Down Club Hurling & Football

[Mourne Rover]

Our championship record has been an embarrassment over the last eight years. We beat Tyrone at Casement in 1999, and it has been downhill rapidly since then. Most Down supporters are still agonising over the draw with Tyrone at Clones in 2003, but the sad truth is that it was a blip. We were hammered in the replay, and our form in the rest of that summer - just like every other recent summer - was at best patchy and at worst poor. Regardless of the management, we have not had enough players of inter-county standard to make an impact.

The minor and u21 teams of 2005, plus what is left from the minors of 1999, should give us something to build on at last, but Ross and DJ will need time. I would not rule us out against Cavan in May, but any win this summer would realistically be a bonus. Although the lop-sided nature of the Ulster championship draw means that a place in the final is by no means out of the question, a preliminary round exit, followed hopefully by some sort of open draw run, is equally likely.

The league is mainly for experimentation, and, if we do not beat Laois on Sunday week - a game which could go either way - relegation is on the cards. We have to take this in our stride and look to the summer.

[spiritof91and94]

The Down Team spent 5+ hours on Sunday 'trekking' Slieve Donard. I mean am I missing the point here - what to hell is that all about?
Never mind yesterdays terrible weather conditions, we are rooted to the bottom of 1B with 1 pt from 3 games and the players are taken for a walk!!!

[amallon]

Trekking sounds more like a bonding exercise.  I'd imagine it would have been good crack.

[Brick Tamlin]

Declan Mussens influence no doubt, mad for the trekkin in the mournes he is. been a passion of his for a long time and would be very experienced up there, has all the guide's badges and certs etc to lead groups into mournes. Id say it was some craic alright with a fair few fellas gettin stuck in shite etc..

[downredblack]

Great to see McCartan playing at the w/end , he had the knee strapped up so I'd say there is still work to be done on the injury but hopefully the whole season is not a write off .

[spiritof91and94]

Declan Mussens influence no doubt, mad for the trekkin in the mournes he is. been a passion of his for a long time and would be very experienced up there, has all the guide's badges and certs etc to lead groups into mournes. Id say it was some craic alright with a fair few fellas gettin stuck in shite etc..

That will really save us from Div 3!! That will be great crack! You lot really post alot of dung!

[Brick Tamlin]

Wind yer neck in will ye

is there anythign ye approve of, what do ye want them doing, FFS where is the harm in not having field training for a sunday or two. It does no harm to get away from the field and do something different like FFS i mean your goin on like its criminal what they are doing.Okay things are pretty grim at the minute and no-one is denying that but give them a frickin break and wait until the end of the season and then berate the management all ye want.
Some people are gonna bitch and snipe about management no matter what they do. Im sure this wasnt a jolly in the mournes by any stretch of the imagination, and if you have ever been up there trekkin ye would know how testin it can be physically - so do us all a favour and give over.

[amallon]

You got to get the morale right as well.  The players need to get on with each other before they are going to put their bodies on the line for each other.  I think it does no harm to get away from the training pitch and do something different for a session or too

[No1]

  Anybody got any results from yesterdays Premier Reserve fixtures?

 Tullylish beat Kilclief by 3 in a dire game.

 I heard Castlewellan beat Saval by 20 odd points, they had Greg McCartan and Ciaran McCabe playing I believe!

[superblues]

agree with team bonding but with the weather conditions yesterday think its was a bit of a disaster the boys were that cold they cound'nt even talk to one another, when they were going up the mountain people were coming off it saying it was to dangerous.  The managers were not even there how is this team bonding -  always found a good night out the best team bonding

[Whitehair]

Ive been "up the mountain" four or fives times when i was at St. Colmans, although it was always very tough, ive some fond memories of it. It may have had more of a bonding effect if they had of camped out overnight and taken part in night-time navigation were u have to work together in smaller groups.

[Brick Tamlin]

Nights out together are good for team bonding, but at the same time id say most of them boys have had their fair share of team bonding nights out this last few years. Sounds like Mussen left them with maps/compasses at certain point and asked them to make their way unaided to a destination probably the other side of donard in groups or as a whole team while management watched from a vantage point, i very much doubt they were left to their own devices and someone as experienced as Mussen wouldnt be leavin them up the mountain lost like sheep in those conditions. Or maybe im wrong and they purposely left them to freeze their holes off on the side of the mountain to harden them, haha

[spiritof91and94]

quote author=Brick Tamlin link=topic=25.msg55037#msg55037 date=1173169395]
Nights out together are good for team bonding, but at the same time id say most of them boys have had their fair share of team bonding nights out this last few years. Sounds like Mussen left them with maps/compasses at certain point and asked them to make their way unaided to a destination probably the other side of donard in groups or as a whole team while management watched from a vantage point, i very much doubt they were left to their own devices and someone as experienced as Mussen wouldnt be leavin them up the mountain lost like sheep in those conditions. Or maybe im wrong and they purposely left them to freeze their holes off on the side of the mountain to harden them, haha
[/quote]
Just to put you fully in the picture;
The vantage point you are on about is the lobby in the Burrendale Hotel, they met up afterwards with the team after they had showered and changed in St Patricks Pk and had dinner together![

[Brick Tamlin]

thats what i thought, thats where he usually watches from.
and your point is?

[spiritof91and94]

My point was to put a know all tosser like you clear on the issue!