Down Club Hurling & Football

[EIREANNACH]

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.

So let me get this straight, you want to appoint short managers for senior, u21 and minor and you want to ditch the development squads and direct all our resources into lecale district, Downpatrick (same place no?) and Newry?  That should certainly sort things out 

Read it again dickweed 

You don't happen to be on the county board, do you?

I have and that's what I take from your post.  No, I am not on the County Board.   

Read it again dickweed 

Class

Okay, so you are just being deliberately obtuse, fair enough.

In the interests of clarity I will reiterate my points for those who are on the slow side of things.

I am not calling for short managers. No one should be discriminated against on the basis of their height. They should be chosen on merit alone, preferably within the confines of this county and should be appointed sooner rather than later.

I am not calling for the ditching of development squads. They are inherently important. I am suggesting the main focus should be to develop GAA in areas in this county where it should be flourishing, but isn't. Do you not think it ridiculous that a virtually 99% nationalist city like Newry does not have a senior club? Likewise in much of East Down, there is a huge disparity between the GAA there and the south of the county.

I am not blaming anyone on this, but it's time it was addressed. People are incessant in their gurning about results on the field of play but blissfully disregard the massive imbalance in our county. The clubs have their part to play to and they should be dragged into cooperating if need be. Bombard the schools with coaches, organise trips to Pairc Esler, Croker etc. in parts of South Down in the traditional strongholds this just simply isn't needed as Gaelic football is bred into them.

Out of interest when is the last time a South Down club had to fold?

When was the last time an East Down Club folded as I can't think of any other than Ballykinlar being currently on it's knees?

Annsborough ?

[ardtole]

Killyleagh folded about 15 years ago but reformed recently. Annsborough folded but the fin have pretty much replaced them. Things must be bad with Aghaderg they couldnt field against us in the jfc, im not sure for the reason though.

[EIREANNACH]

Killyleagh seems to have given up on any more senior football this season. Fair play to Aghaderg they are least trying to field although i note they didnt play Ardglass. Bright didnt field v Teconnaught in league will they play them in the championship. They can still progress to quarters without playing a game. Madness.

JFC games not being played is embarrassing and does nothing to promote the competition. Should return to a straight knockout format with an open draw.

[downup]

Most people on here seem to be agreed that they don't want to return to Paddy O'R, or Ross/DJ or that Pete would politely say no and I'd tend to agree with this. My suggestion tho is that why don't the county board set up all these guys plus wee james in a committee with the remit of selecting our next senior, U21 and minor management teams and that the selected managers set out there stall for three years and cannot be voted out by clubs within that time. At the same time set up a committee to oversee the underage development including people like the school football coaches throughout the county, liam hardy who is a great coach and people of that nature so we have an organised blueprint to work from and we have players teams and coaches beiong monitored. We need to get this approach more streamlined asap.

[Brick Tamlin]

Took in the double header in Newry last night.
Both games were crap. The standard of basics at adult level in the county leaves a lot to be desired.
Hard to pick out any county standard players who would really shine.

Glenn game was competitive but 'Point never looked in danger of losing it. Hadn't seen much of them recently but was impressed with Glenn's hunger and endeavour.
The Bridge game was woeful. The atmosphere was non-existent across the ground. Castlewellan are a nice wee team of light soccer players, with Bridge more battle-hardened/streetwise and so gobbled them up at their leisure. It was a stroll in the park for Mayobridge. But their production line is obviously drying up when you look across their panel and the age profile of some of their players.

Loughinisland had a great win over Ballymartin, who again fail to deliver when real questions are asked. Expect Louginisland to walk that championship.
Wasn't really anything else to shout about in terms of results I don't think.

Lets hope for a decent game tonight in Burren. Surely O'Hagan's absence has to tip the balance towards Rostrevor now.

[elk]

Anyone know if there is an entrance fee for the clonduff v rostrevor replay tonight?

[DownFanatic]

Killyleagh seems to have given up on any more senior football this season. Fair play to Aghaderg they are least trying to field although i note they didnt play Ardglass. Bright didnt field v Teconnaught in league will they play them in the championship. They can still progress to quarters without playing a game. Madness.

JFC games not being played is embarrassing and does nothing to promote the competition. Should return to a straight knockout format with an open draw.

JFC has been crap this year.
The round robin is a mess with teams not fielding etc.
The fact that you get to play a championship game on your home turf takes away from what a championship game should be all about.
No team programmes available at any JFC game I've been at.
All these things combined have really diminished the competition.

[ardtole]

Congratulations to former Kilclief hurler and footballer Cormac Sharvin on being selected to play in next months walker cup. Even bigger achievement considering he only took up golf at 15.

[qubdub]

Killyleagh seems to have given up on any more senior football this season. Fair play to Aghaderg they are least trying to field although i note they didnt play Ardglass. Bright didnt field v Teconnaught in league will they play them in the championship. They can still progress to quarters without playing a game. Madness.

JFC games not being played is embarrassing and does nothing to promote the competition. Should return to a straight knockout format with an open draw.

JFC has been crap this year.
The round robin is a mess with teams not fielding etc.
The fact that you get to play a championship game on your home turf takes away from what a championship game should be all about.
No team programmes available at any JFC game I've been at.
All these things combined have really diminished the competition.

I agree. I wonder are the county board doing everything they can to promote it though?

[thewobbler]

There's a million and one things I could stick the boot into the county board for at the moment, but the JFC and its promotion isn't one of them.

It's pure catch 22. Have an elongated championship and clubs don't even see it out. Play a knockout championship and get umbrage for not providing enough competitive games for the smaller clubs to improve.

Sadly, too many of the clubs in this competition are at the prickly edge of the predicament that is swamping Down football at present; there's not enough people who want to play the game. And as hard as it is being a committee man / coach in a successful club, doing so for a club which can't inspire 15 able bodied men to play the game must be soul destroying. The will to raise funds, maintain facilities and bring through your children and relatives must be so difficult to call upon.


Mark by words, there's a house of cards waiting to fall. We will lose have a dozen clubs this decade.

[ardtole]

I wouldnt blame the county board either for clubs not fielding in the jfc. We havent even played a championship game yet this year. The problem is not just restricted to Down, there are clubs all over the country struggling with numbers, having said that I cant see 6 clubs folding in next ten years in down.

[qubdub]

I'm in no way suggesting the county board are responsible, just questioning whether there things they could be doing. Is 13-a-side for example, a realistic remedy, say for the likes of Ballykinlers, Killyleaghs etc. What about amalgamating? I don't mean to be harsh but I sometimes wonder what is the point of these clubs existing if they can't field an adult team?

[ardtole]

I dont think 13 - a side is an option because the winners of the jfc qualify for the Ulster jfc which is 15 a side.

[DownFanatic]

There's a million and one things I could stick the boot into the county board for at the moment, but the JFC and its promotion isn't one of them.

It's pure catch 22. Have an elongated championship and clubs don't even see it out. Play a knockout championship and get umbrage for not providing enough competitive games for the smaller clubs to improve.

Sadly, too many of the clubs in this competition are at the prickly edge of the predicament that is swamping Down football at present; there's not enough people who want to play the game. And as hard as it is being a committee man / coach in a successful club, doing so for a club which can't inspire 15 able bodied men to play the game must be soul destroying. The will to raise funds, maintain facilities and bring through your children and relatives must be so difficult to call upon.

Mark by words, there's a house of cards waiting to fall. We will lose have a dozen clubs this decade.

Ballykinlar withdrew from competition this year and it looks like Killyleagh are gone for the rest of the season. Aghaderg have had difficulties fielding in the past few weeks.
The standard of junior football in the county has been at its worst for some time. Playing numbers are definitely down and this was evidenced this year by a lot of teams going to games with only 16/17 players.
Definitely don't think we will lose a dozen clubs in the next decade but we could well lose a couple.

[EIREANNACH]

the changes to the playing age for seniors will certainly not help those clubs struggling for numbers.

the new u19 , u17, u15 grading is another disaster waiting to happen. Down should have concentrated on developing instead of being a guinea pig for headquarters. no doubt there was a financial incentive to take part

after three years of it then changing it back if it doesn't work ?

ill thought. nobody can even tell me if it follows the school year or the calendar year yet the very same voted for it . why vote if you aren't sure how it works ?