Down Club Hurling & Football

[thewobbler]

Really lads, goalkeeping isn't a problem in our county. I'd agree with Brick's assertion that Peter Travers is the best around bar McVeigh, but he's hardly going to reappear on the scene at the age of 30-odd. But with the likes of McAllister and Declan Alder waiting in the wings, McVeigh can't rest on his laurels - and there's plenty of talented keepers around who probably won't get any sort of a look in like Gibney from Loughinisland, Featherstone from the 'Bridge, big Sloan from Rostrevor and Kieran Murphy of Ballyholland. Every one of those is a better keeper than Packie McConnell, All-Ireland winner 2005.

[Brick Tamlin]

Travers cant be more than 28/29. Still think he is definitely the best about though. Anyway your right, goalkeeping isnt the problem.

wouldnt it be great to have two midfielders that could assume their positions at 8&9 as natural midielders meaning that Dan, Benny, Doyle or anyone else tried there coukld take up other positions in the forward line etc. It would be great to see a completetly new midfield pairing tried this year. How many midfielders about in club football, under the age of 30 are actually worth a shout, pre-requisites being that they are at least 6ft, pretty well built, very fit and have work ethic and attitude(the right one). frig it!!!anyone would do.Suggestions anyone??

[5 Sams]

frig it!!!anyone would do.

I dont agree with you Brick Tamlin...anyone WON'T do. That is our problem at the minute...with every player at our disposal fit we still lack a Darragh Ó Sé/Paul McGrane/Eamonn O'Hara/Seán Cavanagh type player...we will go nowhere until a couple of players like that come through the ranks...I hope I'm wrong but we can't match other teams in the midfield third at the moment...maybe Ross has something up his sleeve

[Brick Tamlin]

I didnt really mean that anyone would do, was just an exhaustive coment as im at a loss to what options are about. Im well aware of the plight in Down at the minute regarding Midfielders etc. But name me a list of potential midfielders that could be trialled, say if you were the manager off the top of your head who would ye invite to trial

[No1]

AM, I hope to f**k you are having a laugh, Davy is too fond of the burgers!  I take it he was at Coleraine with you?

Top 4 keepers in Down at the minute are Mickey McVeigh, Peter Travers, Brendy McVeigh and Poland from Longstone, in that order.  It is the only position in the county set up that we are spolit for choice in.

Connell from Drumgath 

Ciaran Sloan deserves a go on comedy value alone!

As for midfielders, Rony Strain from Kilclief might be worth a shot, he was on a couple of U-21 panels but only ever seemed to come on as a sub.  I'd like to say he has matured since then, but he hasn't really!

[amallon]

Yeah Davy did nets with Coleraine in Sigerson for a few years when I was there.  He played out field with UUC seconds as well.  He is a savage keeper anyone coming into his sqaure takes their life in their hands.  He has good kick out ands is one of the few keepers who can drop the ball on the ground without settings it up and have it out round the middle for a quick attack.  I don't think its going to happen somehow.

[goldenyears]

5 times i disagree on your points re: b mc veigh. in fact we played them 3 times this season, and he saved 4-6 shots in those games that should have been goals but for superb point blank range shot stopping. I think he is as good as there is around.

i think the mgt team know they need a number 3, 6, 8, 9, and 10,11,12

if we sort those positions out we are well on our way, but truthfully i have said going back to the old board, that last year's squad with 4 or 5 others to come in replace the deadwood is about right. the trick that ross/dj have to perform is preparing them mentally, preparing them tactically (f**k thats all they should talk about for 3 mths!), and putting the players we have in the right positions.

i do agree to an extent, that 5 times has the spine more or less right. I would go with grant at 3, doyle at 6, gordon and AN Other at 8 & 9 (preferably a holding midfielder type) coulter at 11, and AN Other at 14. We have a number of excellent forwards - lets see if one of them can rise to the challenge of playing 14

[thewobbler]

A team of players I'd like to see getting a run-out this year:

Declan Alder (Carryduff)
Paul Magee (Rostrevor)
Andrew Kane (Bryansford)
Domhnall Murphy (Saval)
John Turley (Loughinisland)
Paul Shields (Clonduff)
Liam McVeigh (An Riocht)
Adrian Carvill (Bryansford)
Martin McClean (Kilcoo)
Joe Ireland (Bryansford)
John Boyle (Warrenpoint)
James McGovern (Burren)
Brendan Loughran (Shamrocks)
Aidan Burns (Castlewellan)
John Fegan (Clonduff)

[off the laces]

Not a bad selection wobb but i think the jury is still out on Declan Alder

[goldenyears]

wobs i am gonna rule out the following as i dont see them getting close to it at all...

Declan Alder (Carryduff)
Paul Magee (Rostrevor)
Andrew Kane (Bryansford)
Domhnall Murphy (Saval)
John Turley (Loughinisland)
Paul Shields (Clonduff)
Liam McVeigh (An Riocht)
Adrian Carvill (Bryansford)
Martin McClean (Kilcoo)
Joe Ireland (Bryansford)
John Boyle (Warrenpoint)
James McGovern (Burren)
Brendan Loughran (Shamrocks)
Aidan Burns (Castlewellan)
John Fegan (Clonduff)

how about this for a non div 1 team with players that havent been playing county football? ps. havent seen banbridge or darragh cross play at all really, just know about paddy feeney

k murphy (ballyholland)

e henry (wpoint)
darragh mc meel (wpoint)
Domnhall Murphy (saval)

darren cunningham (saval)
kevin quinn (attical)
Liam McVeigh (kingdom)

Shea Curran (wpoint)
Jackie Lynch (drumgath)

peter telford (dpatrick)
stephen kearney (mitchels)
Peter Turley (saval)

p downey (drumgath)
ryan rooney (b martin)
miceal sloan (attical)

Subs:
Damien Campbell (bholland)
Paddy McAnulty (bholland)
Darren O'Hanlon (bmartin)
Cathal McDowell (bmartin)
Colm Murtagh (glenn)
Paul McComiskey (dundrum)
Dan McCabe (drumgath)
Drumgath - Mark Connolly
Clann na Banna - Paddy Feeney
Tullylish - John McAreavey
Teconnaught - Sammy Madine
Bright - Mark Stitt

[behind the wire]

i see that there is always alot said about the standard of club football in down, well in order for it to improve i think that first of all the standard of refereeing must be improved. this is a real down gaa issue which needs to be addressed. i have come across many complaints but here is one which i witnessed at the weekend.

in the first 5 minutes of the darragh cross v clann na banna div 3 final the darragh full back blatantly elbowed then punched the clann na banna full forward. clann player had to be taken off because he lost vision in his eye. the ref came over to check on him and could  see that his eye was completely close due to swelling, obviously he had been struck. the ref then consulted with his umpire who appeared to clearly point out that he had been struck off the ball. could anybody tell me why any ref in their right mind would book the player? i cant get my head around it.

i dont wish to draw attention to the incident itself but rather to the conduct of the referee. this incident was an isolated one, other than that it was a good clean game considering the conditions. any opinions anyone?

[amallon]

I've heard Joe Ireland has quit football alltogether?  Maybe just a rumour though.

[TORGAEL]

Any predictions for the Division 1 relegation play off between Annaclone & Liatroim this sunday ?

[goldenyears]

neutral would to have to fancy liatroim to stay up....

is there any merit in a 16 team div1? current teams plus top 4 of div2?

or should we go to an 8 team div1, bottom 4 of 1 and top four of 2 to make div2, rest of 2 to make div 3, and so on.....

I think it would make for a much better, tighter league structure, better games, less number of complete blowouts, and would improve everyone's lot....

[thewobbler]

To be honest, I'd rather Liatroim won. Annaclone are a right enough side, and would surely be in contention to go straight back up, but with their main men available Liatroim would be capable of going unbeaten in Division II. The second tier is going to be competitive enough next year without having 11 sides vying for second place only.

I'd favour leagues of 10 teams myself GY, with 4 teams making the promotion and relegation play-offs in each division. Aside from tightening up the standards, this would give every team something to play for in every game. It would help relieve fixture congestion too. Some clubs would have an issue with lost revenue from losing 2 home games from their calendar, but as 80% of the clubs would be involved in play-offs at the end of the season, which always attract bigger crowds than normal games, some arrangement could be made between the competing clubs and the host club for splitting the gate money at play-offs games - which should more than compensate.

Any team actually progressing through the leagues under this system should be fit for the next tier, as they'll have to be able to beat teams of a similar standard to the higher tier just to get there.

Once you get past Division III, another arrangement would have to be put in place to sort out the uneven (and occasionally variable) number of teams left. I would suggest splitting Division IV into two sections, as close as possible to geographical lines to cut down on travelling times. The top two teams in each section would meet each other in round-robin Division IV promotion play-offs, with the top two sides then progressing into Division III. Every year, the two sections of Division IV would require a slight reshuffle depending on what part of the county the relegated teams come from. As both sections carry an equal weight, it really just would come down to geography. Complaints about the strength of one section compared to the other are neutered by the fact that the two best sides overall progress to Division III.

Based on league position this year, that would give us divisions something along the lines of:

Div 1: Kilcoo, Longstone, Mayobridge, Burren, Clonduff, Loughinisland, Rostrevor, Castlewellan, Bryansford, Liatroim.
Div 2: Annaclone, Shamrocks, An Riocht, Warrenpoint, Atticall, Ballyholland, Saval, Downpatrick, Ballymartin, Glassdrumman.
Div 3: Kilclief, Carryduff, Saul, Glenn, Darragh Cross, Clann na Banna, Drumgath, Ardglass, Tullylish, Dundrum. 
Div 4 North: Teconnaught, Bright, Drumaness, Bredagh, St Paul's, Ballykinlar, Killyleagh
Div 4 South: Mitchels, Bosco, Aghaderg, St Michael's, St John's, Dromara, Aughlisnafin