Messages

Interesting points made on here about management teams being paid, personally when fellas give up their time to train a team they deserve to be paid their expenses, once you enter the world of management the task is all consuming, I know because for 3 years I was involved in managing my own club, people only see the 2 nights training and a weekly match, to do it right you have to check on players in the reserves ,minors which might involve watching these guys play, their are daily phone calls with fellow selectors and players.You may have to talk to physios to check on the progress of injuries, you will definitely be talking to the club secretary and chairman, the job is all consuming and any money received is earned.I have learned from experience that the guys who are presently managing senior teams within the county do bring a level of professionalism to their clubs and I have seen this level increase each year which can only enhance the chance of success.
Isn't it great to read about club rivalries being renewed Burren when I played were the bench mark and we had some tremendous battles in the 80s with them, hats of to them they are still at the top, might not like them but respect where it is due.
Watched Rostrevor get tanked last night on their patch, Loughinisland played some beautiful football last night , could have won by more, one point however, Caolan Mooney is a talent down needs back, however this young lad needs a mentor of the calibre of Alan Molloy, someone who will listen to this young lad and hopefully steer him back , if your reading Caolan , everyone makes mistakes don't dwell on them , get on with your life and get back to the performance level that I, along with many others have seen.

If you analysis past Down teams who were successful you will see there was a bigger East Down representation than there is now, the teams of the 60s and 90s are examples.It is also no fluke that the Red High in the 80s and 90s would have been on a par with St Colmans and the Abbey and Pat OHare was in charge of the Red High , but at present the latter has fallen way behind the newry colleges, the reasons are clear to see.

Your right Ross , doesn't matter where the manager comes from as long as the squad is a fair representation of the best talent in Down, that I doubt as  i know there are players who would make this squad from east down and have been overlooked, which doesn't make sense.
Secondly , as long as he is the best coach around, I'm told his coaching skills are not in question but his antics along the sideline are, I think if he is to be a future manager for Down his management team would need to contain a couple of seasoned football campaigners who could rein him in.

Are Kilcoo and Burren that far ahead that they will cruise through the league and then up the ante come championship time , I sincerely hope that the other teams in Div1 give them a severe test in the league.Football standards I think will only go up with the new league format and if I am right old rivalries will be reignited with the home and away structures, I personally cannot wait for the leagues to start and hear on this discussion board if there are some players who could come into the county team.
I also am confident that our minors will win their match, I have to admit I wasn't happy with James getting the post but after watching the trials and his team play a couple of times, I am won over, apologies James.He's got them playing a good brand of football with passion , can't wait for Clones.
Now for  a rant , why oh why are we not developing relationships with the schools and clubs at underage levels to unearth the stars of tomorrow.People will come on here and say we are but I believe we are only scratching the surface.
Paddy leads the Mourne academy , great idea , he needs help , give him the resources to expand this academy , question for all on here, has your club ever been approached regarding putting forward any players suitable for development,has Paddy watched any of your players, I know he is reliant on the development squad structure but it has been said by some on here the present structure needs overhauled and county coaches better utilised.So back to my original point Paddy needs help , I know that members of the county executive read or contribute on here , so I say GIVE Paddy the help he needs and get these development squads sorted.
Finally I wish all teams well this year , every one will have their highs and lows but as the late Pat OHare said to me young ......... I hate losing more than I like winning ! I suppose we all feel that way when we think about it , I want my team to do well , I want to see good hard hitting exciting football and a re emergence of An Dun

Div 1. Mayobridge  danger Bryansford  Kilcoo and Burren will concentrate on championship
Div2.  Loughinisland danger Rostrevor Downpatrick will fall away when players go to USA
Div3.  Saul  danger Glasdrumman. Bosco will be thereabouts
Div4. The Finn they deserve a bit of success

We will be concentrating on club football this summer as I fear a short championship campaign but the performance in Mayo was encouraging , we are lacking quality in key areas  and no obvious replacements, maybe there is some u21 s who could come in as they cannot be as bad as I seen in Newry.
We will be going to Clones more in hope than expectation but that's why we are Down supporters, I only pray that we learn from what's happened in the league and can deliver.
I am still calling for change at the county executive regardless what happens.

Don't be under any illusions about our secretary, if you think he has no influence in selecting team managers , why is he on every selection panel, if you think he wasn't involved in Burrenbridge why was he and the then chairman involved in all the negotiations that ultimately put us in such a dire financial state.
He may be a very hard working secretary and good at administration,but he has a bad track record when it comes to dealing with football matters and clubs in general.
Again I state we need an independent review with the findings made public and the recommendations carried out.We need to ensure no county executive member be on any future selection committee when county team managers are sought.
Contrary to the wishes of the executive the clubs have to have the last say when it comes to getting quality people in , and the implementation of a coherent strategy in respect of coaching in schools and clubs.People in paid positions have to be accountable and a record taken if what they have achieved and whether they are giving value for money and deserve to be in the positions they presently occupy.

You are all on here critising each other and not addressing the problem, we have no leadership from the county executive , every primary school should have a designated county coach who should be helping to develop the young players of tomorrow, hopefully this be in conjunction with clubs who should be sending in senior players to take after school sessions, if the county coaches do their job right these players will seek to play football in their next school, and the trick is our county should be offering to help coach school teams , hopefully the teachers in charge if these teams will embrace the opportunity to work with qualified coaches and learn the basics of coaching and developing our young players .No one can tell me that our players at the age of 12 to 14 are inferior to those in other counties, it's their development from that age that is sorely lacking.Another point I would like to highlight is the absence of dedicated men of the calibre of the late Pat OHare or Ray Morgan, it was no coincidence success followed these men , I apologise if their are similar people who should be mentioned but these two come readily to mind as I played for one and faced the other, therefore we need a strategy carefully planned and rigorously implemented . It will take the county executive to meet with headmasters to allow our coaches to get involved with school teams, teachers nowadays have a heavy work load and I'm sure would welcome the help.AM I WRONG TO THINK THIS WAY?One last thing the facilities both on and of the field at most schools are first class.

It's time to take county executive to task, I am currently a member of club down and have been since the original development of newry and now I am contemplating stopping my monthly contribution as I've had enough of the total incompetence displayed on all fronts by the down executive. Personally I'm disappointed with our chairman who I was looking to for some leadership, instead we have the secretary who is at the head of everything in down that is failing.No one doubts his appetite for work and that might be his weakness, as it seems nothing happens without his say so.It has been stated on this forum there is a need for new blood at the top table as it seems there is an interchanging of positions each time here is an election, I agree with that thought, but it's how we do it.
If you have any influence at your club bring a motion of no confidence to your club meeting and then bring that via your county board rep to the county board meeting.
Some one asked for a report into what's happened , we waited nearly two years for the last report , I attended meetings where a guy with credentials in irish hockey give us his thoughts on what's wrong and how to fix it, it took 2 yrs for his report to be delivered, if there is to be an inquiry, it should be totally independent and it should be agreed beforehand that any and all recommendations have to be implemented even if it seems going to Croke park to remove our current secretary , other counties have taken this course of action,I have read on this forum the thoughts on schools, underage coaching ,the u21s,and the senior team and it makes for some depressing reading.
I don't like negative critisim , so I'm calling for an independent body without any current executive members to be given a mandate to investigate what's wrong with Down football and deliver it's findings back to the county board at an open meeting and all recommendations to be implemented regardless if they are unpalatable to some.

I think it is time for an open county board meeting with each club providing three delegates and only one item on the clar , the election of an independent review body made up of ex county players  and down people who have a proven business background.
This meeting would be after club meetings who then could come to the county meeting with specific points to be discussed.
If we don't meet and look to restructure  the county executive and all that is bad within Down football we can look forward to a depressing future.
No other county in   Ireland is in the position we are in and if they were , change would not be long happening.

Well put Dubh , all points covered, no disputing the facts, my question would be where do we go from here, the only thing worse than playing in Div 2 is falling further into Div3 , it's how we recover , it's going to take an  over haul of under age coaching at county level, the coaches have to be accountable and judged on the success of our under age teams at school and inter county level.
Next up the county executive , remove any power they have in selection of any county team manager, for far to long , members of that executive have elected themselves unto selection panels to interview , appoint and then seek to fire team managers, some of these guys never played football at any decent level. If county board reps seek election to the executive it should be to administrate and improve the county infrastructure and God knows we need some good ones after the debacle of Burrenbridge and the unholy mess our county senior football team finds itself in.Maybe we don't have the players at present but let's not be to proud to acknowledge and perhaps copy the set ups in other counties.We were once innovators and other counties followed us , maybe it's time for a spot of role reversal.

I know I'm right , you know that nothing will change unless the south down club chairmen grow a set and instigate a change,it won't happen otherwise.
If such a change doesn't take place we are in for a lot of managerial changes and many short championship campaigns.

It's now 8 in morning, Ross andSpirit, what's the alternative, if it was a business or a professional team, the executive along with the secretary would have gone long ago.

To spirit of 91 and 94, I'd say the east down clubs would definitely vote the present county executive out along with at least half of the south down clubs.We are in a terrible mess , get rid of the county secretary and instead have an unpaid secretary similar to Armagh set up .
Biggest problem is any coup will gave to be started by what was fondly called the Hilltown Mafia.
One final point I will make is we are stuck with Sean og for the next 5 years if nothing is done and who knows where we will be financially and on the field of play given our secretary has considerable influence in both areas.

I have to agree with Sam, but I would go one step further in saying we have a business which currently turns over in excess of 1 million pds per annum ,and the performance on the field at all levels is not acceptable, we now should be taking steps to remove the executive.I am calling on the county board to call for an EGM , supported by the club chairmen and vote in a new executive.If our board reps and club chairmen don't do this we will see a repeat of the u21s performance time and time again.
I know my club and the majority of east down clubs would support such a call. Enough is enough.

Is this really the best Down has to offer at u21 level, we were shocking. We can blame the management all we want but ultimately the players do the playing.If that is the best 20 we have, it confirms Down football is in a bad state.We can blame all but we must focus in on the root problem , the county executive who appoint and fire at will.Now is the time for a change at the top,Sean og McAteer must go, no more excuses he along with the whole executive have to go.
The root causes of our problem is our coaching structure and our lack of a centre where we can concentrate on our youth to develop teams that will compete.
What I seen against Armagh was an embarrassment , the performance was truely shocking.From no 1 right through to the last sub it was dire, only glimmer was no 20 Harney andhe's too small.On that performance there is no player in the u21 panel remotely capable of playing senior inter county football.
The keeper was indifferent made two penalty saves but gifted Armagh two goals, the defence couldn't mark or tackle,midfield got cleaned out and the forwards despite being camped in the Armagh half for the first 6 mins could not get a score.They preferred to shoot from silly angles and get blocked down, it was shocking .
Along the sideline ,Dawson Mason and Murray might be good coaches but they must be blinkered or blind, if Armagh are as good as the score line suggests why did we not set up accordingly, managers are supposed to manage , after 10 mins it was obvious the ball coming into nos 11 and 14 would kill us if we didn't stem the source or prevent the ball getting to these guys by employing 1 or even 2 sweepers,No,we went toe to toe and got hammered.
Lastly overhaul the coaching structure , get new blood in, get these coaches to be accountable, get them to compile reports on young players with potential and develop these guys, I can only hope and pray James and his minors give us some hope, because that last night together with some abject senior team performances does not fill me with hope for the future.
RANT OVER. KEEP THE FAITH