Down Club Hurling & Football

[Johnnysboys]

As I say, if your club is prepared to dish out vast sums of money to dud after dud in order to shirk the responsibility of internal politics, then they deserve to get fleeced. And yes, the same problems will then manifest right down to fundamentals if your own club volunteers aren't afforded respect and support.
You need to ask yourself. How did it get to that? And does it not tell you that it's completely broken?

It's a societal thing I'm afraid - everyone has an opinion and are not afraid to share it - over and over again! The other reason is young ones have too much sway at home now. If they say the coach is poor - the parents automatically agree, if they say he is picking the wrong team - the parents automatically agree. It's nothing to do with paying people etc - it's society and GAA ain't changing that anytime soon.

[thewobbler]

It's not so much keeping up with the Jones's, so much as refusing to accept the limits of a team's ability.

Every member of a club can tell you that their players x, y and z have so much more to give. Very few of them will accept that the main reason it doesn't happen, is because the players in question will never have the application to become the players we want them to be.

There could be a thousand reasons for that lack of application, but it tends to  boil down to lads just not having significant enjoyment/returns enough to put their lives on hold to play an amateur sport. Which is usually an easy concept to understand... except for members of a club.

[Smurfy123]

Wobbler why were Ballyholland put into the B competition at under 20s when they are the second best team in Down at that level?

Not a dig but a strange choice to enter the Bs

[thewobbler]

Wobbler why were Ballyholland put into the B competition at under 20s when they are the second best team in Down at that level?

Not a dig but a strange choice to enter the Bs

Easy answer. Player numbers.

A photo recently went up on FB of this group when they won SD u14, 6 years ago. Only 8 of the panel were still playing. Another 3 have come back to the fold the past few weeks, as momentum has gathered. But if we'd entered the 15 a side competition, the early rounds would have either seen us unable to field, or mullered out of sight.

Trust me when I tell you that everyone in Ballyholland wants to see us playing A grade in every competition, always. But sometimes it's just not an option

[Truth hurts]

So Kevin Madden joins the famous Mayobridge club - a coach who has worked at top intercounty sides to work under Poacher. What is he thinking?

Down clubs offer the best expenses about.

Has to be purely about the money. Why else would anyone travel from Antrim 3/4 times a week to be involved with a team who have no chance of winning anything, never mind sharing the sideline with a mad man?

Lotto , you have anger issues and must be the best coach in the country as all you do is slate every coach going. Laverty/Coulter/Clarke/Poacher to name a few. Take a day off and quit with the personal attacks.

Mickey Harte took Kevin Madden with him to Tyrone so without knowing him I would hazard a guess that he is a good coach. Mickey Harte knows a lot know than the people on this board know about football. It's an interesting dynamic but without Quinn I can't see Mayobridge beating Burren or Kilcoo.

Worrying times for two of the traditional East Down superpowers who cannot get a manager over the line and its near December. Most clubs have met and began winter training in the gym.

A clubman managing their own club is a poison chalice and I understand why clubs go for outsiders. as a wise man once said "a prophet is not accepted in his own hometown"

[MATTSARACEN]

So Kevin Madden joins the famous Mayobridge club - a coach who has worked at top intercounty sides to work under Poacher. What is he thinking?

Down clubs offer the best expenses about.

Has to be purely about the money. Why else would anyone travel from Antrim 3/4 times a week to be involved with a team who have no chance of winning anything, never mind sharing the sideline with a mad man?

Lotto , you have anger issues and must be the best coach in the country as all you do is slate every coach going. Laverty/Coulter/Clarke/Poacher to name a few. Take a day off and quit with the personal attacks.

Mickey Harte took Kevin Madden with him to Tyrone so without knowing him I would hazard a guess that he is a good coach. Mickey Harte knows a lot know than the people on this board know about football. It's an interesting dynamic but without Quinn I can't see Mayobridge beating Burren or Kilcoo.

Worrying times for two of the traditional East Down superpowers who cannot get a manager over the line and its near December. Most clubs have met and began winter training in the gym.

A clubman managing their own club is a poison chalice and I understand why clubs go for outsiders. as a wide man once said "a prophet is not accepted in his own hometown"

How wide was he? Big broad back or wide at the hips?

[GAA Madness]

So Kevin Madden joins the famous Mayobridge club - a coach who has worked at top intercounty sides to work under Poacher. What is he thinking?

Down clubs offer the best expenses about.

Has to be purely about the money. Why else would anyone travel from Antrim 3/4 times a week to be involved with a team who have no chance of winning anything, never mind sharing the sideline with a mad man?

Lotto , you have anger issues and must be the best coach in the country as all you do is slate every coach going. Laverty/Coulter/Clarke/Poacher to name a few. Take a day off and quit with the personal attacks.

Mickey Harte took Kevin Madden with him to Tyrone so without knowing him I would hazard a guess that he is a good coach. Mickey Harte knows a lot know than the people on this board know about football. It's an interesting dynamic but without Quinn I can't see Mayobridge beating Burren or Kilcoo.

Worrying times for two of the traditional East Down superpowers who cannot get a manager over the line and its near December. Most clubs have met and began winter training in the gym.

A clubman managing their own club is a poison chalice and I understand why clubs go for outsiders. as a wise man once said "a prophet is not accepted in his own hometown"

Big division 1 clubs no manager either, Downpatrick and Clonduff yet to confirm appointments?

[Truth hurts]

So Kevin Madden joins the famous Mayobridge club - a coach who has worked at top intercounty sides to work under Poacher. What is he thinking?

Down clubs offer the best expenses about.

Has to be purely about the money. Why else would anyone travel from Antrim 3/4 times a week to be involved with a team who have no chance of winning anything, never mind sharing the sideline with a mad man?

Lotto , you have anger issues and must be the best coach in the country as all you do is slate every coach going. Laverty/Coulter/Clarke/Poacher to name a few. Take a day off and quit with the personal attacks.

Mickey Harte took Kevin Madden with him to Tyrone so without knowing him I would hazard a guess that he is a good coach. Mickey Harte knows a lot know than the people on this board know about football. It's an interesting dynamic but without Quinn I can't see Mayobridge beating Burren or Kilcoo.

Worrying times for two of the traditional East Down superpowers who cannot get a manager over the line and its near December. Most clubs have met and began winter training in the gym.

A clubman managing their own club is a poison chalice and I understand why clubs go for outsiders. as a wise man once said "a prophet is not accepted in his own hometown"

Big division 1 clubs no manager either, Downpatrick and Clonduff yet to confirm appointments?

Big Paul Evans is over RGU next season. Clonduff have no one in place as I understand. Liatriom have appointed Paddy Murray and Sean Micheal Johnstone from Kilcoo to take them next year. A strange appointment as when I was in high school, Kilcoo and Liatriom was as big as Byransford v Castlewellan rivalry.

[Back2Winning]

Are there many senior teams throughout the league still searching for a management team?

[Johnnysboys]

Are there many senior teams throughout the league still searching for a management team?

Clonduff
Bryansford
Drumgath
Annaclone

I think that's the lot..

[Truth hurts]

Are there many senior teams throughout the league still searching for a management team?

Clonduff
Bryansford
Drumgath
Annaclone

I think that's the lot..

Castlewellan ?

[Truth hurts]

For next years senior championship I would like to see something like this being trialed. It would give players from div 3 and 4 a chance to play senior championship. John Fegan should discuss on his podcast this week.

4 Amalgamations

South Down/ Mourne
Glasdrumman
Mitchell's
Attical
Bosco
Ballymartin

North Down/ Kinelarty
Kilclief
East Belfast
Tecconaught
St Pauls
Drumaness

East Down/ Lecale
Dundrum
Ardglass
Bright
The Fin
ST Johns

West Down/ Iveagh
Aghaderg
St Micheals
Dromara
Banbridge
Tullylish

[thewobbler]

I'd like to have an SFC trial in which Ballyholland and Mitchels are granted byes all the way to the final.

[Truth hurts]

I'd like to have an SFC trial in which Ballyholland and Mitchels are granted byes all the way to the final.

If you appeal enough times that might just happen.

[thewobbler]

Appeals is the GAA way. I don't like it myself. But for better or worse, it's part of our association's culture.

——

But what you're suggesting is ludicrous ie that players who train and compete at a junior level would be able to leave behind historic and ongoing factions with neighbouring clubs, would relegate/balance the needs of their own club championships, and convivially come together under a nonsense moniker and not embarrass themselves at senior football.

If you believe in fairy stories like that, you probably believe that the GAA appeals process is never abused too.