Down Club Hurling & Football

[DaisyCutter]

+1 DownFanatic.

One point id like to make would be the huge drop in gate attendances at Division One League games this year, as the the new structures have definitely taken away from the competitiveness of the games. This detours people from going to watch them now and a prime example of this would have been that I was at a recent big East Down Derby, where there would have been 250+ spectators on most nights, but you would have been lucky to get 150 people at it.
Our clubs do depend on big gates for their income and they have bound to have taken hit this year over the restructures. 

[whitegoodman]

Next year we are going to see the inadequacies of the new league structure. The teams relegated from this years Div 1 and Div 2 will dominate in their lower division while the teams that go up from Div 2 and Div 3 will struggle badly and probably be immediately relegated from their new surroundings.
The new structures for the leagues and the round robin format of the championship had financial motivation at its core.
The sooner we return to four divisions and knockout championship the better.

+100

[thewobbler]

Next year we are going to see the inadequacies of the new league structure. The teams relegated from this years Div 1 and Div 2 will dominate in their lower division while the teams that go up from Div 2 and Div 3 will struggle badly and probably be immediately relegated from their new surroundings.
The new structures for the leagues and the round robin format of the championship had financial motivation at its core.
The sooner we return to four divisions and knockout championship the better.

+100

+1000

The likes of Annaclone, and before them Ballyholland and Saval, were prepared for Division I football by having to get out of a competitive Division II. There was the odd mismatch in Division II, but over half your games were against one of the top 16 teams in the county. Now in Division II, you have no games against the top 16 in the county. To go from that arena to Burren and Kilcoo is a bridge and a half too far.

It's easy to point out that 20 years ago, Mayobridge, Kilcoo, An Riocht, Ballyholland, Liatroim and Saval were all tier 2 or worse clubs. But it also needs pointed out that they all gradually improved to get where they are now. Youngsters who have come into these sides since then have had experienced campaigners at senior championship level to guide them. I actually shudder to think what a season in Division 1 might do to demoralise a youngish  Glenn side that have spent the past 5-6 years gradually improving.

[ardtole]

I said at the time it was a bad idea to switch from four divisions to three. Id agree with wobbler that in the past, promoted teams were better prepared  for the next division and even with four divisions there was a distinct gulf in class between each league.

That is now exaggerated, and it will be more obvious next year. I cant see the county board going back to four divisions so we will just have to get on with it. The clubs voted for this set up so have to accept some responsability also.

[here comes 6]

With Glenn and Tullylish going up to the 1st division off course there's going to be a huge gulf in class but what should these teams do? Start losing? Progression in these clubs will be better if they are playing a higher standard of football.

[DownFanatic]

With Glenn and Tullylish going up to the 1st division off course there's going to be a huge gulf in class but what should these teams do? Start losing? Progression in these clubs will be better if they are playing a higher standard of football.

You are missing the point completely.

[qubdub]

I think the gulf in class is more apparent between D3 and D2, rather than D2 and D1.

There are teams, even under the 4 division structure, that would have gradually developed in the aforementioned manner and made their way to Division 1 and still got hammered by Burren, Kilcoo, et al.

I think the leagues still maintain their competitiveness, in D2 for instance there are only 4 points separating Glenn (16pts) in 2nd from Shamrocks in 8th (12pts).

[Down Mad]

Undoubtedly the now 3 division system has fast tracked traditionally Intermediate clubs to the verge of the first division and yes those teams that will get promoted will have a tough season next year. However, regardless whether there are 3 divisons or 4 these clubs have aspirations of playing at the highest level.They have invested in their underage systems which is obviously beggining to pay off. Whichever clubs are promoted out of the second division this year, I believe will fair better next year than what is expected of them. The fact that they will be playing in the top tier of Down football will be of great pride to the respective clubs and I am sure they will tweak the structures within their clubs in order to try and stay there.   

[thewobbler]

Undoubtedly the now 3 division system has fast tracked traditionally Intermediate clubs to the verge of the first division and yes those teams that will get promoted will have a tough season next year. However, regardless whether there are 3 divisons or 4 these clubs have aspirations of playing at the highest level.They have invested in their underage systems which is obviously beggining to pay off. Whichever clubs are promoted out of the second division this year, I believe will fair better next year than what is expected of them. The fact that they will be playing in the top tier of Down football will be of great pride to the respective clubs and I am sure they will tweak the structures within their clubs in order to try and stay there.

History tells you they won't fare better.

The rule that bottom teams must have 30% of the top team's points in order to force a play-off, was brought in a decade ago, because teams that weren't fit for a division were managing to stay up by beating other strugglers in a play-off. Then repeating the dose. I can't see how putting the 16th and 17th best teams in the county into Division I will see them fare better.

[supersub]

I think the gulf in class is more apparent between D3 and D2, rather than D2 and D1.

There are teams, even under the 4 division structure, that would have gradually developed in the aforementioned manner and made their way to Division 1 and still got hammered by Burren, Kilcoo, et al.

I think the leagues still maintain their competitiveness, in D2 for instance there are only 4 points separating Glenn (16pts) in 2nd from Shamrocks in 8th (12pts).

Indeed and here lies the problem, Shamrocks were well below most other teams at the end of last season in Div 2, they were very poor and could hardly scrape 2 points all season. Now you say they are only 4 points off second, imagine they won a few and were in promotion place for next season? They would get battered every single game. It does show progression in Glenn's case though.

[whitegoodman]

Burren beat castlewellan by 5 points although castlewellan looked the better team for long periods and were undone by some very poor defending for all four of burrens goals.

Eoin McCartan gave mcardle a roasting whilst at the other end his brother dan got a roasting himself. Fintan mcgreevey was very good and should be looked at again by the county for fielding and free taking alone.  Eamon toner is another who has flattered to deceive for a few years but is starting to reach his potential and should at least be looked at.

Castlewellan looked quite impressive, shocking defending for the goals aside and looked like a team whereas Burren looked like a team of individuals and have a bit of work to do to integrate all their  county "stars".

It's a good job they have an easy start next week (only joking Ballyholland lads on here)

[BarryBreensBandage]

Glenn haven't been in Division 1 since 1986 (not even in a Div 1 promotion play-off).
If the team holds its nerve and gets promotion, I for one will not give one iota of the results next year. We'll deal with that then, and celebrate a landmark. It will lift the whole place.

It is definitely better than moving between D1 and D2 than between D3 & D4, which Glenn were doing 10 years ago.

[centre 3/4s]

Best team won tonight town played alright in patches but class told in the end. Burren still the team to beat they were not at there best but stepped it up when they felt like it

[Town Gael]

Burren beat castlewellan by 5 points although castlewellan looked the better team for long periods and were undone by some very poor defending for all four of burrens goals.

Eoin McCartan gave mcardle a roasting whilst at the other end his brother dan got a roasting himself. Fintan mcgreevey was very good and should be looked at again by the county for fielding and free taking alone.  Eamon toner is another who has flattered to deceive for a few years but is starting to reach his potential and should at least be looked at.

Castlewellan looked quite impressive, shocking defending for the goals aside and looked like a team whereas Burren looked like a team of individuals and have a bit of work to do to integrate all their  county "stars".

It's a good job they have an easy start next week (only joking Ballyholland lads on here)

I agree with most of what you have said though I felt Eoin McCartan had a poor first half and only came into it in the second. O'Hare  gave an exhibition of free taking in the first half as regardless of the angle he was knocking them over. The Town dropped two long range frees into the net and gifted the other two goals to Burren and very few teams will beat Burren when they concede four goals. I think Castlewellan played the better football but those errors cost us. There was a large crowd there with a lot of neutrals who I reckon will have enjoyed the game but at the end of the day Burren will be delighted as they got out of jail, got the win and go into the championship on the a very successful run.

[BarryBreensBandage]

Glenn 2-12 Shamrocks 0-06

Oh the joy in typing that scoreline