Intermediate Championship 2019

bcb1

Well-Known Member
There's not a day goes by that this doesn't hurt, however , things are looking brighter at under age so hopefully we can rebuild and get back amongst the elite. Must also be worth a mention that Cross weren't always up there with the big boys. We are a proud bunch in Francis Street and make no mistake about it we will do all we can to get back to the top.

I’m sure it does hurt. The reality is ourselves, yourselves and Harps are the aristocracy of the county....over 2/3 of the county titles shared between us. Important for you boys to keep building on the likes of that good u16 team that won last week but be realistic too that it’s not just a single team to focus on. 3-4 will make it and that’s at a good push. Make it easy for them to come into a good set up. Still rate the rivalry the team I played on with the Clans of that time was a proper one....unlike that with the pretenders of Dromintee et al.
 

PatMustard

Well-Known Member
There's not a day goes by that this doesn't hurt, however , things are looking brighter at under age so hopefully we can rebuild and get back amongst the elite. Must also be worth a mention that Cross weren't always up there with the big boys. We are a proud bunch in Francis Street and make no mistake about it we will do all we can to get back to the top.

Here, I’ll probably get tarred and feathered for this.... but in hindsight, does Lurgan maybe have too many clubs?

No no, hear me out...

I’m no expert on Lurgan club scene, and maybe I’m only judging this by Clans’ previous success. But families now are smaller, kids have other interests (karate, gymnastics, x boxes etc)... maybe the strength of the towns clubs have been diluted as the talent is spread too thinly across all the Lurgan clubs. Would we get a Lurgan SFC winner if we had players available from say Clans and Peters? Or CE/Paul’s etc?

When those clubs were founded, numbers were bigger, families larger etc so it wasn’t an issue. But nowadays, it might be?
 

Armaghball

Well-Known Member
Here, I’ll probably get tarred and feathered for this.... but in hindsight, does Lurgan maybe have too many clubs?

No no, hear me out...

I’m no expert on Lurgan club scene, and maybe I’m only judging this by Clans’ previous success. But families now are smaller, kids have other interests (karate, gymnastics, x boxes etc)... maybe the strength of the towns clubs have been diluted as the talent is spread too thinly across all the Lurgan clubs. Would we get a Lurgan SFC winner if we had players available from say Clans and Peters? Or CE/Paul’s etc?

When those clubs were founded, numbers were bigger, families larger etc so it wasn’t an issue. But nowadays, it might be?
Most if not all field on their own at all underage levels unless I’m mistaken?
 

winsamsoon

Well-Known Member
I’m sure it does hurt. The reality is ourselves, yourselves and Harps are the aristocracy of the county....over 2/3 of the county titles shared between us. Important for you boys to keep building on the likes of that good u16 team that won last week but be realistic too that it’s not just a single team to focus on. 3-4 will make it and that’s at a good push. Make it easy for them to come into a good set up. Still rate the rivalry the team I played on with the Clans of that time was a proper one....unlike that with the pretenders of Dromintee et al.
I know you initially put that in to get a reaction , i also know you understand what it takes as you have played at the highest club level. I know you respect the clans, all good teams should be respected ie Cross and Harps as you have stated. If relegation and a fall in rank doesn't hurt then you shouldn't be playing the game. I fully agree with what you have said above, if we get 4/5 coming through it will be a huge boost as the current team is young enough to be matured when they come through. Hopefully a good mix can bring them back to Senior level.

Pat-There is a merit in what you say, however in my humble opinion individual clubs have their own ways of working and personally i would rather fold than join with another club, particularly at senior level. St Paul's sort of broke away from the Clans when they formed and some of the ones that broke away have an awful hatred for the clans. I would def say the other clubs in lurgan dispise the Clans. That's up to them , so any idea of joining is most definetly a no no and i would say 100% of the hardcore club members would be of the same opinion. It would be interesting to hear the other clubs take on it. In 20 years time it may be more viable as most of the traditional family connections to clubs is gradually being diluted and newer families are filling the voids . Deep down though i woud hate to ever see it go to that level. Ultimately we are all in it together but your own are the worst and the best bunch you could ever have round you.
 

PatMustard

Well-Known Member
I suppose I’m looking at the Lurgan clubs in terms of senior success, which isn’t everything. Kids playing the game and people having a belonging to their clubs is a big part of GAA life anywhere.
 

Whites

Active Member
I know you initially put that in to get a reaction , i also know you understand what it takes as you have played at the highest club level. I know you respect the clans, all good teams should be respected ie Cross and Harps as you have stated. If relegation and a fall in rank doesn't hurt then you shouldn't be playing the game. I fully agree with what you have said above, if we get 4/5 coming through it will be a huge boost as the current team is young enough to be matured when they come through. Hopefully a good mix can bring them back to Senior level.

Pat-There is a merit in what you say, however in my humble opinion individual clubs have their own ways of working and personally i would rather fold than join with another club, particularly at senior level. St Paul's sort of broke away from the Clans when they formed and some of the ones that broke away have an awful hatred for the clans. I would def say the other clubs in lurgan dispise the Clans. That's up to them , so any idea of joining is most definetly a no no and i would say 100% of the hardcore club members would be of the same opinion. It would be interesting to hear the other clubs take on it. In 20 years time it may be more viable as most of the traditional family connections to clubs is gradually being diluted and newer families are filling the voids . Deep down though i woud hate to ever see it go to that level. Ultimately we are all in it together but your own are the worst and the best bunch you could ever have round you.
Have to agree with you, it would be a definite no at the moment and hopefully not in my lifetime
 

lurganblue

New Member
Cant see there ever being a merge in Lurgan. All the clubs seem to do quite well in terms of numbers at underage level and they are all starting to do great work in developing young talent. There is a bitter rivalry there but i'd still say a health rivalry. The only merge i ever remember was at underage level between St Paul's and Eire Og. I would assume this was more down to the Eire Og numbers than St Paul's at that time.

I agree with BCB1 that it takes more than one successful underage group but looking down through all our current age groups I would be hopefully that there would be 3/4 capable when they get to adulthood. Time will tell.
 

bcb1

Well-Known Member
The thing is that the reality is that football in Lurgan generally has not been successful historically. Clans have 14 titles but 9 of those are from the great team they had late 60’s and during the 70’s with McKinstry and Jimmy Smyth etc. Sporadically they’ve had good teams but have never really dominated. CE has a smattering if good teams, their best unfortunately came up against the great Harps team of Jack Bratten who dominated the 50’s and one of our great teams that dominated the 60’s. They would have had 2-3 more titles if that hadn’t been the case. Ourselves and the Harps have over half the titles in the county, Harp’s as many as all the Lurgan clubs together. There are too many clubs in Lurgan, nearly one in every big estate type thing. It may take a few years to change but it probably does need an amount of amalgamation
 

ShiftYa

Well-Known Member
The thing is that the reality is that football in Lurgan generally has not been successful historically. Clans have 14 titles but 9 of those are from the great team they had late 60’s and during the 70’s with McKinstry and Jimmy Smyth etc. Sporadically they’ve had good teams but have never really dominated. CE has a smattering if good teams, their best unfortunately came up against the great Harps team of Jack Bratten who dominated the 50’s and one of our great teams that dominated the 60’s. They would have had 2-3 more titles if that hadn’t been the case. Ourselves and the Harps have over half the titles in the county, Harp’s as many as all the Lurgan clubs together. There are too many clubs in Lurgan, nearly one in every big estate type thing. It may take a few years to change but it probably does need an amount of amalgamation
Saying that none of the Lurgan clubs played in the junior this year, I know Eire og are heading down next year but none of them are in danger of not fielding / going out of existence like many of the rural clubs around the country . To just merge to put it up to cross and harps is single minded. Although I do think in Kerry many of the smaller clubs join to compete in senior and then play in their respective championships once it’s over. Maybe instead of amalgamating the lurgan teams we should be splitting cross up:p
 

stapler

New Member
I'm sure when i played that Clans, Peters, St Pauls, sarsfields and clann eireann were all in the 1st division at the same time. Its a swings and roundabouts thing
 

armaghlad

Active Member
I think that so many clubs have been sustained in and around the Lurgan area is testimony to the vibrant GAA scene and has probably impacted to some extent at success at senior level. I’d imagine if Lurgan only had one club it would likely be one of the best in Ulster.
 

bcb1

Well-Known Member
I am winding a small bit ... the idea though that @ShiftYa suggests about a similar system to the Kerry and Cork system of a divisional team would be an idea. Imagine 2 southern county teams made up of the likes of the best of Mullaghbawn, Forkhill, Whitecross etc, 2 mid Armagh teams built round Keady, Grange et al and 2 northern teams from the likes of Ballyhegan, Éire Og, Clans etc. They play off a round robin of divisional games and the top 2 go into the senior. They still play in their relevant club championship but it means that they are playing at a slightly higher level as well. It will also bring to the county managements eyes possible players they might not see otherwise.
 

PatMustard

Well-Known Member
Saying that none of the Lurgan clubs played in the junior this year, I know Eire og are heading down next year but none of them are in danger of not fielding / going out of existence like many of the rural clubs around the country . To just merge to put it up to cross and harps is single minded. Although I do think in Kerry many of the smaller clubs join to compete in senior and then play in their respective championships once it’s over. Maybe instead of amalgamating the lurgan teams we should be splitting cross up:p

So will it be North and South Cross or East and West Cross? :D
 

niall1980

Well-Known Member
What’s the basis on Merging them? Lack of success? Do we then merge clubs all over the county for the same reason? Think of the numbers. If for example CE and the Peters merged. And the DLB and St Paul’s. That’s a lot of people who won’t get games and will more than likely fade away from GAA
 
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