The biggest change for Galway under McIntyre has been the increased physicality of their play. Whereas previously Clare might have pushed them in Cusack Park last year, the way they are now they just blew us away. Theyâll most likely do the same to Wexford, especially if itâs on somewhere like Nowlan Park.
That story about the U21âs is beyond belief. Normal service returned, welcome back the Wexford county board.
In fairness on this one it was Croker that turned down the request and therefore should ship the blame.
Thereâs been plenty reported recently on how all the inter-county squads have had to cut back in spending and to spend âŹ800 on getting the team into the game would have had us being critical later in the year.
How would it come to 800 euros?
TJust quoting what is below in bold.
Wexfordâs U-21s boycotted last Sundayâs Division 2 National Hurling League final when they were refused complimentary tickets into Semple Stadium, it has emerged.
The move has caused a storm in the county and led to stern criticism of the Wexford Board by a member of their U-21 management team.
Wexford and Clare had met in an U-21 challenge at The Ragg, a Tipperary county ground just outside Thurles, earlier in the afternoon.
After the request for free tickets to the league final was turned down earlier in the week, the squad and management decided to eat a pre-arranged meal in Thurles before heading on home, stopping to watch the match on TG4 on the way.
Wexford chairman Ger Doyle said that the Board had asked Croke Park for free tickets but they were not forthcoming. He said that concession tickets at âŹ15 were made available to the U-21 squad by the Board, but these were turned down. Doyle defended the Boardâs record on player welfare and refuted claims that they were not promoting hurling in the county in a proper way.
âWe were not obliged to give free tickets to the U-21 team. If there was no (U-21) game in Thurles they would have had to pay in anyway,â he said.
"Iâm disappointed with the way this has come out because we look after our players very well. When we got the request for the tickets, we contacted Croke Park and they turned us down.
âWe donât have the money to buy âŹ25 tickets. We have to be cautious with what we spend these days.â
To purchase the tickets for a squad of U-21s and management would have cost in the region of âŹ800.
âIâve written a letter to Croke Park expressing my disappointment with the stance they took,â continued Doyle. âA match played in a 50,000 capacity stadium with only 14,200 in it? Surely there was room to accommodate the players? They could have made a gesture.â
Doyle added that a request from Clare for complimentary tickets was also rebuffed by Croke Park.
Wexford U-21 selector Paul Dempsey, though, was stinging in his criticism of the Board, accusing them of placing an obstacle in the way of progress in the county; he explained why the U-21 squad took such drastic measures.
âRory Murphy, who acts as our team co-ordinator, requested passes for the U-21 team to attend the league final,â he said.
âWe were playing a challenge game in The Ragg earlier in the afternoon and we saw this as a way to demonstrate to the squad our commitment to them and also our efforts to promote the game of hurling.â
"On Saturday, Rory contacted county officers regarding the venue for the meal for the team. He was told of the venue, but told no passes would be available.
âWe made a decision following the meal to leave Thurles, go home on the team bus, and watch the game on television on the way.â
Dempsey believes poor treatment has been meted out to the players. "Our County Board has not got a clue how to promote the game or look after county teams.
"An obstacle, no matter what the request, is always placed in the way of progress. The biggest problem with hurling is not the players or the team management but the County Board.
âThe majority of our squad are students and they simply have not got the money. We thought the complimentary tickets would have been a great boost to the players. They are the seniors of tomorrow.â
In response, Doyle said people have the option to walk away if they are not satisfied with the way the game is being run. âWe are all volunteers. We are all doing our best. If they are not happy they can walk away,â he said.
- Colm Keys
Irish Independent
The place was half empty - just let them in for free.
Presume a panel of 30 plus management would cost in the region of âŹ800
This logic only works if we are to assume they actually had any intention of paying to get in.
That 800 is too much - tickets for Sunday were 25 but a tenner refund to students and OAPS - Tony Dempsey and the panel would have been able to claim this back leaving the total closer to 500. Either way, itâs a stupid decision from the monkeys who run the organisation.
Surely every Wexford and Clare underage hurling team should have been let in for free in their tracksuits and stuff. They all could have played earlier on in the day and then gone to Thurles to the game. I find it hard to believe some businessman wouldnt have sponsored the gig.
Nah, this oneâs on the utter retards in the county board. Completely embarrassing.
Fair enough - the board are not responsible for the tickets not being free, crokers fault. In which case an argument can be made for the board buying them at discount.
The counter argument which croppy boy mentions above is that its a cost (500, 800 euros, whetever it is) that the board could not afford, given the admittedly high cost of running multiple inter county teams.
In which case, thereâs obviously a complete lack of communication coming from the board. They obviously have not explained to the U21 set up as to why tickets could not be provided. This looks to me like a tipping point for Rory Murphy and others who may have had other frustrations and this was too much.
Maybe they need to make everyone aware of what circumstances there would be complimentary tickets etc available, as its clear there was an expectation that would be the case.
There seems to be a long distance between the board and the management of teams as Dempsets coments show.
Ger Doyleâs comment though that people can walk away if they want is resignation material, thats absolutely fucking disgraceful.
ger doyle is a an absolute bollox. is it time for wexford to have a hurling and football board? i know the one we dont have at present isnt exactly working well but i think it might be the best for both championships.
Our U-14 hurlers went up sunday, played a game in Borrisaleigh and then went to the game, for free.
Canât understand this for the life of me.
This with training bans, banning teams going on trips and threatening Nemo with sanctions over the rugby team shows where the GAA is at with Christy Cooney.
Cooney out. 
Liam O Neil was the man for the job. 
U-14 or possibly even U-16 get in free to games anywayâŚ
Not often I agree with you lad but youâre spot on. Pity one of us didnât have Bernard McNamaras business card so we could have asked him for a dig out.
That âŹ800 argument is a load of shite. Theyâll hardly notice âŹ800 when theyâre flying the senior intercounty team off to the other side of the world come August or September.
The 800 argument is a load of bollocks when you have a stadium half full and when the lads didnât bother paying into the game anyway.
Exactly, Turenne. I donât get why itâs even being mentioned. Itâs just pure mismanagement by Wexford County Board.
Has the 800 euro/cost issue been cited by any official source as a factor in their decision? Given it was a once off proposal that would be pretty indefensible. It wouldnât be surprising either of course. The Clare county board recently refused to pay for a set of jerseys for the East-Clare U16s after they won the Munster championship.
Itâd be more worrying if this was a reflection of some new mindset at Croke Park. Whereas as Wexford county boardâs incompetence is a concern only for Wexford people, Croke Parkâs policies have serious implications for the promotion of the game. Press coverage will hopefully force Croke Park to revisit the decision. The Wexford county board on the other hand can rest easy in their cronyism, safe in the knowledge that the delegate system will prevent them getting called out in front of a crowded room.