Down Club Hurling & Football

[Pangurban]

The answer to one simple question will place proper assessment on our current state and immediate future prospects. Outside of Coulter,Gordon and Mc Comiskey, which other Down player would get a place on any other Co.team in Ulster. Murtagh and Clarke might challenge for a place somewhere else. But thats about it. We have to start thinking long term, and initiate measures to raise the standard of club football within the Co. which in recent years has been deplorable. Mayobridge have been our best club team, and they been consistently slaughtered in the Ulster Club Championship. The coaching at youth level, such as it is, is boring repetitive, devoid of innovation. We need to turn away from the modern though now outdated tactics, stop trying to emulate or copy other counties. Its time to look backward, recover our style and confidence, and play football with a swagger like the successful Down teams of the past. It will take a few years, but a g ood start is half the work.

[amallon]

PangurBan - Thats very harsh on the Bridge.  We have only had two bad beatings in Ulster both by Ballinderry.  We've reached 2 ulster club Finals loosing both narrowly.  In 2001 we were very unlucky not to beat Ballinderry who went on to win the All Ireland. 

[buglebhoy]

can i just ask you buglebhoy what performances you are basing your assessment of mcallister on?

Behind the wire, i know mccallister is an excellent keeper, what i'm saying is he isnt good enough under the high ball!! on 2 occasssions against tyrone high balls came in and he punched them downwards to the front of the goal mouth instead of catching them and bursting out!! i also went to school with the lad and played against him numerous times over the last number of years and have seen probably more of this fellow than most ppl!! i've no doubt he's a fine keeper, he saved a penalty against tyrone in the u21 match whcih kept down in the game and then went on to win but what i'm saying is he's not capable under the high ball and without a quality full back in front of him he's just not ready for down seniors yet!!

[western exile]

Anyone see DJ giving a bollicking to a Down supporter leaving the stand on Sunday? The supporter is supposed to have told him to "Put them on the bus, take them home and let them stay there".  A bit on the harsh side but there was a lot of very angry Down fans in the stand on Sunday.  A lot of them were shouting Down at the management to take a certain player off, who they then did take off. 

I was not impressed by that at all.  I didn't hear the comment from the supporter, and if it was what you have quoted, it was a bit out of order. Negative comments are counter productive, and that supporter should not have made that comment.
However, the reaction of DJ was worse!  "giving a bollicking", as you put it, is an understatement.  It was a very aggressive onslaught. He had to be held back by Ross at one stage, and if he could have identified the person who made the comment he would have punched his lights out!  His behaviour was an embarrassment to himself, and considering it was done in front of the Leitrim supporters too, an embarrassment to his county.
If any posters know DJ well, perhaps they could let him know a few truths...
1. Down supporters are good supporters. They travel in numbers to follow the county team, and out numbered the Leitrim fans in Carrick-on-Shannon. To accuse us all of not being behind the team, as DJ did in his aggressive rant, is wrong and inaccurate. With all the other challenges of managing the county team, does he want to alienate the supporters too?
2. We were all hurting. None of us wanted Down to be in division 3 next year. Supporters, players and management alike. We all expressed it it in our own way. Mostly to the person next to us, but one person behaved badly by making a comment to the management. DJ was hurting too, but his reaction was the worst behaviour of anyone there.
2. Negativity from some supporters on the sideline is an unfortunate part of Gaelic games. There is always one person at every club who is prepared to shout a negative comment from the sideline. I don't like it, but we are all used to it. Keep your temper in check DJ.
3. DJ 's onslaught was done in front of the team too, and will have done more psychological damage to the team than the comment from the stand that he reacted to. He needs to rethink his behaviour to be  what is best for the team.

End of my rant......

[BRIDGE LAD]

Jesus lads this is getting good so much to read and take in!!

Have to agree with Pangurban (me owl mate), i'm a Bridge man tru and tru, yes Mayobridge are away out on their own in Down at the min but in my eyes will never win an ulster. There is a massive gulf between some of the other teams in ulster. Tyrone and Derry have a new team win their respective titles every year.

As for the debate on McAllister, he was at fault for second goal and nearly one in first half if anyone remembers he punched a high ball away that he could have easily caught, in which leitrim scored a point from.

To Wobbler on issue about my half back selection, dont know if your right or not  just took another look at it there. Mckernan was a full back and a good one on the minor team until got injured and also CHB on Abbey McCrory and hogan cup successes!! Carr has played CHB in his minor days, in Downs recent championship win in new york , and against Mayobridge in league games before also. You maybe dont get the chance to play Clonduff much!!

[thewobbler]

Bridge lad, granted I haven't seen Carr play half-back.  I'm sure he's quite competent there, but he strikes me as a natural forward, comfortable on the ball and a good distributor. I also don't know if the time of year to be experimenting with a a new centre-back.

McKernan is definitely a forward. He's like John Clarke, in that he's a smart enough footballer to do a job anywhere. But having a natural ability to find space and to shoot accurately from distance, his best skills are wasted in a back line.

[Andym2008]

I dont no how people can say that Mayobridge are the best team in down, there team revolves around one man, Benny Coulter. Now dont get me wrong Benny is a world class full-foward but as a very proud An Riócht man i could name 4 or 5 players that would walk on that Mayobridge team (Brendan Mcveigh, Deaglan O'Rielly, Christopher Killen, Paddy Cole and Jhon Clarke).
It really angers me when i hear people say that "Mayobridge are the best team in down and always will be.". I really think that you should watch out for An Riócht from this season onwards you will all be looking at us in a different light!


Andrew Magorrian

[5 Sams]

I dont no how people can say that Mayobridge are the best team in down, there team revolves around one man, Benny Coulter. Now dont get me wrong Benny is a world class full-foward but as a very proud An Riócht man i could name 4 or 5 players that would walk on that Mayobridge team (Brendan Mcveigh, Deaglan O'Rielly, Christopher Killen, Paddy Cole and Jhon Clarke).
It really angers me when i hear people say that "Mayobridge are the best team in down and always will be.". I really think that you should watch out for An Riócht from this season onwards you will all be looking at us in a different light!


Andrew Magorrian

Have they closed down Hoganstand.com as well

[bcarrier]

Why dont they try Benny at CHB or even full back if the forward line ( for whatever reason) functions better without him ?

[T O Hare]

I dont no how people can say that Mayobridge are the best team in down, there team revolves around one man, Benny Coulter. Now dont get me wrong Benny is a world class full-foward but as a very proud An Riócht man i could name 4 or 5 players that would walk on that Mayobridge team (Brendan Mcveigh, Deaglan O'Rielly, Christopher Killen, Paddy Cole and Jhon Clarke).
It really angers me when i hear people say that "Mayobridge are the best team in down and always will be.". I really think that you should watch out for An Riócht from this season onwards you will all be looking at us in a different light!


Andrew Magorrian

Great to have you on board Andrew, no one ever said that the bridge will always be the best team but since 99 we have been the most dominant force in the county and still have a strong panel for the coming season.. yes, benny is our focal point but we have plenty of players who are potential match winners.. trust me i will be watching out for the Kingdom and will be interesting to see if they can establish themselves as a championship team!!!!

[mournerambler]

Not exactly sure what 'Andym 2008' means when he says that Benny is a "world class forward", i thought that Gaelic football was a National sport so how can he be rated World class

[Lecale2]

Busy Sunday for the county teams. Will there be enough shirts to go around?

Hopefully the footballers can bounce back with a big win over Limerick. Good luck to the hurlers in Cavan.

13.04.08 (Sun) @ 2.30pm
Roinn III
Newry:  An Dún v Luimneach
Referee: Cormac Reilly (An Mhí)

13.04.08 (Sun) @ 2.30pm
Roinn II  Semi-Finals
Kingspan Breffni Pk:  Iar Mhi v An Dun
Referee: Éamon Ó Muiris, (Baile Átha Cliath)
[E.T if necessary]

13.04.08 (Sun) @ 2.30pm
Roinn IV Final
Kingspan Breffni Pk: An Dun Theas v Muineachan
Referee: John Devlin, (Tír Eoghain)
[E.T if necessary]

[downredblack]

According to the IN , McComiskey has a hamstring problem , hopefully he will be okay for Navan .

[western exile]

Busy Sunday for the county teams. Will there be enough shirts to go around?

Ah sure there must be plenty of shirts in that flash logistics van that they had on display at Carrick-on-Shannon 

[Leo]

Busy Sunday for the county teams. Will there be enough shirts to go around?

Ah sure there must be plenty of shirts in that flash logistics van that they had on display at Carrick-on-Shannon 

Stuffed shirts.