Down Club Hurling & Football

[downjim]

I've said it many of times, hands up who wants to be in the county board. If you have a club delegate who is able to or wants to go forward then nominate them in November. It's not hard to seek election in the GAA, so stop the crap and tell me people who want into the executive. Just one person

[AnDun2025]

With a glance over the past 25 years of appointing a Senior Team management its fairly grim reading so  should we set our expectations very low. NO!  Lets Get it Right

It would seem that the primary criteria for any candidate to take on the senior management role would be
1. that you have played for Down.
2. that you hold an All Ireland Medal.

There is no doubt to the passion and commitment that these men have brought the position. Unfortunately all have been lacking in one or two of the key skills need  do this job.
Skills like Man Management, Knowledge of the modern game, Tactical Astuteness, a comprehensive understanding of other inter-county systems of play other desirable traits Successful experience in Club Management in Down or elsewhere and experience in another Successful Senior County Management setup.

(Wee James was probable the only one to realise he didn't possess all the Knowledge and Skills and hence brought Brian McIvor in as his right hand man, many players from the 2010 team have been vocal about his experience and influence in 2010)

To Manage an Inter county Team is without doubt a very challenging Job in current times. I would put it somewhere on a par with running a small business. Would any one in their right mind appoint someone to run the business who jus worked there for a few years and had one or two years every so often?

For Me Criteria needed for this position.
1 Strong Man Management Skills
2 Strong Coaching pedigree.
3 A Proven track record at Club Level ( 10 Years experience Plus at least 2 County Championships)
4 3+ Years of Management at Senior County Level

Hopefully we can get some one in place who can stabilise us and move us back to Div 2.

[downjim]

Would Mickey Donnelly be a candidate?? He has won county championships, Hogan cup and Now u20s Ulster. He definitely has potential and seems to be a winner.

[thewobbler]

Eamon Burns. If it happens, although I would wish him all the success in the world, it would have to rank up there with the oddest appointments in GAA history.

I mean what is the CV required for a county football manager's job?

Most counties would appear to follow a logical route, which involves shortlisting people with a combination of two or more of:

a) clearly overachieving with a club team.
b) winning senior club championships.
c) getting involved then enjoying some success at a representative level (county minor or under-21, or Sigerson).
d) a strong background in coaching or physical training.
e) recently showing the leadership in county colours that earmarks them as a born winner.

In Down, the criteria would appear to begin with:

i) did you play in 1991 or 1994?
ii) do you know what the Down Way is?

Then, anything from criteria A-E above, well it's something of a bonus.

- - -

Don't get me wrong. It's difficult to find candidates in Down football, Let alone outstanding candidates. We've long bemoaned the absence of a genuine centre half-back or a full-back in our county set-up; which in itself suggests a lack of leaders. Our SFC has been monopolised for over a decade by a couple of men who for some reason, don't fit the pattern. Our juvenile structures are a mess, so a succession of minor and under-21 managers have found it tough going. QUB and the Poly appear to be stuggling to keep up with their cousins in Dublin and Cork.

So the default stance is to look back a generation or two for answers.

But here's the thing, the class of 91 and 94 have spent most of the past two decades passing around the better club jobs in Down football among themselves. Their combined success rate now is roughly the same as it was when they started out.

Using the criteria above, Wee James was by some distance the best of them, and this was proven out in how he performed as Down manager. It was no coincidence.

Unless we're going back for McCartan, It's time to stop drawing from this well.

The modern county player is asked to put in an extraordinary amount of effort to play the game. As such they fundamentally require a belief in the man who is overseeing the ship. They need to believe that he will bring the 2% that makes all the difference. If not his ship will sink: to which the strikes and fallouts in Mayo and Galway are testament.

Remember that most of our county players have never seen any of the 91-94 team actually kick a ball. Much as it might seem heinous to some people in our county, I imagine that being good at foootall once is not actually going to convince too many modern players that the 2% is coming.

The ironic thing is we actually had a manger en situ just a few months ago who actually had that impact.

985 days on. I'm not sure I can deacribe today's situation any differently.

[RadioGAAGAA]

With a glance over the past 25 years of appointing a Senior Team management its fairly grim reading so  should we set our expectations very low. NO!  Lets Get it Right

For Me Criteria needed for this position.
1 Strong Man Management Skills
2 Strong Coaching pedigree.
3 A Proven track record at Club Level ( 10 Years experience Plus at least 2 County Championships)
4 3+ Years of Management at Senior County Level

We had one of those last time round... even got US promoted to Division 1.

Then the board inexplicably got rid of him after 2 marginal defeats.

[JohnStones]

Ok I will widen the list coz it will be one of these people!

Micky Donnelly is a great call but I think James ot Deegan has it already.

1. James McCartan
2. Micky Moran
3. Jim McCorry
4. Banty McEneaney
5. Jim McGuinness
6. Conor Deegan
7. Shane Mulholland
8. Barney McAleenan
9. Adrian McGuckian
10. Aidan O'Rourke
11. Cathal O'Rourke
12. Paul McIvor
13. Greg McCartan
14. Paddy Tally
15. Tony McEntee
16. John McEntee
17. Pete McGrath
18. Paddy O'Rourke
19. DJ Kane
20. Micky Donnelly
—————-

1. Stephen Poacher
2. Benny Coulter
3. Niall McAleenan
4. Sean Ward
5. Micky Walsh
6. Ronan Sexton
7. Danny Hughes
8. Francie Poland

[Brick Tamlin]

Holy sweet mother of f**ktards

[downjim]

Sure widen it out to the 3 man ticket of Sean 0'Neill, Paddy Mo and big Tom ffs #thedownway

[Mike Tyson]

Holy sweet mother of f**ktards

LOL 

[Smurfy123]

Conor Deegan
James McCartan
Shane Mulholland
Steve Poacher
Pete McGrath

Lads that's it take your pick

[gaaman2016]

Conor Deegan
James McCartan
Shane Mulholland
Steve Poacher
Pete McGrath

Lads that's it take your pick

Pete McGrath was a disaster in Fermanagh and Louth!!!

[snoopdog]

Conor Deegan
James McCartan
Shane Mulholland
Steve Poacher
Pete McGrath

Lads that's it take your pick

Pete McGrath was a disaster in Fermanagh and Louth!!!

While Pete isnt the answer anymore. the above statement is wrong. Pete got Fermanagh to an All Ireland QF. Louth was a hidigt nothing and he did himself no favours.  Very harsh words. I wonder without Pete would we still be harping back to 68 as opposed to 94. Man deserves respect. He should be involved at some level for development.

[Brick Tamlin]

No he shouldnt. Nor should Paddy O'Rourke.

[gaaman2016]

Conor Deegan
James McCartan
Shane Mulholland
Steve Poacher
Pete McGrath

Lads that's it take your pick

Pete McGrath was a disaster in Fermanagh and Louth!!!

While Pete isnt the answer anymore. the above statement is wrong. Pete got Fermanagh to an All Ireland QF. Louth was a hidigt nothing and he did himself no favours.  Very harsh words. I wonder without Pete would we still be harping back to 68 as opposed to 94. Man deserves respect. He should be involved at some level for development.

Not questioning his achievements over the years, especially in the 90's, but his recent record isn't great. Yes he got Fermanagh to a AIQF in 2015 but 2016, 2017 and 2018 with Louth the players seemed to have downed tools. In 2009 he did great to get Down to an u21 AIF but they lost a match they should have won and he didn't do a great job with the minors after that despite having Hogan Cup winning players at his disposal

Bottom line is he shouldn't be considered

[Cuan12]

Take wee James of list - confirmed as u17manager next year, take Conor Deegan of list , confirmed as u20 manager next year,Poacher and Carlow manager or Banty, take your pick , get rid of Sean Og as any manager needs the backing of the county executive and he has a bad track record when it comes to offering support to senior managers, he also should have no input into next appointment as he consistently gets it wrong. We have got the man we were looking for- quote from himself whenBurns was appointed , should have read it was between the kit man and one of the last from the 94 team , the kit man was away on holidays so we picked Eamonn Burns, I along with many others hope the c v has to be one that incorporates success and man management.Just a thought .....