Down Club Hurling & Football

[whitegoodman]

A win at all cost mentality taken too far perhaps.

Is it true Benny is away from the county and Mickey Walsh and Mark Doran are in.  If correct it's nice to see performances being rewarded !!

[Last Caress]

I'm not agreeing that they should have appealed it but that's the system and the right to appeal is part of that. It's a regular occurrence that decisions are over turned on a technicality.

[MK]

Congrats to kilcoo unbelievable year to go unbeaten in the minors and premier reserves and also win the senior league and championship

Add to that The Ulster League and the club championship seems a little more inviting with the demise of Slaughtneil and their replacement entering these stages for the first time .... in quite a while

[Last Caress]

Congrats to kilcoo unbelievable year to go unbeaten in the minors and premier reserves and also win the senior league and championship

Add to that The Ulster League and the club championship seems a little more inviting with the demise of Slaughtneil and their replacement entering these stages for the first time .... in quite a while

it's been a very successful year for them. Without a doubt . Is there not a ladies football title in there too?

[champion1981]

Best team maybe but Kilcoo should be ashamed of themselves for playing the man who was suspended for goading an opponent about his mother who had recently died. Appealing the suspension to Croke Park on a technicality was without justification. A tainted county title

ashamed of winning? I honestly don't think that the magpies will care, fair played lads enjoys the celebrations!  Best club in down by miles, hope someday our wee club could be half as successful 😉🇮🇪

[KeyboardWarrior645]

A win at all cost mentality taken too far perhaps.

Is it true Benny is away from the county and Mickey Walsh and Mark Doran are in.  If correct it's nice to see performances being rewarded !!

Benny back with bridge?

[outinfront]

Are we not? I really don’t know where the argument is here
Semi final of championship
CPN
BURREN
MAYOBRIDGE
KILCOO

League finish
BURREN
MAYOBRIDGE
CPN
KILCOO

What am I missing

Smurfy - Becoming like some of the other bores on here. You seemed to be celebrating winning nothing on that post. Now I’m not slating that, success sometimes isnt a measure of the trophies in the cabinet but the end result of the efforts. Saul for example, I think can be quite happy and rightly celebrate staying in Div2, why shouldn’t they. Bryansford, May once have been a team to beat, but tough times come to every club. Again what is success.

Agree entirely!  If you can't celebrate a massive come back and win after extra time to stay up in a division that you were just promoted to  (Saul) then what can you do.  It's not just the efforts of the one match but the entire season. 


Back to Reserves.  On a few points made - I think reserve players should be able to go support their senior team at matches.  Playing at the same time would put an end to that!

On the elite league point - while I agree participation is ultimately something we need to achieve we shouldn't keep rejigging things just so it makes it easier for some teams.  The premier league is there to encourage competitive games and to improve players, many who are working towards senior squad.  As I already said we have south and east down leagues.  So the less strong teams are hardly being forgotten or  'cast aside'. 

Where the big struggle with participation is is div 4 senior teams.  The likes of Ballykinlar and Killyleagh have dropped away.  How do we help there?

[downjim]

There was a bad atmosphere in Pairc Esler yesterday with the news that they appealed suspension to Croke Park and got off with a technicality. Apologies are easily said but the saying goes actions speak louder than words.
A magnificent year for Kilcoo but tainted again with bad press. They don't care though and that's fine but there are greater things in life than medals to be taught. Enjoy your gloating because it won't last forever.

[thewobbler]

To be honest I'm not sure many clubs would have reacted any differently to Kilcoo in this situation.

It was a deplorable act.

But then you have to balance this against club factors; namely giving a group of lads - who've been working together since 6 years old - the best possible opportunity to win a minor championship title. That's 30-odd players, 25-odd families, all from a small, tightly knit area, who would likely have been directly affected had Kilcoo not appealed. The role of a club management team, when they get to the closing stages of a championship, is to ensure their club have every chance of winning the trophy.

It's very easy for faceless people to condemn Kilcoo's actions and claim their spot on the holier than thou podium.

But I do believe that if you were to man up and be entirely honest with yourself, about how you would handle this situation should it happen on your watch, you'd take Kilcoo's approach.

By the way I'm not justifying anything. But this incident kind of reflects the wider GAA culture,  of win at all costs.

[downjim]

Wobbler I think you are wrong in saying clubs would not act differently, a MFC will be forgotten about in weeks. Things are more important than that.

[thewobbler]

Wobbler I think you are wrong in saying clubs would not act differently, a MFC will be forgotten about in weeks. Things are more important than that.

Give me an example of a club that has thrown an important player under a bus, and your point might be valid.

[Last Caress]

There was a bad atmosphere in Pairc Esler yesterday with the news that they appealed suspension to Croke Park and got off with a technicality. Apologies are easily said but the saying goes actions speak louder than words.
A magnificent year for Kilcoo but tainted again with bad press. They don't care though and that's fine but there are greater things in life than medals to be taught. Enjoy your gloating because it won't last forever.

Sounds like a case of sour grapes to me. Read some of your own posts from this time last year. The Master Of Gloating At His Best.

I agree with thewobbler.  Clubs would do the same.
This maybe the opportunity for clubs to get this behaviour stamped out. The negative attention it has gained maybe enough for clubs to stand up and take steps to eradicate the problem. Wishful thinking....

[downjim]

This case is different from anything, yes clubs will go to the ends and back to get suspensions cleared as undoubtedly your club know so well. But if clubs are willing to go to extreme lengths to get things lifted then they are condoning actions of the individuals. They will actively say they are condoning the actions but actions speak louder than words. Some people may say it's sour grapes but it's nothing to do with trophies. Good luck to Kilcoo with their success this year.

[Last Caress]

This case is different from anything, yes clubs will go to the ends and back to get suspensions cleared as undoubtedly your club know so well. But if clubs are willing to go to extreme lengths to get things lifted then they are condoning actions of the individuals. They will actively say they are condoning the actions but actions speak louder than words. Some people may say it's sour grapes but it's nothing to do with trophies. Good luck to Kilcoo with their success this year.

God that must have taken some afford.  On the road to recovery at last.

[Smurfy123]

Wobbler whilst I agree with you about clubs doing all to get lads off this is different. For the lad Clarke and Laverty to call to the lads house and apologise and to say it was unacceptable and it should never happen. Kilcoo then apologised and said that stuff is not acceptable and he will be hit with a suspension after an investigation into it is complete. That investigation would be held straight after the minor final which he would have been playing in only for Down to act swiftly which Kilcoo did not think would happen. They tried to pull a fast one. Suspend the lad for 4 weeks after the minor final meaning he wouldn't miss any matches.