GAA turns its back on €20million to Guarantee Free-to-Air

[Bom]

I thought in soccer they called them 'defenders'.

Thats right - how did you know that? Alonso played Right Full Defender for his club (imagine a left-handed scythe being swung by a particularly physically awkward orangutan and the requisite Arnie-Stan image is there before you) and I played Midfielder-Central for mine. My main function was to 'hook-up' (as we in the game would say) with the Outside-Flankers to get the 'Baal' to the Primary-Net-Getters.

We would have tea laced with brandy at Half-time (strangely, the same term used in Gaelic!) and the shout would go up for 'lashings of ginger beer at tea' whenever we would 'Net-It'.

Ahhhh...the good old days....

[alonso]

hey Stan was a great full back. And Riise was up to a few years ago. I defended like Maldini and attacked like Cafu. I was just too modest to say so initially

But were you fat like Jan Molby?

I had his vision. Could spot a great pass before I even had the ball. I wouldn't describe me as "fat" but I also wouldn't describe me as "lean". Best accent ever - Danish scouse. Brilliant.

Oh yeh and my Merseyside namesake was a decent GAA player when he was over in Navan as a student. And does anyone remember the bemused look on the Japanese when the boys broke out into a GAA match during training at the 2002 WC? Great stuff, and the CockneyPaddyRasta Clinton was a natural apparently.

[dali]

zyklon

i think we are getting closer to what your problem is.

when you say that soccer players mightn't be able to 'handle themselves, on the gaa pitch, are you referring to some repressed irish sexual behaviour or that element of thuggery which passes for tackling and is excused by the gaa authorities aka dublin v monaghan last weekend?

[popper]

I think the fact that the Dublin football team beat Shamrock Rovers twice in 1974 in soccer says it all really. Imagine say the Wasps rugby team beating Arsenal. They'd probably just give up at that stage. Indeed I don't think League of Ireland has ever fully recovered from that psychological blow.

[alonso]

popper, considering most of us have no recollection of that game (too young) or it's never spoken of by either soccer or GAA fans I believe that the Dublin team were driven by the gigantic chip on GAA shoulders and Rovers probably rested most of their 1st team for some reason - either it was winter and they had a European or league match coming up or it was summer and they didn't give a sh1t... fancy a rematch?

anyway Heffo's Army would've given Shankly's Reds quite a match too I reckon

[The SR]

I think the fact that the Dublin football team beat Shamrock Rovers twice in 1974 in soccer says it all really. Imagine say the Wasps rugby team beating Arsenal. They'd probably just give up at that stage. Indeed I don't think League of Ireland has ever fully recovered from that psychological blow.

I was intrigued by this so I asked around. No-one has heard of this game either at Rovers or the GAA circles I know. Also, bearing in mind that a Rovers Bohs followed by Dublin Tyrone double header for GOAL scheduled for the RDS in 1994 was vetoed by the GAA, I find it hard to believe that 20 years earlier this would have been allowed by Croke Park.

Then again, this is from the man who claimed
- Rovers fans had attacked Thomas Davis members
- Paddy Mulligan was robbed of his testimonial money by the FAI
- Rovers fans attacked the Gardai last week

and various other serious allegations he has refused to even attempt to back up, I think this can be consigned to the dustbin as well.

[popper]

I think the fact that the Dublin football team beat Shamrock Rovers twice in 1974 in soccer says it all really. Imagine say the Wasps rugby team beating Arsenal. They'd probably just give up at that stage. Indeed I don't think League of Ireland has ever fully recovered from that psychological blow.

I was intrigued by this so I asked around. No-one has heard of this game either at Rovers or the GAA circles I know. Also, bearing in mind that a Rovers Bohs followed by Dublin Tyrone double header for GOAL scheduled for the RDS in 1994 was vetoed by the GAA, I find it hard to believe that 20 years earlier this would have been allowed by Croke Park.

Then again, this is from the man who claimed
- Rovers fans had attacked Thomas Davis members
- Paddy Mulligan was robbed of his testimonial money by the FAI
- Rovers fans attacked the Gardai last week

and various other serious allegations he has refused to even attempt to back up, I think this can be consigned to the dustbin as well.

Oh it did happen. May 1974, a week after Dublin had beaten Louth in the Leinster championship. Was in aid of the Simon Community or HOPE I beleive and organised by Jimmy Magee. Played them again after Dublin won the All Ireland and beat them again.

BTW, I did not say that Rovers fans attacked the Gardai, I said they had attacked Cork City fans. As claimed by Cork City fans who were at the game and had bottles thrown at them and apparently were attacked again at a bus stop. As reported on their web site. I was merely repeating what they said.

http://ccfcforum.com/forum/forums.html


Same site also has a nice photo of a Rovers player punching a Drogheda player in the face! Their fans slag a Drogheda player about hsi dead wife and their players assault them! Charming.

[meriwether]

Did we not fight this battle about 9 pages ago?

I dont see why you cant like both GAA and soccer, but of course reserve the right to have a preference.

The way I see it, with a bit of cooperation between the FAI/GAA/IRFU at local levels, we dont need to run out of young lads who want to play the games.
Most will want to have a shot at all three, and if a bit of planning could go into things - i.e. dont have matches and training clashing on the same nights - a lot of problems could be sorted.

Anyhow, these days, each organisations biggest opponent isn't one another - its the Playstation, fast food and childhood obesity.

[The SR]

Oh it did happen. May 1974, a week after Dublin had beaten Louth in the Leinster championship. Was in aid of the Simon Community or HOPE I beleive and organised by Jimmy Magee. Played them again after Dublin won the All Ireland and beat them again..

There is no reference to these games anywhere online and I repeat, no-one at Rovers recalls any of these games. And as I said, 20 years later the GAA were refusing to allow football and GAA to mix for charity, and it couldnt have happened at a GAA venue, so I think the audience can make up their minds in the absence of any proof as to whether this happened.

Any chance of some back up for the rest of your lurid claims while you are digging this one out?

BTW, I did not say that Rovers fans attacked the Gardai, I said they had attacked Cork City fans. As claimed by Cork City fans who were at the game and had bottles thrown at them and apparently were attacked again at a bus stop. As reported on their web site. I was merely repeating what they said.

http://ccfcforum.com/forum/forums.html.

You most certainly did claim the Gardai were attacked. You even admitted you made it up. You also claimed you were 'told it'. Now it turns out you just read it on an internet forum, one which also refutes the original claims and has a healthy dose of Cork fans critical of their tracksuited wearing heros. Have you switched meds recently or something?

Same site also has a nice photo of a Rovers player punching a Drogheda player in the face! Their fans slag a Drogheda player about hsi dead wife and their players assault them! Charming.

Said fan is also banned for life from all LoI grounds. Within 24 hours of the incident too. Will the Gah do similar to the spectators/mentors who went a step further and assaulted players and referees recently?

And as for football players throwing slaps, are you sure this is a high horse you want to get on on behalf of the Gah?