Down Club Hurling & Football

Started by Lecale2, November 10, 2006, 12:06:55 AM

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OgraAnDun

0-04 to 0-03 to Cork at half time.

At 3 points to no score I believed we might go in at half time on top for the first time this year, but unfortunately it was not to be and normality has resumed.

snoopdog

Quote from: OgraAnDun on March 27, 2016, 02:42:38 PM
0-04 to 0-03 to Cork at half time.

At 3 points to no score I believed we might go in at half time on top for the first time this year, but unfortunately it was not to be and normality has resumed.
Following Down long enough to know they always let you Down. Majority of time anyway.

OgraAnDun

#26132
Quote from: snoopdog on March 27, 2016, 02:54:30 PM
Quote from: OgraAnDun on March 27, 2016, 02:42:38 PM
0-04 to 0-03 to Cork at half time.

At 3 points to no score I believed we might go in at half time on top for the first time this year, but unfortunately it was not to be and normality has resumed.
Following Down long enough to know they always let you Down. Majority of time anyway.

Heart gets the better of the head every single time though.


Now 0-07 to 0-03.

Dubh driocht

Well that's division one over for another few years. We're unlikely to get much from Mayo, or Monaghan in the championship, so a tough qualifier draw could see the senior team go through 2016 without beating another county.
The Under 21s were not up to it so lets hope the minors can do something.
So what have we learned in the last 12 months ? Nobody could be bothered reading long rants so I'll be brief as I can.

There are structural problems at executive level. There is too much power vested in the main paid employee. The County Board has got committed people, some excellent, some far from it. Due to mismanagement of underage teams and structures there is limited talent coming through but there is still enough talent to make us competitive.

Mc Corry was stubborn but got commitment from an average group of players. The Kilcoo lads epitomise this but could have shown more loyalty to the county at a time of need in Wexford. The County Executive knew what they were getting when they appointed Mc Corry and should have had the courage to stand over their decision. Having not covered themselves in glory it was no surprise that they found that strong candidates were weary about taking on the role of manager.

Whoever took on the post was going to struggle, especially when key men weren't available. Eamon Burns is honest and well liked but it's not clear that he has a plan. Division 1 is merciless and, apart from Clones, it has been a campaign to forget. I struggle to find positives going into the championship but maybe someone else can ?

cut the crap

Well put Dubh , all points covered, no disputing the facts, my question would be where do we go from here, the only thing worse than playing in Div 2 is falling further into Div3 , it's how we recover , it's going to take an  over haul of under age coaching at county level, the coaches have to be accountable and judged on the success of our under age teams at school and inter county level.
Next up the county executive , remove any power they have in selection of any county team manager, for far to long , members of that executive have elected themselves unto selection panels to interview , appoint and then seek to fire team managers, some of these guys never played football at any decent level. If county board reps seek election to the executive it should be to administrate and improve the county infrastructure and God knows we need some good ones after the debacle of Burrenbridge and the unholy mess our county senior football team finds itself in.Maybe we don't have the players at present but let's not be to proud to acknowledge and perhaps copy the set ups in other counties.We were once innovators and other counties followed us , maybe it's time for a spot of role reversal.

Mourne Rover

Our senior team has now lost 11 competitive matches on the bounce against inter-county opposition over the last 12 months, which is probably our worst run in 60 years or more. We have been equally disappointing at underage level in recent seasons, culminating in our u21s collapsing to a 22-point hammering at home to Armagh last month in what may well have been the most atrocious performance by any Down side in living memory. Given that we lost All Ireland finals by a single point in 2009 (u21) and 2010 (senior), and we have subsequently spent four of the last six years in the league's top division, it has been a dramatic decline by any standards which goes beyond  individual managerial appointments. If the rest of this season follows the same pattern, as most Down supporters fear may well happen, there is an overwhelming case for an independent review of our structures leading to fundamental overall changes.

Line Ball

We have already tried to change things at underage but I'm not sure if these will make much difference.  The appointment of James Mc Cartan is extremely positive and they had a good win over Cavan on Saturday and ran Monaghan close the week before.  They have held extensive training sessions and trials, putting together a decent panel at present.  If anyone can get the best out of them, then James can.  The development squads have been revamped I believe and I know that the U.17 team play after the minor league games.  Steven Poacher is over the U.17 squad but I haven't heard much about how they are going and I think there are some other decent coaches involved as well. The creation of the Mourne Academy is another positive move which was meant to identify talent at U.15, U.16 and U.17 but I have heard both good/bad aspects about this and only time will tell whether it has been be successful or not.  The U.21's has been the most disappointing part of our development and considering the time they had to pick a panel and train extensively, putting in a performance which was one of the worst I have ever witnessed is just not good enough.  Someone told me that for two years now we have not had any U.21 players on the senior panel, never mind starters for the senior team.  If this is the case then our current senior squad, the worst in living memory, do not have any up and coming players good enough to play of break through in the next 12/18 months.  I'm not even going to get into the County Board but the lack of serious investment, on many fronts, has us in the current mess we are in with the incompetence in of many individuals having cost us dearly and we continue to pay for this, also on many fronts

SHEEDY

A lot of good posts there lads, hard for anyone to argue against anything posted above. Depressing times.
nil satis nisi optimum

rosskarr

Quote from: Mourne Rover on March 27, 2016, 10:51:48 PM
Our senior team has now lost 11 competitive matches on the bounce against inter-county opposition over the last 12 months, which is probably our worst run in 60 years or more. We have been equally disappointing at underage level in recent seasons, culminating in our u21s collapsing to a 22-point hammering at home to Armagh last month in what may well have been the most atrocious performance by any Down side in living memory. Given that we lost All Ireland finals by a single point in 2009 (u21) and 2010 (senior), and we have subsequently spent four of the last six years in the league's top division, it has been a dramatic decline by any standards which goes beyond  individual managerial appointments. If the rest of this season follows the same pattern, as most Down supporters fear may well happen, there is an overwhelming case for an independent review of our structures leading to fundamental overall changes.
When Mourne Rover (who has been  usually fair and mild in the past) is calling for an Independent Review it is definitely time for it.

Samforever

Quote from: rosskarr on March 28, 2016, 09:00:52 PM
Quote from: Mourne Rover on March 27, 2016, 10:51:48 PM
Our senior team has now lost 11 competitive matches on the bounce against inter-county opposition over the last 12 months, which is probably our worst run in 60 years or more. We have been equally disappointing at underage level in recent seasons, culminating in our u21s collapsing to a 22-point hammering at home to Armagh last month in what may well have been the most atrocious performance by any Down side in living memory. Given that we lost All Ireland finals by a single point in 2009 (u21) and 2010 (senior), and we have subsequently spent four of the last six years in the league's top division, it has been a dramatic decline by any standards which goes beyond  individual managerial appointments. If the rest of this season follows the same pattern, as most Down supporters fear may well happen, there is an overwhelming case for an independent review of our structures leading to fundamental overall changes.
When Mourne Rover (who has been  usually fair and mild in the past) is calling for an Independent Review it is definitely time for it.
Agreed re Mourne Rover but so far there are lots of posters mainly highlighting problems here and not many solutions. Would ask Mourne Rover how would he or she envisage the establishment of such a review. Can you see Turkeys voting for Christmas? This proposal, I imagine , would need to come from a county board delegate or a collective of clubs driving it. Is there  the will drive and energy in the county to push this. . What would be the make up the independent review panel? Am not looking for names but what type of personnel would be considered and appointed by whom? What would be their remit or terms of reference? Whatever we do or however we do it something needs to happen fairly quickly as these are worrying times on all fronts

NP 76

I was at the u 17 Dev squad game on sat it was an awful windy day and was really a tale of 2 halves. Down were leading 3-03 to 0-02 at Ht I think to end up getting beat by 2. If we are serious about developing lads I really fail to see how as per usual with Poucher he played 14 men behind the ball and invited a team on to him which they truly obliged. It was terrible to watch and I really felt for the lad left up on his own. If we think that this is development of young lads I despair how will these lads know any creative flair to win games in later life. We really are in a desperate situation and for the first time in I don't know how long I didn't go on Sunday. The problems are not only coming to light now but have been festering a long time and 2010 only papered over the cracks. The executive of our county move chairs when their time is up in one position thus ensuring a stagnant committee year after year to be honest I believe they don't even want any new blood involved at all

cut the crap

I think it is time for an open county board meeting with each club providing three delegates and only one item on the clar , the election of an independent review body made up of ex county players  and down people who have a proven business background.
This meeting would be after club meetings who then could come to the county meeting with specific points to be discussed.
If we don't meet and look to restructure  the county executive and all that is bad within Down football we can look forward to a depressing future.
No other county in   Ireland is in the position we are in and if they were , change would not be long happening.

imagine

Quote from: cut the crap on March 29, 2016, 07:46:07 AM
I think it is time for an open county board meeting with each club providing three delegates and only one item on the clar , the election of an independent review body made up of ex county players  and down people who have a proven business background.
This meeting would be after club meetings who then could come to the county meeting with specific points to be discussed.
If we don't meet and look to restructure  the county executive and all that is bad within Down football we can look forward to a depressing future.
No other county in   Ireland is in the position we are in and if they were , change would not be long happening.
All very well saying this but in our Club the only people who get to go to any County Board meetings are the elder statesmen
who see it as some sort of reward for long service and we here wouldn't get them to bring any such ideas to there.

Hope you can convince your Club to do so but I wouldn't bank on it.Normal (abnormal really) will continue until we are really in the gutter.We're only on the kerb at the minute and I suppose
only a step away from where we need to be for anything to be done.

snoopdog

As much as I hate to say it would some kind of supporter stance highlight the feeling to the county board. Do the supporters club have any say or sway. Maybe pulling membership of club Down etc and non attendance at county games. Would that get a message across.
As most point out here we won't see change until the county board gets an overhaul. Depressing times. Have we ever lost so many games in a row regardless of division.

Smurfy123

The secondary schools in Down need to take a hard long look at themselves regarding GAA being done in schools
The abbey train as little as they can possibly get away with.Havent looked like competing in mccory level for about 7 years
St Marks don't even train anymore(imagine that team that got beat in the final actually trained)
St Colmans again the tradition they have should be doing better.They used to be the big hitters of school football not anymore
St Joseph's are working with a limited bunch but we should be producing 1-2 players out if this school every few years but we are not.
St Louis has produced nothing really since the team that clarke played in
St Malachys are now run by a rugby man and haven't really been competing like they once did when PJ Magee was head of PE
St Columbans are not producing to the standard that they were years ago when they won an all Ireland but what I will give poacher credit for he certainly puts the work in on the training ground and he puts it all into the GAA
We have lost some great PE teachers over the last 10 years
PJ MAGEE
BARNEY MCALEENAN
TOM CUNNINGHAM
VAL KANE
PETE MCGRATH
RAY MORGAN
SEAN MULHOLLAND
GERARD HUGHES
All massive GAA fanatics and I'm afraid to say bar poacher the rest are not putting in the work