Down Club Hurling & Football

[maldini]

I don't see the problem with the season running until November, the close season is too long if it runs from October-March in my opinion.

[islandboy]

my view is the season should start earlier. we were training in mid january so they should have started in march as we had hoped but they were put back(possibly because of under 21s-not sure). its good that we can play football until november(although some nights are freezing) as we get a bit bored during winter but there was a number of weeks when we had no game at all and thats frustrating. our seconds have not played  a game in 9 weeks yet we have five left. there should be 4 divisions and reduced to 10 as there are always teams not good enough for example dundrum in div 2

[thewobbler]

They used to start games in March. But season after season March's fixtures got wiped out by the weather - and refixtures are the main reason why seasons drag on. Starting in April with a flurry of fixtures before county commitments kick in makes more sense.

[Maiden1]

The fixtures at the minute are something of a joke. Clubs like my own are being left high and dry by the county board through their pig ignorance to play games on Saturdays.
Whats wrong with sundays? Clubs that are based in towns are being crucified as many of there players play both GAA & Soccer.

How can you try to encourage boys to come play GAA when at the most crucial part of the season we decide to stage our games on the same day as one of the biggest sports in the country?
Clubs like Banbridge, Castlewellan, Downpatrick and the Newry clubs are I'm sure in the same situation.
Whats wrong with Sundays? The playoffs decide a clubs fate for the forthcoming year yet some clubs cant put out there strongest teams due to the idiocracy of the fixtures being set!!

Is it by accident or design that the league changes to Saturday at this time of the season?  Quite handy when you need 2 points to stay out of the playoffs to get Downpatrick or other town teams on a saturday.  The same in the playoffs.

[No1]

  I don't think you can blame the county fixtures secretary for fellas choosing soccer over football, although I agree that there is no reason the Saturday fixtures can't be played on a Sunday.  However a lad is either committed to his club or he isn't.

  It's not as if they are running the Premier Reserve league on a Sunday, our seconds haven't had a game since July 7 (we'll say nothing about last Sunday cloneman)!

  Lecale2, I see your point about the three teams you mention but I believe as the senior teams in their club they should be allowed to compete against other senior teams.  To play against reserve teams would be detrimental to any future development, what inspiration would any U-12 get from watching his club's senior side play against Ardglass II's?  How many volunteers would you get to stay on board if the senior team was in that position?  I remember Burren II's beating us in the JFC and it took the football side of things about 15 years to recover.

  I think relegation and promotion should be scrapped for this year and we should all start from a clean slate next year.   

[off the laces]

I think 6th sam has a point as i know in our club the championship (which is the life blood off the GAA) is treated as a second rate competetion to the league. It is taking more and more money to run our clubs and smaller clubs are looking to the gate money to help them survive month to month.
I feel we need to get our championship back and what 6th sam has is a good enough start.
The three teams mentioned need to be playing senior grade football even if it is a poor junior standard, this enables them to develop players from their underage ranks.
No1 we know why you want it scrapped this year
P.S.
Why have the league games been brought forward to 1pm this week?

[spiritof91and94]

I think 6th sam has a point as i know in our club the championship (which is the life blood off the GAA) is treated as a second rate competetion to the league. It is taking more and more money to run our clubs and smaller clubs are looking to the gate money to help them survive month to month.
I feel we need to get our championship back and what 6th sam has is a good enough start.
The three teams mentioned need to be playing senior grade football even if it is a poor junior standard, this enables them to develop players from their underage ranks.
No1 we know why you want it scrapped this year
P.S.
Why have the league games been brought forward to 1pm this week?

PLEASE INCLUDE / ANNOUNCE A FEW TIMES / SPREAD THE WORD. THANK YOU.

 

Saturday 11 th October

5pm in St. Patricks Park Newcastle

Challenge Football Match

East Down Referees v South Down Referees

All proceeds to the Charities championed by

The Late Michael Cole (RIP)

Lord Mayor of Newry & Mourne who collapsed and died

while refereeing a Down Division One game in July.

[Johnnie99]

There are 43 league teams so the 4 divisions should have 11 teams (1 have 10 obviously). You get to play 20 league games.   Division 4 has 6 teams in it at the minute so you play 5 teams 4 times.  Fair play to St John's but some of there matches is like an under 12 match where you win by 20+ points.  At least if division 4 had 10 or 11 teams the matches would be meaningful and the rest of the leagues would finish a few weeks earlier as well.

Three divisions is the only answer, playing teams 4 times is a joke. St. Johns would'nt be giving Aghaderg many points in that situation

What was the result of the Aghaderg v. Bright match?  Did Aghaderg make the extra point they needed to overtake Dromara and get promotion?

Think aghaderg won this game handy enough, anyone confirm?

[goldenyears]

rumour!

lads, i hear that there is serious consideration being given to changing our league & championship system from this season on.

I know this was mooted by Saul a couple of years back, but didnt get anywhere, but now the county management team have suggested moving div1 to 16 teams, 12 as existing and top 4 from div2 from end of season. that 16 makes up the senior championship - they play 15 league games only and we have 4 group round robin champions league style championship.

div2 and 3 amalgamate in the same way, and then we have div4 added to by premier reserve teams.....

sound slike a plan to me and could give alot of clubs in down a serious kickstart!! any thoughts?

[guevara]

  I don't think you can blame the county fixtures secretary for fellas choosing soccer over football, although I agree that there is no reason the Saturday fixtures can't be played on a Sunday.  However a lad is either committed to his club or he isn't.

So a guy who trains in the gutters from January sometimes 4 or 5 nights a week with both codes isnt committed to his club? Its the County board who put these players in the predicament they shouldnt have to face!
If a fella plays Soccer from underage & decides to go back to the Gaelic in his minor or U21 years then of course the Soccer will always have priority if he is forced to choose. So why not play the games Sundays? We are forcing boys away from the clubs and people question year after year why these clubs underachieve because they have great catchment areas with talented footballers??? Maybe this is a significant factor?

[6th sam]

rumour!

lads, i hear that there is serious consideration being given to changing our league & championship system from this season on.

I know this was mooted by Saul a couple of years back, but didnt get anywhere, but now the county management team have suggested moving div1 to 16 teams, 12 as existing and top 4 from div2 from end of season. that 16 makes up the senior championship - they play 15 league games only and we have 4 group round robin champions league style championship.

div2 and 3 amalgamate in the same way, and then we have div4 added to by premier reserve teams.....

sound slike a plan to me and could give alot of clubs in down a serious kickstart!! any thoughts?

Reserve teams in div 4 is a non-starter,it is open to abuse by clubs manipulating their top 13.I ,like No.1, remember being beaten in the JFC and div 4 by "reserve" teams heavily laced with 1st teamers.
There is an already fair league and championship for all reserve teams.

Regardless of the numbers in each division,there are a few  principles which must be adhered to, to ensure the success of any system.
1.closed season nov to feb.
2.rigid unchangeable fixture dates and times.
3.no more than 1 game per week-unless refixture.
4.games for all clubs most weekends in sept/oct.
5.clubs must accept that leagues must proceed regardless of county committments(magniers league).Promotion/relegation should reward/punish on the basis of a team's level of performance over a season.With promotion automatic if say 80% of maximum pts achieved,and relegation automatic if 20% not achieved.
6.extended championship series,including B championship for 1st round losers.With championship status independent of league status (heinikin cup)
7.acceptance that when nights are darker,saturday games are unavoidable given the likelihood of other GAA games on Sundays in sept/oct.
8.county player welfare and county success benefits us all
9.reduction in home games and thereby gate receipts and publicity is unlikely to be favoured by any club.
10.current 4 round div 4 must be changed,it must be demoralising to those teams involved and will be further undermined if other clubs go down the road of annsboro and killyleagh.

[umpire]

Does anyone know the score of  Burren v Longstone in Div one match on 29th Sept, I know Burren won by a few points.

[Naomh Pol CLG]

Aughlisnafin, Ballykinlar & Killyleagh should play in East Down league.

Why?  They have as much right to ACFL status as any other club...Don't so condescending ..

[stiff breeze]

rumour!

lads, i hear that there is serious consideration being given to changing our league & championship system from this season on.

I know this was mooted by Saul a couple of years back, but didnt get anywhere, but now the county management team have suggested moving div1 to 16 teams, 12 as existing and top 4 from div2 from end of season. that 16 makes up the senior championship - they play 15 league games only and we have 4 group round robin champions league style championship.

div2 and 3 amalgamate in the same way, and then we have div4 added to by premier reserve teams.....

sound slike a plan to me and could give alot of clubs in down a serious kickstart!! any thoughts?

how do you decide who gets home advantage in the league games?

[Square Ball]

rumour!

lads, i hear that there is serious consideration being given to changing our league & championship system from this season on.

I know this was mooted by Saul a couple of years back, but didnt get anywhere, but now the county management team have suggested moving div1 to 16 teams, 12 as existing and top 4 from div2 from end of season. that 16 makes up the senior championship - they play 15 league games only and we have 4 group round robin champions league style championship.

div2 and 3 amalgamate in the same way, and then we have div4 added to by premier reserve teams.....

sound slike a plan to me and could give alot of clubs in down a serious kickstart!! any thoughts?

how do you decide who gets home advantage in the league games?

was this similar to the prososal that was rejected lest year?