Down v Armagh. June 4th

[Smurfy123]

Carr/Murphy
We won't need 16 believe me!
That Armagh defence have been brilliant in Division 3
You could drive a bus through it ffs

[snoopdog]

I see the Orange men named a good line up last night
I wonder will we leave it until Sunday to let the supporters know our team
It's the worst kept secret anyway
Cunningham
Doherty
McGovern
O Hagen
O Hanlon
McGovern
Mooney
Carr Murphy
Turley
Millar
Maginn
R Johnstone
J Johnstone
B O Hagen
K McKernan

Be great for the supporters if we just released an official team

Why do Down continually do this. It's not as if they gain any advantage if you look at our championship results this last 23 years.  Are they that unorganised or does every manager we have had think it's a good idea. The successful teams don't have a problem releasing team info. Professionally run I suppose.

[mackers]

At least McGeeney has given the younger lads who performed well in the league a chance in the championship.  Also good to see the captaincy going to Rory Grugan.  No excuses.

[PAULD123]

Why do Down continually do this. It's not as if they gain any advantage if you look at our championship results this last 23 years.  Are they that unorganised or does every manager we have had think it's a good idea. The successful teams don't have a problem releasing team info. Professionally run I suppose.

As it has happened with every manager then I think it would be reasonable to assume it is not the managers but the PRO/Secretary who makes this decision to delay naming teams.....

[Captain Obvious]

Your team is submitted to HQ on Thursdays before a championship game nowadays so it seems the Down Pro is a little slow making the team public.

On the game. Both sides have good scoring forwards and less than great defences and it should be a high scoring game with plenty of goals.

[general_lee]

Good article in the Irish News today about the longevity of the Armagh Down rivalry,from former Armagh manager and nephew of the legendary Tommy,Peter Makem,including many things I didn't know,like Sean O'Neill's father was a Keady man for example.

I recall many great clashes,like the one played in a  snow blizzard in Newry in 1980,when you could barely see the play so thick was the snowfall,yet there was a full house for this league fixture.

Just wish both teams had higher profiles currently.

The funny thing Tony though is that down rarely have high profiles. They pull together with a particular group and are able to generate something out of nothing...it's the arrogance built on them that means they can create championship winning teams without any previous real pedigree. I feel both counties are suffering from the lack of success in the 2 newry schools. They have been the bedrock for both counties for years and have not really produced consistently in recent years. Also in armaghs case the lack of success in Lurgan clubs has been very detrimental. Armagh need a strong Clans team I would venture more than any other team bar ourselves. That wee bit of Francis street swagger was always a key to Armagh success.

I think clann eireann have taken up the role as c**k of the north when it comes to cocky Lurgan clubs, a lot of talk of them challenging for the championship and they've only played a handful of league games and they're a road bowl mile off cross getting hammered recently. Not sure I agree on the newry schools point, probably because the emergence of St. Paul's bessbrook and st Ronan's in Lurgan has meant pupils who might have went out of their way to go to newry for football are now going out of their way to go the aforementioned instead.

[brokencrossbar1]

Good article in the Irish News today about the longevity of the Armagh Down rivalry,from former Armagh manager and nephew of the legendary Tommy,Peter Makem,including many things I didn't know,like Sean O'Neill's father was a Keady man for example.

I recall many great clashes,like the one played in a  snow blizzard in Newry in 1980,when you could barely see the play so thick was the snowfall,yet there was a full house for this league fixture.

Just wish both teams had higher profiles currently.

The funny thing Tony though is that down rarely have high profiles. They pull together with a particular group and are able to generate something out of nothing...it's the arrogance built on them that means they can create championship winning teams without any previous real pedigree. I feel both counties are suffering from the lack of success in the 2 newry schools. They have been the bedrock for both counties for years and have not really produced consistently in recent years. Also in armaghs case the lack of success in Lurgan clubs has been very detrimental. Armagh need a strong Clans team I would venture more than any other team bar ourselves. That wee bit of Francis street swagger was always a key to Armagh success.

I think clann eireann have taken up the role as c**k of the north when it comes to cocky Lurgan clubs, a lot of talk of them challenging for the championship and they've only played a handful of league games and they're a road bowl mile off cross getting hammered recently. Not sure I agree on the newry schools point, probably because the emergence of St. Paul's bessbrook and st Ronan's in Lurgan has meant pupils who might have went out of their way to go to newry for football are now going out of their way to go the aforementioned instead.

The emergence of St Ronan's and St Paul's has not seen any major trophies land in either school. In my time at the abbey I played on teams that won Dalton, Corn Na nOg and 3 Rannafasts. Those teams had the McEntees, Mc Nultys,  Aidan O'Rourke, Oisin, Barry Duffy, Geezer and Cathal O Rourke were a year or 2 above. In St Colmans at the same time Paul McGrane and Diarmuid were winning their fair share of trophies and Tierney had already been through that process. If fact 10 of the team that played in 2002 played for either school. If you look at Down then it's even higher. The failure of these two schools to really contribute significantly at schools level has had an impact in my opinion

[T Fearon]

It is sad to see Clan Na Gael currently with Intermediate status.With its history and facilities etc this is one massive club.Would there be as much as a three mile radius even between the following 5 clubs? Clan Na Gael,Clann Eireann,St Peters,St Paul's and Eire Og?

Also when did the County team last play a competitive game in Davitt Park? Far cry from the 80s when Kerry and Dublin regularly played there.

[brokencrossbar1]

The thing is though Tony, in regards to David, most counties only have 1 and max 2 county grounds.  Down play all their games in newry. Tyrone in Omagh, Monaghan in Clones and Louth in Drogheda. We were actually discussing this there recently about Cross. It probably had the finest playing surface in the county and barely gets a club championship. There's a big pot to pay for year in the Athletic grounds so all games will be there for th foreseeable future.

[armaghniac]

The thing is though Tony, in regards to David, most counties only have 1 and max 2 county grounds.  Down play all their games in newry. Tyrone in Omagh, Monaghan in Clones and Louth in Drogheda. We were actually discussing this there recently about Cross. It probably had the finest playing surface in the county and barely gets a club championship. There's a big pot to pay for year in the Athletic grounds so all games will be there for th foreseeable future.

Monaghan is the least good example here, but the point holds true, at one time Down played in Newcastle but not any more. The Athletic grounds is well appointed and central within the county, so there isn't a strong justification for moving games around.  If only they would sell proper coffee there the Athletic grounds would do the job.

[snoopdog]

Good article in the Irish News today about the longevity of the Armagh Down rivalry,from former Armagh manager and nephew of the legendary Tommy,Peter Makem,including many things I didn't know,like Sean O'Neill's father was a Keady man for example.

I recall many great clashes,like the one played in a  snow blizzard in Newry in 1980,when you could barely see the play so thick was the snowfall,yet there was a full house for this league fixture.

Just wish both teams had higher profiles currently.

The funny thing Tony though is that down rarely have high profiles. They pull together with a particular group and are able to generate something out of nothing...it's the arrogance built on them that means they can create championship winning teams without any previous real pedigree. I feel both counties are suffering from the lack of success in the 2 newry schools. They have been the bedrock for both counties for years and have not really produced consistently in recent years. Also in armaghs case the lack of success in Lurgan clubs has been very detrimental. Armagh need a strong Clans team I would venture more than any other team bar ourselves. That wee bit of Francis street swagger was always a key to Armagh success.

I think clann eireann have taken up the role as c**k of the north when it comes to cocky Lurgan clubs, a lot of talk of them challenging for the championship and they've only played a handful of league games and they're a road bowl mile off cross getting hammered recently. Not sure I agree on the newry schools point, probably because the emergence of St. Paul's bessbrook and st Ronan's in Lurgan has meant pupils who might have went out of their way to go to newry for football are now going out of their way to go the aforementioned instead.

The emergence of St Ronan's and St Paul's has not seen any major trophies land in either school. In my time at the abbey I played on teams that won Dalton, Corn Na nOg and 3 Rannafasts. Those teams had the McEntees, Mc Nultys,  Aidan O'Rourke, Oisin, Barry Duffy, Geezer and Cathal O Rourke were a year or 2 above. In St Colmans at the same time Paul McGrane and Diarmuid were winning their fair share of trophies and Tierney had already been through that process. If fact 10 of the team that played in 2002 played for either school. If you look at Down then it's even higher. The failure of these two schools to really contribute significantly at schools level has had an impact in my opinion

Are 2010 and 2011 Hogan cup wins not recent?

[general_lee]

Good article in the Irish News today about the longevity of the Armagh Down rivalry,from former Armagh manager and nephew of the legendary Tommy,Peter Makem,including many things I didn't know,like Sean O'Neill's father was a Keady man for example.

I recall many great clashes,like the one played in a  snow blizzard in Newry in 1980,when you could barely see the play so thick was the snowfall,yet there was a full house for this league fixture.

Just wish both teams had higher profiles currently.

The funny thing Tony though is that down rarely have high profiles. They pull together with a particular group and are able to generate something out of nothing...it's the arrogance built on them that means they can create championship winning teams without any previous real pedigree. I feel both counties are suffering from the lack of success in the 2 newry schools. They have been the bedrock for both counties for years and have not really produced consistently in recent years. Also in armaghs case the lack of success in Lurgan clubs has been very detrimental. Armagh need a strong Clans team I would venture more than any other team bar ourselves. That wee bit of Francis street swagger was always a key to Armagh success.

I think clann eireann have taken up the role as c**k of the north when it comes to cocky Lurgan clubs, a lot of talk of them challenging for the championship and they've only played a handful of league games and they're a road bowl mile off cross getting hammered recently. Not sure I agree on the newry schools point, probably because the emergence of St. Paul's bessbrook and st Ronan's in Lurgan has meant pupils who might have went out of their way to go to newry for football are now going out of their way to go the aforementioned instead.

The emergence of St Ronan's and St Paul's has not seen any major trophies land in either school. In my time at the abbey I played on teams that won Dalton, Corn Na nOg and 3 Rannafasts. Those teams had the McEntees, Mc Nultys,  Aidan O'Rourke, Oisin, Barry Duffy, Geezer and Cathal O Rourke were a year or 2 above. In St Colmans at the same time Paul McGrane and Diarmuid were winning their fair share of trophies and Tierney had already been through that process. If fact 10 of the team that played in 2002 played for either school. If you look at Down then it's even higher. The failure of these two schools to really contribute significantly at schools level has had an impact in my opinion

the point is though pupils are now being attracting to these schools and therefore diluting the talent pool the newry schools would have enjoyed.

20 years ago you wouldn't go to st Michaels for football, you went to Armagh or Newry. There are young fellas from trasna who's fathers uncles and cousins  went to newry are now starting to stay  put and go to st Ronans instead. Do you think a young marsden or mcgrane would go to newry if the local school was competing at McRory at the time?

[BennyCake]

It is sad to see Clan Na Gael currently with Intermediate status.With its history and facilities etc this is one massive club.Would there be as much as a three mile radius even between the following 5 clubs? Clan Na Gael,Clann Eireann,St Peters,St Paul's and Eire Og?

Also when did the County team last play a competitive game in Davitt Park? Far cry from the 80s when Kerry and Dublin regularly played there.

Was it not a psychological thing playing in Davitt? Playing the big guns surrounded by all the political/republican/troubles situations. Scare the shite out of them, and they just wanted to play the game and get the hell out of Lurgan. Mind you, I suppose even now, many are still keen to get the hell out of Lurgan.

[smelmoth]

At least McGeeney has given the younger lads who performed well in the league a chance in the championship.  Also good to see the captaincy going to Rory Grugan.  No excuses.

From the players available that's our strongest team.

The keeper has taken his chance. The forwards did well in the league though admittedly in division 3. Midfield is still untested but those 2 did show individual promise. From the league the big issues were kick outs and the defence. Kick outs did improve. Hopefully the past 6 weeks or so were spent on that defence.

I would expect Down to be defensive. Tight marking of Campbell and Clarke and trying to hit us on the break. The know the way to get us is to run through the middle

[OgraAnDun]

Down team to face Armagh
1. Micheal Cunningham
2. Anthony Doherty
3. Gearard McGovern
4. Darren O'Hagan
5. Darragh O'Hanlon
6. Conaill McGovern
7. Caolan Mooney
8. Kevin McKernan
9. Niall Donnelly
10. Joe Murphy
11. Conor Maginn
12. Shay Millar
13. Jerome Johnston
14. Barry O'Hagan
15. Connaire Harrison