Down Club Hurling & Football

[whitegoodman]

Pete.

Fair play to Pete in Fermanagh this year. He made the most of a kind draw, and got momentum going. Championships are about momentum.

But while I know that time is a great healer, am I really the only person who remembers this series of Championship results for Down?

2000 USFC: Antrim 0-13 Down 1-7
2001 USFC: Cavan 1-14 Down 2-10
2001 AI Qualifiers: Armagh 1-13 Down 2-4
2002 USFC: Donegal 3-12 Down 1-6
2002 AI Qualifiers: Longford 1-16 Down 0-14

Seriously folks, this is not an "outstanding candidate".

+1

No just no.  No thanks to POR either !!

Although in saying that if they couldnt afford McEntee last year then they are unlikely to afford him this year so am not sure where they will turn to next.

[Brick Tamlin]

The next few months should be some craic.
No County Football Management teams in place for Minors, 21s and now Seniors.

Il echo the previous. No to McGrath & no to PO'R.

[Aristo 60]

I'd say wee James still has a massive appetite for it and I think McGrath would love to be there too.

And there's your answer - get them both back.

[whitegoodman]

Dont think there is much love lost there so cant see them working together.

Think James would be wise enough to stay away knowing what there is available in the county.

[Brick Tamlin]

Nostalgia.
Gotta love it.

[Down Follower]

I would have been very much in the NO camp re Pete as well as I remember the last 3/4 years of his reign too as being disasters.  However, we cannot fail to look at what Pete has done since then.  Lets say he started managing in 2005 for example and had no record with Down prior to that.

He took Down to consecutive Ulster under 21 titles and an All Ireland final that was oh so close.  We havent got anywhere near competing at that level since he left it.  He managed An Riocht to a senior division one league title, Martin Clarke inspired admittedly, but still did it.  He took Bryansford perilously close to a championship which they threw away to Burren in Newry one night, and won an Ulster under 21 with them.  He has now taken Fermanagh to a level they havent been at in 10 years and is a level which at the least represents a positive return for the players and resources available. 
He appears to have adapted to the modern game this year as opposed to last year when he stuck to his old principles of simply playing football and which resulted in Antrim defeating Fermanagh in a high scoring game that would not have looked out of place in the last few years of his Down tenure.  This is probably his most impressive achievement since 2005 and illustrates a man willing to do what is best.

These points would indicate to me a credible candidate for the Down County job.

There are negatives, of course.  Pete has that Mourinho effect where he always seems to leave with some sort of discontent.  Nothing serious, just people generally being cranky, but I think that comes with Petes character.  He is a hard man to love if you get what I mean but without question, he can manage a team.  He has no club championships on his CV which I would say grates him but perhaps its the county environment that suits him best and perhaps he has shown with Fermanagh this year that he is willing to bring himself into the modern game in terms of team and player preparation.

[wobbller]

Nostalgia.
Gotta love it.

The whole County from top to bottom needs overhauled.

[SHEEDY]

SFC result;  Burren 4-21 liatroim 0-9

Clonduff v rostrevor was abandoned due to a bad injury to clonduff player darren o'hagan. Looked bad but hopefully nothing serious.

[gaamann]

No big shock Jim resigned only surprise he waited this long how can you continue when your employers have made it clear they don't want you? Now the circus will start again feel sorry for Jim think he was sold out by the players who have to carry some of the blame for the Wexford display.Agree he made some mistakes his stance on the players who couldn't commit as early as he wanted was a mistake and am sure he would use a different approach if he had his time again.The decision to stay in Wexford after the game instead of the night before was also a mistake.Sent the wrong message to the players but the fact that the Kilcoo men were back down the road that night and reports that others couldn't wait to get State side probably says were their commitment lay some players should be having a look at how they repayed the faith Jim showed in them.

[Pangurban]

Would love to see Pete back but i believe Co.Board are setting up post for Conor Deegan

[Line Ball]

Pete.

Fair play to Pete in Fermanagh this year. He made the most of a kind draw, and got momentum going. Championships are about momentum.

But while I know that time is a great healer, am I really the only person who remembers this series of Championship results for Down?

2000 USFC: Antrim 0-13 Down 1-7
2001 USFC: Cavan 1-14 Down 2-10
2001 AI Qualifiers: Armagh 1-13 Down 2-4
2002 USFC: Donegal 3-12 Down 1-6
2002 AI Qualifiers: Longford 1-16 Down 0-14

Seriously folks, this is not an "outstanding candidate".

Sweet f**k, what planet are you all on?  Going back to Pete Mc Grath would be nearly as big a disaster as appointing the likes of Paddy O'Rourke.  Both have had their run with Down and thanks but no thanks.  Where else do we go?  Our top clubs in Div 1 at present are as follows with their managers.

Burren-Sean Ward lacks experience, only 4th year in Senior club management.  No chance
Bryansford-Frank Dawson,experience with Antrim, plenty of success at club level in Down, knows our club football inside out.  Best prospect but not overly popular
Mayobridge-Michael Walsh, lacks experience.  No chance
Ballyholland-Steven Poacher, madman.  No chance
Warrenpoint-Bernie Ruane, first senior team.  No chance
Kilcoo-Paul Mc Ivor, not impressed with him so far but may come good yet.  Outside chance
Clonduff-Gearoid Adams, experience with Antrim but still finding his feet with Clonduff.  Outside chance
Saval-Darren Quinn, lacks experience.  No chance

These are the 'so called' top managers in Div 1.  In Div 2 at the top we have Ballymartin-Hugh Trainor, Loughinisland-Jerome Johnston, Darragh Cross-Brendan Mason, Tullylish-Eamon Burns.  How many of these men are in the running?

We have three major issues.
1.We do not have the expertise or quality within our own county to appoint a manager from within.
2.We do not have the the resources to finance a top manager from outside our county.
3.If we are honest we simply do not have good enough players on the County squad in Down.  Don't tell me the same shit that we gained promotion to Div 1 and had a great year under Mc Corry, we got lucky in so many games robbing Kildare and being over run by Galway spring to mind from last year.

I don't know where we go from here but our incompetent County Board have so much to answer for.  So many of our discussions on here revolve around our senior team but the sooner we sort out the lower end of our conveyor belt, our development squads, then the sooner we may have the players to compete at the top end.

[wobbller]

Today's Irish News.
........................................................

I was forced out of Down job - McCorry

Jim McCorry breaks his silence over his bitter Down departure
JIM McCORRY has insisted his position as Down senior football manager was made "untenable" following a crunch meeting with the county management committee on Monday.

McCorry, who quit the job on Thursday after just one season in charge, rejected the Down County Board's statement that they were "100 per cent" behind him.

However, McCorry was far from convinced after Monday night's meeting with the Mourne County's top brass and felt he had "no choice" but to step down from the post.

Last month, the county's management committee sensationally recommended to county delegates to get rid of McCorry – but the clubs voted to retain their manager [22-20].

Speaking to The Irish News on Friday morning, McCorry claimed the way he was treated was more in keeping with the cut-throat culture of the English Premier League.

"I was left with no choice other than to leave the post," said McCorry. "The position had become untenable. At Monday's meeting, the county committee told me they were backing me "100 per cent".

"The people who were backing me "100 per cent" were the same people who didn't see fit to back me four weeks earlier.

"When I asked for the reasons why, I was told people had the right to vote the way they wanted. That really stuck in my craw."

Immediately after last month's narrow vote to keep him, McCorry felt his position was untenable, but after a period of reflection and with a certain degree of optimism entering last Monday's meeting, the Armagh native thought he could continue as Down manager and that the situation "might be salvageable".

McCorry had drawn up a two-year plan ahead of the crunch meeting in which the objective was to remain in Division One and win an Ulster title within that time-frame.

Unfortunately, McCorry remained unconvinced about his future as Down boss upon leaving Monday's meeting.

"I still thought it was salvageable if it was going to be the right discussion and the right rational look at how we improve the county set-up at senior level to challenge for honours, with a proper strategy in place going forward.

"From that perspective, I thought it would have been salvageable, yes."

McCorry added: "I went into Monday's meeting in a positive mind, hoping I was going to hear things other than the platitudes of: 'We're behind you 100 per cent and let's move on'.

"That wasn't giving me any confidence to be able to deliver the two-year plan without them putting hurdles in my way.

"It's okay saying to someone: 'We're 100 per cent behind you', but you really have to convince someone of that.

"I would have thought it straightforward for anybody to understand that the manager in my position would have needed a lot of convincing and a lot of support after what happened.

"For them to say: 'People had the right to vote – let's move on'. That's not the type of conversation that filled me with confidence. The trust and respect wasn't there."

"They had issues with the captaincy, issues with the management team and the fact I hadn't brought in a third selector, even though it was made clear to them that a third selector would be added this year to freshen things up.

"When I weighed it up in the round and when I was told by a very trusted person in Down who said: 'They're just waiting for you to trip up, Jim, and it'll all start again,' I thought: 'Why should I go through that for it to start up all over again.'"

He continued: "What annoyed me was that there was no discussion with county management about how we'd got up to Division One, how we lost the Division Two final with a man down, how we lost away to Derry [in the Ulster Championship] with a man down. There was no talk about any of that. It was just about the Wexford defeat and not having, in their view, the best players available for that game."

Curiously, the manager had to deal with questions from the management committee over who he picked and didn't pick on his panel and why some high-profile players who had decided to step down weren't persuaded to return.

"When I asked who were the best players in the county, the only reference was the players who had retired previously or weren't available.

"There was no mention of the fact that I had asked those players to stay on; I didn't push anybody out, I wanted them to be in the squad.

"They had made the choice not to be there... There were things asked in that meeting that were matters for the manager. The manager picks the panel. That's why you pick a manager for.

"I had the best players available who wanted to commit to Down. Maybe some people thought I should beg some players to come back to play for Down. But that's not really the way I see county football.

"I don't think modern-day county footballers should be begged to come back when they've decided they want to retire. And those players who didn't wish to play all had valid reasons."

For a variety of reasons, Dan Gordon, Benny Coulter, Kalum King, Dan McCartan and Ambrose Rogers stepped aside while illness prevented Marty Clarke from making a return to county colours.

McCorry, however, confirmed Gordon and Clarke had "already indicated they wanted to come back, and they were part of the playing panel for next year".

McCorry was given just seven months in the job. Faced with a daunting rebuilding job, he guided the Mournemen back to Division One before a controversial refereeing decision – the sending-off of Conall McGovern in the 37th minute - contributed to their downfall against Derry in the Ulster Championship.

In their All-Ireland Qualifier defeat to lowly Wexford, there were no redeeming features in the Down performance.

McCorry was also castigated for his post-match interview with The Sunday Game where he said Division One was the team's "priority".

The Down manager was disappointed with the way in which the interview was edited and how it was used by his detractors as a stick to beat him with.

Given his incredible success with Eoghan Rua, Kilcoo, where he won four club championships, McCorry was the stand-out candidate to succeed the outgoing James McCartan.

With the senior squad in dire need of fresh faces and with very little coming through the U21 ranks, it was a major surprise to see Down gain promotion to the top flight.

"The appointment committee knew exactly what I was going to do: there would be a new panel of players, a new way of playing, players would leave and we could expect an outcry with that.

"But I told the committee we would have to ride that out. They appointed me on that basis and now they ended up lambasting me for it. The problem with Down is that they look back at the past all the time."

Despite the bitter ending and truncated time in charge, McCorry doesn't regret taking the Down post.

"I loved the job the short time I was there," he said.

"I'd love to have done the three years. I really know the players now. I met some fantastic people and had some really great experiences. I'm not leaving with a bitter taste in my mouth regarding the players.

"We'd great supporters at our games as well. And I wouldn't be worried about the keyboard warriors, I'd be concerned with the genuine supporters. A lot of people wanted me to stay on but I wasn't able to.

"Next year, some of those players will be working with their third manager in 12 months. That sounds like something you'd hear in the English Premier League. That's down to the county management committee, not me."

"Don't get me wrong, not every player is going to be satisfied because you can only play 15. Players were taken off, players were more disgruntled than others. That's the way management is.

"The amount of time and effort I put into it was phenomenal. I'd taken early retirement in April and was virtually working at the Down job full-time."

Asked what he'd learned while in charge of his adopted county, McCorry replied: "A wise man that I would listen to said to me: 'Jim, why did you think you would be treated any differently when you saw what happened to Pete McGrath, Paddy O'Rourke and Ross Carr?'

"And my response was: 'I didn't think I would be treated differently but I thought I would get more than six months of playing time.'

"What I've learned is that there is going to be no comparison to that type of scenario again in the future. There are politics at the top level in the GAA that people scratch their heads at. There are politics with a small 'p' at club level that I've dealt with over the years, and that's fairly minor and easy to deal with.

"I suppose at county level it's hard to understand why people can't see a bigger picture rather than concentrating on the last result."

In thanking the players and his backroom team of Mark Copeland, John Morgan and strength and conditioning coach Ciaran Sloan, McCorry said: "This was something I didn't particularly want to do because I really enjoyed working with the players. I'd like to thank every one of them and my backroom team – Mark, John and Ciaran.

"Success this year wasn't just about going up to Division One, it was about trying to create a club atmosphere where all the cliques were removed and to play better football. So there was a lot of progression behind the scenes.

"That's going to start again whoever is going to come in. I wanted to make it work. I wanted to be the Down manager for another two years and to win an Ulster Championship."

And the future?

To take his wife, Roisin, on an long overdue holiday.

And football?

With a roguish grin, McCorry said: "I'm looking forward to being a spectator for a while, standing behind the wire and hurling a few stones at the manager!"

[urbangael]

Time to break the bank and bring in McEntee

[supersub]

Would hardly be breaking the bank - he'd be the on the same as Jim.

[qubdub]

Time to wipe the slate clean. Identify issues and address them both short and long term.

Short term things like managers for senior, minor, u21 need to be  appointed asap especially with championships in full swing. McCorry treated poorly so let's hope that doesn't deter potential candidates. Forget outside managers, I'd take a down man over a mercenary any day.

Long term is where the real fun happens. GAA is dying on its knees in parts of this county and to some people they wouldn't even know or care. Forget underage county development squads as a priority and get a real injection into places like the lecale district, Dpk and Newry. Get structures in place within all the primary schools, direct whatever resources are available to these areas. For a town of newrys size to not have a proper challenging senior side is a reflection on the county as a whole. Oh and also get Glenn new facilities.