AFTER CLARE WERE relegated to Division 1B of the Allianz National Hurling League following a one point defeat to Kilkenny yesterday, manager Davy Fitzgerald claimed his side were too good to be relegated.
The Banner boss insisted they did very little wrong against Brian Cody’s men and suggested that perhaps expectations in the county were too high as he believed his side had no questions to answer after the loss, even after the recent high-profile incidents involving Davy O’Halloran and Nicky O’Connell.
“I’m absolutely gutted, absolutely gutted. I think we were the better team today but fair play to Kilkenny, they got there. Hats off to them at the end, we’ve no complaints but it’s disappointing as I really felt coming down here that we were going to win, I really did.”
“We’ve four All-Irelands won in 130 years, they forget that in Clare so they do. They don’t need to answer anything to anybody in my view so they don’t. There have been a number of teams that have won Under 21’s and never gone on to win senior so they haven’t. I’m so proud that my lads have done that.
“We just want to keep working hard ourselves. Like, people might have questioned the lads and questioned different things but I think you can see today how the lads played for each other, they play for each other. Everybody out there was really working hard for each other and I think that was massive.
“They are a phenomenal bunch and we as a management and a panel are very, very, very tight and I think you can see that. I think that’s massive so it is and it’s just disappointing to end up the way we did today. I really believed that we were going to win today, I really did.”
Fitzgerald also said that, while he doesn’t believe his team deserved to be relegated, nobody in his camp will be complaining about the structure of the league.
“Listen, we’re not happy about it so we’re not but Cork went down there, Limerick went down there, Dublin went down there.
“I think the whole thing is up for review again anyway so hopefully there’ll be a bit of sense seen in it. I don’t think that we’re a Division 1B team but if we have to play there, we’ll have no complaint in Clare.
“We’ll do what we have to do, no problem but I’d like to see a bit of common sense thrown into this. I think Limerick have spent long enough down in Division 1B as well as Wexford have so I think it’s maybe time for a change.
“But if we have to go down, we’ll go down, there’s no hassle.
“It’s all about from May onwards, that’s when things really start heating up and we have work to do.”
Additional reporting from Eoin Brennan.
He sounds like a man who’s lost his dressing room, so he does.
Davy is still A huge hurling hero!. maybe a little less tactics yesterday would have won the game, Shane O’Donnell and Tony Kelly were required to run for most of 70 minutes and why were Darach Honan and Seadna Morey let on the line when Conor McGrath wasn’t fit. The selectors have questions answer! and what are the other management members doing about bringing back Nicky O’ Connell and Davy O’Halloran? Davy Fitzgerald can’t carry all the the responsibility all the time.
And his marbles
He sounds hilarious so he does. He can’t finish a sentence without a derivative of ‘so they do’ so he doesn’t. He’s your archetypal angry little man so he is. He lets his emotions get the better of him so he does. He spouts nonsense so he does, but by using ‘so they do’ at the end of every sentence he sounds like a comic character so he does…so he does.
Well played!
The group is so tightly bound that several fell out.
He should make the whole team stand in different corners of the park and think about what they have not done. In civilian clothing.
Delusional.. Teams deserve their divisional status based on how they perform..
Sorry for Clare.. Delighted for Davy, so I am.
Clearly clare aren’t too good to go down. They may well come straight back up as Waterford did but Limerick will be gung Ho to get promoted next year. As will an emerging Wexford side.
Jaysus I’d love to choke that little ferret, so I would!
Claw have also been won 4 u21s in their history with 3 in the last three years. Clare supporters have every right to demand better than what they are seeing. This current group of Clare players could be their best ever but I can’t see them fulfilling their potential with Fitzie in charge. He’s too much of a hot head that brings too much negativity to the camp.
Clare not claw
so clare didn’t win enough games in the league but according to davy they don’t deserve to get relegated,that’s a hard one to figure out,no wonder the boys went on the piss,imagine his team talks.
What annoys me about this guy is that generally talk sense after games but acts like such a C*** on the sideline.
I admire his drive and passion but I just can’t respect this guy, his conduct is not what kids should see on an intercounty sideline.
I had the unpleasant experience of being near him before during a water crystal game and I couldn’t believe the tripe and abuse that flowed from his mouth and if I’m shocked by that, then its bad in the extreme.
You could hear him screeching on the sidelines watching the game on the TV yesterday – when the camera wasn’t even on him. He’s an embarrassment. I’m disappointed for Clare, they’re a great bunch of hurlers but I’m glad we won’t have to meet Clare next year (in the regulation games away) and have his sideline antics inflicted on us.
Aideen you’re an embarrassment with a statement like that. He’s got 2 all Ireland’s, 3 all stars, 3 munsters as a player. Has won a Munster championship and an all Ireland as a manager. Yeah he’s an embarrassment. Why don’t you come back to me when you have one of your own on the line. What’s more embarrassing is continually having to go outside your county to get a manager in.
Did i mention anywhere that he hasn’t won all you’ve mentioned above?? No i didn’t. I mentioned his antics, which are embarrassing. If you think how he behaves on the sideline is fitting of a county manager and a good example to kids watching the game well then more fool you.
I say he’s an embarrassment on the sideline and you take offence yet you have no response to the person who says he ‘acts like such a C*** on the sideline.’ Seems it’s ok to be a c*** so? That’s good to know.
And ‘yeah he is an embarrassment’. Thanks for agreeing with me.
You must be leading a sheltered life Aideen. I know Dubs never use foul language during games and the fans are incredibly respectful especially on the hill. If you couldn’t handle Ennis a couple of weeks ago you’d be better off sitting in when there’s a match on and watching Mary poppins.
Ha ha What are you on about?! Did i say i couldn’t handle bad language?? I was questioning why you took such offence to me calling him an ‘embarrassment’ yet seemed to have no issue with someone calling him a ‘C***.’
Also not sure where I said I couldn’t handle Ennis a few weeks ago?? Did I mention Ennis?? Nope.. I didn’t. You seem to enjoy responding to comments that weren’t actually made.
As for telling me i need to sit in and watch Mary Poppins how incredibly sexist of you. I’m a dual season ticket holder and spend most of my weekends supporting my county. Have far too much going on to be sitting in watching musicals, you however have a nice 10 week break ahead. Plenty of time for you to continue with your one man defence of Davy Fitz… or hey, how about taking up your own advice and sticking on Mary Poppins.
In fairness I do think that being called an embarrassment is more insulting considering what he’s achieved in the game to date. I wouldn’t consider myself to be sexist either, if a bloke started whining about a few swear words at a game I’d tell him to go home and watch Mary P too, and no bother Aideen I will continue to support Davy considering half the country seem to be having a constant go at him. What I won’t do is attack any amateur players or managers through social media
Once again, I will repeat I DID NOT ‘whine about a few swear words at a game’ so I’d appreciate if you stop saying I did.
I will however be sure to call him a ‘C***’ or say ‘I’d love to choke that little ferret’ next time. You obviously see no issue with people expressing those kind of opinions and don’t consider that an attack of a manager through social media.
Also If he behaves like a child who’s not getting his way on the sideline he’ll be ridiculed for it. If he wants people to remember ‘what he’s achieved to date’ and respect him for it maybe he should reconsider how he acts and people might be more inclined to do so.
I’d expect as much from you.
Awh… I’d be hurt if i was as sensitive as you are about people slagging your Davy. Thankfully I have thicker skin :)
Hahaha what can I say I’m a modern man!
Bet your a little fella too. Small man syndrome is an awful afliction
No I’m quite tall actually
Hey Tom for someone that likes to make comments about people’s appearances can I ask you what you are? Man, woman or both???
Yep. If the money is right i’m all of the above
I cannot make head nor tail of that title.
….so I can’t
He can forget about the League Structure Review, that would only have happened if Kilkenny lost.
Ooooh miaoow. Bit catty there dont you think. I cant ever recall Kk seeking any rule or system changes, they just seem to adapt to the changes foisted on them and carry on with the minimum of fuss and bother, so your comment only deserves reply in the educational sense as obviously you are quite new to the game, btw davy in his assertion that clare were too good for relegation might just consider the strength and level ofpreparedness of the kk team,
I reading with interest all these anti Davy and Clare based comments. As an individual from another Munster County not too far from Clare, I’d love to have Davy and the current crop of players to pick from. Just a few things I want to comment on:
1) Winning 3 Under 21 All Ireland’s guarantees you nothing at senior level. Supporters who truly know their hurling would know that only a handful of good under 21′s will be ever be good enough play senior Hurling not to mention win senior All Ireland’s, trust me, ask anyone in Limerick about that.
2) it’s exceptionally hard to win one All Ireland, not to mention multple ones. Hence, since 1999 only 4 counties have won an All Ireland. Again, in Limerick we’d be damn glad of just one!
3) any of ye wonder why the GPA, who love jumping to the Defence of their players and have no issue having a go at management have quietly pulled away from the Clare situation having found nothing worth investigating???
4) like him or not, hard to argue with his record as one poster said.
5) despite the result, it was a very impressive performance from the Banner yesterday
That’s my two cents worth!!!!!
Well said, you’re my new hero!
We didn’t forget in Tipperary Davey. Keep up the good work!
What did you not forget? When fitzy buried that penalty against yee in 99 or was it his save from Leahy in 1997???
Stick with it Davy.
F&#k the critics.
Up the banner……
It’s a bit silly if the team in division 1b tops the group and goes up, that’s deserved but if the 2nd place team in division 1b goes on to win the national league but can’t get promoted to division 1A where as the top team in the group goes up.. Might never happen… Just saying
Good observation actually
Tipperary have 26 Clare 3. That speaks for itself Paul. So go outside pick up a hurl and practice a bit and come back to me in roughly 700-800 years when Clare reach that point. Which is how long it’s taking at 4 championships per 130 years.
Good one David so your saying Tipp won’t win another all Ireland for 7-800 years? You thought that out well. I’d expect as much from a Tipp person.
Hey Paul Kelly here is a good one for ya. If Clare beat limerick in mumster yee will get a craic at Tipp….expect a beating.
Clare have three tipp have only two won in the last 30 years what have cork and kk won in that time? Maybe I can ask tipps record since since 1971 against cork and kk and Clare aren’t far off!!
I’d love to row in with you spoddgy but just the facts Jack. I think tipp have four in my lifetime anyway. 89, 91,01 and 10.
Kenobi if tipp get to the all Ireland final this year expect to be beaten twice in the Championship. It will be like 97 all over again.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha paul kelly I can’t wait for muster to hammer clare…Ai final? Sure ye won’t be there
Forgive me Paul it was 20 years I was going for Clare won in there second all ireland 20 years ago. Still tipp haven’t been as successfull as they probably should have been since the early 70s!
2 attempts at trying to spell MUNSTER and you still haven’t been able to do it!!
Munster. Where Klare will be beaten.
Good lad. Well done. You are a quick learner. Just the 3 attempts.
Go back to your soccer deccy….roll on Munster
Go back to school Kenobi…… learn how to spell.
Lol. Well I missed alot of Mondays as a teen..ya know after munster finals and A.i. etc..that’s why your all such good spellers in Klare…
Lol. Judging by recent years results it’ll have been drowning your sorrows on the Mondays after been beaten by Kilkenny.
Rowl on muster wear Klare will play Tipp. See what then (“,)
Ah Obi you had made such progress on the spelling!! :-)
Can’t believe he didn’t go on about being small fish.
He’s a muppet and most of Clare hurling fans have lost confidence in him.
Davy says they’ve no questions to answer when they’ve won a single competitive game (against Laois) in over a year losing 8 and drawing 1. That’s an 80% loss rate and 10% won rate. Plus 5 players don’t just walk off the panel with another on his way to America. He’s clearly bringing morale down and seems to have lost the dressing room. It was a great achievement to win the all ireland with clare but there’s no point in sitting at home staring at that medal when that’s in the past and with the crop of players he has they’ve a great chance of winning another couple but if things stay the way they are they won’t fulfill their potential.
Expand 1a by two teams with the team finishing bottom relegated and second bottom playing off against second place in 1b perhaps?
Regardless of any changes the league needs to get proper coverage. Keep it on tg4 with Irish commentary by all means but show as many games live as possible. I’ve no interest in watching the club semi final from 09 and waiting for deferred coverage thanks…
Expand 1a by two teams and where would that leave say a Wxford or offaly if they got relegated? In complete wilderness playing the likes of kerry and down. No the current system is by far and away the best. In 2013 the two teams that competed for relegation made the all Ireland final, while Limerick have been in 1b for a while it hasn’t stopped them building for some very impressive championship campaigns.
So many clowns here dissing Davy, he and the backroom team still got us promoted out of 1b in 2012 and managed to win the final in 2013. Or does all that mean anything anymore? Give the guys a break for god sake, I’m pretty sure that case with o Halloran was just blown way out of proportion so get over yerselves people!