Messages

I couldn't agree more with this. I remember when I was younger going to watch inter county games and being amazed at how many steps the players were being allowed, and it is getting worse. Some referees use the old "its steps or seconds" excuse as reasoning behind it, definitely making defenders life more difficult.

The rule allows for 'time it takes to make 4 steps'.
It is let go too often though.

Yeh I agree.
Ryan Johnston from Down does a very exaggerated bounce when he is on the ball. Brings the ball almost up over the height of his head very slowly in an almost basketball type fashion before actually bouncing the ball, in which time he has taken 6-7 steps and I've never seen him get blown for it at club or county level - smart play or bending the rules?

I couldn't agree more with this. I remember when I was younger going to watch inter county games and being amazed at how many steps the players were being allowed, and it is getting worse. Some referees use the old "its steps or seconds" excuse as reasoning behind it, definitely making defenders life more difficult. 

Although The Clutch suggests that Harrison got good game time in the McKenna Cup and the National League, he did not actually feature in either competition in 2017. He started against Monaghan in the USC first round last summer, and his next competitive appearance was in this year's first round against Armagh. However, he was previously involved in Down squads going back to 2013.

I stand corrected - I remember seeing Harrison getting fair amount of game time in McKenna and NFL under Eamonn Burns, must have been 2016. I still stand by my statement that calling him a "secret weapon" is over the top, considering as you have pointed out Mourne Rover that he has been in and around the panel since 2013.

[Harrison is no longer a secret weapon]

I can't understand why plenty of people are saying that Tyrone will hammer us, I don't think we'll win but I don't expect a walkover as some are predicting. Tyrone hammered Derry and Donegal but Derry are useless and I must have been watching a different Tyrone v Donegal match as I thought Donegal were awful more than Tyrone being amazing. Both Derry and Donegal threw the towel in for the last quarter of the match which is where Tyrone really opened up a big gap between the teams.

Yes we're not coming in under the radar and Harrison is no longer a secret weapon but I'd like to think we can give Tyrone their fill of it and at least make it a competitive match. Some turnaround from the attitudes after the Fermanagh and Clare matches when we thought we wouldn't win a game all season - we're not just one win (Ulster final or qualifier) away from an AI QF.

I think branding Harrison a secret weapon is a bit over the top. He has been in and around the county panel for a few seasons now, this year he has been given an opportunity with sustained game time and has taken it - he also played against Armagh and had a decent afternoon then also. He had a fantastic game on Saturday night and hopefully he can produce more of the same as he is clearly capable of it.
I don't think that Tyrone will hammer us either but it is hard not to see past a Tyrone victory. Then again I felt the exact same going into the Monaghan game so hopefully this Down team continue to surprise us.

Sustained game time? 1 and 3/4 matches

Harrison got good game time during the McKenna Cup and National League.

[Harrison is no longer a secret weapon]

I can't understand why plenty of people are saying that Tyrone will hammer us, I don't think we'll win but I don't expect a walkover as some are predicting. Tyrone hammered Derry and Donegal but Derry are useless and I must have been watching a different Tyrone v Donegal match as I thought Donegal were awful more than Tyrone being amazing. Both Derry and Donegal threw the towel in for the last quarter of the match which is where Tyrone really opened up a big gap between the teams.

Yes we're not coming in under the radar and Harrison is no longer a secret weapon but I'd like to think we can give Tyrone their fill of it and at least make it a competitive match. Some turnaround from the attitudes after the Fermanagh and Clare matches when we thought we wouldn't win a game all season - we're not just one win (Ulster final or qualifier) away from an AI QF.

I think branding Harrison a secret weapon is a bit over the top. He has been in and around the county panel for a few seasons now, this year he has been given an opportunity with sustained game time and has taken it - he also played against Armagh and had a decent afternoon then also. He had a fantastic game on Saturday night and hopefully he can produce more of the same as he is clearly capable of it.
I don't think that Tyrone will hammer us either but it is hard not to see past a Tyrone victory. Then again I felt the exact same going into the Monaghan game so hopefully this Down team continue to surprise us.

Devlin is a county standard free taker but really only the equivalent of a decent club forward from open play. He works hard but is not a ball winner and his limitations were fairly clear against Slaughtneil in the USC final. While it is always useful to have a left sided free taker in the squad, a place on the bench was probably the most he could have hoped for this summer.

+1

a very fair assessment in my opinion

[too much secrecy sand not enough transparency when it comes to county finance]

Great to see our team back to wining ways, we are peaking at the right time with Armagh coming up shortly , can see us just edging that encounter , back to more mundane matters, what do ye think about proposals to increase the fees clubs pay to the county , is this a move for clubs to dig deeper to pay for the Burrenbridge debacle, too much secrecy sand not enough transparency when it comes to county finance, but there must be a solution to our off field problems , any suggestions?

The solution from those at the top table is to increase the yearly fees and to start a process that will let us all sort the mess out once and for all.From what I hear there was a lot of transparency in what was released.A quarter of a century of bad housekeeping now coming home to roost.

All clubs who attended the meeting in Burrendale last week got a pretty comprehensive and transparent report to bring home. Ask your club reps to see the documents, very in depth and at long last all details set out on the table.

Anything exciting come from convention last night?

[Castlewellan awarded game]

Castlewellan awarded game, interesting to see Kilcoo s next move, trip to Ulster GAA for an appeal I think.
What a mess, this perennial problem has to be sorted , how is the question, I've sympathy for Kilcoo,best of luck in semi .

Has this been formally announced?
It is fair to say that the organising of fixtures is a nigh impossible task; with all clubs being guilty of trying to rearrange games for one reason or another throughout the season, which inevitably leaves a back log of fixtures to get fulfilled. As some one mentioned above a clear set of rules and procedures for postponing a fixture should be available on the website and enforced with absolutely no exceptions. With regards to clubs who go on to represent Down in Ulster, there should be a proposal made at the next convention to deal with this issue and an agreement among all clubs on how the completion of league fixtures will go ahead when still in Ulster.
However it is inexcusable for the county board to fix an U21 game for Kilcoo and then schedule the senior league final for the same night. Also had a look at the Down website there and the U21 game between Kilcoo & Carryduff is still scheduled for 12pm this Sunday, 2 and a half hours before the Ulster semi final in Newry; no matter how hard it is to arrange fixtures, things like this should not be happening.

[Drumgath]

Prediction league
Final 2 games to be predicted
Sunday 2nd Oct

JFC Final
Teconnaught v Drumgath

MFC Final
Liatriom v Burren

[Kilcoo]

SFC Final
Kilcoo v Clonduff

IFC Final
An Riocht v Bredagh

[Burren]

SFC
Kilcoo v Burren
Bryansford v Clonduff

IFC
Darragh Cross v An Riocht
Carryduff v Bredagh

JFC
St Michael's v Teconnaught
Dundrum v Drumgath

Saturday 3rd September in Atticall

RFC Final
Bryansford v Ballyholland

PRFC
Kilcoo v Burren

[Clonduff]

SFC
Clonduff v Castlewellan
CPN v Kilcoo
Bryansford v Downpatrick
Burren V Mayobridge

IFC
St John's v Carryduff
An Ríocht v Drumaness
Liatroim v Darragh Cross
Bredagh v Tullylish

JFC
St Michael's v Ballykinlar
Bright v Dundrum
Teconnaught v St Paul's
Drumgath v Aughlisnafin

[Mayobridge]

Third Round
SFC
Mayobridge v Ballyholland
Downpatrick v Rostrevor
Kilcoo v Loughinisland
Castlewellan v Longstone

Third Round
IFC
Clann na Banna v Tullylish
Saul v Carryduff
Drumaness v Dromara
Glasdrumman v Darragh Cross

JFC
Preliminary round
Aghaderg v Ballykinlar
Dundrum v Mitchels
Ardglass v Drumgath

[Mayobridge]

Second Round
SFC
Mayobridge v Clonduff
Castlewellan v Bryansford
Kilcoo v Burren
CPN v Downpatrick

Rostrevor v Ballymartin
Longstone v Saval
Loughinisland v Annaclone
Glenn v Ballyholland

IFC
Glasdrumman v An Riocht
Saul v Bredagh
Liatrom v Tullylish
St John's v Drumaness

Kilclief v Dromara
Clann Na Banna v Atticall
Bosco v Carryduff
Shamrocks v Darragh Cross