Down Club Hurling & Football

[Pangurban]

If our players would listen to the Tyrone players talk about the levels of committment and focus required, we may start to get somewhere. We have still too many going through the motions with low expectation, a couple of good performances the pinnacle of their ambition each year. The fact that there are few if any challengers for their positions, keeps them in the comfort zone from which nothing is ever won

[guevara]

Mourne Rover if you honestly think we are eve close to Tyrone at the minute your diluded!
Fair enough Down beat Tyrone i Ulster but with the back door system teams know it isnt a win or die situation as of old.
That day in Marshes Tyrone had a heap of injuries most notably to Sean Cavanagh.
I think somebody pointed out that in past 3 or 4 years Down have had only maybe 2 or 3 newcomers to there starting 15!

Im not asking for wholesale change but if boys arent doing the job someone else should get a crack of the whip! Too many boys are just happy enough to be in Ross' panel every year knowing they probably wont play championship football all year.

I also know for a fact that most of the Kildare players never touched alcohol from Chritmas until they were out of the championship. Would our players ever show thses levels of commitment?

[Leo]

If our players would listen to the Tyrone players talk about the levels of committment and focus required, we may start to get somewhere. We have still too many going through the motions with low expectation, a couple of good performances the pinnacle of their ambition each year. The fact that there are few if any challengers for their positions, keeps them in the comfort zone from which nothing is ever won

Good point. Maybe our players technically are not that far off but our overall organisation is.

Interesting that Brian  Dooher's first thanks at Croker were for Club Tyrone, demonstrating that Tyrone are getting things right at EVERY level. Here in Down we let a brilliant orgnaisation like Club Down fade away when it should have been properly recognised for what it achieved and kept as the foundation for the county's future finances, part of the overall structure every county needs to compete with Tyrone today.

[spiritof91and94]

We are getting back to the alcohol subject again - lets face facts we dont have the players to make a serious challenge, Wexford told us that.
A few posts back someone quoted a Loughinisland win in the SFC would send out the wrong signal to all other clubs in Down - beleive me it would be the best thing to happen Down football.
Ross has assembled a panel get together tomorrow night in Newcastle - wtf - has the defence of the McKenna Cup begun already? Last year we peaked in February and it looks like it will be the same again this year.

[johnneycool]

Oh, and did you know big Ger Colgan played midfield in an AL minor semi-final in the hurling for Down. We got beat by Offaly by 5 points who then stuffed Clare in the final.

What year was that Johnneycool??

1989.

[islandboy]

spirit - most people would like to see us win on sunday as it would be good for down football- its only downfanatic who would prefer the bridge- think he is jealous after there close game with kilclief.

[downredblack]

What time is the throw in ?

[amallon]

I'd prefer the Bridge to win myself!    I just hope the best team wins, and the best team to represent Down in Ulster comes through on Sunday.  I hope that is the Bridge.

Tyrone winning the All Ireland is a boost for Ulster football and should make for a more interesting Ulster championship.  Down can take a little pride in being the only team to beat Tyrone but they should realise that Tyrone had far more capacity to improve than Down had.

[the milkman]

We are getting back to the alcohol subject again - lets face facts we dont have the players to make a serious challenge, Wexford told us that.
A few posts back someone quoted a Loughinisland win in the SFC would send out the wrong signal to all other clubs in Down - beleive me it would be the best thing to happen Down football.
Ross has assembled a panel get together tomorrow night in Newcastle - wtf - has the defence of the McKenna Cup begun already? Last year we peaked in February and it looks like it will be the same again this year.

Seems crazy to get together already< but just out of intrest anybody know anyone called to it???

[T O Hare]

I heard a rumour that Conor Garvey is invited to the panel

[Leo]

We are getting back to the alcohol subject again - lets face facts we dont have the players to make a serious challenge, Wexford told us that.
A few posts back someone quoted a Loughinisland win in the SFC would send out the wrong signal to all other clubs in Down - beleive me it would be the best thing to happen Down football.
Ross has assembled a panel get together tomorrow night in Newcastle - wtf - has the defence of the McKenna Cup begun already? Last year we peaked in February and it looks like it will be the same again this year.

Seems crazy to get together already< but just out of intrest anybody know anyone called to it???

Some who should be:

K King           Bryansford
N McArdle     Castlewellan
F McGreevy   Castlewellan
L Sloan         Atticall
K Duffin        Castlewellan
M McClean     Kilcoo
J Doran         L'island
C Turley        L'island

[T O Hare]

We are getting back to the alcohol subject again - lets face facts we dont have the players to make a serious challenge, Wexford told us that.
A few posts back someone quoted a Loughinisland win in the SFC would send out the wrong signal to all other clubs in Down - beleive me it would be the best thing to happen Down football.
Ross has assembled a panel get together tomorrow night in Newcastle - wtf - has the defence of the McKenna Cup begun already? Last year we peaked in February and it looks like it will be the same again this year.

Seems crazy to get together already< but just out of intrest anybody know anyone called to it???

Some who should be:

K King           Bryansford
N McArdle     Castlewellan
F McGreevy   Castlewellan
L Sloan         Atticall
K Duffin        Castlewellan
M McClean     Kilcoo
J Doran         L'island
C Turley        L'island

not sure about the rest but Duffin is a class act!!!

[the milkman]

We are getting back to the alcohol subject again - lets face facts we dont have the players to make a serious challenge, Wexford told us that.
A few posts back someone quoted a Loughinisland win in the SFC would send out the wrong signal to all other clubs in Down - beleive me it would be the best thing to happen Down football.
Ross has assembled a panel get together tomorrow night in Newcastle - wtf - has the defence of the McKenna Cup begun already? Last year we peaked in February and it looks like it will be the same again this year.

Seems crazy to get together already< but just out of intrest anybody know anyone called to it???

Some who should be:

K King           Bryansford
N McArdle     Castlewellan
F McGreevy   Castlewellan
L Sloan         Atticall
K Duffin        Castlewellan
M McClean     Kilcoo
J Doran         L'island
C Turley        L'island

not sure about the rest but Duffin is a class act!!!

100% looks lethal player seems to be hard as the road too!

Seen a good few championship games this year, I think that S O Hare from mayobridge should  def get a chance! Seen plenty of Div3. teams this year playing against St.Micks, the CHF. for glassdrumman looked the part also, not sure of name or age though!!!

[behind the wire]

We are getting back to the alcohol subject again - lets face facts we dont have the players to make a serious challenge, Wexford told us that.
A few posts back someone quoted a Loughinisland win in the SFC would send out the wrong signal to all other clubs in Down - beleive me it would be the best thing to happen Down football.
Ross has assembled a panel get together tomorrow night in Newcastle - wtf - has the defence of the McKenna Cup begun already? Last year we peaked in February and it looks like it will be the same again this year.

Seems crazy to get together already< but just out of intrest anybody know anyone called to it???

Some who should be:

K King           Bryansford
N McArdle     Castlewellan
F McGreevy   Castlewellan
L Sloan         Atticall
K Duffin        Castlewellan
M McClean     Kilcoo
J Doran         L'island
C Turley        L'island

not sure about the rest but Duffin is a class act!!!

100% looks lethal player seems to be hard as the road too!

Seen a good few championship games this year, I think that S O Hare from mayobridge should  def get a chance! Seen plenty of Div3. teams this playing against St.Micks, the CHF. for glassdrumman looked the part also, not sure of name or age though!!!

probably cormac murphy. hes a big ginger lad, very good player. could never understand why he wasnt at least looked at by the county management. theres also a fella called pat mallon plays for glasdrumman, not sure what he would be like at county level but always been good any time i have played against him.

does anyone know if michael magee still plays for ardglass? hes another one i wouldnt mind seeing getting a chance (have to admit i havent seen him playing in a while and dont know what committment would be like)

[corn02]

Just in case no one else does, can I point our our record this year at all levels against the county which, in recent times, sets the bench mark. We beat Tyrone in the Ulster championship at both senior and u21 and we were in a winning position in the minors well into the second half if a couple of switches had been made. We have a huge amount of work to do, particularly at the back in all levels, but, if we listen to what the Tyrone players said today about the impact of losing to us, we can still move forward with at least some confidence.

If our players would listen to the Tyrone players talk about the levels of committment and focus required, we may start to get somewhere. We have still too many going through the motions with low expectation, a couple of good performances the pinnacle of their ambition each year. The fact that there are few if any challengers for their positions, keeps them in the comfort zone from which nothing is ever won

Owned in the next post!