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Patsy O'Hagan from Clonduff, reputedly the first Irish man to score a Garrick at Wembley.

Just wondering...do any of you lads giving out about our County Board have any experience of scheduling fixtures or juggling multiple requests from awkward club secretaries and even more awkward club managers. I have worked with 4 fixtures secretaries in Down over the last 15 years or so and everyone of them have been nothing but obliging and decent. Sometimes they'll tell you to wise up and take a run and jump if you request something unrealistic....which is fair enough. Mistakes can be made ...no problem with that but in my experience the Down lads looking after fixtures get things right most of the time and do their best to accommodate sensible fixture changes where possible. No need to run them down on here....

Excellent post Paddy.

With a match at the weekend and one training session for an hour during the week is hardly asking too much from young lads. The exercise would do them the world of good .

Welcome aboard Johny Mc  . I disagree with your point about too much underage football though. We have an  all county league with only 9 games. Surely there should be more games at this level. The exam break needs to be done away with and u16 and minor games played at the weekend to ensure a consistent level of football throughout the year.

We are simply not good enough at management or a playing level, sooner the idiots on here realise that the better, I will reserve judgement on the great coaching going on at underage level T O Hare until I hear more, not convinced.

I was the biggest critic a few years back but it's improved and I expect more to come. We are no where near the likes of Tyrone but it's a lot better than 5 years ago. There is a lot of volunteering work going on behind the scenes that we should be thankful for rather than snipe at. We all can improve and strive to be better!

While it's easy to sit behind a computer and ridicule people ,I would like to say that the structures at underage county development are beginning to take shape these last two years. The appointment of Paddy O Rourke to oversee all has really improved things and there is valuable coaching going on with our underage academy squads at present.

You may have a word with McKernan 😉

Benny got an injection on Friday for an injury and in hindsight should not have played. A good game in which we played the better football and should have won. I thought Burren got more favourable decisions from the man in the middle😉 Kevin O'Rourke is playing some football for us at the minute, if Geezer does not want him then Eamon Burns should ask him to play for Down. Both teams were missing 5/6 championship starters but I agree that the  magpies are the early pace setters but it's early in the season .

The Red high has over 800 pupils and should be a McRory school. The county board is currently reviewing where coaches are placed. There will be more coaches in secondary schools in the near future if principals allow them. It's early days but the magpies are still the team to beat, Burren will be close to them  when they get all their players back.

We are over the moon to be in the final after contesting a really tough group. Beating Warrenpoint last week was a great achievement considering we are playing with eight 2015 minors. Clonduff have a bit more experience and will be favourites but the conditions this time of year are a great leveller. Underage football is a stepping stone to senior and we are happy with our boys progression but a county title would be a nice end to 2015.

Was talking to a Down senior player (I wont mention any names). They told me that Benny and Dan Gordan have been added into their whatsapp group chat for 2016 McKenna cup provisional squad. This is great news for the county as two great leaders are brought back into the changing rooms. Maybe something what we were missing last year?

Definitely not!!!

Fair pay to all who done the jail break. Looks to have been a great success.

T O Hare why Dawson can you see what the attraction is its a honest question maybe I am missing something.

g

I only manage teams in the club , I'm not that much involved.

Dawson confirmed as mayobridges manager on Twitter

That was quick 💶💰💶💰
Backward step Frank..
[/quote

Couldn't get Gormley

T O Hare fill us in on the Dawson story are Mayobridge really thinking of giving him the managers job?

Jody Gormley to take over Downs oldest club lads