Down Club Hurling & Football

[thewobbler]

Dan is a super player but everyone needs to calm down here
Dan is playing inter football and doing well.But he had 10-12 years to produce that in division 1 and never dominated any of the top midfielders in Down
Int football is shocking and I should know
Don't get carried away here that LIsland won the int title
It's so poor it's unreal.What did Dan and his teammates do against the Stone??,?
Nothing

This would be my thinking too.

Dan might have been the best midfielder in Down club football for the past 15 years, but from what I remember all his best games in the red and black were at 3 or 14. He was a constant figure in our annual championship midfield collapses during the noughties too.

By the way I'm not trying to dismiss a very fine footballer and a great servant. But, especially now the game has moved to possession restarts, expecting a 33 year old to do something he hasn't really done before - and change Down's midfield fortunes, is a very hopeful kind of expectation.

[ardtole]

Dan Gordon had some great games for down in midfield over the years. His versatility is all the more reason he  should be on the panel. I personally would rather see him at ff, and give us some sort of ball winner in there. If he has had enough and doesnt want to commit, fair enough, but if he can be accomodated I hope he is back in some capacity. I dont think anyone is suggesting he is going to single handedly keep us in div 1, but id rather see him on the pitch than watch some of the crap we witnessed last season.

[Mike Tyson]

Dan is a super player but everyone needs to calm down here
Dan is playing inter football and doing well.But he had 10-12 years to produce that in division 1 and never dominated any of the top midfielders in Down
Int football is shocking and I should know
Don't get carried away here that LIsland won the int title
It's so poor it's unreal.What did Dan and his teammates do against the Stone??,?
Nothing

Who would these be?

[Mike Tyson]

I don't think Dan's the answer to midfield problems and to be honest would be very surprised to see him back considering he has a young family. As Smurfy pointed out, the standard of intermediate is woeful and he should be playing the best football of his career at this level. Look at Ross McGarry last year, completed dominated for Warrenpoint but couldn't get near the staring team for the county. Looking at the teams Loughinisland have played this year there has been no one to even come close to challenging him.

He would be a great addition to the panel or even in some sort of coaching capacity to give the younger lads advice and pass on some experience but his days of starting in midfield I would say are over.

One last point, I'd say his finest performance in midfield for Down was against Tyrone in 08, so wouldn't say he was part of the "annual collapse". I'd say the reason for this was down to the fact any team knew if they took him out of the game Down had no one else to win ball in the middle.

[east down gael]

Is Down intermediate shocking?we've produced the last two Ulster champions and it isn't because we had teams regrading themselves to have a crack at winning a club all ireland or Ulster.like various other counties.if you find yourself dropping from senior to intermediate in down its due to the fact that is your level.also Dan competed against peter Fitzpatrick from ballymartin who featured for the county at midfield in Ulster championship this year.the difference between a midfielder in division one and division two isn't as high as some of you would like to believe.the standard at the bottom of division one is not that far off the top of division two as a few teams will find out this year coming.
   I personally agree that Dan is not the answer at midfield.while I have no doubt he would be worth his place on the first fifteen it would be a short term fix.he would however be a great addition to the dressing room and surely not a bad option to have about the place.

[cut the crap]

Like Tyson I would love to know who the top midfielders in Down are and the match against Longstone was a farce due to the timing , however on the issue of whether Dan returns to the county should be left to Dan and any pressure from social media etc should stop as it serves no purpose and might be a negative factor in his final decision, I don't think he will back

[Mike Tyson]

Is Down intermediate shocking?we've produced the last two Ulster champions and it isn't because we had teams regrading themselves to have a crack at winning a club all ireland or Ulster.like various other counties.if you find yourself dropping from senior to intermediate in down its due to the fact that is your level.also Dan competed against peter Fitzpatrick from ballymartin who featured for the county at midfield in Ulster championship this year.the difference between a midfielder in division one and division two isn't as high as some of you would like to believe.the standard at the bottom of division one is not that far off the top of division two as a few teams will find out this year coming.
   I personally agree that Dan is not the answer at midfield.while I have no doubt he would be worth his place on the first fifteen it would be a short term fix.he would however be a great addition to the dressing room and surely not a bad option to have about the place.

I would say that both Warrenpoint last year and Loughinisland this year are good enough to be playing senior football and are a step above every other intermediate team. Taking nothing away from their achievements. They can only beat what is in front of them and not many other clubs in Down have an Ulster title at any grade. Last year L'island had a few injuries, boys away for one reason or another and a management team who made a good few wrong calls. For all these reasons I'd say they are intermediate this year.

Pete Fitz did indeed feature for the county at midfield, but how did that play out? He got taken to the cleaners by both Dan and young Aaron McClements this year. He's not up to the standard required for an intercounty midfielder.

Agree with your last point that Dan would be a good addition to have in and around the set up.

[SHEEDY]

Benny Coulter coming out of retirement to play for down again next year according to a interview with eamonn burns in tomorrow's Irish news.

[SamFever]

Benny Coulter coming out of retirement to play for down again next year according to a interview with eamonn burns in tomorrow's Irish news.

Hopefully he do his talking on the pitch now.

[clowry13]

word Is that benny is back and is captain.

[cut the crap]

Sorry fellow Down fanatics, bringingBenny back is not the answer,yes he would be great as a selector but not back training , not for me what purpose does it serve , he's done his bit , I would rather be remembering him for all the right reasons, his skill, his power , his finishing, I don't want to be present when fickle fans start to verbally abuse him and be assured it will happen,we must look to the future , let's see how we get on in the league, it's going to be hard but it's going to be interesting but let's see a new team start to make their way, we as a county can't rely on the same players year in year out , and let's play with flair not defensively minded , it doesn't suit our players

[rosskarr]

Sorry fellow Down fanatics, bringingBenny back is not the answer,yes he would be great as a selector but not back training , not for me what purpose does it serve , he's done his bit , I would rather be remembering him for all the right reasons, his skill, his power , his finishing, I don't want to be present when fickle fans start to verbally abuse him and be assured it will happen,we must look to the future , let's see how we get on in the league, it's going to be hard but it's going to be interesting but let's see a new team start to make their way, we as a county can't rely on the same players year in year out , and let's play with flair not defensively minded , it doesn't suit our players

If Eamon Burns chooses Benny to be a part of his initial panel and Benny accepts then time will be the judge on whether both men have made the right decision.

[TheClutch]

Could any one post how the leagues shape up next year? Are they finalised?

Apologies if they have been posted prior.

[EIREANNACH]

Already posted a few pages back. Be quicker to look 👍

[EIREANNACH]

So with new managers on the agenda atm

whos managing who for next year?
Division 1
Burren=sean ward
Bryansford= brian burns
Ballyholland= Steven poacher
Kilcoo= Paul McIlvor
Mayobridge=
Glenn=
CPN=
Clonduff=
Castlewellan= shorty trainer
Saval=Gareth thornton
Longstone=
Ballymartin=

Division 2
RGU Downpatrick=Conor Deegan
Rostrevor= Shane Mulholland
Annaclone=
Liatroim= Shane King
Clann na Banna= Gary Farrell
Loughinisland= Jerome Johnstone
Darragh Cross=
Tullylish= was Eamon Burns but now with County
Bredagh=
An Riocht=
Carryduff=
St. John's= Paul McShane

Division 3
Attical=
Drumaness=
Bosco=
Saul=
Dromara=
Shamrocks=
Kilclief=
Drumgath=
Glassdrumman= Emmett Devlin
Teconnaught=

Division 4
Aughlisnafin=
Dundrum=
Mitchels=
Ardglass= Ryan Kelly
St pauls=
Bright= Noel Burke
St Michaels=
Aghaderg=
Killyleagh
Ballykinlar

Leagues next year and managers that i know of