Down Club Hurling & Football

[6th sam]

A split Div 4 as PAULD123 says would be a better proposal, but i would leave the championship alone, straight knock out is what makes it so good.

I don't want to sound like a cheerleader for the county board but I think this is a genuine and imaginative attempt to improve standards in the county as a whole.To question their motivation in putting these proposals forward,doesn't stand up to scrutiny.There have been a number of smaller cosmetic changes to club structures over recent years,and to be fair they have proved successful and popular.
I think it is best to avoid knee jerk responses to the proposals,but look at them on their merits.


The most important aspect of these proposals is that any club in the county is only 2 steps away from senior football.This has been the case in Tyrone for many years,and arguably has resulted in the overall improvement of standards in all clubs,meaning that many smaller clubs have provided county players.

The concerns re season long tankings could easily be solved,by splitting the league after 1 round of fixtures.
My own club have been giving out/receiving heavy defeats over the years,and unfortunately it's part of footballing life.There have been heavy defeats handed out in all leagues this year,anyway.
Regarding heavy defeats in Div 4,the top 3 teams in div 4 could justifiably argue(given results over the past 2 seasons) that they are of a similar standard to Div 3 teams,so effectively adding 6 Div 3 teams to 5-6 Div 4 teams for 1 round of fixtures,may not be the disaster predicted for the weaker teams,particularly if they have the carrot of a 2nd round of fixtures after the split,and a realistic chance of silverware to keep the league interesting until the very end.
The big attraction must be for the likes of St. Paul's and Bredagh who have great underage talent.This proposal means that if these clubs get their youth coming through to their senior team,they know that they are only 1 season away from Division 2.
The amalgamation scenario for the SFC showed if nothing else,that Div 4 players don't look out of place in SFC.However amalgamations are not easy organisationally for clubs or the board,yet this league restructuring,effectively gives any club a chance of Senior football on their own merit.

The championship proposal is too good to waste.Currently there are too many clubs/players twiddling their thumbs in sept/oct waiting for the championship to finish.This proposal by my calculation means that every club is occupied on every championship weekend right up until the semi finals.This concept is much better than a round robin series,as every single game will be meaningful.

I really hope clubs will look  favourably on these proposals as I can't see that it will have a detrimental effect on any club,yet it could benefit so many.In the current climate many clubs will be ravaged by emigration,this proposal means that even if a club has a bad few years with decreased player numbers,they can recover quickly as they are not banished to the nightmare of Div 4.

[dundrumite]

Don't think it's a one way league and split though 6th sam. My take each team plays each other twice then top 2 each section goes to semi final.

[maldini]

i dont see much wrong with the current state of the leagues, they were re-structured a year or two ago

i think the championships need looked at and the knock-out situation done away with

[DownFanatic]

Ive said it numerous times before and Ill say it again. Division 4 is there for a reason and the teams that are in it are there for a reason. My own club Dundrum will be plying their trade there in 2012 and we deserve to be playing there due to our inadequate performances in Division 3 this year. We went from Division 4 to Division 2 and back to Division 4 all in the past six years. We went from 4 to 2 in the space of three years and it can be done with a bit of organisation.

The whole county needs to stop feeling sorry for clubs in Division 4. These clubs may have a weak committee, a poor underage setup or a poor structure in terms of bringing through youth players or a combination of all these factors. Until they start addressing their problems then Division 4 is the only place they deserve to be.

These new League proposals will only result in the stronger teams steamrollering the weaker teams. The weaker teams are still going to take beatings: they are just going to be by much bigger margins.

Our Leagues are fine as they are. I have no idea what the agenda of the county board is in trying to push through such an illogical and stupid proposal.

[ardtole]

You hit the nail on the head DF. Division 4 is there for a reason and so is division 1. The idea that simply pairing Ballykinlar against Kilclief will somehow overnight inspire the kinlar boys to train like mad, raise their standards and be competitive is ridiculous.They are at the bottom of div 4 for a reason. Someone suggested earlier that they just wanted a system were everyone wins something, thats bollocks, you have to earn the right to win something. U10's can see through "everyone gets a medal shite"

Our leagues are set up correctly and are a fair reflection on each teams ability and effort. I have seen at first hand, the round robin championship structure in a couple of different counties and it isnt all its cracked up to be. Their leagues are irrelevant and often unfinished. The "championship league" games in the round robin section, are poorly attended and definitly not traditional championship games or atmosphere. Supporters of this system argue that at least each team gets 3 or 4 championship championship games every season, I would argue that the 50 or 60 percent of teams that don't reach the knock out stages do not play any meaningful championship games at all during their season. Ironically, I would have argued for a change to the championship structure before I actually witnessed it in person.

The grass on the other side always looks greener, I think the structures in league and championship in Down are very good and better than most other counties in my opinion.

[EagleLord]

Is right DF. Leave well enough alone.

[The Chief]

How does relegation from Division 2 work under the new proposal? will one team go into 3A and one into 3B, and how do they decide?

is there promotion or relegation from 3A to 3B? or will, Aughlisnafin for example never realistically get to play Ballykinlar in a league game again?

There seem to be a lot of grey areas and question marks over this, its badly explained in the proposal.

Someone said that the beauty of this is every club is only 2 years away from playing senior football, i think half of the clubs in 3A and 3B will admit themselves they have very little chance of playing senior football in the foreseeable future, those clubs that would fancy their chances of playing SFC are only one year away from it anyway - if they have a good season and win the IFC like Kilclief have done! Other than that they're 2 years away if good enough the way the league structures are at present anyway

[thewobbler]

If the back door system has proved anything to us over the past decade, it's that the championship is only won by one of the favourites.

Changing the SFC to this proposal doesn't give smaller clubs a chance; it takes it away.

[Agent Orange]

Surprised Ross Carrs comments in this weeks Newry Reporter haven't got a mention on these pages.

http://www.newryreporter.com/pages/?title=%93So_why_is_he_not_playing?%94

[6th sam]

If the back door system has proved anything to us over the past decade, it's that the championship is only won by one of the favourites.

Changing the SFC to this proposal doesn't give smaller clubs a chance; it takes it away.

You're correct,but even without a qualifier series,the cream usually comes to the top,and that's OK.I don't think it's up to county board to give small clubs any better chance than anyone else,and I'd be surprised if their agenda is to facilitate a smaller club winning the SFC.However it is important that we expose county players or potential county players to as much quality club football possible.
The qualifier series in the AISFC may not have resulted in a minnow winning the AISFC,but it certainly has given the players and supporters in counties like Fermanagh,Sligo,Wicklow,Limerick a chance to play in more top quality games,and thereby envigorating football those areas.There is nothing like a championship run to enhance the footballing self esteem of any team and their supporters (cf Down 2010).

Our club fixtures are better than most counties,and have been further improved with changes over the years,and we shouldn't fear making further changes which may enhance our club fixtures.
There is little doubt that the single most frustrating aspect of club fixtures is the unpredictability of fixtures from mid August onwards.This is a period of time,(barring an extended run in the All-Ireland series,when we'd all accept fixtures being delayed for a few weeks) when county players are available for their clubs.To have most of those county players twiddling their thumbs waiting on the next league fixture,is of no benefit to the player,their club or the county.This is an imaginative and well thought out alternative proposed by people who have a vested interest in improving overall standards for all clubs in the county.
The two biggest complaints in recent weeks have been the extended season in Div 3 due to Kilclief's success,and the fact that Kilcoo for example have to wait weeks without a competitive fixture while still in contention for league final.Neither situation would arise under the new systems.

What an improvement it would be for a team beaten in the SFC 1st round,that instead of having to focus and motivate players for an unpredictable next league fixture,they could focus on a 2nd crack in the championship and then potentially having to earn the right to call themselves an SFC team for the following year.
I genuinely hope that clubs don't look this gift horse in the mouth.
This guarantees every SFC club at least 3 meaningful  championship games per year,at a time when most of them would otherwise be inactive,it requires no extra fixture dates and arguably prepares our champions better for the Ulster series.
Most importantly we should embrace this initiative rather than fear it,as it appears to me that every previous change county boards have made to league fixtures have usually proved successful

[knockitdown]

Surprised Ross Carrs comments in this weeks Newry Reporter haven't got a mention on these pages.

http://www.newryreporter.com/pages/?title=%93So_why_is_he_not_playing?%94

AO do u have the full article?

[MK]

Basically said Aidan could play chf being more physical than Mark Poland-also there are'nt 3 better half backs in the county than his son!
Ultimately "Aidan must make a decision whether to go along as a journeyman or does he say thats enough for me "

[Mid Down Gael]

Under 21 Result

Kilcoo 4-12 Shamrocks 1-5

Barry Kane and Jerome Johnston hit two goals apiece as Kilcoo easily accounted for Shamrocks.
Looking on at county trialist Conor Gough, i dont know how the Down management see him as an answer in midfield. Cleaned out by our midfield today, James McClean totally dominant.

[DownFanatic]

I see Kyle Brennan formerly of Newry Bosco fame came on as a sub today for Crossmaglen.

[NP 76]

s.
Looking on at county trialist Conor Gough, i dont know how the Down management see him as an answer in midfield. Cleaned out by our midfield today, James McClean totally dominant.
Is that basis on having seen Conor Gough once  MDG ? I dont think he is the answer to our midfield probelms straight away but i think in the future he will be he still is very young