Down Club Hurling & Football

[supersub]

Any dates?

[Aristo 60]

I hear there was another total embarassment of a draw for the championships in the Canal Court.  Was it 3 bowls of 4 teams or 4 bowls of 3 teams?  Just before the full time paid secretary was about to go ahead with 3 bowls they elected to change to 4 bowls . . . . . . .  no no no stop, it should be 3 bowls like we thought - what an absolutely incompetent way of doing things.  How hard would have been to have a trial run before the live draw to ensure the organisation of the actual draw was perfect.  We should have learned from our past draws but obviously our full time paid secretary hasn't learned from his previous c**k ups!

What do these guys actually do?  Our secretary is a joke - he absolutely epitomises the 'Down Way' (his words) of doing things and with a bunch of jokers around him who are supposed organise development squads and courses for coaches, is it any wonder we are light years behind many other counties in Ulster.

Following on from this sentiment does anyone know much about the advert that was placed in serveral papers calling on ex county squad members to come to a meeting to discuss the way forward in Down?

Did this really need adverts in the province wide Irish News newspaper? Do the DCB not have contact details for the vast majority of the relevant people that we wouldn't have needed a probably expensive advertising campaign?

[The Raven]

I hear there was another total embarassment of a draw for the championships in the Canal Court.  Was it 3 bowls of 4 teams or 4 bowls of 3 teams?  Just before the full time paid secretary was about to go ahead with 3 bowls they elected to change to 4 bowls . . . . . . .  no no no stop, it should be 3 bowls like we thought - what an absolutely incompetent way of doing things.  How hard would have been to have a trial run before the live draw to ensure the organisation of the actual draw was perfect.  We should have learned from our past draws but obviously our full time paid secretary hasn't learned from his previous c**k ups!

What do these guys actually do?  Our secretary is a joke - he absolutely epitomises the 'Down Way' (his words) of doing things and with a bunch of jokers around him who are supposed organise development squads and courses for coaches, is it any wonder we are light years behind many other counties in Ulster.

Following on from this sentiment does anyone know much about the advert that was placed in serveral papers calling on ex county squad members to come to a meeting to discuss the way forward in Down?

Did this really need adverts in the province wide Irish News newspaper? Do the DCB not have contact details for the vast majority of the relevant people that we wouldn't have needed a probably expensive advertising campaign?

Well said, we may as well told everyone in Ulster we havn't a clue and going by the comments above it could be true

[DaisyCutter]

Very true The Raven, it was a very embarrassing moment once again for our CB! Would our local weekly papers not have done the same job or even by contacting every clubs PRO?

[Aristo 60]

More DCB nonsense last night when I turned up to purchase 8 tickets at Park Elser.

Despite them having communicated the times that tickets could be purchased the county rep had departed his post. I know he was there as the friendly bar man told me he had gone home early.

Cheers County Board.

[Gabriel]

1 Brendan McVeigh
2 Dan McCartan
3 Brendan McArdle
4 Ryan Boyle
5 Declan Rooney
6 Peter Turley
7 Keith Quinn
8 Ambrose Rogers
9 Kevin McKernan
10 Niall Madine
11 Mark Poland
12 Benny Coulter
13 Donal O'Hare
14 Kalum King
15 Conor Laverty

Interesting selection. Expected Ryan Mallon to start. Niall Madine will probably play closer to goal, with King coming out the field?

[supersub]

Did Madine play many league games?

[Leo]

Following on from this sentiment does anyone know much about the advert that was placed in serveral papers calling on ex county squad members to come to a meeting to discuss the way forward in Down?

Did this really need adverts in the province wide Irish News newspaper? Do the DCB not have contact details for the vast majority of the relevant people that we wouldn't have needed a probably expensive advertising campaign?

Havent yet met anyone who was at this meting or knows what it was about.
It suggests a disconnet between our administrators and our ex-players which maybe could be adressed by forming a standing ex-players association. Such an organisation could have both a social purpose and also act as a consultative body for the good of Down. Failing that at least the county should have a contact database ofall former players.

[BarryBreensBandage]

Following on from this sentiment does anyone know much about the advert that was placed in serveral papers calling on ex county squad members to come to a meeting to discuss the way forward in Down?

Did this really need adverts in the province wide Irish News newspaper? Do the DCB not have contact details for the vast majority of the relevant people that we wouldn't have needed a probably expensive advertising campaign?

Havent yet met anyone who was at this meting or knows what it was about.
It suggests a disconnet between our administrators and our ex-players which maybe could be adressed by forming a standing ex-players association. Such an organisation could have both a social purpose and also act as a consultative body for the good of Down. Failing that at least the county should have a contact database ofall former players.

Leo, I am going to create a thread that will give a bit more info on these meetings - part of a consultative process.
(and just for the record, I am not on the county board or have any connections, just a stand in for the representative of our club)

[The Raven]

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the O'Hare family, Dromara Gac & gaaboard member Western Exile on the passing of Kevin. Rest in peace

[5 Sams]

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the O'Hare family, Dromara Gac & gaaboard member Western Exile on the passing of Kevin. Rest in peace

+1

[PAULD123]

Is it just my imagination or do the media really have a begrudgery towards Down? Spillane said we were lucky. He says we were lucky cos if Bradley had scored the goal we would have been dead and buried, but doesn't seem to notice that if O'Hare had got the second then Derry could have been annihilated. So this is the way it seems to me:

• If we lose then it is because we are no good
• If we win then it is because the other team underperfromed or we were lucky
• If we recover from a deficit then we are lucky that we weren't dead and buried already.
  When Donegal power to a final quarter lead it is their superior fitness, and playing their best when it counts. When we did it it we were supposedly fortunate to be in the game and it is dismissed as something that shouldn't have happened anyway.
• If Donegal outscore the opposition 2-05 to 0-01 then it is a period where Donegal tuned up the pressure and showed their class, if we do it then it is just because the opposition played beneath "turned off", not because we were any good.
• Kildare struggle against a mid-table division 4 side it's because they are just "finding their feet" in this year's championship, but when we struggle for 25 minutes against the champions of division 2, we are showing our true form!
• Despite us only ever going out to Cork and Mayo since James took over we are no-where near a top 8 side, but Kildare are "probably top 4"

Look I know we are not in the top consideration for All-Ireland honours and fair enough. But we are a top 8 side, we are a genuine quarter finalist standard and I feel we are continually disrespected. Yesterday showed a team that has played in Divsion 1 for three years against a team that has played in Divsion 2 for three years. When it really mattered the lads opened Derry up. We beat them in their own ground by five points and deserve respect for that. Only 2-3 teams in Ireland deserve to be confident when playing against us.

[southdown]

Well said.  Im sick and tired of hearing about Kildare, can't see why they are rated so highly.

[imtommygunn]

I would agree with a lot of what Paul says. There's talk about Down only being in the game because Bradley missed that chance and should have scored it. No mention of a great save by the keeper. O'Hare was very close to a goal too with his palmed effort and hit the post which these guys seem to forget about.

I'm not sure but did Down not change the spare man in the 2nd half? I know Down bossed midfield but the few times the ball got near Bradley he was wlel bottled up. The no. 6 who played the spare man in the first half was at McHugh said far too far away from Bradley so Derry could cut him out of it. I thought Down corrected that at half time - Bradley struggled with the first few balls and this lifted Down after it.

McKernan showed a lot of character. He was clearly wrecked but just drove himself on continuously.

[thewobbler]

It really was a brilliant save. I jumped out of my seat.

Bradley hammered it, and anything less of a hand on it wouldn't have been enough.