Down Club Hurling & Football

[An Cloch Scoilte]

When will it come in, it would hardly be forced in for next season, would it?

If all is agreed, it will come into play for the 2010 season, i think.

Things would have to be agreed now so that teams know where they stand as regards promotion/Relegation at the end of '09.

I don't think the Premier Reserve winners into Div 4 will work. They'll be far too strong!

[lecale4]

If it comes in 2010, will it not leave 09 a meaningless season for teams aspiring to be near the top of 3 & 4 - surely they won't have a chance of promotion if 4 teams in total are coming down from 1 & 2 and it will be hard to motivate them?

[thegael]

The Gael is mainly in agreement with these proposals except in that there should be the ability of reserve sides to progress through the leagues.

Anotherwards there should be an extra Division ie  DIV 4 which would consist of the top 8 or so ACPRFL teams and if the situation arises the likes of Ballykinler or Aughlisnfin. etc..

What is wrong with Mayobridge or Clonduff reserves playing in Div 2 against  Attical or Ballymartin for example ?

If a club can field two high quality sides why not let those players who cannot break into their senior side play as competitively as possible and rise up through the divisions!!




                                    The Gael takes no prisoners !!!

[An Cloch Scoilte]

The Gael is mainly in agreement with these proposals except in that there should be the ability of reserve sides to progress through the leagues.

Anotherwards there should be an extra Division ie  DIV 4 which would consist of the top 8 or so ACPRFL teams and if the situation arises the likes of Ballykinler or Aughlisnfin. etc..

What is wrong with Mayobridge or Clonduff reserves playing in Div 2 against  Attical or Ballymartin for example ?

If a club can field two high quality sides why not let those players who cannot break into their senior side play as competitively as possible and rise up through the divisions!!




                                    The Gael takes no prisoners !!!

For once the Gael is talking a bit of sense!!

But if this were to happen and the Bridge for example were to have two senior teams competing in the Senior divisions, there could be no movement of players between squads. The two teams would have to be seperate from each other for the whole year, as this would lead to farciacal situations were players are turning out for a division 1 game one week and a div 3 game the week after.

[Maiden1]

The premier reserve league winners going into division 4 might be a problem.  Seconds games are usually on a Sunday, if they are forced to play on a Friday night there will be a good number of lads who will get no football.  An allowance should be made that the premier reserve league winners get to play their Div4 games on a Sunday.

I know other counties do it but how does it work that the firsts play at the same time on a Friday night as the seconds.  Surely then there will be players who are subs on the first team who might not get a game for the firsts but who also can't play for the seconds as they are sitting on the sideline for the firsts.

[DaddyLongLegs]

If the PRFL clubs want to be integrated into the current league structures then the Reserve teams SHOULD be separate from the first team - a completely different set of named players. Theres no need for panels of 30, 18 or 20 is sufficient  - this will ensure that nearly everyone gets a game. And regarding the 4 or 5 subs on the first team who mightnt get a game - every club that has only one team (and insufficient numbers  to field a reserve team), has players on the bench every week so whats the difference. We cant have it both ways!

[johnneycool]

The Gael is mainly in agreement with these proposals except in that there should be the ability of reserve sides to progress through the leagues.

Anotherwards there should be an extra Division ie  DIV 4 which would consist of the top 8 or so ACPRFL teams and if the situation arises the likes of Ballykinler or Aughlisnfin. etc..

What is wrong with Mayobridge or Clonduff reserves playing in Div 2 against  Attical or Ballymartin for example ?

If a club can field two high quality sides why not let those players who cannot break into their senior side play as competitively as possible and rise up through the divisions!!




                                    The Gael takes no prisoners !!!

For once the Gael is talking a bit of sense!!

But if this were to happen and the Bridge for example were to have two senior teams competing in the Senior divisions, there could be no movement of players between squads. The two teams would have to be seperate from each other for the whole year, as this would lead to farciacal situations were players are turning out for a division 1 game one week and a div 3 game the week after.

at the start of the year team lists are agree, well they are in the hurling leagues where the senior clubs have teams in Div1 and Div2 (2nds and 3rds teams to us) and it is possible for someone to play in Div2 one night and Div3 the next night. Not ideal but I think all team squads are vetted by the other clubs and hurling board and it is possible to move players from one grade to the next during the year.

If say Portaferry were to win Div2, then they wouldn't be able to field two teams in Div1 the next year, they just stay as they are but I'm sure personnel may move up a divison but some would obviously move down a division. This system isn't too bad for the leagues but don't mention championships as there's a few bones of contention about eligibility there!!

[Lecale2]

This system isn't too bad for the leagues but don't mention championships as there's a few bones of contention about eligibility there!!

It's on the agenda for the County Convention on Sunday!

[johnneycool]

Surely the Championships in hurling should have gone to the Hurling convention.
Just on hurling,how many Clubs from East Down are represented on the SOUTH DOWN
Hurling team?

Am I mssing something here? How can someone from East Down play on a South Down team?

i think in this context south Down means the rest of Down minus the Ards whereas the East Down and South Down are football only boards and contribute sweet FA to hurling..

as for the make up of the championships it'll be well down the clar, so don't expect any great debate on it. There certainly needs to be a change especially with the ulster club dimension but creating a reserve hurling championship will only weaken both competitions IMO.

Is there a motion in about it and if so what way is it worded?

[johnneycool]

found it:

11. Convention recommends that the following changes to the Intermediate Hurling
Championship are implemented for the 2009 Championship:
a) The reserve teams of those clubs competing in the Senior Championship will
be drawn against each other to play off in a Reserve Championship.
Intermediate clubs will be drawn against each other to play for a Non Ards
Championship. The winners of the Reserve Championship will play the
winners of the Non Ards Championship in the Intermediate Championship
Final.
b) If a club's first team wins the IHC they must play in the SHC the following
year.
c) If a reserve team wins the IHC they will be permitted to re-enter the Reserve
Championship the following year but not the IHC.
d) This format will be reviewed after a 3 year trail period.
(Bredach)

what is the rationale in point C, an Ards team can re-enter the reserve championship but not the full blown intermediate? what if they've a totally different 15?

why was the juniors not rolled up with this as well?

[Minus15]

I think the new proposals make a lot of sense. With regard to the Premier reserve team playing in division 4, however, why not just have div 4 with 11 teams.
I think that any new proposals should come in for 2010. each club needs to know where they stand before the beginning of the season. But I also think that, if accepted there needs to be some sort of promotion prospects for teams currently in divisions 2, 3 and 4 so that the leagues remain competitive next year.
Maybe a playoff between league winners and those lowest ranked qualifiers for the  new league above.
Based on this year's league tables prior to the playoffs it would read.

For a place in diviision 1 2010:
Bryansford v Saval
Liatroim v Annaclone

Division 2 2010:
Glasdrumman v Attical
Ardglass v Darragh Cross

Division 3 2010:
St Johns v St Pauls
Aghaderg v St Pauls

This gives any clubs finishing in the top two a playoff game against a team established in the league above in order to prove their ability to compete in a newly structured higher league.
Due to the problem with poor pitches at the end of the year I would suggest a two-legged home and away playoff to determine the outcome of these games. This would ensure that the best equipped teams would take their place in a higher league for 2010.

Therefore next seasons clubs in div 1 will be aware that in order to reatin their status and to avoid a playoff against those finisshing in the top 2 of division 2 they must finish in the top 8 of next season's division 1.
Teams in division 2 must finish in the top 6 and clubs in div 3 the top 6 also to avoid their respective playoffs.

[passedit]

The premier reserve league winners going into division 4 might be a problem.  Seconds games are usually on a Sunday, if they are forced to play on a Friday night there will be a good number of lads who will get no football.  An allowance should be made that the premier reserve league winners get to play their Div4 games on a Sunday.

amallon, a full strength prem res team would win every game in div 4 by minimum 6 points (more likely multiples of ten) the only chance it would work is if they played the same time as their seniors. I'm old enough to remember reserve sides playing in the acl and reckon the current arrangement is much better for first and second teams alike. As i recall even the better reserve sides rarely went higher than midtable div 3.

Speaking of Div 3, 2 managers confirmed for next year Bill Geoghan at Drumaness and Tom Morgan at Tullylish.   

[lfdown2]

not a bad idea, however what happens to the say 5 lads that are just short of the senior team, while they would be good enough for the reserves they sit warming the bench for the seniors each season?

[Downgael2008]

"Bill Geoghan at Drumaness"

how many clubs this man managed ?? Does he not live in armagh somewhere??

[fitzroyalty]

Bill Geoghegan is from Lurgan direction,he took st Paul's Bessbrook, then Drumgath An riocht, there maybe someone else there