Down Club Hurling & Football

[Akinfenwa]

I still don't think we've heard the full story on this yet. A few of the RGU players and club members took to Twitter under Down posts, and some implied that they would have been able to fulfil the fixture last night (Monday). This would have been right at the end of the 72 hour window. I also seen one player questioning how the CCC seen that RGU were unable to complete the fixture over the weekend but could play the relegation play off this weekend.

Anyway, Carryduff have been left in a tight spot. Being caught up in all this will have hampered their preparations, and providing they live up to the favourites tag and see off Longstone tonight, there is only 6 days until the quarter final. And Bryansford are no easy task.

[Hedgehunter]

Senior Championship Relegation playoffs have been pushed back a week.

[Frankie123]

Are the play offs not where the team has lost a game not where they've been not allowed to play so surely this side of the competition should be scrapped?

[downjim]

If RGU win their appeal what will happen the championship? Does anyone know this? It all looks like it could end in a shambles, with the county final not to 27th Sept there could have been a bit of leeway shown to RGU. There is no way this would have been done to Kilcoo, Burren, Bridge, Clonduff etc
Some things have to be called out and RGU are deservely getting sympathy as one of the postponements was not their fault and they showed empathy and support with Carryduff. Rgu have been expelled from SFC by our county board twice in 3 years, their PRO sounded defiant in irish news and rightly so

[thewobbler]

Are the play offs not where the team has lost a game not where they've been not allowed to play so surely this side of the competition should be scrapped?

Would this obtuse understanding of competition regulations then apply to every competition going forward, or only this year's SFC?

[thewobbler]

If RGU win their appeal what will happen the championship? Does anyone know this? It all looks like it could end in a shambles, with the county final not to 27th Sept there could have been a bit of leeway shown to RGU. There is no way this would have been done to Kilcoo, Burren, Bridge, Clonduff etc
Some things have to be called out and RGU are deservely getting sympathy as one of the postponements was not their fault and they showed empathy and support with Carryduff. Rgu have been expelled from SFC by our county board twice in 3 years, their PRO sounded defiant in irish news and rightly so

An entire paragraph of supposition.

Personally I'd really like an official timeline on the steps that led to the decision, for it would help those remaining clubs understand that opponents cannot shaft them by demanding or stalling on Covid results.

But until then, it would be better if people didn't try to work out the timeline from random twitter rants.

[thewobbler]

Actually what I've written above is immaterial.

To quote the RGU PRO in the Irish News.

Pending a favourable outcome to these tests, we would have been free to play the fixture with Carryduff on Tuesday, September 8.

Are people really expecting the entire championship to be frozen until 8 September?

And what to do we do on 12 September when a small outbreak happens in Kilcoo/CpN/Ballyholland, wherever? I mean if a precedent is set that the tournament will wait a fortnight for RGU, which club in their right mind would not demand the same outcome should they have a small outbreak?

Do people really think that the county board are being biased here? Because if you do, then you don't want a championship to proceed this season. That's what you saying.

[Hedgehunter]

All clubs knew the repercussions regarding Covid unfortunate or not, and it is unfortunate for Downpatrick, however imo the CB were left with little option moving forward with the time constraints. I do have sympathy for RGU but it's one of those things you have to accept in the current climate and move on.

[SamFever]

 This is the same County Board to use HH's terminology "in the current climate that
1) allowed collective Minor Football Training in Kilbroney during lockdown
2)fully witnessed gross abuse of one of our Referees as did all those watching on Live Stream
3)fully witnessed a mass brawl between two of our Clubs  as did all those watching on Live Stream
but yet an issue which is unprecendented and ironically following on from RGU'S empathy towards Carryduff
in allowing the Carryduff/RGU Game to be postponed twice they now find themselves out of the SFC.
  Strange times in the "current climate"

[thewobbler]

Sam just to be clear.

You'd be okay to restart the Championship on 8 September, with the last backdoor round on say 12 September, and the quarter finals on the weekend of 19 September?

And you'd still be okay with this, even though it sets a precedent that the championship will wait 10-14 days for every club that has a small corona outbreak?

Air your grievances if you must. But don't use them to attack this particular decision.

——

By the way I've nothing but sympathy for RGU. I'd be gutted if this was my own club, particularly as it results in the ultimate booby prize of relegation playoffs.

But the only way through this fucked up year is by applying a criteria that allows the show to roll on.

[johnnycool]

Sam just to be clear.

You'd be okay to restart the Championship on 8 September, with the last backdoor round on say 12 September, and the quarter finals on the weekend of 19 September?

And you'd still be okay with this, even though it sets a precedent that the championship will wait 10-14 days for every club that has a small corona outbreak?

Air your grievances if you must. But don't use them to attack this particular decision.

——

By the way I've nothing but sympathy for RGU. I'd be gutted if this was my own club, particularly as it results in the ultimate booby prize of relegation playoffs.

But the only way through this fucked up year is by applying a criteria that allows the show to roll on.

Agree and also complicated by the original fixture being put off due to a funeral in Carryduff.....

Tough luck on RGU.

[downjim]

wobbler i understand why the co board have thrown them out but I wonder would this happen to the bigger established division 1 clubs in the county. If 3 kilcoo player gets covid on thursday and PHA say they are our for 7 days do you think they would get thrown out?

[thewobbler]

wobbler i understand why the co board have thrown them out but I wonder would this happen to the bigger established division 1 clubs in the county. If 3 kilcoo player gets covid on thursday and PHA say they are our for 7 days do you think they would get thrown out?

Yes. 100% yes.

What on earth can the Co Board possibly gain by being anything other than that 100% straight on this?

[wobbller]

wobbler i understand why the co board have thrown them out but I wonder would this happen to the bigger established division 1 clubs in the county. If 3 kilcoo player gets covid on thursday and PHA say they are our for 7 days do you think they would get thrown out?

Yes. 100% yes.

What on earth can the Co Board possibly gain by being anything other than that 100% straight on this?

What they could gain would be a bit of respect. I'm sure every Club would be sympathetic to Downpatrick's situation especially after the tragedy in Carryduff. and would understand if changes were to occur.You appear quite defensive of the County Board considering your Club's experiences over the years when the lubatic was running the line.

[thewobbler]

wobbler i understand why the co board have thrown them out but I wonder would this happen to the bigger established division 1 clubs in the county. If 3 kilcoo player gets covid on thursday and PHA say they are our for 7 days do you think they would get thrown out?

Yes. 100% yes.

What on earth can the Co Board possibly gain by being anything other than that 100% straight on this?

What they could gain would be a bit of respect. I'm sure every Club would be sympathetic to Downpatrick's situation especially after the tragedy in Carryduff. and would understand if changes were to occur.You appear quite defensive of the County Board considering your Club's experiences over the years when the lubatic was running the line.

I call a spade a spade cousin.

By the way, if you set up competition rules, get the clubs to agree to them, then judiciously decide that the rules don't apply, you don't gain respect. You gain confusion, frustration, anger, and accusations of bias, and at every turn.

If you think otherwise then you've gone soft upstairs.