Down Club Hurling & Football

[off the laces]

There's a number of reasons for this managerial merry go round.

The biggest one is that club committees (and supporters) mostly have higher expectations of their players than what those players can actually deliver. Having watched young fellas progress from being promising teenagers to average senior footballers, they want someone to blame apart from the players himself.

Instead of looking at the reality - that the players aren't good enough, or just won't be committed enough to get better - or accepting that external factors - drink, women, travelling commitments, work commitments - mean that players can't and won't step up another level, there is the constant pursuit of the manager who can instill the belief, the will, the team ethic, the commitment required to maximise each player's potential.

And most committees believe that for £50/£60/£100 a session, then the manager should deliver exactly that. Most locals know they can't deliver this (at least the ones who are capable mostly seem to know this), so don't offer.

In truth, unless a manager gets the core of his team when they are still young, impressionable, and 100% in love with playing football, he has no chance of making that happen. Converting the mindset of an settled, established core of twentysomethings is nigh-on impossible. Dropping them isn't an option, for at the first sign of back-to-back defeats, the manager would be hounded out of the club, and back on the merry go round they go.
In fairness, I don't think many managers (certainly in Down anyway) are worth the fees they are commanding. Club managers should be able to maintain a basic level of fitness throughout their squad, and more or less select the right players in their right positions each week. And a lot of these fellas aren't doing that.

The above paragraph is so true...

[Downgael2008]

good post wobbler but i would disagree with you in some respect. There are a lot of very good coaches/trainers/managers whatever you want to call them out there. The quality of sessions I have seen from different managers/coaches etc varies extremely from very poor to very good.

Most club coaches are not capable of delievering a top level session because their not qualified/experienced enough and probably wouldnt command the same level of respect as someone from outside the club.

players attitudes have changed over the years the parish/pride of playing is gone and for a lot of players its now just "a bit of craic" An outside influence with good man management skills might install a different attitude but not for long. I think its a short life spam as a manager at a club and hence why we see a lot of chopping and changing of managers at these clubs.

The new bridge manager will be very interesting ! Personally to go in there and not win a trophy would ruin your reputation good luck to whoever is brave enough.

[DaddyLongLegs]

The majority of Managers (not all) are in it for the money.
How many managers would turn up week after week if they were being paid only real out of pocket expenses (like £10 to cover fuel) -  not many Im afraid. The level of "fees" is ridiculous when worked out per hour. So part of the merrry go ground is created by managers trying to get a better financial deal elsewhere.

[thewobbler]

Don't get me wrong DownGael2008, there are some excellent coaches on the circuit who genuinely make training enjoyable.

From my personal experience, team selection and consistently selecting the right team commands as much respect though. If a club's best players are fit, and playing in the right positions, then at least the core of a club's squad is happy, and the supporters have a whole lot less to complain about. If a coach provides that, then everything else is a bonus, and that's when they start earning their fees.

[Ballybredagh]

Ref IHC proposals

Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't the JHC matches delayed until after the first round of the IHC; therefore you don't have the same issues with the Ards clubs playing lads in the JHC who should be playing IHC/SHC.  The proposal for the IHC should overcome the issue of a non-Ards IHC team getting chinned in the first/second round by an Ards IHC loaded with senior players (ref Portaferry v Bredagh and Newry this year) as by the time the reserve (IHC) championship is finished the Ards clubs will have played the first round of the SHC. Also, as the IHC final will, hopefully, post date the SHC one, there shouldn't be any gripes from the Non-Ards winners that the Ards Reserve winners are laced with senior players. The other benefit of the proposal is that all the Ards senior/reserve/junior players can play championship hurling every year.  But maybe their is an argument to extend this to the JHC too, as you wouldn't know what steps the Ards teams would go to to get and old cup on the table at presentation night!     

[5 Sams]

Anybody there for the launch of the new jersey tonight?

[Open yer eyes Man]

Has anyone bought one of these year?

Are they just as bland and unimaginative like they are in the photos?  Come to think of it, it probably matches our football of late 

[imagine]

Has anyone bought one of these year?

Are they just as bland and unimaginative like they are in the photos?  Come to think of it, it probably matches our football of late 

A bit harsh there,maybe the Wexford game I agree.

[aroundincircles]

met a down man the other day called larry powell anybody here know him?? i think he played for down in the 60"s.

[5 Sams]

Larry Powell came on as a sub in the 1968 final. The most underestimated victory Down have ever had....Colm McAlarney cleaned out the best player ever to play football that day and one of our fellow posters father won a Celtic cross that day...If there had have been a player of the year award in those days Tom O'Hare would have got it. I have the full game on DVD plus the semi final....magnificent stuff.

[Open yer eyes Man]

I see the revamped Down Website is up and running.  Doesn't look too bad but I didn't see a message board where Down fans could air the views on Down football.  Most club sites, never mind county sites, have this facility so we do we not?  This is very disappointing.  The rest looks good.

I hope this new site actually gets updated regularly, unlike the previous one.  If so, it should work well.

[Square Ball]

From the Down Site

The big talking point from the convention was the passing of the motion to reduce the Division One and Division Two Leagues to 10 teams which may come into effect from the 2010 season.  County Board will discuss the mechanism for this in their January meeting.

So it passed then, cant wait to see what the mechanism will be

[Bacon]

Square Ball - was the motion from Bredagh to change the Hurling Championship passed?

[Square Ball]

Square Ball - was the motion from Bredagh to change the Hurling Championship passed?

Dont know, I will make a few enquiries

[thewobbler]

The new website is a distinct visual improvement, but I hope that this is only the start of the launch process. There's too many kinks in it for my looking.