Getting Back in the Game/you'd want your head examined to referee a ladies football match

[Fitzy]

I’m 49, most blokes playing this are early 40’s.
It’s a full on league, home and away games then a finals series. Pretty much everyone playing has a history in football and many are ex grade players. It’s surprisingly good quality, though there’s inevitably some teams who are just shit and play kick and run
Most of the time it’s played in a decent spirit, but there are some complete arseholes and the odd flare up.
A team from Avoca had to be disbanded a few years ago after incidents in car parks after games including one where they assaulted a bloke on a rival team who turned out to be a detective Sargeant. That ended up well for them.

[Fagan_ODowd]

@backinatracksuit

It’s where I finished up as well, enjoyed playing there but I loved playing in the middle of the park.
But I never played at a level where the team was announced days in advance of the game, while you’d be fairly sure of whether you were playing or not it wasn’t until the jersey was thrown at you that you could be sure of what the starting 11 was,
Did the boss name the team in advance @Fitzy

Sure a manager of an amateur team of any kind would never name a team in advance because he’d know none of the subs would turn up.

[Bisto]

Left or right back is great in socccer …you get the most time on the ball …

[Fitzy]

Yes, a full illustration of the team is posted on the whatsapp group the night before.
We rotate the subs a lot so if you start as a sub it’s not necessarily a reflectio on ability and can be tactical.
If you don’t turn up, you’re not playing next week. We’re not fucking around here.

[TreatyStones]

@Fitzy

I’m 49, most blokes playing this are early 40’s.
It’s a full on league, home and away games then a finals series. Pretty much everyone playing has a history in football and many are ex grade players. It’s surprisingly good quality, though there’s inevitably some teams who are just shit and play kick and run

They banned the over 35s desmond league competition because too many insurance claims

[Big_Dan_Campbell]

There was an over 35/masters hurling league set up in North Dublin 4 or 5 years ago which only lasted a few games for similar reasons. I believe the likes of Craobh Ciaran took it very seriously and were fielding a side with lads who would have had multiple county medals from a decade previous and were playing teams who assumed it was a social competition and didn’t realise the whirlwind whey were about to walk into.

[Bisto]

The croabh way wouldn’t really fit into the aims of a friendly puck about between ageing hurling enthusiasts …

[Fat_Pox]

Division 6/7 upwards in Dublin is basically an over 35s league with a few minors thrown in. Anyone playing between the ages of 19-33 is generally a duck.

Junior C hurling is starting to take off down in Tipp which is basically social hurling. It suits bigger clubs though. We only have two adult teams. There are possibly 9/10 lads around the parish who would be interested in junior C but there ain’t the numbers. Realistically we should be allowed join up with another club to field a team.

[ciarancareyshurlingarmy]

@Fagan_ODowd

@backinatracksuit

It’s where I finished up as well, enjoyed playing there but I loved playing in the middle of the park.
But I never played at a level where the team was announced days in advance of the game, while you’d be fairly sure of whether you were playing or not it wasn’t until the jersey was thrown at you that you could be sure of what the starting 11 was,
Did the boss name the team in advance @Fitzy

Sure a manager of an amateur team of any kind would never name a team in advance because he’d know none of the subs would turn up.

A professional manager for a bunch of amateurs

[Loko_Cove]

@Chucks_Nwoko was it Woy Woy we went up to play one Saturday and had a few in the leagues club afterwards. A certain grump done his knee?

[gilgamboa]

@Big_Dan_Campbell

There was an over 35/masters hurling league set up in North Dublin 4 or 5 years ago which only lasted a few games for similar reasons. I believe the likes of Craobh Ciaran took it very seriously and were fielding a side with lads who would have had multiple county medals from a decade previous and were playing teams who assumed it was a social competition and didn’t realise the whirlwind whey were about to walk into.

I played a few over 35s rugby games in past few years. Including one in the UK against a team who played week in week out in an ould lads league. They were a decent standard and it got very angsty at times… They were clearing out rucks like it was an International game and we were only there for a bit of craic

I wasn’t in the better of it for a month after. But I’d love to play a GAA league for ould lads… Surely handy enough just make a rule can’t have played junior championship or above in last few seasons

[TreatyStones]

Insurance seems to be the major issue. None of the associations (gaa or soccer) seem to want to touch it.

The GAA used to have intercounty masters comp about 10/15 years ago.

[Loko_Cove]

There’s no better feeling in the world than roasting a young Dublin scrote on the field, Junior C or not!!

[Biff_Egan]

Can’t they get you to sign a waiver? We’d some lad lose his teeth in 5 a side indoor who couldn’t claim because we accepted responsibility for injury

[gilgamboa]

I see wooly tweeting about playing the masters more recent than that I’d say

Insurance always the issue ffs

[Fat_Pox]

@gilgamboa

wasn’t in the better of it for a month after. But I’d love to play a GAA league for ould lads… Surely handy enough just make a rule can’t have played junior championship or above in last few seasons

I’m fairly sure there was a social hurling league running in the astro of Pairc Ui Chaoimh over the past few years. It was building momentum down there and was going to be spread out more across the county before covid. It was on mid week nights. A friend of mine who was working in Cork for a few days got a game one midweek night. He said it was great craic.

[flattythehurdler]

I used to. Regularly. Like a flute.in the folorn hope a car would break down, or we’d be winning or losing by so much I’d get a game. Rarely happened. I got 15 minutes against @Big_Dan_Campbell wan time.

[gilgamboa]

It was just a Puck around really more than anything. They got great numbers down there. Def demand for it

[Big_Dan_Campbell]

And a 50 point winning margin to go with it

[Fat_Pox]

The minute “competition” is brought around it in the form of a cup or league then the social enjoyment levels dissipate as some shower will take it too seriously.

People here have mentioned the insurance issue. Astro soccer runs around the country without the insurance question. Surely the GAA have some loophole likewise.