Messages

Agree. Ban them all if they don't behave.

Jerry Quinn will not be defeated on Sunday. He has been running around licking up to club delegates for the past month and has no credible rival. 
The hurling board is the only forum where hurling clubs get together to discuss hurling matters. If all the issues discussed at hurling board went to County Board, the meetings would last a full day and the football delegates would fall asleep or walk out in protest. Brian McAvoy was a good chairman who brought hurling issues to the County Board and delivered a fair bit. Same for South/East Down. The county Board doesn't want to be bothered with organising the East Down Reservse league or the South Down u12 Go Games.

I attended the hurling convention last night. As usual a tame affair, but there are a couple of things that were discussed that make me fear for the coming year.

Firstly on fixtures. Seamus Walsh is taking over as County secretary and will be missed. The Assisant Hurling secretary Dermot Stewart stood down and no replacement could be found. Dermot was in charge of juvenile fixtures and while there were a few problems, (eg minor championship) he did an excellent job with more games played than in previous years. The fact that he can't be replaced is worrying.
There is also a severe shortage of hurling referees in the county. Apparently there are 21 hurling refs registered in Down. 3 of them have never refereed a single match and 1 only did one game in the whole of last year. 2 of the older guys are retiring. Some of these refs still play or manage teams so it leaves very few to cover u14, u16, minor and adult leagues & championships. If new recruits can't be found games will not be played.

Apologies Sabhall phadraig. I went a wee bit over the top. The grass was probably ok for football but it was definently too long for hurling. We done to your committee for all the other arrangements. It must be hard to get folk motivated when the senior footballers have just been relegated.

Guillem2 - the game is at 1.30pm

I take it you are a Cran Colonel Cool? Or are you a relative of Johnnycool? You're all very cool on the Ards! 

If Ballycran are starting to complain about the pitch and the ref before the game they must be very worried!! IMO they should be. The East/South Down team absolutly stuffed Portaferry in the Semi Final. The 2-11 to 0-01 was not down to hard hurling - it was down to skill, commitment and a good game plan on the side line.
Why shouldn't the game be played at Cherryvale? I haven't been there for a while but the facilities were excellent last time I was. It will save you the ferry fare. Kilclief, Downpatrick and Ballykinler pitches are all closed for the winter. The semi final was played in Saul and it looked like the grass had'nt been cut for 6 months. 2 of the smaller Portaferry forwards got lost in the long grass.
As for the ref, I know who you're talking about and he's a decent, fair, ref. It's impossible to get someone completly neutral when you have an Ards team playing a selection from the rest of the county

Why don't you have a poll?

Your not Bap Armstrong by any chance Square Ball? You've a great interest in Kevin.

Who was your Da Johnnycool?

By the Wolf Tones by any chance? 

Just noticed your link there Johnnycool. When did Ballygalget launch the web site? It always surprised me that none of the Ards clubs had sites. The Mitchel's must be the first.

Days like this - Van Morrison. Played this on a way to junior final once. We won.

My vote goes to Noel Keith. During 80s/90s he was one of the best goalkeepers in the country playing for an unfashionable county.

Feel free to leave a comment! The poster who voted for none of the above for example - who would you vote for?

My vote would go for Greg Blaney.Great vision and reader of the game. He was behind every attack throughout the 80s/90s.

In the Minor Hurling Championship The South/East Down team beat Portaferry 2-11 to 0-01. Good to see the the lads from outside the Ards putting it up to the Ards clubs. Big win. Liatroim & Bredagh lads were to the fore. Just shows that hurling outside the Ards isn't dead.