Down Club Hurling & Football

[Truth hurts]

What about the standard of football in comparison ?

Wasn't great. Granemore reminded me of how so many teams Approach Kilcoo; over coached to the point of paralysis - zero risks apart occasionally lumping it long, ending up as their entire output. .

The amount of money the McAleenans and Sloan are on - they would need to be coached to paralysis. How someone who has won absolutely zero at club level manager can walk into a club and ask for that sort of money is beyond me. He may feel he earned it by being at CPN and getting pittance but developed us. Still won nothing.

McAleenan took Warrenpoint to a senior final playing a great brand of football yet you still are spiteful.

[TakeTheMark]

Downpatrick and Longstone didn't field yesterday, it's fair to say that's farcical.

Carryduff hammering teams after taking players in on sanctions (when They were already strong),  it's also fair to say that's farcical.

On the first point, it highlights the constant problem with this age group. Someone in a club will do a headcount of available players, and if there's enough they will enter. But if numbers are tight, it won't take much more than a handful of injuries and walkaways to arrive at not fielding. I think there is an inevitability about this each year: it'll always happen to one or two clubs.

But your second point isn't fair at all. The situation that County Board has created, whereby players from clubs that cannot field, can gain a temporary sanction to another club, is actually a good partial solution to this problem; for it mitigates internal club pressure to enter a competition when will likely struggle to field.

I know you think there might be a perfect solution here whereby the county board intervenes on every sanction and forces the players to "under-subscribed" teams only. But there's not. By virtue of entering a competition a club has indicated that they have the player numbers already in place, to compete. Which means that technically every one of them is "over-subscribed" and have no need for sanctioned help.

A club with the catchment of Carryduff should not be allowed a sanction, it defeats the purpose of this competition. They hammered the Point yesterday and fair play to Warrenpoint who played A when they could have hid in the B competion like a few other big named clubs, The county board should be sayng where teams play.

So on that basis, a player from a club unable to field a team is not allowed to play for a nearby club because they are 'too strong', and is left with two options: travel a considerable distance to a club which is, by definition, weaker, or sit out the year entirely?

That's a good way to keep young players interested in the game.

[Truth hurts]

Downpatrick and Longstone didn't field yesterday, it's fair to say that's farcical.

Carryduff hammering teams after taking players in on sanctions (when They were already strong),  it's also fair to say that's farcical.

On the first point, it highlights the constant problem with this age group. Someone in a club will do a headcount of available players, and if there's enough they will enter. But if numbers are tight, it won't take much more than a handful of injuries and walkaways to arrive at not fielding. I think there is an inevitability about this each year: it'll always happen to one or two clubs.

But your second point isn't fair at all. The situation that County Board has created, whereby players from clubs that cannot field, can gain a temporary sanction to another club, is actually a good partial solution to this problem; for it mitigates internal club pressure to enter a competition when will likely struggle to field.

I know you think there might be a perfect solution here whereby the county board intervenes on every sanction and forces the players to "under-subscribed" teams only. But there's not. By virtue of entering a competition a club has indicated that they have the player numbers already in place, to compete. Which means that technically every one of them is "over-subscribed" and have no need for sanctioned help.

A club with the catchment of Carryduff should not be allowed a sanction, it defeats the purpose of this competition. They hammered the Point yesterday and fair play to Warrenpoint who played A when they could have hid in the B competion like a few other big named clubs, The county board should be sayng where teams play.

So on that basis, a player from a club unable to field a team is not allowed to play for a nearby club because they are 'too strong', and is left with two options: travel a considerable distance to a club which is, by definition, weaker, or sit out the year entirely?

That's a good way to keep young players interested in the game.

Darragh Cross maybe go to Loughinisland and push them up to A championship

Bredagh who should be in A beat Shamrocks by 29 points yesterday, that a good way to keep the Newry lads interested!

[outinfront]

Yet just beat Bryansford and were well beat by Annaclone last week...Shamrocks shipped heavy defeats in all 3 games

[bigarsedkeeper]

Yet just beat Bryansford and were well beat by Annaclone last week...Shamrocks shipped heavy defeats in all 3 games

There probably could be a third competition level but there'd most likely be a club in it that somebody else thinks shouldn't be. There's always going to be mismatches unfortunately.

Maybe another competition from this week for the lowest placed teams would help.

[Truth hurts]

Yet just beat Bryansford and were well beat by Annaclone last week...Shamrocks shipped heavy defeats in all 3 games

Carryduff
Bredagh
Clonduff
Burren
Kilcoo
Mayobridge
Bryansford
and now Ballyholland Harps are A championship teams at underage 95% of the time.

[outinfront]

Yes but you have to take into account what players from the relevant age groups are actually available in any given year.   

[Truth hurts]

Yes but you have to take into account what players from the relevant age groups are actually available in any given year.

That's easy, go back to the last 4 all-county minor league and championships. Bryansford, Ballyholland, and Bredagh should have been pushed up but  because Burren are so strong they decided to hide in B championship. That's unfair on smaller clubs, very unfair.

[thewobbler]

Yes but you have to take into account what players from the relevant age groups are actually available in any given year.

That's easy, go back to the last 4 all-county minor league and championships. Bryansford, Ballyholland, and Bredagh should have been pushed up but  because Burren are so strong they decided to hide in B championship. That's unfair on smaller clubs, very unfair.

We started a 13-a-side under-20 match yesterday with 4 x u17s.

But you seem to know better.

[Mourne Red]

Yes but you have to take into account what players from the relevant age groups are actually available in any given year.

That's easy, go back to the last 4 all-county minor league and championships. Bryansford, Ballyholland, and Bredagh should have been pushed up but  because Burren are so strong they decided to hide in B championship. That's unfair on smaller clubs, very unfair.

Suppose none of those players have university abroad and are just sitting around at home for an U20 Championship...

[redandblackareback]

the u20 competition is turning into a farce

good appointment with Mickey Donnelly coming in, I am excited as a Down supporter for the coming year. We have the right men in our set ups and we have a lot to look forward to.
Lavo, Marty, Donnelly, Benny, Darren and Donal know what it takes o be a county player.

Describe how it is a good appointment? You must not venture further than those local cafes you get your misinformation from. Donnelly was with Tyrone club Ardboe for 3 seasons and couldn't even win one senior championship match. He cost the club a lot of money along with his in-house backroom team who were also getting paid, Ardboe relieved to get rid of them all. I wouldn't be getting too excited, he was at least the sixth man approached and took a lot of convincing.

[Truth hurts]

the u20 competition is turning into a farce

good appointment with Mickey Donnelly coming in, I am excited as a Down supporter for the coming year. We have the right men in our set ups and we have a lot to look forward to.
Lavo, Marty, Donnelly, Benny, Darren and Donal know what it takes o be a county player.

Describe how it is a good appointment? You must not venture further than those local cafes you get your misinformation from. Donnelly was with Tyrone club Ardboe for 3 seasons and couldn't even win one senior championship match. He cost the club a lot of money along with his in-house backroom team who were also getting paid, Ardboe relieved to get rid of them all. I wouldn't be getting too excited, he was at least the sixth man approached and took a lot of convincing.

Coaches St Ronans to win a McRory and Hogan, Derry to u20 Ulster, Mayobridge to 2 senior finals, coached Ballybay and Ardboe to reach senior finals, his track record is impressive.
At least 6? WWho was prior to him ?

[redandblackareback]

Laverty has managed to convince Johnny Davis to join the backroom team next season as strength and conditioning coach, although disappointingly 4 prominent coaches have turned down a selectors role with him. He's really struggling to add to Morgan and Clarke. His former Kilcoo team mate Darragh O'Hanlon will manage the county U20 side.

Truth Hurts really surprise with your "inside knowledge" you didn't know this 5 weeks ago when I posted. Need to be careful naming names but Gilligan, Mal O'Rourke, Banty, are certainly 3 who turned it down and Donnelly was knocked out of the Tyrone championship 5 weeks ago so why not announce it then???

[bridgegael]

the u20 competition is turning into a farce

good appointment with Mickey Donnelly coming in, I am excited as a Down supporter for the coming year. We have the right men in our set ups and we have a lot to look forward to.
Lavo, Marty, Donnelly, Benny, Darren and Donal know what it takes o be a county player.

Describe how it is a good appointment? You must not venture further than those local cafes you get your misinformation from. Donnelly was with Tyrone club Ardboe for 3 seasons and couldn't even win one senior championship match. He cost the club a lot of money along with his in-house backroom team who were also getting paid, Ardboe relieved to get rid of them all. I wouldn't be getting too excited, he was at least the sixth man approached and took a lot of convincing.

Mickey got Ardboe to county final and were only beat by a penalty in last kick of the game, so at least when you are running the man down get your facts right.
A very good appointment for Down.

[Johnnysboys]

McAleenan took Warrenpoint to a senior final playing a great brand of football yet you still are spiteful.
[/quote]

Great brand of football my ass. We were still beaten in that final don't forget. At the end of the day all anyone is concerned about is silverware. Yet again he has failed to deliver yesterday.