Down Club Hurling & Football

[SHEEDY]

no championship win in football in any grade in 2015. just let that sink in. 

[snoopdog]

Hard to know where to start.

Firstly, I agree with Wobbler on the logistics/funding. Whatever we think of the performance, these lads put in a big effort and I don't begrudge them a night in Wexford. It was well after midnight when we got home and it's interesting that the majority of those criticising this aspect of the arrangements didn't bother their holes/had other pressing commitments (delete as appropriate) going to the game. Also, the county board are right to consider different ideas to raise revenue- it's a thankless job and there are always going to be people who complain about the dark rather than turn on the light.

I don't think people are complaining about the fact that the team gets a night in Wexford, but rather that a night away with a few scoops seems to be prioritised over better/proper match preparation. I agree that the players work hard and definitely get too much abuse from supporters but that has nothing to do with the stay in Wexford. Ideally they should stay both nights in Wexford but if the county board can only afford one, then it should have been the night before to save a long journey on match day and give them a few more nights out further down the line this summer.

Some amount of crap on this.
That Westmeath team definately stayed in Jury's last night or maybe slept in the Changing Rooms.😃
Name the best 20 players in Down and see how far Jim McCorry is away from it - players just aren't there.

mullingar is 45 minutes from Dublin. Big difference in 45 mins and 3 or 4 hours.

[Line Ball]

Just over two years since this process began

DOWN GAA CONSULTATIVE PROCESS
DEVELOPING THE NEXT GENERATION - A VISION FOR DOWN GAELIC FOOTBALL

Down GAA is currently conducting a consultative process in relation to Gaelic Football in Down and over the coming months we are holding a number of meetings and workshopsto engage the thoughts and feeling of the various stakeholders that make up the Down GAA family.
We want to gather the views of anyone who has an interest in Down GAA, be it Administrators, Coaches, Parents, Teachers, GAA members or supporters.

With this in mind the following meetings have been arranged for people to voice their opinion:

11th June: Wellington Park Hotel Belfast
7pm -8.15pm - Schools - Primary and Post Primary
8.30pm - 10pm - GAA Family - Parents and Supporters

12th June: St. Patrick's Centre Downpatrick
7pm - 8.15pm - Schools - Primary and Post Primary
8.30pm - 10pm - GAA Family - Parents and Supporters

18th June: St, Patrick's Centre, Downpatrick
7pm to 8.15pm - County Players (including ex county players)
8.30pm - 10pm - Club Administrators and Coaches

2nd July: Canal Court Hotel Newry
7pm - 8.15pm - County Players (including ex county players)
8.30pm - 10pm - Club Administrators and Coaches

3rd July: Canal Court Hotel, Newry
7pm - 8.15pm - County Players (including ex county players)
8.30 - 10pm - Club Administrators and Coaches

9th July: Burrendale Hotel, Newcastle:
7pm - 8.15pm - Schools, Primary and Post Primary
8.30pm - 10pm - GAA Family - Parents, Supporters

10th July - Burrendale Hotel, Newcastle
7pm - 8.15pm - County Players (including ex county players)
8.30 - 10pm - Club Administrators and Coaches

More info on
www.downgaa.net


I know it's only two years in but has anything really changed?  Was there ever an actual plan made from the findings of these meetings?  POR put in place instead of Pete Mc Grath (who was only given the position previously because they didn't give him the Minor job) but little change with the Development Squads this year as far as I gather.

[snoopdog]

Pete Mcgrath should be a major part of Down development in some shape or form. He has done well with limited resources at Fermanagh and has proved he still has a good reading of the game. No championship win in 2015 at any grade none in minor last year or u21's either I think.  Senior we drew with Tyrone got tanked in replay beat Leitrim then got a thumping by Kildare. 

[Line Ball]

I see our hurling isn't going much better.  Here's a message from the Antrim Hurling thread:

UMHC Antrim 4-18 Down 1-8
So much for Downs Dev Sq push, they have been talking themselves up for a few years now, and as usual, not delivering!!
I wasn't there but heard the first half was a good show the 2nd no so good, but it's a results business.
I would hope the seniors show a bit of fight today fortnight, couldn't bear Down celebrating(or the clowns they have managing them!!
Any reports in today's matches

[Brick Tamlin]

Unreal that this is being discussed as an 'issue'.

You don't think the size of the pitch our county team train on is relevant?

I didn't say that. But knock yourself out there sure.argue away about a couple meters if it makes you feel good.

[Maiden1]

Maiden just out of interest who are these players you think might make county players?

Michael Magee was 1 player I'd have liked to have seen given more of a shot, Packing Downie scored a goal against Tyrone when he was 20 and was forgot about for 10 years. Chris Duggan was brought into the panel twice after Bosco got to.2 intermediate finals but never played a minute in the Mckenna cup.  Those are the type of strong physical players I'd like to see brought onto the panel and given more time. At the minute the team starts with 6 similar nippy forwards with no one to win a high ball if the other team has a sweeper stopping the low ball. Possession at kickouts is another issue against better teams at the minute if Down get through a couple of rounds of the qualifiers they are going to be up.against Neil Gallagher, David Moran, the O'Sheas etc. when they meet the big teams.  If Down only win 1 out of 3 kickouts VS  2 our if 3 for the other team then there forwards only see 1/2 the ball the other forward line will. It is very hard to win.

At minor level it is also dominated by players from the same schools, who all know each other, were as players from non traditionally strong clubs are overlooked that I feel would have been.good additions to the panel if they are integrated in properly.

[supersub]

Take a look here then

http://www.abbeycbs.co.uk/Abbey-Sports-2010.pdf

If it was fullsize there would be two 65m lines on the pitch.

Our club has played and trained on it and it's full size. Maybe the lines were just left off that computer generated image of the pitch.

[Line Ball]

Unreal that this is being discussed as an 'issue'.

You don't think the size of the pitch our county team train on is relevant?

I didn't say that. But knock yourself out there sure.argue away about a couple meters if it makes you feel good.

I'll put it this way, how often does your Drumgath team get blown away in the wide open spaces of Pairc Esler in Championship games when you are so used training in your own field and don't tell me you don't know what I am talking about.  It can be so hard to adjust when you are just not used to playing on big fields and its the same with our county team.  Its great training tight,defensive systems on a small field but try transferring that to a pitch 20 yards wider and 20 longer and the difference is massive.

Our County team needs to be training in Pairc Esler, thats all I'm saying.

[Brick Tamlin]

The calibre of facilities is such at the abbey etc that it caters for county teams.the marshes doesn't. Simple.
And I'm not from Drumgath but I'm sure there are a few of their club men who would gladly call bulls hit on your comment that they struggle  to adjust on bigger fields.

[Line Ball]

The calibre of facilities is such at the abbey etc that it caters for county teams.the marshes doesn't. Simple.
And I'm not from Drumgath but I'm sure there are a few of their club men who would gladly call bulls hit on your comment that they struggle  to adjust on bigger fields.

Fair enough

[RadioGAAGAA]

Name the best 20 players in Down and see how far Jim McCorry is away from it - players just aren't there.

Absolutely.

Everyone giving off can ponder this; how high can the standard in the county really be if a parish of ~1500 people can win the last 3 Down championships?


If you want to find a large source of the problem, look inside your own club and ask "are we really getting the best out of the players we have in the club and the potential players we don't who are in the parish?"


[and I say this as a Kilcoo man who is very proud of what has been achieved within the club.]


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The talk of training facilities is a load of sh!te. Having a full size 3g pitch isn't gonna improve the basics of our players one bit.

[SHEEDY]

pat spillane on the sunday game said today that it was no surprise that kerry, dublin and kilkenny were at the top because they had the best underage structures in place, the best underage coaches, the best development squads. it doesnt take massive brains to see that down are miles behind in any of this. until we get the underage development sorted we are never going to catch up with the best in ulster never mind all ireland.

[The Raven]

Abbey 3G 136x87 yards,grass 144x87 yards, Parc Esler 152x89 yards. The issue should not be the size of these pitches but the fact that we pay out 50k approx per year on pitch hire for our various county squads! but then that's down to our county board. I'm just back from the Owenbeg, at least Derry spent their money wisely

[knockitdown]

Unreal that this is being discussed as an 'issue'.

You don't think the size of the pitch our county team train on is relevant?

I didn't say that. But knock yourself out there sure.argue away about a couple meters if it makes you feel good.

I'll put it this way, how often does your Drumgath team get blown away in the wide open spaces of Pairc Esler in Championship games when you are so used training in your own field and don't tell me you don't know what I am talking about.  It can be so hard to adjust when you are just not used to playing on big fields and its the same with our county team.  Its great training tight,defensive systems on a small field but try transferring that to a pitch 20 yards wider and 20 longer and the difference is massive.

Our County team needs to be training in Pairc Esler, thats all I'm saying.

Drumgath won the intermediate championship two years ago in pairc esler, winning a total of 3 games on the same field that season

Clown