Down v Armagh - Newry - 20 March 2010

[behind the wire]

Theres no way the dig mckeever hit clarke in front of the stand broke his ribs, definitely from an earlier incident.

nevertheless down supporters are well entitled to describe mckeever as a tr**p or a sc**bag. i could add a few more but won't bother, enough has been said already. and i dont think the fact that he is an amateur sportsman has anything to do with it. there are unsavoury incidents in games all the time, no one denies this. but anyone who stands over their opponent as they are being treated by a doctor and hits them the second they get to their feet cannot be defended. that sort of thing is up there with hitting someone in the groin in the annals of trampish behaviour.

anyone defending mckeever in this instance for any reason needs their head looked at. had a down man carried out a similar action i would have no hesitation to criticise and definitely wouldnt be attempting to make excuses.

the fact that some armagh posters are countering with allegations that down players are no angels are having a laugh. no one is saying they are angels but i cant think of one incident from last night that would even be on the same scale as mckeever.

[mournerambler]

Glad to see Armagh got what they deserved in Pairc Esler last night, some of the crap written on here by the Armagh faithful makes the victory that little bit sweeter & as for thon tr@@p McKeever, what more would you expect from a pig other than a grunt.

Subjecting players to personal attacks like this one and the one by Trevor Hill has no place on a GAA website; maybe you should post on OWC or some similiar site.
Incidentally, would either of you have the balls to call Ciaran McKeever a pig or a kn**ker to his face?Getting back to the match, Armagh can have no excuses; out-played and out-thought on the field and on the line. When O'Rourke was appointed team manager, I was always worried about our first meeting with Down.

Subjecting players to bully boy tactics on the field of play has no place on a GAA field & btw this is not a GAA website, it is a discussion forum based mostly on GAA activities.Not sure why it's that important for you to know if i'd say that to McKeever face to face but for what it's worth, yes I would, I don't see why talented footballers like him, McMenamin from Tyrone is another that springs to mind, have to resort to the sort of hardman tactics we see them use in nearly every game they play in, now that is something there is no place for in GAA Sandy Hill!

Down's No 12, Carney?, should have walked for his attempted strike with the elbow on Finian Moriarty!


It's hard to take positives from last night's game but I thought that the performances from following players gives something to work on - Mallon, Donaghy, Duffy, McKeever(apart from his shenanigans), Moriarty, Toner(Armagh's MOTM?), Swift, McDonnell and Forker(why was he taken off?) and I'd still persist a while longer with Henderson who shouldn't have been taken off either.

Here's a few links to GAA websites Sandy Hill, sorry for not making myself clear 

http://www.gaa.ie/
http://www.armagh-gaa.com/Home.aspx
http://www.downgaa.net/

[norabeag]

I think we need to be careful with the name calling of McKeever as there is a danger of building up a cult figure with a status undeserving of the guy. He couldn't handle Clarke, period.

" we need a few Bellya's to come on here and show them a thing or two " was one of the better shouts from an Armagh man near me.

[pintsofguinness]

Never thought I'd agree with so many Down fans...


btw how did the trevor and tony meeting go?

[In the Onion Bag]

Lads, lets all get real.  Although a traditional local darby with all the added fervour that brings, last night was only a Div 2 NL game.  Nothing more, nothing less. 

The McKeever type things happen and no amount of bitching on this forum will change that - these things are best left to the authorities.

As a Down man I am elated that we have punctuated a too long run of defeats to our nearest rivals but lets keep our feet on the ground.  Also most Arma comments here have acknowledged Down's superiority last night, and I agree with those who ask where has Down's ability to win/lose gracefully gone?
 
For Downmen last night sees a continuation of the positive development under this new management, although admittedly I doubted the management selection when first announced, but it remains to be seen if it will be carried through to the championship.

A question for Down fans - are we in danger of being promoted to Div1 too soon for our own good?

[saffron sam2]

Once I realised Martin Sludden was refereeing, I decided to try and make a few quid off the boys in the pub. I offered even money on the number of bookings. I went for more than 9.5 bookings and am now two and a half score the richer.

Ta for that Martin.

[Trevor Hill]

Down are decent side on an upward curve but would anyone be genuinely afraid of meeting Down again in a league final or championship?  I think not.

Obviously a seven point hammering and Down playing keep ball for the last twenty minutes wasn't enough for you.

[Trevor Hill]

Some Down supporters letting themselves down here. Big day for them, their team puts in a fine performances, beating their fiercest rivals for the first time in a generation to continue their upwards curve. Despite this, some seem fixated on thinking up novel ways to abuse an amateur sportsman from the cowardly comforts of anonymity. Says a lot about the character of a person when these are the things he chooses to focus on.

Obviously the behaviour of this amatuer "sportsman" is completely lost on you and many of your compatriots.

[dodgy umpire]

Lads, lets all get real.  Although a traditional local darby with all the added fervour that brings, last night was only a Div 2 NL game.  Nothing more, nothing less. 

The McKeever type things happen and no amount of bitching on this forum will change that - these things are best left to the authorities.

As a Down man I am elated that we have punctuated a too long run of defeats to our nearest rivals but lets keep our feet on the ground.  Also most Arma comments here have acknowledged Down's superiority last night, and I agree with those who ask where has Down's ability to win/lose gracefully gone?
 
For Downmen last night sees a continuation of the positive development under this new management, although admittedly I doubted the management selection when first announced, but it remains to be seen if it will be carried through to the championship.

A question for Down fans - are we in danger of being promoted to Div1 too soon for our own good?

Down football can only improve by playing top flight teams in preparation for the Championship. Consider having Kerry at Pairc Esler in March

[AFS]

Some Down supporters letting themselves down here. Big day for them, their team puts in a fine performances, beating their fiercest rivals for the first time in a generation to continue their upwards curve. Despite this, some seem fixated on thinking up novel ways to abuse an amateur sportsman from the cowardly comforts of anonymity. Says a lot about the character of a person when these are the things he chooses to focus on.

Obviously the behaviour of this amatuer "sportsman" is completely lost on you and many of your compatriots.

If you get your kicks from hurling volleys of abuse at a man with no recourse for defense then fire away. Suppose it makes a change from abusing fellow posters and their family.

[TacadoirArdMhacha]

Down are decent side on an upward curve but would anyone be genuinely afraid of meeting Down again in a league final or championship?  I think not.

Agreed. Armagh with 15 men including Ronan Clarke should be beating that Down side.

[T Fearon]

I hope the Armagh management take stock of last night. A seven point defeat at the hands of a team that couldn't even win the third division last year, and was defeated by Wicklow in the Championship is truly shameful and is right up there with the defeat by Fermanagh in the AI Quarter Final (thats the last 8 of the Championship for all Down supporters by the way), in terms of shame and disgrace.

Its better a lesson was learn't against a lesser side in the league than against a big side oin the Championship without scope for rectification.

As for young Clarke, well at least he has a full set of teeth to-day which is more than can be said of other so called Down legendary forwards after being marked by teak tough Armagh defenders.

Consider with Amazement all the events that have occurred since Down last defeated Armagh prior to last night... 9/11, Katie Price lost her virginity, Simon Cowell and X Factor, Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern's premierships, George W Bush, Take That split and reform etc etc

[AnDunYeGo]

Anybody know the attendance from the game?
some crowd at it!

[Tyrones own]

I hope the Armagh management take stock of last night. A seven point defeat at the hands of a team that couldn't even win the third division last year, and was defeated by Wicklow in the Championship is truly shameful and is right up there with the defeat by Fermanagh in the AI Quarter Final (thats the last 8 of the Championship for all Down supporters by the way), in terms of shame and disgrace.

Its better a lesson was learn't against a lesser side in the league than against a big side oin the Championship without scope for rectification.

As for young Clarke, well at least he has a full set of teeth to-day which is more than can be said of other so called Down legendary forwards after being marked by teak tough Armagh defenders.

Consider with Amazement all the events that have occurred since Down last defeated Armagh prior to last night... 9/11, Katie Price lost her virginity, Simon Cowell and X Factor, Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern's premierships, George W Bush, Take That split and reform etc etc

..que the dogs abuse for this one Tone!

[Orior]

Bejayus, I think Antrim would fancy themselves against either Down or Armagh. And after watching Galway beat Tyrone, I'm pretty sure the Sam Maguire will be staying in Kerry or just popping over to Cork.