Down Club Hurling & Football

[Mourne Red]

Carryduff ??
Loughinisland - new management - Conor OToole??
Kilcoo - new management required
Burren - new management required
Clonduff - new management required
Mayobridge- new management - Bernie Murray??
CPN - new management required
Bredagh - new management required
Bryansford - new management required
Longstone - new management required

Must be a record for the top ten clubs in the county to have so much management activity in one off season..

Castlewellan
Ballyholland - new management - Shane Mulholland
Saul - new management - John Fegan
Downpatrick - new management required
Liatroim - will probably stick with current setup??
Saval - new management required
Shamrocks - will probably stick with DJ
Rostrevor -
Glen - ?
Drumgath - ??

Anyone any updates on above?

Downpatrick job gone to Duffin and McCrickard

[thewobbler]

Down football is falling down with coaches who can quickly spot and replicate the more negative sides of Kilcoo's game: how to form a blockade between your 21 and 25. How to endlessly recycle with patience. How to assign man markers who literally do nothing but man mark. How to wind up and leave sky digs on opponents. How to intimidate referees. How to appeal and jostle every county board decision. How to build a cloak of omertà around the team. Etc.

But despite all of their expensive support teams and specialists, and despite all of their infatuation with stupid statistics, and with even stupider GPS data, and despite all of their hours watching, dissecting then foisting the sheer boredom of club football videos upon everyone...... not one manager in the county seems to be able to get a handle on let alone replicate what makes Kilcoo so bloody good.

None of them have found a way to control momentum against Kilcoo; actually none of them have even found a way to negate Kilcoo's control of momentum. None of them seem to be able to stop Kane kicking the ball into an unmarked man in the right half back channel, even though this has been his bailout kick out for years. So nobody ever scores twice in a row against them. When teams do force Kilcoo into a mistake, it's almost a given that they'll then retreat and hug the life out of the ball for a couple of mins just to get a breather; the exact opposite of how Kilcoo behave in this situation, where they'll pile forward at multiple angles. When you have the ball and Kilcoo get you where they want you - endlessly recycling on the Kilcoo 45 - it never seems to dawn on anyone that this might be the correct time to load the square and make Kilcoo retreat to match up the numbers, and not just form a line with them across the 45, waiting for the inevitable dispossession.


I'm not saying that Kilcoo aren't better anyhow. They probably are. But by f**k wouldn't it be nice if one team in Down didn't just fall into their traps? Just once?

Management in Down club football is bluffery of the highest order. Absolute bluffery.

[Maurice Moss]

Down football is falling down with coaches who can quickly spot and replicate the more negative sides of Kilcoo's game: how to form a blockade between your 21 and 25. How to endlessly recycle with patience. How to assign man markers who literally do nothing but man mark. How to wind up and leave sky digs on opponents. How to intimidate referees. How to appeal and jostle every county board decision. How to build a cloak of omertà around the team. Etc.

But despite all of their expensive support teams and specialists, and despite all of their infatuation with stupid statistics, and with even stupider GPS data, and despite all of their hours watching, dissecting then foisting the sheer boredom of club football videos upon everyone...... not one manager in the county seems to be able to get a handle on let alone replicate what makes Kilcoo so bloody good.

None of them have found a way to control momentum against Kilcoo; actually none of them have even found a way to negate Kilcoo's control of momentum. None of them seem to be able to stop Kane kicking the ball into an unmarked man in the right half back channel, even though this has been his bailout kick out for years. So nobody ever scores twice in a row against them. When teams do force Kilcoo into a mistake, it's almost a given that they'll then retreat and hug the life out of the ball for a couple of mins just to get a breather; the exact opposite of how Kilcoo behave in this situation, where they'll pile forward at multiple angles. When you have the ball and Kilcoo get you where they want you - endlessly recycling on the Kilcoo 45 - it never seems to dawn on anyone that this might be the correct time to load the square and make Kilcoo retreat to match up the numbers, and not just form a line with them across the 45, waiting for the inevitable dispossession.


I'm not saying that Kilcoo aren't better anyhow. They probably are. But by f**k wouldn't it be nice if one team in Down didn't just fall into their traps? Just once?

Management in Down club football is bluffery of the highest order. Absolute bluffery.

We are good like 🏁

[downtothecore]

 

[PTC]

Carryduff ??
Loughinisland - new management - Conor OToole??
Kilcoo - new management required
Burren - new management required
Clonduff - new management required
Mayobridge- new management - Bernie Murray??
CPN - new management required
Bredagh - new management required
Bryansford - new management required
Longstone - new management required

Must be a record for the top ten clubs in the county to have so much management activity in one off season..

Castlewellan
Ballyholland - new management - Shane Mulholland
Saul - new management - John Fegan
Downpatrick - new management required
Liatroim - will probably stick with current setup??
Saval - new management required
Shamrocks - will probably stick with DJ
Rostrevor -
Glen - ?
Drumgath - ??

Anyone any updates on above?

Danny hughes in line for the Burren job

[Gaelforce123]

You will join Shane in the Harps this year then Wobbler? Sounds like you have the answers to overcome what nobody else can see? Sounds handy enough to be fair

[thewobbler]

You will join Shane in the Harps this year then Wobbler? Sounds like you have the answers to overcome what nobody else can see? Sounds handy enough to be fair

I don't have any answers. They're just observations.

The gap between Kilcoo and everyone else is getting bigger.

And we, the clubs of Down, are paying men handsomely while this is happening.

Is this not a fair observation?

And if it is a fair observation, should we not be expecting more?

[Gaelforce123]

Fair to have an observation, mine would be that clubs do not present these management teams with players who have been invested in correctly or at least in the way that kilcoo have done. Through their juvenile playing careers they need to be moulded into athletes not just footballers and be tactically aware and of course coachable. Kilcoo isnt full of great footballers. They are the same as anyone else, some elite, some good and some average but whats different is their athletic ability, and their mentality and of course their ability to pay attention to detail even when it is to bend the rules in their favour or to mislead with regards to winning frees.

[Splash]

We're lucky we have the hurling finals this weekend to offer a distraction from whatever is going on in football land.

Should be a great weekend. Looking forward to it.

Portaferry v Ballycran will hopefully offer a spectacle and hopefully at least one of our senior finals goes down without a hiccup.

Portaferry have gone well all year, despite droppings game to ballycran in the round robin. Honestly not much between the teams. Portaferry some top class forwards that will damage any defence. Will want to retain their title and show they are a better team than got manhandled by Slaughtneil in ulster last year.

Be interesting to see how Pearce Smyth gets on. Stephen Kieth seems as though he may be coming to the end of his county highs. Is it time to give Smyth a chance? Kieth has been a great servant to Down, and his greatest moment for me is the day he won the game for Down to put Offaly out of the Christy Ring. A real good man to have had. Unfortunately, last year Down's goal difference did nobody any favours. This is not Kieth's fault. We had a dismal year and you can't blame SK. When you lets teams like Laois through, it's hard for a keeper. We need to be ready for the future. Depending on how Smyth gets on tomorrow, he may be worth a shout. Seems to be a natural successor. For my two cents, Gary McMullan of Ballela should be in with a shout. He carried Ballela for most of the year, and whilst it is easy to say Ballea's habit of leaking goals is a massive problem, I really don't think a lot of that is McMullan's fault. He was the one constant in a poor year. His defence left him exposed constantly. Superb puck outs, too.

Anyway, that's for someone else to decide next year.

Ballycran, despite being exposed against Liatroim, would be my choice to lift the cup.

Have been on a good run all year. Will have the forwards to compete with Portaferry. Ben Arthurs is a dangerous man in front of the net in particular. Paul Sheehan obviously a massive coup for them. Was hesitant about how he would fare at the beginning of the year, but he really seems to have found his feet, no bother. I am sure he'll be hoping for nothing more than to add to his medal collection.

Who was the last person to have won junior, intermediate, and senior championship medals in Down? Must be a life time ago considering the lay of the land in the County?

Ballycran seem to have the defensive ability to deal with Portaferry, too. Anything I've seen of Conor Woods he's been on absolutely great form this year. His strike of a ball is phenomenal. Liam Savage, too seems to be on a good run.

Ultimately think when push comes to shove ballycran look stronger and fitter, too.

Arytom Gleason still with the Kircubbin men? I'm sure there was a lot of 'what ifs' watching Carlow in the Joe McDonagh this year. The man would be a good addition to any team.

Say Ballycran top Portaferry in most areas. They seem to have a bit of hunger more.

Liatroim be feeling hard done by that they're not there on Sunday. Would have been a great thing for South Down hurling, and would have been nice to see them win a double.

Is Calaon Taggart playing on Sunday? He's named for the Irish Squad as far as I know? Would be a big miss for Portaferry.

Difficult to see how either team will deal with Cushendall in November. The physicality Cushendall bring (and Slaughtneil for that matter) looks to be too much for any team in Down at the minute. Also have far better hurlers across the field it would seem. Hard to see past Cushendall winning well and setting up a final with Slaughtneil. I hope I am wrong on this, but Cushendall simply seem better.

We need to raise our standard in Down. Realistically, all teams are a good bit off of winning a senior ulster championship. If we want Down to do well, we want the clubs to do well. Simple as that. Honestly hard to see any senior club winning Ulster, though. Hopefully this changes. We need to be, generally, at a higher level.

But that's a discussion for a couple weeks away. Let's hope we have a good final on Sunday, and hope the weather is kinder to us than it was last year. Great the final is in Newry. Would encourage any football to take a run down and see what all the craic is about.

Should be a great weekend, either way.

Hopefully goes down better than the football did, any road. 

We've a great chance to redeem County Down in the nation's eye this weekend with a great spectacle. Best of luck to everyone involved. Do us proud.⬛️🟥

[Maurice Moss]

Fair to have an observation, mine would be that clubs do not present these management teams with players who have been invested in correctly or at least in the way that kilcoo have done. Through their juvenile playing careers they need to be moulded into athletes not just footballers and be tactically aware and of course coachable. Kilcoo isnt full of great footballers. They are the same as anyone else, some elite, some good and some average but whats different is their athletic ability, and their mentality and of course their ability to pay attention to detail even when it is to bend the rules in their favour or to mislead with regards to winning frees.

Now now...serious rule bending to win by 9 points on Sunday to be fair to us

[skat man]

You will join Shane in the Harps this year then Wobbler? Sounds like you have the answers to overcome what nobody else can see? Sounds handy enough to be fair

I don't have any answers. They're just observations.

The gap between Kilcoo and everyone else is getting bigger.

And we, the clubs of Down, are paying men handsomely while this is happening.

Is this not a fair observation?

And if it is a fair observation, should we not be expecting more?

Down football currently contains one of the best teams in all ireland . That other down clubs cant get close to them does not have to be a poor reflection on them teams or their management , it can also be that kilcoo are very good and are getting better. if they win ulster does that mean all ulster managers are bluffers too? how about if they win the all ireland again ? look at it from all sides instead of moaning or as the previous poster said get involved with your club management and do something for a few years and maybe you will change your view.

[Splash]

Intermediate Final between Bredagh and Carryduff should be a very good game.

Not too often you see this South Belfast Derby in the hurling. I expect it to be a good show.

I always would have thought of Bredagh as being more of a hurling dominant club whilst Carryduff would be more of a football dominant club, but I would imagine Carryduff come away with the win on Saturday.

Bredagh have struggled badly this year. That devastating opening round loss to Liatroim really did set the tone for a poor season. Salvaging a win from Newry Shamrocks and beating Warrenpoint has done little to resolve the issues.

Donal Hughes has been a massive loss to them. So has Ronan Costello. It's been a hard year, but more minor success for Bredagh means I wouldn't despair too much. Bredagh will eventually win a senior hurling championship. Granted, we've been saying that for a couple of years, but surely you can't keep knocking on the door forever? With so much underage success, it's inevitable?

They'll not fear Carryduff, though. I honestly expected Carryduff to absolutely walk this championship. Whilst they've come out comfortable enough winners in every game, it hasn't been as handy as I was expecting.

Bredagh's competition will stand well to them. Carryduff have had nowhere near the same level to exposure of high level as Bredagh have this year. This may cause problems. Carryduff's forwards have been dangerous, but Bredagh have good defenders. Niall McFarland is, in my opinion, a great asset to any defence. Carryduff have very much seemed like they were destined to win this from the start, but will that complacency cause problems?

Despite all this, Carryduff should have enough to cross the line. They won the friendlies played at the start of the year, and seem to be in a better place than their neighbours at the minute.

These teams met last year in the Betsy Gray final. By all accounts, they both fielded very strong teams and went at it hammer and tongs with carryduff coming out on the better side.

Carryduff will be sick of being the bridesmaid for the past couple years, and it is hard to see anyone stopping them this time.

Either way, I would imagine whoever wins this will do quite well in Ulster. Would imagine Ulster will be between Down Champion, Middletown (Armagh), and Creggan (Antrim). Judging off the fact there was never that much between Carryduff and Liatroim, there is no reason why Carryduff should not win Ulster.

Would be great to see Carryduff win an All Ireland. Would do a lot to lift hurling in a part of Down that we could really tap in to. But let us not get ahead of ourselves.

Will be a tight battle, and Bredagh, despite the bad year they've had, are still a better hurling set up in my opinion. Carryduff have had some success at underage, but not yet on par with Bredagh (although I'm sure they will catch up). Their seconds team don't seem to be anywhere near as competitive this year as they were. Wonder what happened there. Despite this, based on current form, I expect Carryduff to come away with the win.

Will be another great showcase of hurling I hope. The whole north down/Belfast area is one which Down GAA is yet to properly tap into. It seems to be one which we could really benefit from. All three north down hurling teams are in a final this weekend (the other being East Belfast in the Junior Final)- this a great thing for Down. We have a large area of the county which thus far, hasn't really been tapped into. There is a lot of potential here. From a hurling perspective, we are also lucky it has not got a football tradition. We all know the problems with trying to establish hurling in places where football is king. We have a chance to promote both side by side in these areas we are only now starting to see develop into top tier clubs.

On that note, is there many dual players between Bredagh and Carryduff?

All in all, a unique game, and one which should offer a great evening's entertainment.

[Splash]

Must be noted, it was a pity Ballela conceded their final game to Carryduff.

It's understandable why it happened, but it's an awful pity.

It's not good for anybody, but you have to feel for Ballela. A great, proud club. It's sad to see how they've fallen after winning back to back junior championships.

Came very close to folding this year.

Rely far too much on Johnny McCusker for scores. They need to develop other players. They seem to have a good crowd coming through- but how much of that is Ballyvarley and how much is Ballela?

Hope they recover next year. Would I be right in saying they didn't win a game all year?

Ballyvarley found themselves in this position in a couple of years ago, and seem to have come through it for the most part. Hopeuflly Ballela do the same.

Down needs to ensure the future of its clubs. 

[Splash]

If you had said to me at the start of the year, that it would come down to East Belfast and Kilclief in the Junior Final, I don't think I'd have believed you.

Think everybody sort of thought this belonged to Castlewellen and that was it. Be careful what you take for granted I suppose.

You would imagine Kilclief are firm favourites. They absolutely punished EB in the first round, and East Belfast were lucky to scrape a draw against a 13 man Ballyvarley with a last minute goal, whilst Kilclief did well to keep Castlewellen at bay.

Kiclief clearly the better team. They seem to have some great fellas coming through the ranks. Playing in Division One will have served them well. If we're being realistic, kilclief are probably an intermediate team, on par with clonduff/warrenpoint (and now, perhaps, Shamrocks). Still a long way off of being the dominant force they were 50 years ago, but they are going in a good direction it would seem.

East Belfast have it in them to beat Kilclief. In their first game, Kilclief slaughtered them in the first half,  but in the second half, East Belfast came and put a similar score on Kilclief. They have it in them to win.

Would be absolutely great to see East Belfast get a hurling championship after they went through the bomb threats, vandalism at their pitch etc., and it would be a great message to send to show how far we have come as a society.

Kilclief are a physical team, and looked to be the fittest in the championship. They are deadly from placed balls. Hard to know how you cope with that. At this level, that is enough to win plenty.

In saying that, Castlewellen and Ballyvarley did cope with Kilclief and were unlucky to lose in the end. East Belfast can do the same.

Don't know enough about who will be the winners's competition in Ulster (other than Killeavy), but you have to think either team could give it a bit of a rattle.

Will hopefully be a good game. Some great hurlers in both sides, but would imagine the fitness of kilclief will see them over the line.

Great to see East Belfast in a county final in only their third year of existence. Offers great hope to other sides. Some of the arguments against introducing hurling into parishes is because they'll only be getting beating after beating by more established teams, but East Belfast have shown it is possible to mix it with the rest of them. Some going on their behalf.

Would imagine there's a lot of disappointment in Castlewellen. They were convinced (as was everybody else) that they had this championship in the bag. Just goes to show...

What was it went wrong for them this year in the end? Did they believe their own hype too much? Will be very frustrated to not be in intermediate next year.

All the same, there definitely is a good hurling culture being developed around Castlewellen. They'll win a Junior Championship before long, and then, who knows. Hopefully their enthusiasm for the game spreads around the area.

Ballyvarley probably will feel they let something get away.

They were absolutely hammering kiclief when they played them, and let it slip, and were unlucky to not get a win after having two men sent off when EB got a goal with the last puck of the game to steal a draw. Will be hard to watch one of those team playing in the Intermediate next year, knowing they could have had the run of them.

But that's the nature of the championship. Both teams will have to regroup and come back next year.

I said at the start of the championship that the JHC would offer the best viewing for the neutral. I think I was right.

Wasn't thinking the year would pan out the way it did, but it's been great entertainment. Hopefully, there's a great final to see it out.

[johnnycool]

Good insight there Splash..

On the senior game It will boil down to how well Portaferry handle Stuarty Martin and Chris Egan, Chris has had a tough week with his mum passing away so understandable if his head isn't in it. Big Arthurs did a good job on CT in last years final, if he can do the same on Sunday and prevent CT putting ball on a plate for the Portaferry forwards then I'd plump for the Crans. The Sands brothers and young McGrattan like to run onto a ball hit into space and not standing below it, at the same time Conor Woods could have his hands full with Finn Turpin, probably the pick of the young Portaferry guns coming up through the ranks and is looking good for a few starts for the county team.
Crans defence work well as a unit, but lack a bit of pace one on one, it's up to their forwards to make sure the ball in is high and long to give these defenders a chance to be there at the point of contact.

I'm slightly swaying towards the Crans as the pitches get softer, but do we have a referee for the weekends games or is it only Kilcoo games they'll be boycotting next year?


Intermediate I'd say Bredagh with Sean Hughes back fit, he's a big addition for them but Carryduff are confident going into this one, haven't seen them in a while so can't comment.