Down Club Hurling & Football

Bridge_Sky_Blue · October 29, 2007, 09:26:58 PM

The Down website was recently updated yet they failed to mention one thing about the Bridge winning the championship for the fourth time in a row quite an acheivement i might add .

Then An Riocht wins a league title of very little significance within the county and it gets top biling on the site with photos and not a sight of the Bridge. There were plenty of media people there for the county board i am sure it would not be to difficult to obtain a small photo of the FOUR TIMES REIGNING CHAMPIONS.

I will also add that MAYOBRIDGE represent this county in the ulster championship on sunday but also no mention on the website maybe the senior championships are of no importance to the county board. We are proud of our team and what they have acheived all one has to do is to look at the photo of An Riocht on the front page( and by the way congradulations to them on winning it) to see the joy they got from winning the league title a title.

We wonder if Longstone had won would it be the same and would they have been completly disregarded?

redandblackjack · October 29, 2007, 10:37:38 PM

The league is hardly of "very little significance" is it? IMO An Riocht winning the league title on the back of a division 2 is as big a story as the Bridges 4 in a row. All the best to the Bridge this weekend, a win would be a major boost to the county.

Bitta-Banter · October 29, 2007, 10:39:57 PM

St Pauls
I think you'll find that Brendan Mcgourty played all of his underage football with Darragh Cross.He would then drift away due to hurling commitments.He only went to St Pauls because Kevin Blaney recruited him.He is also very friendly with many of the Darragh Cross players.Its an insult to put Darragh Cross in the same bracket as Loughinisland in terms of poaching players.

No1 · October 30, 2007, 08:24:41 AM

Magic played a couple of football games at minor level for Kilclief and that was it.

It was explained on here a couple of times how that didn't matter a shite when he was out of minors. Can't remember the rules though.

behind the wire · October 30, 2007, 09:21:35 AM

6th sam, as regards development of our fields we dont have much option really. the school is being redeveloped in the next couple of years but i dont think we will be gaining any territorial advantages from it, despite the efforts of alot of people including the parish priest. i think we may have some of our facilities upgraded in turn for giving the school some use of them but by the same token it doesnt solve the problem of needing a bigger pitch. the wee pitch at the top is now fully floodlit which is a big help. its good for training and hosting underage matches at night. p.s. if you hear of any good size plots of land goin cheap in the right area of banbridge you can give me a shout.

Smiler An Dun · October 30, 2007, 12:36:11 PM

regarding people and their clubs. What is the general consensus that players/members should be able to choose what ever club they want to be part of no matter where they live? Does the Parish rule still exist (especially in rural areas)?

The club in the Parish I live is an amalgamation of two clubs that used to be in the parish. However "one" side of the club is far more dominant than the "other" side. With very few clubs near by, I have no option but to go with that club, although if I had the choice I would choose another.

No1 · October 30, 2007, 01:47:33 PM

QuoteWhat is the general consensus that players/members should be able to choose what ever club they want to be part of no matter where they live?

No way Smiler. IMO it's what sets us apart from the soccer boys. You are born into a club and thats it until you are six foot under, if boys could pick and choose which club to affiliate to I think most of what I love about the GAA would vanish.

I believe most people feel that way, it certainly explains the feelings expressed towards Loughinisland earlier in the thread.

I understand your difficult position and to be honest if our club folded and I had to join Saul I'd just jack it in and take up full time drinking!

turkey+ham · October 30, 2007, 02:12:09 PM

No1, could be worse, imagine having to join Downpatrick or Ardglass?

Maiden1 · October 30, 2007, 02:13:31 PM

Quote from: behind the wire on October 30, 2007, 09:21:35 AM
6th sam, as regards development of our fields we dont have much option really. the school is being redeveloped in the next couple of years but i dont think we will be gaining any territorial advantages from it, despite the efforts of alot of people including the parish priest. i think we may have some of our facilities upgraded in turn for giving the school some use of them but by the same token it doesnt solve the problem of needing a bigger pitch. the wee pitch at the top is now fully floodlit which is a big help. its good for training and hosting underage matches at night. p.s. if you hear of any good size plots of land goin cheap in the right area of banbridge you can give me a shout.

A bit more drainage on the pitch would be a good start, it can be a bit of a bog at times.

off the laces · October 30, 2007, 04:05:25 PM

I understand your difficult position and to be honest if our club folded and I had to join Saul I'd just jack it in and take up full time drinking!
No1 i thought with the amount of underachievment of your club you had all jacked it in to take up drinking.

No1 · October 30, 2007, 04:19:49 PM

A fair point off the laces.

Turkey + ham, that's a bit like a choice between being shot or hung!

behind the wire · October 30, 2007, 04:29:12 PM

what No1 says is exactly right in my opinion. gaa is unique because of the parish/family ties involved. maybe its just me but i would much prefer to play in the lower divisions with true clubmen, lads i was brought up with rather than win championships etc with a team laced full of outsiders.

any other way would lead to clubs becoming like my local soccer club. i think it has only 2 locals on it. the result being that you could easily count the number of spectators at their games. some of the pub teams would nearly get as big a crowd because its all locals playing.

amallon · October 30, 2007, 04:46:04 PM

Anyone know where the best place to listen to coverage of the Bridge match on the web will be on Sunday? Will five fm be covering it?

Townie · October 30, 2007, 04:49:27 PM

The house sounds like the best place!

Smiler An Dun · October 30, 2007, 05:04:22 PM

while i agree to the parish/family ties etc, where the club is located/situated isn't my "place", therefore i Have no real affinity for the place except that it's the only club I can be a member off. I did have a club, that represented where I lived but due to circumstances had to fold/merge in with the other side of the Parish. The two sides are as bad as black and white. I live in hope that someday football will return.

On another note, what about this instance. I live on the boundary of two parishes, in that if I moved 100 yards up the road I would be living in another Parish. Although still in Down, the bulk of that Parish and the GAA club that represents it is in another county. Does that mean at present anyone living in the Down part of the parish can only play for a club in another county?