Readers of Off the Ground could be forgiven for wondering whether or not this column will ever let a Kilmurry-Ibrickane game go by without taking an opinion one way or another, but having taken a variety of views on the Clare and Munster Champions up to this point, there’s hardly any point in stopping now. The Claremen are simply the kind of team that don’t follow the usual script when it comes to betting, and that’s ideal for the purposes of this column.

The battle hardened men from the Banner County were definitely underestimated this year in a Munster context, but it should not be forgotten that this was a Munster championship shorn of any leading contender along the lines of a Dr. Crokes or a Nemo Rangers flagship team. The first round against Dromcollogher Broadford was probably the most likely game in which Kilmurry could have slipped up and once they negotiated that challenge, they were unlikely to miss out on their Munster crown.

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Last week, we advised a bet on over 1.5 goals in the meeting of Portlaoise and Clara, and we were on course for a payout with one goal scored by half way before the sadly necessary intervention of referee Joe Curley ensured that refunded stakes was the outcome.

That bet was advised last week on the basis that both of these teams are capable of scoring goals, and having been in attendance for the 35 minutes of football that was played, this bet should definitely be re-struck this week, as both sides demonstrated their ability to get in and create goal chances, even in atrocious conditions.

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As we look out our collective windows and wave at our neighbours rowing past, happily adapting to the nation’s new status as the next Atlantis, it may seem to many people as if it’s slightly pointless to get involved in betting on any of the weekend’s games. Such has been the level of rainfall that unless fixtures get moved to neutral venues on continental Europe, the strong likelihood is that most of the ties arranged for this weekend will fall by the wayside. Every one of the ties are taking place in either the west, south or midlands, with no action going ahead in the east or north-east, which has escaped the worst of the conditions.

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As the rain continues to pour down, it’s safe to say that a lot of shrewd bettors will be looking for big handicaps this weekend, hoping to pick out games where covering a large spread will be very difficult in mucky, wintry conditions. However looking at the lines on offer this week, it appears that the bookmakers are making allowances for this, and as a result, punters should tread warily before piling into the outsiders with three and four point head starts. They are already paying a premium for the weather in the prices on offer, and trying to find value after incorporating that premium won’t be easy.

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As we discussed last week, provincial and All Ireland club honours are very hard to win at the best of times, and usually impossible to secure if clubs don’t serve an apprenticeship of sorts. In almost every instance, teams need to by win their club championship on a couple of occasions and learn the art of inter-county club competition before any silverware comes their way. In an All Ireland context, that still leaves plenty of contenders at this time of year, but at provincial level, there can be some excellent betting opportunities as a result, with many candidates simply not viable winners.

There are some caveats to this rule to be borne in mind all the same. De la Salle came from nowhere last year, but the important point was that their first game was against a similarly inexperienced outfit, and their narrow win over Sarsfields suddenly left them in a Munster decider. If a new team can get a run going, then they can often cause a shock, but without that launching pad, they have little or no hope.

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Irish people could be forgiven for getting confused in recent years. Summers used to mean July and August, but it appears that the calendars have been adjusted, and May, June, September and October have become the best months of the year, weather-wise. Traditionally county championships that dragged on into October used to mean finals being played on soft pitches with a nip in the air, but due to the peculiarities of the Irish climate, the club players rather than the county men seem to be getting the best of the conditions.

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