Down Club Hurling & Football

[supersub]

That's some first post. An enigma that puts the cat amongst the pigeons.

[Rodders88]

Can anyone clear this up...is Poacher with Annaclone or Ballyholland next year?

[Town Gael]

The league semi-final isn't now until 7th November- it is a complete disgrace the way the Co Board has treated the league playoffs.
Castlewellan had 1 league game in at the start of September, 1 at the start of October and will have at least a 6 week wait before their next game- the final in Mid-November. I'd scrap the playoffs- if you finish top you win the league. Mid-November at the earliest  for the final makes a nonsense of the whole thing- all because it seems someone thought a 9 day break day break before the Crossmaglen match wasn't enough for Kilcoo. Rugby players can play international matches on a 6 day turn-around- there is absolutely no reason the league semi-between Kilcoo and Burren could not be played tonight as was planned- it is unfair on the Castlewellan players .
On another point to make the league more of a priority I would have the League champions play the Championship winners to see who represents Down in the Ulster Championship.

[Courtney]

As far as I know he will be with Annaclone (does it really matter?) ,although really we should lay off the guy he just wants to coach and keeps on trying although  'Bridge didn't keep him not so sure about the other clubs but he is  a nice guy.No need to be bringing his name up here all the time.

[thewobbler]

On another point to make the league more of a priority I would have the League champions play the Championship winners to see who represents Down in the Ulster Championship.

I'd agree with most of your sentiments about the league. But this one, this one is nuts. Do you honestly think Burren/Kilcoo/Mayobridge/Bryansford would play a single league game without their county players, if the prize for coming top was a shot at an All Ireland?

[centre 3/4s]

 "On another point to make the league more of a priority I would have the League champions play the Championship winners to see who represents Down in the Ulster Championship "

On another point are you on drugs..

The town should be happy enogh to wait any other year at this stage they are just about avoiding relegation.

[supersub]

The league semi-final isn't now until 7th November- it is a complete disgrace the way the Co Board has treated the league playoffs.
Castlewellan had 1 league game in at the start of September, 1 at the start of October and will have at least a 6 week wait before their next game- the final in Mid-November. I'd scrap the playoffs- if you finish top you win the league. Mid-November at the earliest  for the final makes a nonsense of the whole thing- all because it seems someone thought a 9 day break day break before the Crossmaglen match wasn't enough for Kilcoo. Rugby players can play international matches on a 6 day turn-around- there is absolutely no reason the league semi-between Kilcoo and Burren could not be played tonight as was planned- it is unfair on the Castlewellan players .
On another point to make the league more of a priority I would have the League champions play the Championship winners to see who represents Down in the Ulster Championship.

Absolute madness. Would you be saying this if the Town were lying down round the middle of the table? No harm to you but Kilcoo or Burren are better equipment to represent the county in Ulster, and did Burren not hammer Castlewellen in the league?

I do agree however that the league should be the league and that's it, no semi final or final, that isn't a league format.

[Town Gael]

I would allow county players to play in all league games if they want- hasn't done Tyrone any harm. Wrapping players up in cotton wool is not needed. Most GAA injuries are muscular and there is much chance of pulling a muscle in training as there is in a game.
Ours is the only sport in the world where the most consistent team over a season is deemed less of a team than one who wins the knock-out cup played over 6 weeks. Priorities are all wrong. It is just a suggestion but I think the league (and the National league) should be given more respect.
I would be saying this regardles of where the Town were. Mayobridge when they were winning championships were more often than not top of the league too. I'm not in any way saying Castlewellan are better equipped than Burren to go into Ulster. If Burren had taken the league seriously at the end of the season they would not have dropped the points they dropped and would be top. (by the way Supersub they only beat the Town by 5 in the league and were very lucky to do s with 2 balls droped into the net)

[Courtney]

Crazy League is a secondary competition .Leagues for playing in and Championships for winning.
Start the League earlier in the year and play top 4 at end of year to get League Winners .Nonsense talk on here such and such finished 5th , 6th etc who really gives a damn about League Football ,Championship is the yardstick of a club.

[Rodders88]

Town Gael - agree with some of your comments but the last one is ludicrous!

Whoever finishes top of the league should be crowned league champions. The whole play-off situation is joke. Happens every year that the league final doesn't take place until the end of November / middle of December. I feel for castlewellan on this. Its hard to keep players training if the league final doesn't take place until 6/7 weeks after your last league game.  We keep complaining about it every year but the clubs / county board do noting about it.

Agree with Courtney about the Championship. The big teams are more concerned about winning the Championship...league titles don't mean a thing to them. League football is for trying things out and getting things right for when Championship time comes.

I don't know why the county board doesn't have the league finished up before the Championship starts. It would keeps the players interested and have boys fighting to get their place for the Championship. Every league game would mean something and would keep it competitive. I know from personal experience  that after being safe and getting knocked out of the Championship early, having 3 or 4 league fixtures to fur-fill is a pain in the hole. Its hard to get players to train and even come match day its hard to get players interested. Most time you have to gather a few minors as you can't get enough senior players to play.  Also you wouldn't have the one side games when teams who are still in the Championship and have something to play for are playing against teams who just want the seaon to be over and don't give a fcuk! 

 

[Corner Forward]

I would allow county players to play in all league games if they want- hasn't done Tyrone any harm. Wrapping players up in cotton wool is not needed. Most GAA injuries are muscular and there is much chance of pulling a muscle in training as there is in a game.
Ours is the only sport in the world where the most consistent team over a season is deemed less of a team than one who wins the knock-out cup played over 6 weeks. Priorities are all wrong. It is just a suggestion but I think the league (and the National league) should be given more respect.
I would be saying this regardles of where the Town were. Mayobridge when they were winning championships were more often than not top of the league too. I'm not in any way saying Castlewellan are better equipped than Burren to go into Ulster. If Burren had taken the league seriously at the end of the season they would not have dropped the points they dropped and would be top. (by the way Supersub they only beat the Town by 5 in the league and were very lucky to do s with 2 balls droped into the net)

Majority of club players in tryone would disagree, leagues arent due to finish in tryone until 2/3rd weekend of December. The Co boards preference that county players should play in club games means club teams often go weeks without football. i personally think the fixtures in Down work quite well compared to most other counties in ulster. Majority of teams had their league football wrapped up by start of october with only those in latter stages of championship/ league playoffs still to play. IMO do away with all playoffs whether promotion or relegation. Every team plays same number of games with top winning and bottom two going down in each division.

[Down Follower]

Majority of club players in tryone would disagree, leagues arent due to finish in tryone until 2/3rd weekend of December. The Co boards preference that county players should play in club games means club teams often go weeks without football. i personally think the fixtures in Down work quite well compared to most other counties in ulster. Majority of teams had their league football wrapped up by start of october with only those in latter stages of championship/ league playoffs still to play. IMO do away with all playoffs whether promotion or relegation. Every team plays same number of games with top winning and bottom two going down in each division.
[/quote]

Agree with you re the county players.  Club football in general carries on regardless in Down apart from this year when the season didnt really start until July.  Prior to that you were talking a game one week, maybe one the next, and then a 3 week break for no real reason.  Was extremely stop start.  However, in the main we work it alright.  For people to say the league doesnt matter is pure silly. When was the last time a team outside the top4 in the league won the championship?? The league matters until the championship finishes, at which stage, nothing matters really unless you have a league title to win.  I think the play offs are a good thing, but the procedures for getting them played have never been properly organised. 
I can understand Kilcoo not wanting to play this weekend, and Down Co Board are supporting them all the way so i wont criticise them for this but something has to be done so that the likes of Castlewellan in this instance dont have to wait 7-8 weeks on Kilcoo.

[Rodders88]

Down Follower.....teams like Burren, Kilcoo & the bridge don't really care about the league. Its all about winning the Championship, end of story. If Burren end up winning the league and if you ask their players if they are happy with how their season went...I would say their answer would be no. Paddy Carr wasn't brought in to win a league title...he was brought it to win the Championship and even to win Ulster. End of story.

How bad is the standard of football going to be in Division 1 next year?  Take Glenn & Tullylish...no disrespect to both clubs but can you honestly say that these two teams have the players to be classified as a senior club in Down? I seen Tullylish play the Bosco in the Intermediate semi-final in Newry a few weeks ago and can honestly say that the standard of football was terrible. I feel both clubs will get hammered most weeks! What good is that to Down football?

The leagues should have stayed the way they were. 10 Teams in the 1st Division. I know it was the clubs that voted for the new structures to be put in place  but what good is it going to do for Down football? Most of the smaller clubs only voted for the changes so that they could say they are a 'Senior Club' . They might be a senior club by name but certainly not by quality!

Take Warrenpoint. They were by far the best Intermediate team in Down last year when they won the Intermediate Championship but couldn't hack it in the 1st Division this year! If they couldn't hack it how will Glen & Tullyish? I would classify the point as a far better team than either  Glenn or Tullyish. And I don't mean any disrespect when I'm saying this.

   

[Brick Tamlin]

Tullylish and Glenn are there next season on merit. And I would applaud any team for achieving likewise.
You might not intentionally mean any offence or disrespect but in my book ye couldn't have kicked them in the balls any harder had ye tried.

Also a lot of people seem to forget that Warrenpoint last year were lucky to finish 5th or 6th in the league standings. They performed when they had to and had an easier route to the championship final than others had in bygone years. They also scraped through against Bosco in a crap final. They also had an easy run in Ulster too until the final. not to dilute their 'achievements' but a dose of reality and sensible reasoning sometimes wouldn't go amiss.
Tullylish and Glenn will gladly have the county writing them off. They are up there now and the challenge is for them to get a few wins and get in amongst the lesser teams in Div1, The Rostrevors and Ballyhollands of this world. Out of interest who are the 'Senior Clubs' in terms of quality then in the county?
Kilcoo, Burren & Bryansford are out on their own in Down..the rest of teams in Div1 are well capable of beating each other any given day.

[Leo]

Shane Mulholland - nice guy - decent enough footballer - but if he plays the minors in the "keep ball" Ballyholland style we have seen recently, then we  are doomed to more years of waste in Down football