Down Club Hurling & Football

[No1]

This amalgamation thing is a complete joke and will turn out to be a cake walk for Saval, hope it doesnt become too much of a farce on the night, I can see 15/20 point spread.

I don't agree with the amalgamation at all but I think your prediction may be way out.  I'd fancy Kilclief on their own to have a fighting chance against Saval.  Perhaps the dilution of the "do it for the parish/jersey" attitude and lack of training together will work against this Lecale team but if they put out the strongest team (which is 12 Kilclief men, 2 Ardglass men and a keeper from Saul) there is no way they will get beaten by 20 points by Saval.

[Long Ball]

This amalgamation thing is a complete joke and will turn out to be a cake walk for Saval, hope it doesnt become too much of a farce on the night, I can see 15/20 point spread.

I don't agree with the amalgamation at all but I think your prediction may be way out.  I'd fancy Kilclief on their own to have a fighting chance against Saval.  Perhaps the dilution of the "do it for the parish/jersey" attitude and lack of training together will work against this Lecale team but if they put out the strongest team (which is 12 Kilclief men, 2 Ardglass men and a keeper from Saul) there is no way they will get beaten by 20 points by Saval.

Kilclief wouldn't have a snowballs chance in hell against Saval! Look at the facts- Kilclief are a Div 3 club and have been beaten this year. The gulf between Div 3 and Div 1 is massive. Castlewellan could hardly win a game in Div 1 last year but in Div 2 they are stuffing teams by an average of 8 points- Saval will be odds on to win at a canter.

[east down gael]

Couldn't really agree with that.Saul may be in the 4th division,but they do have quality players in King,Vint and Keenan.Kilclief would no doubt make up the majority of the team,but not 12 of the starting 15.Ardglass too have a number of quality men,as seen by their string of good results in the second half of last season,when they had a full compliment of players.
     If the cream of these three teams were brought together and trained properly for the next six to eight weeks I'm convinced they would give a good account of themselves.I also don't buy the argument that they won't be able to play together due to parish rivalries.a good manager will have this sorted within the first few weeks of training.
     Hope it works out for the lads selected as there are some great fellas on all three teams who have been toiling away for years and deserve such an opportunity.

[No1]

I suppose the league tables don't lie but I would argue that we were desperately unlucky to get relegated last year and we would be a match for any team in Div 2. 

If ASK were up against Mayobridge/Burren/Kilcoo then I would probably agree that a stuffing was on the cards but it's only Saval..........................

Dunno how the f**k I've ended up arguing for this abomination of a team!!!

[supersub]

Glen seem to be going well this season, who is peforming well for them? I hear Shay McCartan is back/coming back for the summer will he play? Or just play for down minors?

[ardtole]

The amalgamation has probably come a couple of years to late for a few of the Ardglass players, a couple of years ago Chris "Rat" Deegans, Aaron Beattie, Chris Teggart and Eamonn McEvoy would have made the team. Philly Gill has transferred to Tir Connail Gaels in London and would easily have made the team, a very good player. Chris Laird and Stevie Smith are good players who have moved away in recent years as well and would be more than capable of playing senior football, Stevie is actually playing senior football in Co. Leitreim at present.

The majority of the team will be Kilclief lads alrite. Mick Magee and Liam Mullan are the 2 players that no1 mentioned before that would make his team. But Stevie Deegans will be a certainity as well; Sean Paul Halpin, Malachy Crangle, James Telford and David Pullen would be pushing for a place as well and Mark Armstrong in nets would be an option.

I would imagine a couple of challenge games would need to be arranged fairly soon and a squad picked from that, I still havent heard who the selectors or management are. There is a decent team on paper there alrite but how they gel together is anyone's guess.

[John Martin]

Glen seem to be going well this season, who is peforming well for them? I hear Shay McCartan is back/coming back for the summer will he play? Or just play for down minors?

I've heard nothing about Shay. I'd be surprised if he was gonna play as I'm sure any injury would carry serious consequences with his club in England. Also the lad is only 17/18 so it'd be unfair for Glenn to pressure him into playing.

Glenn are doing ok, but it's early and we've yet to play the top 2 teams so their league position could be a bit flattering at the moment.

[supersub]

Suppose so. Thought I had heard from one of the minor lads that McCartan was being brought back in for the Ulster Championship but maybe this is not true!

[Mid Down Gael]

Suppose so. Thought I had heard from one of the minor lads that McCartan was being brought back in for the Ulster Championship but maybe this is not true!

Shay McCartan will feature for the Minors on Saturday and likely form the start.

[redandblackareback]

Suppose so. Thought I had heard from one of the minor lads that McCartan was being brought back in for the Ulster Championship but maybe this is not true!

Shay McCartan will feature for the Minors on Saturday and likely form the start.

MDG you are completely right, I have no doubt Shay Mc Carten will start as Mc Grath is one manager who does not care who trains or who misses training, all he will do is play the strongest 15 he has. He will not care one bit about the other young minors who have slogged their guts out all year to be cast aside when Mc Carten arrives back. Not the young fellas fault by the way.

Actually looking forward to the minor game, I feel this minor team can go the whole way and probably should now the favourites have been dumped out last week, but who knows minor football is very hard to predict.

[PAULD123]

Suppose so. Thought I had heard from one of the minor lads that McCartan was being brought back in for the Ulster Championship but maybe this is not true!

Shay McCartan will feature for the Minors on Saturday and likely form the start.

MDG you are completely right, I have no doubt Shay Mc Carten will start as Mc Grath is one manager who does not care who trains or who misses training, all he will do is play the strongest 15 he has. He will not care one bit about the other young minors who have slogged their guts out all year to be cast aside when Mc Carten arrives back. Not the young fellas fault by the way.

Actually looking forward to the minor game, I feel this minor team can go the whole way and probably should now the favourites have been dumped out last week, but who knows minor football is very hard to predict.

Redandblackareback, it sounds like you are criticising Pete, have I got it wrong? Yes it is important that players train but there can not be an inflexible rule. It's not as if Shay has been smoking ganja in Barbados for the time the lads were training. He has been training as a professional sportsman and that alone prevented him from partaking in the squad sessions but also leaves him as fit as anyone.

Yes the other lads have worked hard and that is not a waste, any that don't start will put themselves in a very good position to come of the bench or replace an injured player. Not everyone in a squad can start, some players are needed simply to help prepare the 15 that start and the subs that will be used, but they are still valuable members indeed essential members of the squad.

Surely Pete's job is to pick the strongest team and to win. If he left Shay on the bench and then we lost wouldn't he be criticised for that? I don't agree with prima-donnas who think they can miss training and still be on the team, but if there are legitimate reasons then I think they should be accepted. After all, club teams play county stars when available even if county training means they miss club sessions.

[redandblackareback]

Suppose so. Thought I had heard from one of the minor lads that McCartan was being brought back in for the Ulster Championship but maybe this is not true!

Shay McCartan will feature for the Minors on Saturday and likely form the start.

MDG you are completely right, I have no doubt Shay Mc Carten will start as Mc Grath is one manager who does not care who trains or who misses training, all he will do is play the strongest 15 he has. He will not care one bit about the other young minors who have slogged their guts out all year to be cast aside when Mc Carten arrives back. Not the young fellas fault by the way.

Actually looking forward to the minor game, I feel this minor team can go the whole way and probably should now the favourites have been dumped out last week, but who knows minor football is very hard to predict.

Redandblackareback, it sounds like you are criticising Pete, have I got it wrong? Yes it is important that players train but there can not be an inflexible rule. It's not as if Shay has been smoking ganja in Barbados for the time the lads were training. He has been training as a professional sportsman and that alone prevented him from partaking in the squad sessions but also leaves him as fit as anyone.

Yes the other lads have worked hard and that is not a waste, any that don't start will put themselves in a very good position to come of the bench or replace an injured player. Not everyone in a squad can start, some players are needed simply to help prepare the 15 that start and the subs that will be used, but they are still valuable members indeed essential members of the squad.

Surely Pete's job is to pick the strongest team and to win. If he left Shay on the bench and then we lost wouldn't he be criticised for that? I don't agree with prima-donnas who think they can miss training and still be on the team, but if there are legitimate reasons then I think they should be accepted. After all, club teams play county stars when available even if county training means they miss club sessions.

No I would never ever criticise the greatest manager this county has ever had. I am simply saying thats what will happen.

Listen Pauld, you put yourself in one of those young minors shoes for a second and think how you d feel if you v been playing all year at 15 or 13 and then Mc Carten comes back and walks straight onto the team.

Best option IMO....... Impact sub.

[NP 76]

some option as an impact sub that minor that passed on this information is obvivously  the one thats losing out . He shouldnt  be talking out of school as to whats going on . If Pete was thinking of throwing Shay in am sure he was keeping it among the squad not telling everone he met on the street

[supersub]

Are you for real here? No one said anything about a minor speaking out, I raised the initial point which I knew was correct at time of posting and was wondering if many others knew this about him being back. He will probably start and most people will know this including the opposition due to the close nature of the two counties/sets of players. There is no issue with anyone speaking out of turn here.

[Overthebar!]

you're bang out of line supersub