Down Club Hurling & Football

[The Corporal]

Michael Cole RIP

On Div 1 results couple of shocks - Liatriom beating the Stone in the Stone by 5 is a big shock and also An Riocht beating Kilcoo by 3. It's getting a bit tight in the middle of the table. Why was the Rostrevor/Loughinisland match abandoned?

[off the laces]

Sad News, Micheal cole R.I.P. from all at sabhall phadraig

[miss mess]

rostrevor game was abandoned beacuse the ref hurt his hamstring.

[amallon]

Shocking news about Mickey Cole.  May he rest in peace.

[stpauls]

From everyone in the St. Paul's club, we would like to pass our deepest sympathies to the Cole family at this time.

Rest In Peace Mickey.

[goldenyears]

harrowing experience to be involved in this last night lads. an awful way for any man to go.

he just fell over, and was gone within seconds i would say. put him in the recovery position and i have to say the response from people at the game was fantastic - they administered CPR, luckily we had a nurse at the game who took control of the situ. paramedics arrived within 15 mins and tried working on him at the ground. i think he was pronounced dead after about half hour.

v v sad thing to happen, and my condolences to his family and the an riocht club.

[Bitta-Banter]

Latest Down ACFL Division 2 Table

                       Played     Points

Bryansford             11          22
Banbridge              12          16
Warrenpoint          11          14
Annaclone             12          14
------------------------------------------------
Atticall                  12          14
Shamrocks             12          14
Ballymartin             12          13
Darragh Cross         12          11
-----------------------------------------------
Downpatrick          12          10
Tullylish                 12           6
Kilclief                   12           5
Dundrum               12           2

[goldenyears]

Injury-hit Doyle to miss rest of year Gaelic Games
By Eamonn O'Hara
04/07/08

LIAM Doyle will play no further part in Down's All-Ireland Senior Football Championship campaign.

Sadly for the influential centre half-back and prolific marksman from free-kicks, his deepest fears about the knee injury he suffered 20 minutes into last Sunday's Ulster SFC semi-final were realised yesterday.

The results of a scan on the left knee confirmed he requires surgery and the ligament damage will sideline the Liatroim star for the rest of the season. He is unlikely to play football again until some time in 2009.

It is a sickening setback for the player who has been battling with injuries for much of the past five years.

Doyle missed the whole of last season because of a series of injuries and only returned to the competitive senior scene in January's first round Dr McKenna Cup win over Donegal.

Down's team spokesman Diarmuid Cahill said last night that the squad was shattered to learn of the extent of the damage and loss of "such an influential player" for their forthcoming All-Ireland SFC Qualifier against Offaly at Tullamore on July 19.

"It is very, very disappointing for Liam to be told on Thursday morning that he will have to have an operation. Unfortunately, the injury to his knee is as serious as initially feared and it will keep him out of football for the rest of the year," said Cahill.

"He has been so unlucky with injuries. For one reason or another, Liam has missed the best part of four years, maybe five years, because of one serious injury after another.

"After being ruled out of the game in 2007, he worked so hard to get himself back into the county squad and fit again and this season he was probably back playing his best football.

"Unfortunately, it doesn't look good for him at the moment and he's going to be out of football for the foreseeable future."

Apart from all his defensive duties, the Liatroim player's impact this season has been noted in the area of frees alongside Aidan Carr, Down's other main free-taker, who generally deals with right-sided frees.

Doyle posted 14 points during the NFL and crucially seven scores from frees during a two-match Ulster SFC first round marathon that ended Tyrone's title reign at Pairc Esler.

Carr has so far racked up 1-16 in League and Championship this year.

For the first round Qualifier, the team management will have options elsewhere boosted. Corner-back Martin Cole, one of six survivors from the last team to play Offaly, in the Division Two final at Croke Park in 2004, will be available. Cole's four-week suspension from the drawn Tyrone match expires this weekend.

In addition, Declan Rooney continues to make strong progress back from injury. Rooney underwent surgery during the NFL campaign to rectify damage to a leg. He has not played competitively since.

Their team spokesman indicated that the midfield/half-back option was close to full fitness and was pushing for inclusion.

MEANWHILE, the Down County Board was hit with a e250 fine yesterday by Croke Park authorities.

This relates to a challenge game against Cork, played behind closed doors, at Pairc Esler on May 24.

Problems following the game led to the Ulster SHC quarter-final between Armagh and London, fixed for the same venue, being delayed for almost 40 minutes.

The GAA's Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC) fined Down under Rule 143b. The rule states that "an inter-county challenge shall be sanctioned by a provincial or a central council.

"The sanction must be obtained from a provincial council when the teams are from the same province, and from the provincial councils and central council when teams are from more than one province."

[D4S]

I would also just like to say how shocking it is to hear of the death of mickey cole.  Although originally An Riocht he in the last number of years refereed as a Ballymartin referee.  But there is more than those clubs will feel the shock of this, the whole mourne area is in shock he was an exellent councillor for the area evident from the amount of times he'd be in the mourne observer every week.  We would of laughed in our house sayin 'how many times will mickey cole be in the mourne observer this week'  But he was more than just a referee and a councillor, he was also a friendly face you'd see about 'the town' regularly and would have been full of craic about football, when driving you home in a taxi after a night out... He could also aggravate the hell out of you winding you up! He will be sadly missed by all in county down but he will be remembered for a very long time throughout mourne and I know he will be very sadly missed by his 3daughters and son who were very close indeed.

Rest in Peace Mickey

[Super Dupe]

Condolences to the family of Mickey Cole RIP.  A great character, well liked throughout the county for his down to earth attitude on all things, especially football.

We were initially frustrated because our game had to be abandoned after 30 seconds due to the ref colliding with Dan Gordon and going over on his ankle.  Brogan from Kilcoo.  In fairness he couldnt walk.  During training then news began to come through about Mickey and everyone just sort of stopped.  We couldnt believe it and were extremely shocked.

From St Bronaghs Rostrevor, a prayer will be said.

[dodgy umpire]

RIP

[Lecale2]

Any word on funeral arrangements?

[southdown]

I would imagine Saturday or Sunday mass at Massforth or else Grange , both in Kilkeel

[D4S]

Post mortem being done today, i'd be 99% sure funeral sunday in massforth.  Will be a huge funeral!

[5 Sams]

I missed our game last night but got a running commentary on events from a few of the boys on the sideline. Absolutely shocking news. I didnt know Mickey personally but I'll remember him as someone who always had a smile on his face.

RIP