Down Club Hurling & Football

[Johnny McCumiskey]

I was highly impressed watching the Gaelic games today, the skill of the Kerry players - all comfortable two footed players.  Then there was the hurling match between Kilkenny & Galway - Kilkenny came out for the warm up before the match without a cone in sight, unlike at most GAA pitches throughout the county - you would think some of them were an airport runway!

It is my honest belief that too many of our young players are programmed by their coaches, the game is all about tactics and if the tactics are not working the players don't know how to think for themselves and make their own decisions on the pitch, how often have we seen players looking to the side lines for answers?  I believe because players are not being encouraged to use their own initiative at underage level, this is carrying through into our senior levels. 

So this takes me back to the question I have asked before what are all the underage coaches within our clubs teaching the young players?  Are they being coached to improve their skills and ability to a read a game or is it all about winning matches?  If we took in a rule to award players on a skills basis rather than winners and losers, this could maybe lead to an improvement in the standard of our game.

I often ask the question who coached the likes of Tom O'Hare and Paddy Doherty?  As I said before these men are two of the greatest and most skilled players I have ever witnessed playing our great game.

As for the individuals who appear to be having a problem with our county board - be a man and take off your mask, go as your club representative to the next County Convention and air your problems, concerns and all the answers to them in the proper forum.

[Cb66]

Can any folk explain the setup this year in terms of automatic promotion/relagation from all the divisions this year and if there'll be any promotion/relegation playoffs?

[SHEEDY]

Can any folk explain the setup this year in terms of automatic promotion/relagation from all the divisions this year and if there'll be any promotion/relegation playoffs?

as far as i know the 2nd and 3rd bottom teams in the 1st division play off to join the bottom team in division 2. think top 2 come up from 2nd division with no play off. in the 1st division the 2nd and 3rd placed teams play off to face the top placed team in the league final.

[Dubh driocht]

I was highly impressed watching the Gaelic games today, the skill of the Kerry players - all comfortable two footed players.  Then there was the hurling match between Kilkenny & Galway - Kilkenny came out for the warm up before the match without a cone in sight, unlike at most GAA pitches throughout the county - you would think some of them were an airport runway!

It is my honest belief that too many of our young players are programmed by their coaches, the game is all about tactics and if the tactics are not working the players don't know how to think for themselves and make their own decisions on the pitch, how often have we seen players looking to the side lines for answers?  I believe because players are not being encouraged to use their own initiative at underage level, this is carrying through into our senior levels. 

So this takes me back to the question I have asked before what are all the underage coaches within our clubs teaching the young players?  Are they being coached to improve their skills and ability to a read a game or is it all about winning matches?  If we took in a rule to award players on a skills basis rather than winners and losers, this could maybe lead to an improvement in the standard of our game.

I often ask the question who coached the likes of Tom O'Hare and Paddy Doherty?  As I said before these men are two of the greatest and most skilled players I have ever witnessed playing our great game.

As for the individuals who appear to be having a problem with our county board - be a man and take off your mask, go as your club representative to the next County Convention and air your problems, concerns and all the answers to them in the proper forum.

Spot on but beyond your last paragraph, we need solutions. Our problem has been that we assume that the soil that produced Paddy and Tom will produce another 15 heroes to restore Sam to his rightful place. It doesn't work that way any more. We need to work like Trojans to shape our future, not assume it is a God given right.

[SamFever]

+1, but would add that we should have a right to good governance and it appears to be missing since the 90's.

[wobbller]

I was highly impressed watching the Gaelic games today, the skill of the Kerry players - all comfortable two footed players.  Then there was the hurling match between Kilkenny & Galway - Kilkenny came out for the warm up before the match without a cone in sight, unlike at most GAA pitches throughout the county - you would think some of them were an airport runway!

It is my honest belief that too many of our young players are programmed by their coaches, the game is all about tactics and if the tactics are not working the players don't know how to think for themselves and make their own decisions on the pitch, how often have we seen players looking to the side lines for answers?  I believe because players are not being encouraged to use their own initiative at underage level, this is carrying through into our senior levels. 

So this takes me back to the question I have asked before what are all the underage coaches within our clubs teaching the young players?  Are they being coached to improve their skills and ability to a read a game or is it all about winning matches?  If we took in a rule to award players on a skills basis rather than winners and losers, this could maybe lead to an improvement in the standard of our game.

I often ask the question who coached the likes of Tom O'Hare and Paddy Doherty?  As I said before these men are two of the greatest and most skilled players I have ever witnessed playing our great game.

As for the individuals who appear to be having a problem with our county board - be a man and take off your mask, go as your club representative to the next County Convention and air your problems, concerns and all the answers to them in the proper forum.

The old  reminiscing about the past and it's players.

[cut the crap]

Will Thurs county board meeting start the process where we see fundamental change in how our county is run - answer NO
Same retoric will be trotted out,i e it's wrong for people in Down to have a go at Sean og and maybe the police will be informed ,again,the executive is doing its best , Eamonn has inherited at lot of the current problems and it will take time, finances will soon be sorted again and let's see where we go from here, sounds familiar , heard it all before , recent poster said that the time for change would be the county convention, would be if the rules were followed , example,the election of our current chairman when his main rival was ignored by press supposedly due to a convenient mistake by pro on executive.
Time for root and branch change , can't wait for next open meeting!!

[east down gael]

Lads can we hold back on the get rid of Sean og chat.his job involves a lot more than taking the blame for how poorly the county team performs.who gives a shite if he was on the pitch at half time during the Longford game,didn't lose us the match.I don't buy in to the 'eamonn inherited a shambles' story.i think he had all the tools to put up a fight against Monaghan and more than enough to beat longford.sean og does a lot of work which goes unseen.the county team isn't in a great place right now,but we're in plenty of company throughout Ireland in that regard.
   Fact is we sacked a manager with proven track record at club level,had no replacement,and ended up with someone who isn't up to the job.basically on the back of a taken out of context quote after losing a qualifier game.far as I'm aware Sean didn't push through that decision in his own.

[Johnny McCumiskey]

I was highly impressed watching the Gaelic games today, the skill of the Kerry players - all comfortable two footed players.  Then there was the hurling match between Kilkenny & Galway - Kilkenny came out for the warm up before the match without a cone in sight, unlike at most GAA pitches throughout the county - you would think some of them were an airport runway!

It is my honest belief that too many of our young players are programmed by their coaches, the game is all about tactics and if the tactics are not working the players don't know how to think for themselves and make their own decisions on the pitch, how often have we seen players looking to the side lines for answers?  I believe because players are not being encouraged to use their own initiative at underage level, this is carrying through into our senior levels. 

So this takes me back to the question I have asked before what are all the underage coaches within our clubs teaching the young players?  Are they being coached to improve their skills and ability to a read a game or is it all about winning matches?  If we took in a rule to award players on a skills basis rather than winners and losers, this could maybe lead to an improvement in the standard of our game.

I often ask the question who coached the likes of Tom O'Hare and Paddy Doherty?  As I said before these men are two of the greatest and most skilled players I have ever witnessed playing our great game.

As for the individuals who appear to be having a problem with our county board - be a man and take off your mask, go as your club representative to the next County Convention and air your problems, concerns and all the answers to them in the proper forum.

The old  reminiscing about the past and it's players.

It is hard not to look at the past when the future is not to bright and I have been lucky to have witnessed the good years

[BarryBreensBandage]

Down, even by normal standards, are under performing, as are a lot of counties in Ireland. This cannot be the fault of one or two individuals. There was a segment on Newstalk over the weekend on Down, and taking in the religious split, we should have a population of over 200,000 to support the GAA.
In my opinion the issues are the following:

1. Most of the towns/cities have fallen behind in bringing through support and players. Newry Shamrocks, Bosco, Mitchels, Clann na Banna, Bredagh, Carryduff, Downpatrick all play outside the top division. This is not a criticism of these clubs and their hard working members (see below), just a fact. Some of these clubs have 30-40 kids turning up for U12 football - there has to be a focus on how to keep the numbers interested in Gaelic as their primary sport.
2. Co. Down schools have the same problem at present. The cream of talent of both Down and Armagh attend these schools and there is fleeting success in the older age groups.
3. Lack of volunteers - talk to anybody in the county board setup, and the lack of support is a major issue, from fundraising to scheduling, referees etc. As it is sometimes in the club setup, the work is divided by the relative few and I have never known it to be any different. Maybe the county setup is the same? Maybe a few doing too much and spreading themselves thin?
4. I don't believe that we have a lack of players, I think we lack something for the players to believe in. What joy or pride is there in pulling on a red and black jersey now? All that awaits is abuse.
5.  The sooner someone realises that Down football's strength was never defence, or short hand passing, or chasing a game, or sticking rigidly to tactics, the better.
6. Aggression to get the ball, using fitness levels properly, basic skills, winning break ball all comes with confidence.

Short term we need someone to restore the confidence in this group of players, give each chosen player a decent chance and start with a realistic goal. If that is Burns then he must have time to develop the team.

With regards to the county board, again, realistic targets. Whether individuals stay or go, a plan to sort finances has to be put in place and reviewed after a year with goals to be achieved - some great suggestions on this board to start! This plan should then be circulated to all clubs, and asking for assistance, where required.

It wasn't too long ago that we were visiting Croke Park and were within a point of winning an All Ireland. We are a long way off that day, but small steps with a bit of reason and conviction from the members of the wider GAA circles in Down and I have no doubt it can be turned around.

[Johnny McCumiskey]

Down, even by normal standards, are under performing, as are a lot of counties in Ireland. This cannot be the fault of one or two individuals. There was a segment on Newstalk over the weekend on Down, and taking in the religious split, we should have a population of over 200,000 to support the GAA.
In my opinion the issues are the following:

1. Most of the towns/cities have fallen behind in bringing through support and players. Newry Shamrocks, Bosco, Mitchels, Clann na Banna, Bredagh, Carryduff, Downpatrick all play outside the top division. This is not a criticism of these clubs and their hard working members (see below), just a fact. Some of these clubs have 30-40 kids turning up for U12 football - there has to be a focus on how to keep the numbers interested in Gaelic as their primary sport.
2. Co. Down schools have the same problem at present. The cream of talent of both Down and Armagh attend these schools and there is fleeting success in the older age groups.
3. Lack of volunteers - talk to anybody in the county board setup, and the lack of support is a major issue, from fundraising to scheduling, referees etc. As it is sometimes in the club setup, the work is divided by the relative few and I have never known it to be any different. Maybe the county setup is the same? Maybe a few doing too much and spreading themselves thin?
4. I don't believe that we have a lack of players, I think we lack something for the players to believe in. What joy or pride is there in pulling on a red and black jersey now? All that awaits is abuse.
5.  The sooner someone realises that Down football's strength was never defence, or short hand passing, or chasing a game, or sticking rigidly to tactics, the better.
6. Aggression to get the ball, using fitness levels properly, basic skills, winning break ball all comes with confidence.

Short term we need someone to restore the confidence in this group of players, give each chosen player a decent chance and start with a realistic goal. If that is Burns then he must have time to develop the team.

With regards to the county board, again, realistic targets. Whether individuals stay or go, a plan to sort finances has to be put in place and reviewed after a year with goals to be achieved - some great suggestions on this board to start! This plan should then be circulated to all clubs, and asking for assistance, where required.

It wasn't too long ago that we were visiting Croke Park and were within a point of winning an All Ireland. We are a long way off that day, but small steps with a bit of reason and conviction from the members of the wider GAA circles in Down and I have no doubt it can be turned around.

Great post , well said

[Mike Tyson]

Down, even by normal standards, are under performing, as are a lot of counties in Ireland. This cannot be the fault of one or two individuals. There was a segment on Newstalk over the weekend on Down, and taking in the religious split, we should have a population of over 200,000 to support the GAA.
In my opinion the issues are the following:

1. Most of the towns/cities have fallen behind in bringing through support and players. Newry Shamrocks, Bosco, Mitchels, Clann na Banna, Bredagh, Carryduff, Downpatrick all play outside the top division. This is not a criticism of these clubs and their hard working members (see below), just a fact. Some of these clubs have 30-40 kids turning up for U12 football - there has to be a focus on how to keep the numbers interested in Gaelic as their primary sport.
2. Co. Down schools have the same problem at present. The cream of talent of both Down and Armagh attend these schools and there is fleeting success in the older age groups.
3. Lack of volunteers - talk to anybody in the county board setup, and the lack of support is a major issue, from fundraising to scheduling, referees etc. As it is sometimes in the club setup, the work is divided by the relative few and I have never known it to be any different. Maybe the county setup is the same? Maybe a few doing too much and spreading themselves thin?
4. I don't believe that we have a lack of players, I think we lack something for the players to believe in. What joy or pride is there in pulling on a red and black jersey now? All that awaits is abuse.
5.  The sooner someone realises that Down football's strength was never defence, or short hand passing, or chasing a game, or sticking rigidly to tactics, the better. 6. Aggression to get the ball, using fitness levels properly, basic skills, winning break ball all comes with confidence.

Short term we need someone to restore the confidence in this group of players, give each chosen player a decent chance and start with a realistic goal. If that is Burns then he must have time to develop the team.

With regards to the county board, again, realistic targets. Whether individuals stay or go, a plan to sort finances has to be put in place and reviewed after a year with goals to be achieved - some great suggestions on this board to start! This plan should then be circulated to all clubs, and asking for assistance, where required.

It wasn't too long ago that we were visiting Croke Park and were within a point of winning an All Ireland. We are a long way off that day, but small steps with a bit of reason and conviction from the members of the wider GAA circles in Down and I have no doubt it can be turned around.

An absolutely ridiculous point to make and a prime example of "the Down way" attitude.

Adapt to the changing demands of the game. Donegal did it, Tyrone did it, Armagh did it, Dublin did it, Kerry do it all the time.

[speculative]

Can we please stop with this crap of "oh, he's trying his best" or "what have you done for Down football" etc, etc. The fact of the matter is that the Down Country Board Executive have failed systematically over the past decade.

Sick of detailing the litany of failures...

They MUST GO!!

[BarryBreensBandage]

Down, even by normal standards, are under performing, as are a lot of counties in Ireland. This cannot be the fault of one or two individuals. There was a segment on Newstalk over the weekend on Down, and taking in the religious split, we should have a population of over 200,000 to support the GAA.
In my opinion the issues are the following:

1. Most of the towns/cities have fallen behind in bringing through support and players. Newry Shamrocks, Bosco, Mitchels, Clann na Banna, Bredagh, Carryduff, Downpatrick all play outside the top division. This is not a criticism of these clubs and their hard working members (see below), just a fact. Some of these clubs have 30-40 kids turning up for U12 football - there has to be a focus on how to keep the numbers interested in Gaelic as their primary sport.
2. Co. Down schools have the same problem at present. The cream of talent of both Down and Armagh attend these schools and there is fleeting success in the older age groups.
3. Lack of volunteers - talk to anybody in the county board setup, and the lack of support is a major issue, from fundraising to scheduling, referees etc. As it is sometimes in the club setup, the work is divided by the relative few and I have never known it to be any different. Maybe the county setup is the same? Maybe a few doing too much and spreading themselves thin?
4. I don't believe that we have a lack of players, I think we lack something for the players to believe in. What joy or pride is there in pulling on a red and black jersey now? All that awaits is abuse.
5.  The sooner someone realises that Down football's strength was never defence, or short hand passing, or chasing a game, or sticking rigidly to tactics, the better. 6. Aggression to get the ball, using fitness levels properly, basic skills, winning break ball all comes with confidence.

Short term we need someone to restore the confidence in this group of players, give each chosen player a decent chance and start with a realistic goal. If that is Burns then he must have time to develop the team.

With regards to the county board, again, realistic targets. Whether individuals stay or go, a plan to sort finances has to be put in place and reviewed after a year with goals to be achieved - some great suggestions on this board to start! This plan should then be circulated to all clubs, and asking for assistance, where required.

It wasn't too long ago that we were visiting Croke Park and were within a point of winning an All Ireland. We are a long way off that day, but small steps with a bit of reason and conviction from the members of the wider GAA circles in Down and I have no doubt it can be turned around.

An absolutely ridiculous point to make and a prime example of "the Down way" attitude.

Adapt to the changing demands of the game. Donegal did it, Tyrone did it, Armagh did it, Dublin did it, Kerry do it all the time.

Such a measured, insightful response; I am surprised no one hasn't thought of it before. Well Done.

[cut the crap]

Most if what is posted here has a common thread and all believe that 1
1.Our finances are in a terrible mess , we need a plan of action,and we need shot of the individuals who have got us into this mess.
2.We have got to focus on our youth via the schools , the underage development squads , which I believe is happening but more is needed , a greater emphasis needs to be put on this development by the clubs.We are playing catch up in this regard compared to other counties.
3.Our senior team is not competitive , not the fault of the current players one could argue nor the current management but seriously was Eamonn the Nos 1 target to replace Jim McCorry,this appointment clearly showed the county executive for whatever reason decided to replace this man with no one in mind to take over.
The common denominator in all of these is the influence of Sean og , I have said on here before he maybe a staunch Gael , a hard worker but no one can convince me that his influence has contributed to this county s demise ,he needs replacing , i can see no reasonable case for him to stay.