The GPA football team of the year for 2010 has just been announced. While this line-up goes some way towards rectifying the stupidities on this year’s All-Star selection (notably by picking Daniel Goulding instead of Colm Cooper) it is a team that comprises five players from beaten All-Ireland finalists Down while only three of Cork’s victorious side make the cut. It’s not the winning, it’s the taking part that counts …
Delighted for John Galvan, it was pure theft that left him out of the All Stars. What exactly have Kildare done to get two players on the team? Is it more to do with them having a manager that the media fear and look up to i.e Micko and McGeaney.
They got three All Stars in 1997 for losing a Leinster Semi Final, we got two for a second consecutive All-Ireland final appearence that year.
Charlie harrison gets one because Sligo beat Mayo and Galway in the one year but Donal Shine doesnt get one despite being excellent and a Connacht champion.
A number of counties in Connacht like to down Mayo and to a lesser extent Galway. The fact that a player merits an all Star on the basis of being on a winning team v them shows how highly the scalps of both counties are prized in the football world. Truth be told bothMayo and Galway were dire the season gone past so Charlie picked up a handy gong.
Mayo’s Dave Brady, David Heaney, Peter Burke, Trevor Mortimor (2004), McGarrity (2004), Ray and Noel Connelly never got a single All Star between them. And Charlie Harrison is a better player than any of those guys…pull the other one!
new to this but yere comments are hilarious! the biggest mistake with the allstar selection this year was the inclusion of canty and aidan walsh…the first who was injured for much of the year, got cleaned against dublin and played a cameo in the final. the 2nd was useless in every game except the final! yet you pick on cooper who in fairness was outstanding in all the games he played…not his fault kerry couldnt get any further.
the selection of galvin and bolton to a lesser extent were more worthy of attention than goulding being picked ahead of the gooch!
People don’t seem to rate this Cork Team.
I have a feeling they will be around for a lot longer than people think now that the monkey is off their back. They have far the strongest panel in the country. If they get some consistency into their game, they will be very hard to beat.
I agree with you totally Facetheball. Some people have said that it was a bad year for football (citing two examples – Tyrone shuold have put Dublin outta sight in 1/4 final except for atrocious wides and Kerry would never have lost to Down if Galvin and T O’shea were there.)
However fact allways remains that you only beat whoever is in front of you on the day, and in fairness to this Cork team they have done this when it counted. Plus they have the League title to back their credentials as the best in the land.
As you said now that the elusive scratch of being perennial losers has disappeared there’s no reason why they cannot ascend to greatness.
Am in dispair. Watched an under age college match yesterday. Foul weather and poor football.The match resembled basketball on muck. Hand pass after hand pass. Both teams incapable of actually kicking the ball properly and the efforts at taking points from even twenty yards was appaling.
Anyway one of the teams got a free about thirty yards from the goal but facing into a head wind. “Kick it out of your hand” shouted one of the Maors at the free taker. The lad placed the ball on the ground, stood back, raced up and drove it straight over the bar. It carried for another 20 yards.
A gem of brilliance amid the mediocre. The Maor wasnt happy though “Hi….why didnt you kick the free out of your hand?” he raged at the kid. The lad shook his shoulder and jogged off to face the kick out.
I just looked at him (Maor) and burst out laughing. We wonder why the Aussies come here and master the kick in a few days and then we also wonder why our own kids cannot kick like in the days of yore. Coaches who want possession all the time are killing the game. Possesion is more or less guranteed with handpassing but witness the shit earlier in the year when the “throw” was outlawed. The coaches cracked. Now they had to “teach” guys how to actually fist pass properly and that would be real hard work.
Ah forgive me…its all the rain and the goverment and the economy, the forthcoming budget and its November and ….
Hang on in there, ontheroad – it is November after all and, once we get this frigging budget behind us, we have Christmas to look forward to! And then, of course, the start if the James Horan era in the New Year …
Ah, sure of course “On the road” – – dont worry we will forgive you. The problem is that you are watching too much U/Age Meath football. You need to leave the Royal County behind and come back to live with your own stock. Just think wouldn’t it be a lovely evening to be sitting down in the old unused lighthouse off Blacksod Bay looking across at the Statue of Liberty – -then and only then will you be at peace with yourself. Never mind the rain, the government, the economy or the budget — just think of the forthcoming “9 month odyssey” that in January 2011 we will embark upon under James Horan which will eventually culminate in my return to Mayo in September 11 after a long absence! Come home on the road – come home – I will tell them to kill the fatted calf – – the Prodigal is returning.
Lads do what I do and give up the gaa for the winter and take up the oval ball. Besides coming on his site I stay away from all things GAa till around April, gives you an appetite back for it again. Football is gone to shite and we should abandon it and have everyone playing hurling, that’s my new election manifesto anyway
For anyone interested, TG4 will be showing Ballintubber v. Killererin shortly
Samuel Maguire, did you call around to the Carlos’s house and get that picture yet? Never mind the fatted calf, by the time Cowan has finished with ye , it might be needed closer to home. Pity about Ballintubber today, listened to Sean Ban commentate, he was amazed that one of the Kelleraran bucks didnt get a straight red. He got nothing…neither did poor Ballintubber. Now James can concentrate on the job in the Big House.
Was at match – -terrible conditions — plus the fact that Ballintubber didn’t put away several scoring chances. Jason Gibbons played well but that old war-horse Tommy Joyce used all his experience to swing the day. Fair play to Parke today — Connacht Junior Champions. On the road — as regards that Carlos fellow you are on about — is that the lad from Boyle or is it the lad that played left-full for Real that could take a great free kick.If you give me his address I will call over to Madrid to see him. Put the sand-bags out tonight “on the road” we dont want you taking in any water!