Down Club Hurling & Football

[Mid Down Gael]

Down minors hammered this morning by a much more prepared and organised Armagh. 4 weeks to the championship and down still have a panel of over 40which is to be cut. The team out today was a shadow of the best minors in down bar a few. why why can this management not pick a squad earlier and prepare a setteled team for championship. its a joke. same as last year.

[Trevor Hill]

Shamrocks beat Kilclief by 2 points, big wins for Downpatrick and Ballyholland.

[mournerambler]

Shamrocks beat Kilclief by 2 points, big wins for Downpatrick and Ballyholland.

???Results were posted by DownFanatic last night Trevor Hill, you'll need to be a bit quicker of the mark when posting results

[WhoAreYaWhoAreYa!]

I said months ago, I was confident of the U21s retaining their title. I was shot down right away. Im glad that im right occasionally, despite what the wife says! I beleive a few appologies could be in order! Most notably from T O'Hare, who said he didnt rate Conor Maginn?!?! :L This board is always good for a laugh!

Why would i apologise!!!! All i said was i didn't think he was our answer in SENIOR level this year and that he hasn't impressed me that much, i have no doubt that he is a great player but i cannot see hime starting in the championship but fsir dues to the lad if he does!!!
on another note, i watched Glenn and  Teconaught tonight, Mathew Bagnall must have scored 8 or 9 points for Glenn, he certainly knows were the posts are! Collie Murtagh also had a great game in midfield even with his long hair and beard

Wee Matty Bagnall is a star! i didnt know he could shoot though! always thought he was a defender!?

[Dubh driocht]

Down minors hammered this morning by a much more prepared and organised Armagh. 4 weeks to the championship and down still have a panel of over 40which is to be cut. The team out today was a shadow of the best minors in down bar a few. why why can this management not pick a squad earlier and prepare a setteled team for championship. its a joke. same as last year.

And the year before that.And the year before that.Made worse by events in Longford today.County Board had options, with JJ an ideal candidate but went for the easy rather than take the right decision.Shame.

[mountainboii]

Down minors hammered this morning by a much more prepared and organised Armagh. 4 weeks to the championship and down still have a panel of over 40which is to be cut. The team out today was a shadow of the best minors in down bar a few. why why can this management not pick a squad earlier and prepare a setteled team for championship. its a joke. same as last year.

And the year before that.And the year before that.Made worse by events in Longford today.County Board had options, with JJ an ideal candidate but went for the easy rather than take the right decision.Shame.

How many were Down missing that were off with the U21s? Were yous missing any St. Malachys boys or anyone else?

[NedFlanders]

Kingdom off to a great start 

[Pangurban]

Brilliant performance from the lads in Longford tonight, a joy to watch, Down style of football at its best. There were many lessons to be learned, but for me the main one was that we need Pete managing senior team as these lads move up over the next couple of years. To hand them over to our present inept,negative management, would be a crime. We have the talent in the County to deliver another AI, if not two, over the next five years, and the Man with the CV to guide them. Bring back Pete

[Dubh driocht]

While overall you can't argue with Pete's record, you could argue that from 95 to 02 he did not move the team forward , at a time when the other counties ( especially our neighbours) were making big strides.So any Pete=Good, Ross=Bad debate is too simplistic.There is no doubt that the U21s play VG football but while John Fitzpatrick showed what needs to be done at times, the defence is still not physical enough. Pete has a good steady team with him- obviously Mickey is the legend but Paddy Hardy and Liam Murphy are calm clear thinkers ,ideal for lads at this age. Personally, I think we have the management of seniors and under 21s right at this stage -see my other posts for my views of the third significant team.

[Mid Down Gael]

Down minors hammered this morning by a much more prepared and organised Armagh. 4 weeks to the championship and down still have a panel of over 40which is to be cut. The team out today was a shadow of the best minors in down bar a few. why why can this management not pick a squad earlier and prepare a setteled team for championship. its a joke. same as last year.

And the year before that.And the year before that.Made worse by events in Longford today.County Board had options, with JJ an ideal candidate but went for the easy rather than take the right decision.Shame.

How many were Down missing that were off with the U21s? Were yous missing any St. Malachys boys or anyone else?

Down had everyone available. most of St Malachys players where playing and Paul Devlin and Conor Poland are overage for minors. the management are working with a large squad and are picking 24 for match days. You would think at this stage they would be building towards their championship team. there was players playing for down yesterday who didnt know the names of players playing alongside them. How the county board give these clowns another year of looking after the team is beyond a joke.

[behind the wire]

another great performance from down u21's, raging i didnt get down to longford for the game.

once again midfield looked the part and the forwards were as accurate as ever. but what is up with defending in down? its as if it isnt even taught in comparison to other counties.

timmy hanna seemed to have an excellent game. him and joe murphy are a prime example of how the senior side should be playing i.e. moving the ball quickly from the defence and moving out to support the attack.

once again well done.

[thewobbler]

Pete's record for lifting trophies is amazing, but he completely lost the team in his last few years as senior manager. And at least half a dozen of those players (Coulter, Hughes, Sexton, Murtagh, Walsh, Doyle, Clarke, Gordon) would still be in contention for starting places for the next few years. So I don't think he is the answer.

Besides, the way Pete sets his teams up and the way Ross sets his team up isn't that dissimilar, and both are plugging in the gaps in defence rather than working a defensive strategy. The emphasis from both is "we're Down, and we'll outscore you". It would appear to be an easier ideal to achieve in under-21 football, but let's not forget how badly Kildare exposed this strategy in the under-21 semi-final last year. Sometimes you just have to throw as many men behind the ball as you can.

[supersub]

ACPRL

Rostrevor 2-14 Clonduff 0-13

[Trevor Hill]

Club Down Re-launched



Club Down, the driving force behind the recent redevelopment of Pairc Esler in Newry, is being re-launched, taking on a wider and evolving role as the main commercial and fund-raising body for the GAA in Down.

A new committee has been established to work in unison with the County Committee with the aim of building a sustainable basis for the future success of Down on and off the field.

An ambitious programme of initiatives and events will be announced at a number of special Information Evenings where supporters can learn what is happening and have a say in this new direction for Club Down and the county.

The dates and venues of these are:

Tuesday 21st April   Wellington Park Hotel, Belfast
Wednesday 22nd April  Canal Court Hotel, Newry
Thursday 23rd April   Slieve Donard Hotel, Newcastle
The evening will commence at 7. 30 pm at each venue, with refreshments, guest speakers and an AV presentation.

[bcarrier]

I knew this would happen.....Pete did well in setting up his early senior teams and the placing of Carr and Mason ( converted defenders) in half forward line and unearthing of target men in 91 and 94 were inspired . You cant however airbrush the last 5 years of Pete's reign from history ...they were a disaster for Down that we are only now recovering from.