I hated 7’s but the tactical aspects of it have grown on me. It being a game for young whipper snappers means that this may well be my final venture home for it.
We’ll be up against very well drilled sides; twenty of the thirty two County Junior champions of 2011 plus a host more quality teams. The clubs may be Junior but when you take the 7-10 best footballers out of a Junior team, you are talking about Intermediate and Senior level footballers. The task is huge but we have nothing to lose and I certainly plan to get as much out of the day as possible.
It’s also a good opportunity to meet up with some former Belgium players. Big Jim, Eoin and Gearoid Sayers should be knocking about. Rumour has it Eoghan Kelly is around too. All in all, it has the makings of a good weekend.
That wasn’t the smoothest of trips and most of us went away feeling it was less hassle than it is worth. It wasn’t necessarily anyone’s fault, just that it was all pulled together so close to the actual tournament. Trying to coordinate a Pan-Euro team and making sure everyone books flights etc can’t be easy. There is funding from the County Board for such weekends but because the flights were sorted late, that ate into it meaning there was nothing left for accommodation so we were scattered around Dublin in friend’s houses. Not ideal preparation.
This year Shay from Maastricht took the lead and has been plotting since early summer. That’s not to say it is much easier as the panel was only confirmed this week. And that was after we lost Stockholm’s Niall Scullion who injured his knee at the Belgian Tournament last Saturday. I haven’t seen him play that much but he looks quality, so will be a big loss.
Two of his fellow clubmen join the party; Colin Courtney and Mark O’Kane. We could claim they are more ours i.e. Belgium’s, than Stockholm’s though! Back in 2009, when the Swedish club was just a thought, they travelled to Copenhagen and played for us. Turns out Colin and myself have a mutual friend in Conor O’Brien. Small world. But we know that already.
The Hague contributes Shane O’Sullivan, Simon Malone and Paul Bradfield. From Malmo and Oslo (correct me if I’m wrong), come Michael Lynch and Billy Finn. We’ve never crossed swords but Shay tells me they are two of the shining lights up in Scandinavia. Then there is myself, Darragh and James from our club.
That brings us to ten players with Niall swapping playing duties to help on the line and Shay may well yo-yo between playing and managerial duties.
How we fare will largely come down to how fast we pick-up the nuances of 7’s football, like utilising the keeper, creating overlaps, working backwards and forwards en masse and retaining possession at all costs.
The first couple of times I played, I hated 7’s but the tactical aspects of it have grown on me. It being a game for young whipper snappers means that this may well be my final venture home for it.
We’ll be up against very well drilled sides; twenty of the thirty two County Junior champions of 2011 plus a host more quality teams. The clubs may be Junior but when you take the 7-10 best footballers out of a Junior team, you are talking about Intermediate and Senior level footballers. The task is huge but we have nothing to lose and I certainly plan to get as much out of the day as possible.
It’s also a good opportunity to meet up with some former Belgium players. Big Jim, Eoin and Gearoid Sayers should be knocking about. Rumour has it Eoghan Kelly is around too. All in all, it has the makings of a good weekend.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
See The Light
I had two main concerns heading into Saturday. The first related to our fitness levels. The test results from a couple of weeks ago indicated that only a limited number of players were at the required level. This was not such a surprise considering the extended holidays people take in Brussels and that most people don’t consider including strenuous physical activity into their plans.
Based on the attendance of other teams at the Maastricht 7’s, it was a worry, as they seemed to have most their players around in August. This suggested they would have a head start on us on the training front.
The second concern was the player pool. As I mentioned on numerous occasions already, it was decimated during the summer. Not only did we lose numbers, we also took some big hits in terms of established footballers. The likes of Eoin, Colm & Collins had all played football to a high level at home. Mike, Duffer, Andrew and Ricky were also key members of the panels. There were more on top. Thus, you could say we are a team in transition but this could be said at anytime of the year and by any club in Europe, such is the revolving door nature of player personnel.
The goal on Saturday was to win, no question about that. If we weren't to achieve that, as a minimum, we needed to consolidate. By that I mean, our teams needed to stand their ground despite losing the lads. If we couldn't push forward and win then we certainly wouldn't be pushed back. In the end, I believe we pushed forward with some small but significant steps, even if we didn't achieve our ultimate goals.
There is little need to separate the basic analysis for the Shield and Championship teams. Both teams went out to play with the same plan and they executed it very well. We moved the ball in the ways we've worked on at training and some of the scores we got came from fantastic free flowing moves. There was a much better awareness of space than in previous tournaments and a greater confidence to go forward. Both defences were on top, possibly the tightest in their respective competitions. The Championship panel conceded less in the whole day than The Hague scored in the final alone. Bob only had two shots on goal to contend with (with 50% success!)
Our substitution 'strategy' also changed significantly. In Europe, you can rotate the subs as often as you want, within your panel of fifteen players. It's not something we did so much previously. The main factor was probably because we didn't put enough trust in the panel. I'm sure that lack of trust filters through to the guys on the line and in some way has a negative impact on their confidence.
To rotate players regularily, you have to change the mindset. Lads must not be focused on starting or finishing a game. They must not focus on how long they are on the pitch. What they must do is make sure they are always in a condition where they can deliver their maximum when they are on the pitch. If that means bursting a gut for ten minutes and coming off for five, then so be it. There is an element of selflessness about it. The lads bought in and saw its worth.
Back to the games and the Shield team scored freely in every game except for the first one against Amsterdam when both teams threatened to keep the scoreboard reading 0-0 to 0-0. It's difficult to pick out players but there were a few whose contribution stood out.
Bull's composure on the ball was much improved and his foul count drastically cut. Alongside him was Conor Mescall, who is growing in confidence and stature with each passing tournament and again got himself on the scorers list. Johnny Phelan showed plenty of gusto after his return from injury. Ger McMahon was very steady around the middle. Griff is back involved and his barnstorming play gave the team a massive lift. Up front Michael Hough complimented his usual scoring prowess with some great hold-up play and lay-offs.
When a club loses so many 'A' players, there is a big impact on the 'B' team because players will be pulled. Considering that fact, it was a very positive day. We lost out on the semi in a points shoot out and then to Prague by a point in the placings game. Two defeats by a solitary point (one against the overall winners) and two convincing wins. Final assessment; top third in the class with scope for improvement.
Over to the Championship and it was a case of opportunity knocks for many. Kev has spent most of the last two years battling injury but showed strongly in training during the build up and earned a starting berth. Ross, Conor Mul and Paddy had yet to prove themselves (or be given opportunity) at Championship level. Diarmuid Laffan was only just back in Brussels whilst Diarmuid Lynch was making his debut.
The panel interchanged perfectly through the day and two group wins set up a semi with The Hague. It was all going to plan until half-time when we were leading 0-3 to 0-2. Inexplicably, we failed to score in the second half. We did have sufficient possession in their half and created the only goal chance of the game. Composure let us down on that and one or two other occasions.
I didn’t realise at the time, but our two full forwards didn’t touch the ball in open play in the second half! It wasn’t a case of them being beaten to the ball either. We carried up the pitch rather than let it in. On reflection, I played too deep and this was one of the causes of this. Normally I’d be floating around the middle picking up loose ball and letting it in fast.
Linked to this, if I were to add a third concern to the worries mentioned at the beginning, it would have been that we only worked on our attack at the last sessions prior to the tournament. Plenty of time and ideas to address that though and we will need to ahead of Guernsey.
Our defence put massive pressure on The Hague but they were still able to get the crucial scores. We coughed up some very bad ball in the tackle, something we had avoided doing all day. We also gave a couple of frees when we had two guys swarming a man. We should be the only winner in a situation like that. Guys should be roaring ‘don’t foul, don’t foul’ in those situations and waiting for a sight of the ball to rob it.
We lost 0-5 to 0-3 in the end. Fellas were naturally disappointed in the aftermath. There were a lot of good constructive comments offered in the last few days. What I particularly liked was the absence of blame or excuses. There has been a good balance between comments related to the team’s performance and lads’ own performances. It’s good to see everyone switched on in such a way.
Now we move on to Round 2 in Guernsey. We’ll be down players but some of the Shield players did enough to suggest they would be comfortable stepping up. Everyone showed on Saturday that with clear instruction, the teams will still be competitive. On we go...
Based on the attendance of other teams at the Maastricht 7’s, it was a worry, as they seemed to have most their players around in August. This suggested they would have a head start on us on the training front.
The second concern was the player pool. As I mentioned on numerous occasions already, it was decimated during the summer. Not only did we lose numbers, we also took some big hits in terms of established footballers. The likes of Eoin, Colm & Collins had all played football to a high level at home. Mike, Duffer, Andrew and Ricky were also key members of the panels. There were more on top. Thus, you could say we are a team in transition but this could be said at anytime of the year and by any club in Europe, such is the revolving door nature of player personnel.
The goal on Saturday was to win, no question about that. If we weren't to achieve that, as a minimum, we needed to consolidate. By that I mean, our teams needed to stand their ground despite losing the lads. If we couldn't push forward and win then we certainly wouldn't be pushed back. In the end, I believe we pushed forward with some small but significant steps, even if we didn't achieve our ultimate goals.
There is little need to separate the basic analysis for the Shield and Championship teams. Both teams went out to play with the same plan and they executed it very well. We moved the ball in the ways we've worked on at training and some of the scores we got came from fantastic free flowing moves. There was a much better awareness of space than in previous tournaments and a greater confidence to go forward. Both defences were on top, possibly the tightest in their respective competitions. The Championship panel conceded less in the whole day than The Hague scored in the final alone. Bob only had two shots on goal to contend with (with 50% success!)
Our substitution 'strategy' also changed significantly. In Europe, you can rotate the subs as often as you want, within your panel of fifteen players. It's not something we did so much previously. The main factor was probably because we didn't put enough trust in the panel. I'm sure that lack of trust filters through to the guys on the line and in some way has a negative impact on their confidence.
To rotate players regularily, you have to change the mindset. Lads must not be focused on starting or finishing a game. They must not focus on how long they are on the pitch. What they must do is make sure they are always in a condition where they can deliver their maximum when they are on the pitch. If that means bursting a gut for ten minutes and coming off for five, then so be it. There is an element of selflessness about it. The lads bought in and saw its worth.
Back to the games and the Shield team scored freely in every game except for the first one against Amsterdam when both teams threatened to keep the scoreboard reading 0-0 to 0-0. It's difficult to pick out players but there were a few whose contribution stood out.
Bull's composure on the ball was much improved and his foul count drastically cut. Alongside him was Conor Mescall, who is growing in confidence and stature with each passing tournament and again got himself on the scorers list. Johnny Phelan showed plenty of gusto after his return from injury. Ger McMahon was very steady around the middle. Griff is back involved and his barnstorming play gave the team a massive lift. Up front Michael Hough complimented his usual scoring prowess with some great hold-up play and lay-offs.
When a club loses so many 'A' players, there is a big impact on the 'B' team because players will be pulled. Considering that fact, it was a very positive day. We lost out on the semi in a points shoot out and then to Prague by a point in the placings game. Two defeats by a solitary point (one against the overall winners) and two convincing wins. Final assessment; top third in the class with scope for improvement.
Over to the Championship and it was a case of opportunity knocks for many. Kev has spent most of the last two years battling injury but showed strongly in training during the build up and earned a starting berth. Ross, Conor Mul and Paddy had yet to prove themselves (or be given opportunity) at Championship level. Diarmuid Laffan was only just back in Brussels whilst Diarmuid Lynch was making his debut.
The panel interchanged perfectly through the day and two group wins set up a semi with The Hague. It was all going to plan until half-time when we were leading 0-3 to 0-2. Inexplicably, we failed to score in the second half. We did have sufficient possession in their half and created the only goal chance of the game. Composure let us down on that and one or two other occasions.
I didn’t realise at the time, but our two full forwards didn’t touch the ball in open play in the second half! It wasn’t a case of them being beaten to the ball either. We carried up the pitch rather than let it in. On reflection, I played too deep and this was one of the causes of this. Normally I’d be floating around the middle picking up loose ball and letting it in fast.
Linked to this, if I were to add a third concern to the worries mentioned at the beginning, it would have been that we only worked on our attack at the last sessions prior to the tournament. Plenty of time and ideas to address that though and we will need to ahead of Guernsey.
Our defence put massive pressure on The Hague but they were still able to get the crucial scores. We coughed up some very bad ball in the tackle, something we had avoided doing all day. We also gave a couple of frees when we had two guys swarming a man. We should be the only winner in a situation like that. Guys should be roaring ‘don’t foul, don’t foul’ in those situations and waiting for a sight of the ball to rob it.
We lost 0-5 to 0-3 in the end. Fellas were naturally disappointed in the aftermath. There were a lot of good constructive comments offered in the last few days. What I particularly liked was the absence of blame or excuses. There has been a good balance between comments related to the team’s performance and lads’ own performances. It’s good to see everyone switched on in such a way.
Now we move on to Round 2 in Guernsey. We’ll be down players but some of the Shield players did enough to suggest they would be comfortable stepping up. Everyone showed on Saturday that with clear instruction, the teams will still be competitive. On we go...
Monday, September 12, 2011
Nearly never won the race
A quick summary of the weekend's events, before more in depth reporting later in the week.
A few clichés to start. It's a results business and at the end of the day, neither of our team's cut the mustard. On the face of it, that is indeed correct. However, dig beyond that simple assessment and you will uncover a solid trail of hope.
The Shied team were very unfortunate. Convincing wins against Niort and Luxembourg A were offset against a 0-3 to 0-2 defeat to Amsterdam A. Because of the number of groups (3), it meant only group winners qualified directly for the semis. The second place teams in the two groups of four teams would have to have a points shoot out to determine the fourth semi-finalist. We lost out to Liffre and so our hopes of a first Shield win were dashed.
Amsterdam A, pre-tournament favourites, went on to claim victory in convincing style, beating fellow Benelux side Frankfurt in the final. The fact we came so close to beating Amsterdam ourselves is a good indicator that the lads weren't so far off the pace. The team can move confidently forward knowing it is on the right track.
Over to the Championship and the expectation in the build up was that it was going to be very competitive this year. We were grouped with Lux A and Jersey (The Hague, Guernsey and Stockholm were in the other group). After a slow start against Jersey, going 0-2 to 0-0 down, we kicked into gear and recorded a 1-6 to 0-2 victory. The margin didn't feel that big out on the pitch though.
Next up was Lux. We had reasonable control of the early exchanges but a goal after half-time gave them a lead. We didn't panic and went up to claim a goal of our own. That would be the key score as we ran out 1-6 to 1-3 winners to top the group.
Our semi-final opponents were reigning champions The Hague. Leading 0-3 to 0-2 at half-time, we were well placed to kick on. It didn't happen though and we reverted to an old habit of taking ball into contact and being dispossessed. I counted about five instances and we can nearly directly attribute our downfall to this factor. In the end we ran out two point losers. The Hague went on to win the final at a canter.
As both our squads were at capacity, we had to 'loan' out a couple of lads to other teams. Adrian played with Amsterdam B whilst John Harkin and Paul Hagan lined out for Paris. Armagh native Hagan showed some Stevie McDonnell qualities to bag the decisive goal in his adopted teams placing game.
The Ladies won again, defeating Paris in the final. Further details escape me as our pitches were a distance away so we only saw their final where they battled through the mud to claim their win.
On a more general note, it was the first time we hosted a Pan-Euro Football round. I'm not involved in the committee but can easily recognise the work that was needed to pull off Saturday. There were fifty four games played over four pitches and controlled by just four refs. All of the approx twenty five teams needed to be registered and fed. The pitches needed to be lined and the goalposts transported out to Leuven. Dinner for nearly 350 people needed to be organised for the Saturday night. These are just a few of many examples of things that need doing.
Some lads took time off work on Friday, others were up at the crack of dawn on Saturday. The volunteer effort is/was incredible (and is the same in every other club when they host an event). Parents flew in for the weekend, friends who are not involved in the G.A.A. club manned stalls and took over the administration. Even past players returned; Eoin Sheanon flying in to help myself and Conan manage the lads. Alec Elliott flew in from the States the morning of the tournament, played for the day and flew out to Asia Sunday morning.
The highlight of the day though? Without doubt, it was having Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh in town. He commentated brilliantly on both finals and hearing his voice echo around the Leuven sports complex will rank high in my list of G.A.A. memories. To make sure I didn't get the spelling wrong, I put his name into google when writing this. The first site that comes up is his wikipedia profile. It introduces him as 'an Irish Gaelic Games commentator'. If ever an intro didn't do a man justice. He is so much more than that. Mícheál is an icon in Irish sport and any intro should address his status appropriately.
He was still going strong as the clocked ticked towards midnight and the trophies were being handed out. He must have talked for a half hour or more. I say talked but I mean entertained. The restaurant was located at the corner of the Grand Place, which is always thronged with tourists. Mícheál's voice was carried by the PA system and drew a healthy crowd towards the premises. Everyone inside sat in silence and awe. Incredible man.
So incredible that he managed to auction a Mick O'Dwyer signed Wicklow jersey for €200, a signed Dublin Hurling jersey for €350 and a signed Kilkenny jersey for nearly €500. That will cover any loss on the day and also boost the club coffers, which is badly needed considering our homeless status at the time of writing.
The after party moved around the corner to 'Six Nations'. Plenty of pints were drank and not without their own bit of significance. The pub donated 50c from every pint bought to the Mark McGovern fund. Mark is the Fermanagh player who, after an incident in a G.A.A. match in San Francisco in June, ended up in a coma. His medical costs are spiralling out of his family's control. Whilst the gesture of Six Nations may not put a significant dent in those costs, if the global G.A.A. network rallies, a lot can be done to help Mark and his family.
Round 2 of the Pan-Euros’ moves to Guernsey in October and with the competitive nature of this year's competitions, it is still all very much to play for.
More ‘analysis’ of Saturday to follow later in the week…
Friday, September 9, 2011
Ready To Go
It is what you make of it. ‘It’ may not be a one off Championship game at home, but it is Championship none the less. Saturday is the first of three tournaments which will decide who becomes the 2011 European Football Champions.
The week of a tournament is hectic; chasing jerseys, doing the paperwork, confirming numbers and picking teams. The latter is the toughest part and takes a few painful days of deliberation between myself and Conan to settle on it. Some guys will be happier than others but all you can say to lads is that each case is debated to the full. There is no magic formula to selection.
Yesterday I got a mail from Eoin. I’d been meaning to get onto him with an update as I knew he’d be thinking about it. We had a couple of lengthy enough exchanges. He knows the stresses I describe above and the to and fro relaxed me a bit. I feel mentally fresh and enthusiastic about the weekend.
We wrapped things up last night. Numbers were up above the twenty five mark and Conan focused on getting the basics down to a tee. There is a good focus in the whole group; as good as we’ve seen in a while. Not even our guest broke the lads’ concentration. Michael O Muircheartaigh is in town for the weekend’s tournament and his presence should be a great boost to the profile of the event. He’ll be closely observing his son Aonghus’ work with the all conquering Belgian ladies.
Making a training session run smoothly isn’t an easy thing to do. We ask injured guys to make the effort to come down and help laying out cones, pumping balls etc. It’s especially important for the sessions directly preceding a game or tournament to go well. In that sense, Hieler was a massive help both nights this week. He came out in the p1ssing rain and did all the dirty jobs. His input was greatly appreciated.
From the lads’ point of view, we’ve worked very hard on getting everyone on the same page in terms of how we want to play. It’s not an easy task when guys are coming and going but it gives me the perfect opportunity to get out my magnets and start moving them around to try and visualise what we are talking about!
Up until now (i.e. since 2008), we haven’t really tried to get the whole team working in tandem. There have been different kick-out strategies and simple instructions of the what to do’s and what not to do’s but not a total plan. We’re working towards that now but it will take time.
The biggest danger when you try to implement something is that fellas have something to blame when things start to go wrong. If you have no plan, you can’t blame it. It’s a point I raised last night. The only thing that can let us down on Saturday is our concentration, our work rate or our attitude. Success and failure rests in our own hands. We own it. We’ve seen the effectiveness of what we are trying to do but now we must believe in it, without reservation.
There will be times in every game when a team gets on top of you but you must stay calm and keep believing in what you are doing. When the likes of Dublin and Cork put the panic button under lock and key in the last couple of years they began to thrive. I think the word is composure.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Big Show Beckons
The first round of the Pan-Euro Championship & Shield is nearly upon us. This year we will host a round for the first time. It’s a massive job for the committee as there will be over twenty teams participating across three competitions; Pan-Euro Ladies Gaelic Football, Men’s Football Championship and Shield.
Our girls have already wrapped up this year’s title but the lad’s competitions are starting from scratch. The shadow boxing of the regional’s are over and every team will likely arrive at or close to full strength.
The Championship will be contested by Guernsey, Den Hague, Luxembourg, ourselves, Stockholm and newcomers Jersey. It’s a small but competitive field. Stockholm made their debut last year and whilst we never got to play them, they looked a balanced and committed side. They also have that advantage that comes with the continued breaking of new ground; enthusiasm and hunger.
Guernsey gave as good as they got last year and we’d expect the same again. For me though, the favourites come from closer to home. Luxembourg showed enough in the regional’s to justify being high up the list. The Hague still top it though and backed up their intent with victory in the last regional and then the 7’s. They are shooting for three in a row and have set the benchmark in recent years.
Two disappointing omissions are Paris and Amsterdam. For Paris it’s been a case of so near yet so far in the last three years as they just missed out on overall victory in the Championship. We’ve had some great high scoring battles with them and I’ll miss our duels. It seems they have just lost one too many players and need to opt for the Shield.
That’s where Amsterdam place themselves also. Their club is really beginning to take off and most of us expected to see them in the Championship. One of the things a club needs when it’s building is success and they’ve been unfortunate because they are in what is probably the most competitive region; Benelux. In the four rounds this year, three different teams won. Amsterdam themselves got to a final. The lack of a breakthrough seems to have dented their confidence and they have entered The Shied and will surely take the favourites tag.
Quite where we are at, I don’t know. If we had time to be in transition, then we would be deep in it after losing so many players. We’ve built up deep reserves of players but the pit is far from bottomless. Still, we have two packed panels this weekend and may even have to leave one or two out as we can’t quite muster enough for three teams.
I make for bad company these days. The frustration of not repeating the 2008 success is alive and kicking inside of me and starts to boil over around this time of year. I put a lot of value on a football Championship medal because they are so hard earned. The competition is ultra competitive and the effort required in terms of training and travel makes for a very satisfying result if you achieve your goal.
For those who weren’t there in ‘08, it is difficult to really make them understand what a feeling of achievement it gives you. It’s also difficult to get guys to understand why it is such a step up from the regionals. In the Championship every game is competitive and that drains the energy more. There won’t be any easy match where you can drop into cruise control. There will be no weak links in the oppositions armour. It’s intense from the off. Some guys did well in Benelux but that is not where the final judgement will be cast on any of us.
I’ve no problem replicating the required intensity for myself in the build-up. The only concern you’d have is that you’d burn yourself out thinking about it. Getting the balance is important. The clock is ticking though and each passing year is a passing chance that needs grasping. You must take every possible opportunity to compete and to win.
There are two sessions left before the first ball will be kicked in anger. We’ve a good three weeks work done and if we can top it off with two purposeful sessions this week then both of our teams will be in good shape.
Our girls have already wrapped up this year’s title but the lad’s competitions are starting from scratch. The shadow boxing of the regional’s are over and every team will likely arrive at or close to full strength.
The Championship will be contested by Guernsey, Den Hague, Luxembourg, ourselves, Stockholm and newcomers Jersey. It’s a small but competitive field. Stockholm made their debut last year and whilst we never got to play them, they looked a balanced and committed side. They also have that advantage that comes with the continued breaking of new ground; enthusiasm and hunger.
Guernsey gave as good as they got last year and we’d expect the same again. For me though, the favourites come from closer to home. Luxembourg showed enough in the regional’s to justify being high up the list. The Hague still top it though and backed up their intent with victory in the last regional and then the 7’s. They are shooting for three in a row and have set the benchmark in recent years.
Two disappointing omissions are Paris and Amsterdam. For Paris it’s been a case of so near yet so far in the last three years as they just missed out on overall victory in the Championship. We’ve had some great high scoring battles with them and I’ll miss our duels. It seems they have just lost one too many players and need to opt for the Shield.
That’s where Amsterdam place themselves also. Their club is really beginning to take off and most of us expected to see them in the Championship. One of the things a club needs when it’s building is success and they’ve been unfortunate because they are in what is probably the most competitive region; Benelux. In the four rounds this year, three different teams won. Amsterdam themselves got to a final. The lack of a breakthrough seems to have dented their confidence and they have entered The Shied and will surely take the favourites tag.
Quite where we are at, I don’t know. If we had time to be in transition, then we would be deep in it after losing so many players. We’ve built up deep reserves of players but the pit is far from bottomless. Still, we have two packed panels this weekend and may even have to leave one or two out as we can’t quite muster enough for three teams.
I make for bad company these days. The frustration of not repeating the 2008 success is alive and kicking inside of me and starts to boil over around this time of year. I put a lot of value on a football Championship medal because they are so hard earned. The competition is ultra competitive and the effort required in terms of training and travel makes for a very satisfying result if you achieve your goal.
For those who weren’t there in ‘08, it is difficult to really make them understand what a feeling of achievement it gives you. It’s also difficult to get guys to understand why it is such a step up from the regionals. In the Championship every game is competitive and that drains the energy more. There won’t be any easy match where you can drop into cruise control. There will be no weak links in the oppositions armour. It’s intense from the off. Some guys did well in Benelux but that is not where the final judgement will be cast on any of us.
I’ve no problem replicating the required intensity for myself in the build-up. The only concern you’d have is that you’d burn yourself out thinking about it. Getting the balance is important. The clock is ticking though and each passing year is a passing chance that needs grasping. You must take every possible opportunity to compete and to win.
There are two sessions left before the first ball will be kicked in anger. We’ve a good three weeks work done and if we can top it off with two purposeful sessions this week then both of our teams will be in good shape.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Different Ball Game
Having skipped last season to give the back a break, I’m gearing up for a winter playing with FC Irlande. The club was a massive help when I was trying to settle in Brussels. It provided regular training and games but more importantly, a lively social network.
I played regularly from the 2006/07 season and combined that with club trainer duties from 2007-2009. It was an enjoyable time but with the G.A.A. club beginning to boom from 2008 onwards, my involvement lessened. The G.A.A. became all consuming and by the 2009/10 season, my appearances were more irregular than regular.
Last Monday night I lined out at right back for the seconds against the first team. When I got onto the pitch I was happy to see I wasn’t alone in making my comeback. Emmett Devine, captain of our 2008 Euro Championship team was also there. We would have formed a tight bond on that maiden voyage but with Ruby and Mia having arrived in his house in recent years, we’d rarely see each other anymore.
There are a few glaring differences between FC Irlande and Belgium G.A.A. The first is the number of foreigners. FCI is awash with them and their different customs and languages. Everyone shakes hands when they see you, regardless of if they know you are not. If they don’t know you, they will most often just shake your hand but not actually introduce themselves.
Of course then there is the nature of the soccer player which tends to be a little less impressed with physical contact beyond a friendly handshake. It is particularly bad in the league we play in here, where you can barely say boo to someone.
Yesterday we had our first game of the season. I lined out with the seconds who had no less than nine Irish in the match day squad. This was way above average for the club and is a big draw. It has a cluster of current and former Belgium G.A.A. stalwarts. The likes of John O’Donnell and Emmett Devine from the ’08 generation. Paul Gavin is still dual assigned. Pat Ahern flirted with Gaelic for a time and of course, we cannot leave out Ollie Smith, the controversial Cavan man who lined out for Munster in the 2010 Intra-club league.
We won the game 1-0 with a late goal from Pat. I did fine at right back but it’s not necessarily a natural thing to me. Playing 5-a-side is one thing but 11-a-side is completely different. You need to keep a shape in soccer and in defence that means you all need to move back and forward together, managing the offside trap.
It’s the touch that’s a killer though. I’d be fairly confident of ‘trapping’ a gaelic football descending from the sky but a soccer ball is totally different. It’s lighter and more inclined to fly off your foot when you are not used to the weight of it. Even a straight forward pass can pose issues at the beginning as the ball doesn’t come off your foot with the same consistency.
Kicking the ball poses another issue. You’d be surprised how much shin guards affect it when you aren’t used to them, especially when they begin to slip down your shin during the game.
How to keep your balance is also different. You can use your arms a lot more when backing up to catch a high ball in G.A.A. In soccer you can’t use the arms in the same way and I ended up on my arse a few times Monday night.
Still, with a group like we had on Saturday, it should be a good way of keeping active in the winter. Plenty of the G.A.A. lads are talking about joining up so they should swell the ranks further. I’d certainly recommend it.
I played regularly from the 2006/07 season and combined that with club trainer duties from 2007-2009. It was an enjoyable time but with the G.A.A. club beginning to boom from 2008 onwards, my involvement lessened. The G.A.A. became all consuming and by the 2009/10 season, my appearances were more irregular than regular.
Last Monday night I lined out at right back for the seconds against the first team. When I got onto the pitch I was happy to see I wasn’t alone in making my comeback. Emmett Devine, captain of our 2008 Euro Championship team was also there. We would have formed a tight bond on that maiden voyage but with Ruby and Mia having arrived in his house in recent years, we’d rarely see each other anymore.
There are a few glaring differences between FC Irlande and Belgium G.A.A. The first is the number of foreigners. FCI is awash with them and their different customs and languages. Everyone shakes hands when they see you, regardless of if they know you are not. If they don’t know you, they will most often just shake your hand but not actually introduce themselves.
Of course then there is the nature of the soccer player which tends to be a little less impressed with physical contact beyond a friendly handshake. It is particularly bad in the league we play in here, where you can barely say boo to someone.
Yesterday we had our first game of the season. I lined out with the seconds who had no less than nine Irish in the match day squad. This was way above average for the club and is a big draw. It has a cluster of current and former Belgium G.A.A. stalwarts. The likes of John O’Donnell and Emmett Devine from the ’08 generation. Paul Gavin is still dual assigned. Pat Ahern flirted with Gaelic for a time and of course, we cannot leave out Ollie Smith, the controversial Cavan man who lined out for Munster in the 2010 Intra-club league.
We won the game 1-0 with a late goal from Pat. I did fine at right back but it’s not necessarily a natural thing to me. Playing 5-a-side is one thing but 11-a-side is completely different. You need to keep a shape in soccer and in defence that means you all need to move back and forward together, managing the offside trap.
It’s the touch that’s a killer though. I’d be fairly confident of ‘trapping’ a gaelic football descending from the sky but a soccer ball is totally different. It’s lighter and more inclined to fly off your foot when you are not used to the weight of it. Even a straight forward pass can pose issues at the beginning as the ball doesn’t come off your foot with the same consistency.
Kicking the ball poses another issue. You’d be surprised how much shin guards affect it when you aren’t used to them, especially when they begin to slip down your shin during the game.
How to keep your balance is also different. You can use your arms a lot more when backing up to catch a high ball in G.A.A. In soccer you can’t use the arms in the same way and I ended up on my arse a few times Monday night.
Still, with a group like we had on Saturday, it should be a good way of keeping active in the winter. Plenty of the G.A.A. lads are talking about joining up so they should swell the ranks further. I’d certainly recommend it.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Poster Child for Integration…
…maybe a slight overstatement.
I landed in Brussels six years ago today and as I said to Dad this morning, there have been far more ups than downs.
The first year here was disrupted as I was still travelling home to play football and then was sent to the UK for a couple of months work on the production line with Toyota.
In the summer of 2006 I joined FC Irlande and that’s when things kicked off (pardon the pun). Sport is the only drug I need to keep me on a constant high and training twice a week, with a game on Saturday satisfied my fix. I became more involved in the following couple of seasons when I took on the position of trainer for the club.
The G.A.A. was lingering in the background all that time. We had a hurling team and an enthusiastic group of people but hadn’t got enough cutting in us to really make a go of the G.A.A. club.
The tide began to change in 2008 when we expanded to include Gaelic Football and changed our name to Belgium G.A.A. (formerly Brussels Hurling & Camogie club). We haven’t looked back since as European Championships followed in every code. I spent three thoroughly enjoyable and frustrating years training the Footballers before stepping back this year. Although that break was short lived as I will assist Conan now that Eoin is gone.
On the work front, it is difficult to imagine getting better experience than I have done in my job. The challenges of a merge of two separate Toyota entities was quickly followed by a financial crisis, a recall crisis and last but not least, the latest crisis linked to the Japan earthquake.
I have made my friends through sport and that has given me, like all the others in our clubs, a network of people across Europe and even beyond; that you would be comfortable calling on anytime you may land in their city.
My language skills show slower progress. I can say hello and thank you in Flemish and rely on a limited number of individual words, rather than sentences, to communicate in French.
Any regrets? Just one that will linger on - more of an itch that needs scratching than anything else. The missed South-East Hurling final of 2005 and subsequent victory that followed a year later. With a career that is likely to conclude in goal, it may not be out of reach yet.
I landed in Brussels six years ago today and as I said to Dad this morning, there have been far more ups than downs.
The first year here was disrupted as I was still travelling home to play football and then was sent to the UK for a couple of months work on the production line with Toyota.
In the summer of 2006 I joined FC Irlande and that’s when things kicked off (pardon the pun). Sport is the only drug I need to keep me on a constant high and training twice a week, with a game on Saturday satisfied my fix. I became more involved in the following couple of seasons when I took on the position of trainer for the club.
The G.A.A. was lingering in the background all that time. We had a hurling team and an enthusiastic group of people but hadn’t got enough cutting in us to really make a go of the G.A.A. club.
The tide began to change in 2008 when we expanded to include Gaelic Football and changed our name to Belgium G.A.A. (formerly Brussels Hurling & Camogie club). We haven’t looked back since as European Championships followed in every code. I spent three thoroughly enjoyable and frustrating years training the Footballers before stepping back this year. Although that break was short lived as I will assist Conan now that Eoin is gone.
On the work front, it is difficult to imagine getting better experience than I have done in my job. The challenges of a merge of two separate Toyota entities was quickly followed by a financial crisis, a recall crisis and last but not least, the latest crisis linked to the Japan earthquake.
I have made my friends through sport and that has given me, like all the others in our clubs, a network of people across Europe and even beyond; that you would be comfortable calling on anytime you may land in their city.
My language skills show slower progress. I can say hello and thank you in Flemish and rely on a limited number of individual words, rather than sentences, to communicate in French.
Any regrets? Just one that will linger on - more of an itch that needs scratching than anything else. The missed South-East Hurling final of 2005 and subsequent victory that followed a year later. With a career that is likely to conclude in goal, it may not be out of reach yet.
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