Down Club Hurling & Football

[DownFanatic]

Any one know the situation regarding some of following players with regards to senior setup;

Michael Cunningham, Kieran Gordan

David McKibbin, James Colgan, Daryl Brannigan, Declan Rooney, Conor Garvey, Kevin Duffin

Niall McParland, Peter Fitzpatrick, Paul Greenan, Shane Harrison

Ross McGarry, Chris Clarke , Robbie White, Caolan Mooney, Paul McComiskey, Paul Devlin, Conor Poland, Conor Maginn, Marty Clarke, Jerome Johnston

Have they been approached or are already involved or are coming into the panel at a later stage? I apologise if any of the players named above have an obvious explanation to their involvement. I am also not that familiar with the Loughinisland boys that could be involved, except for K. Gordan and possibly Dan Gordan but I am fairly sure Dan won't be back.

From what I know:
Kieran Gordan - On the panel, sub keeper on Saturday.
James Colgan - Still in New Zeland doing physio?
Daryl Brannigan - Not asked onto the panel.
Peter Fitzpatrick - Heard he's not playing this year as he's building a house. Not sure if true.
Paul Greenan - Moved out to Oz.
Ross McGarry - Not asked onto panel.
Robbie White - Not asked onto panel.
Caolan Mooney - On panel. Disciplined and dropped for Saturday's game.
Paul McComiskey - No interest in football. Not playing regularly for Dundrum.
Conor Poland - Living in London.
Marty Clarke - Playing for Queens, not yet asked onto panel.
Jerome Johnston - On the panel but injured.

Open to correction on the above. No idea about the rest of the lads you've mentioned.

I'd hazard a guess that Jonny Flynn and Rory Mason will be asked on from Loughinisland and possibly Aaron McClements. I'd also be fairly sure Dan isn't going back.

Still playing for Dundrum. Was out injured for majority of last year.
But sure why let the truth get in the way of a bit of sensationalism.

[east down gael]

Sensationalism?

[A man from Down]

Well hes hardly gonna come out and say he was on the tear last week & had to leave him out.
Nobody associated with Down should be in the papers at the minute, least not the players.
Read enough oul cr@p from the same boys this last few years to sicken yer hole. Its embarrassing.
If its not Big Arthur, its McKernan, Poland or Mooney. Add in the weekly columns from other fellas and it just makes ye cringe.

Its not the players fault to be fair.

Up until a couple of days ago Brick I would have agreed with you as it became a particular gripe of mine but in defence of the players its the stupid same questions being asked by reporters over and over. I was/am sick of the same "everything is great this could be our year nonsense" but I watched an interview recently and came to the conclusion of what else can players say?

All interviews seem to go like this:

Reporter: So you have a new manager what has he brought to the panel?

Player: Ah he's been great, he's a great talker and he's brought a different approach to the whole set-up, I really like what he's got to say so far.

Actual answer should/could be: I don't know yet he's only been here five minutes but he's brought a different approach because he's not an actual clone of our previous manger. He's a decent talker I suppose because he wouldn't be in management if he was a wee bit shy around the boys here. To be honest ask me after the summer.


Reporter: So, the new manager has brought in some new faces, how are they getting on ?

Player: They've been great so far and have brought in a freshness. They are pushing the older fellas really hard and places are going to be hard to come by.

Actual answer should/could be: Ah well a new manager, new players, its hardly a surprise. To be honest most of them probably won't be here in the summer but at this time of year the squad is a wee bit thin. They'll probably need to get some of those younger ones onto a weights programme they are far too light.


Reporter: So, you are in division 1 this year and a lot of people are writing yous off?

Player: Yeah well we got promoted on merit last year and earned the right to be here, there's lots of good players in Down you know and we are feeling optimistic about getting a result against whoever in the next match.

Actual Answer should/could be: Yeah, well we couldn't beat Wexford last year so I can see how people maybe think we will struggle against the likes of Kerry and Dublin. People say we have good footballers in the county but if you ask someone from Sligo are there any good footballers in Sligo then they'll tell you yes indeed there are. 

Reporter: Whats the spirit like in the camp?

Player: Well its great, it hasn't been better everyone is getting on really well.

Actual answer should/could be: Not great there are too many off playing university football at the minute and sure it hasn't been the same craic since your big fella that told all the jokes has left the panel. We aren't allowed to drink pints anymore and that doesn't help.

Reporter: You hav'nt won an Ulster title in a while how do you see your chances in the summer?

Player: Well we are all confident we can bring an Ulster title back here, its been far too long now but there are a lot of good players in this county.

Actual answer should/could be: Really, we hav'nt won an Ulster title in a while? No shit, we'd love to win an Ulster title in fact I'd give my right arm for one but ask me in the fu&king summer its still snowing here!   





The players will always be optimistic about winning matches and titles as that's what they train for. Any negativity in an interview would be damaging to the player and maybe even the panel.  They get asked the same questions over and over and then the answer becomes a headline 'Down player says this can be the year'  'Down player says Down can do well in division 1'

Its not just in Down, but how many headlines or article have you seen that say "new faces in Donegal/Dublin/Kerry bring a freshness" ?

The only alternative is to ban the players from making interviews which is hardly fair.

[Smurfy123]

Great post there by A MAN FROM DOWN
Anyway what's the feelings for Sunday
Kane
O hagen
McGovern
Magee
Hughes
Mckernan
McGovern
McKay
Mallon
Murphy
Harrison
Johnstone if fit
Madine
Poland
McConville

What can we lose here
Stick 2 big men in the square and let Poland feed off them.Win the ball around the middle and get it in first time.If it does not work well at least it was tried
Probably harsh on Aidan Carr and Ryan Boyle here being left out

[cut the crap]

This is some site,full of would be comedians, sprinkled with a few doom and gloom merchants.Wake up lads we all know this season is going to be difficult, like it or not we are in Div 1 and face a hard league campaign followed by an equally difficult championship, so as the manager would say, suck it up lads and let's get on with it, we will have the pleasure of the odd good result and maybe the unearthing of some new young talent  so keep the faith

[Smurfy123]

Cut the crap it's a discussion board after all
We are here to discuss all things Down and give an opinion
Yes it's going to be a rough year but why cabt we compete with Roscommon and Monaghan and beat 1 of the other big 4
Would like to see the wobblers preferred team selection for Sunday as he talks a lot of sense

[Smurfy123]

Not you ya fool the original wobbler from the harps
I would not listen to a word you say
Any thoughts on team selection this weekend lads?

[Gaa for life]

 why cabt we compete with Roscommon and Monaghan and beat 1 of the other big 4

are you for real? what over the past number of years would indicate to you that we be capable of beating a top four team? come on now, we need to be realistic.

[Smurfy123]

I am not for one second saying we can beat a top 4 in championship football but it is possible in league football.If Kerry take a shadow team to Newry in a few weeks team we have a chance.Yes a Kerry shadow team is probably better than our first team but if we play to our max and Kerry under perform we could get a result.

[TooLongRef]

smurfy you are a clown and all you do on here is talk pure shite about half the players in the county, you must have been/must be some footballer?

[Smurfy123]

It's an opinion that I'm giving
Is it not a discussion board?

[thewobbler]

Thanks for hoisting me on a pedestal Smurf, but as there's a number of lads on the panel that I've never actually seen kick a ball in the flesh, my days of bar stool formations are at and end (well, temporarily anyhow).

Main observations for me from Saturday night was that when Johnston and Murphy went off, our energy levels fell flat on the ground, while the halfback line and midfield left horrendous holes from that time on. It's early days, but if we don't have a handful of top county standard runners, then absolutely have no choice but to protect the D at all costs. If that means 8 men in two banks of 4 either side of the 21, who never cross the 45, then so be it. Let the opposition have the ball all they want at midfield, but make them work for every score. We need to make sure the opposition is frustrated, not our own team.

[PAULD123]

Sumrfy the main problem with your team is that Madine and McConville are not very mobile. But otherwise I agree with you. Gaelic football goes through phases and fads. Currently the fad is two men upfront by themselves. Quite frankly it isn't working for us. I think your idea of two big men up front and a couple of fast runners coming through is a very good idea. Unfortunately our two big men available are not great.

I am more worried about the overall approach. There is no ambition or effort to break through the line to receive a pass. If a player can't run past his marker he turns and plays it back. No one is running off his shoulder into space. Secondly we totally ignored the massive wide open space of the pitch right hand side. Simply no one ran into it nor attacked it. After Magee made a few good runs to half way there was no one calling for a pass or moving in front of him.

In all honesty it was like watching school boys - Sure what do you expect me to be doing, the ball isn't near me right now!!!

[Petergriffin1]

I hear big John Caldwell has got a transfer to Ballymartin from the bridge? Any truth in this? Think he would be a great add to the ballymartin side with his pace, strength and catching ability.. Also a great lad who will be badly missed by the bridge

[clowry13]

Mooney's hamstring must still be in Belfast after last week... along with his jaw... unreal prospect