Messages

The attack on some down players as prim donnas is harsh by my call because they go out after losing a game (which all team sports do) . Lads who have turned out for down this year training from early December, driving the length of the country. Down had about 200 supporters travelled on Saturday, some support for them boys busting a gut out there and getting nothing but abuse for it.

Only 2 teams will win something this year in Ireland, Down will be amongst the other 32 counties that end up empty handed when the season closes. Not a great year by any stretch but its done and can only improve next year. Lets hope the management problem is sorted ASAP and we wont be starting behind everyone else.

Down are short on quality at the moment. Donal O Hare, 3 Jonstones, Ross Mc Garry, Millar, Clements, Etc Etc these sorts of players and im sure all clubs could name 1 player that would seriously improve the down squad. The next manager must be able to attract these players. 

Great championship draw. Few nice match ups and should be plenty competitive matches by all accounts. Im assuming its back door like pervious years?

Cavan this weekend- Down priced at 6/1 in some places. I think cavan will squeeze past us but you would get abit of value for your money I reckon. Cavan coming from division 4 football rememeber. Any thoughts?

Down Seniors with a good win last night over sligo in a friendly. Good starting point, maybe having the lads left over who actually want to play for down could make all the difference with workrate and effort, when we obviosuly will be short on top class talent.

Brannigan says Down players don't have the right mentality to win, while also stating he doesnt want to play with them. He's showing he does not have that mentality to change it. To show up for a team thats winning a championship 8 out of 10 years and competing in Ulster each year, great numbers at training, best coaches and management etc. That's relatively easy compared to continuously turning out for a team that's not going well. I'm sure anyone here from a smaller club knows the struggles of keeping going when you're not winning. I hope for his sake Kilcoo dont fall off their perch in the next 10 years of his career or everyone will soon be questioning his winning mentality

Amatuer sports players have a few beers after taking half a day off work unpaid and travelling to a training weekend. SHAME on them. Anyone who has ever played sport at any level knows that socialising with a team is a massive part of it. A few beers after a game is normal in rugby and soccer and all the ''great down teams'' have done exaclty the same.

Few surprising results last week, looking forward to this thursdays games

[BURREN]

Div 1
CLONDUFF GAC   vs  BURREN
BRYANSFORD   vs   KILCOO   
CASTLEWELLAN   vs  LOUGHINISLAND 
MAYOBRIDGE   vs   CUMANN PHEADAIR NAOFA
RGU DOWNPATRICK   vs   CARRYDUFF  
ROSTREVOR   vs  BALLYHOLLAND

Div 2
DARRAGH CROSS  vs   BREDAGH   
ST JOHN'S DRUMNAQUOILE   vs   SABHAILL NAOMH PÁDRAIG
ANNACLONE   vs   LIATROIM   
LONGSTONE   vs   AN RIOCHT
SAVAL   vs  GLENN JOHN MARTINS GFC

Div 3
DROMARA   vs   CLANN NA BANNA
AUGHLISNAFIN   vs   BRIGHT
ST JOHN BOSCO GAC   vs   TULLYLISH
TECONNAUGHT   vs  ST PAUL'S
NEWRY SHAMROCKS   vs   DRUMGATH
BALLYMARTIN   vs  ATTICALL

Div 4a
DUNDRUM GAC   vs   EAST BELFAST
KILCLIEF BEN DEARG GAC   vs  ST COLMAN'S DRUMANESS

Down Seniors embarrassing, Under 20's embarrassing, Under 17 embarrassing, laverty no good, James a serial loser etc etc.......

I assume everyone making these comments are down at their clubs all week nights and weekend, ensuring a top of the range development plan is being carried out to ensure the demise of down football is put to a halt. 5/6 nights a week coaching, trying to do something about it; applying for county board roles. Im sure the people making the comments are at every Down game they are commenting on and watching the effort lads are putting into it (never mind the time and effort during the week). About 100 people at the last Down game of the NFL, people only want involved when its going well. Some people coudlnt even give up a hour on a sunny Sunday to watch the team but the management and team give up 2/3 hours for 5 nights a week (every week from December). Wonder would anyone actually try and help instead of hiding behind a keyboard and calling everyone useless.

I dont think it will be the winning or losing of the game in honesty.  To miss a All ireland final with your club, you would want to be certain it was a strike or red card offense. Im assuming there has been a video footage review and the decision made. Best of luck to them.

Whats the chances tomorrow then? any team news? wet and windy day forecast, might help to hinder Galway.

I understand the need to even the Divisions. But your writing off complete seasons for some of the teams being thrown up into divison 1 and 2. Then having 6 teams relegated from the division. So a Mid table division 2 team now has to play all the best teams in the county and hope to finish above the majorty to survive. I see alot of teams being depleted after a few hammerings and games not being run near end of the season. I personally wouldn fancy CPN/burren/kilcoo away playing for one of them teams.

Whats the thoughts for saturday. Hope we get a good crowd down to it and give them a go from the start. Tough start but even a performance to give us some hope later in the leauge. Possibliy the last game without the Kilcoo boys, but i would imagine there will be a few weeks celebrating and rest after the final- a well deserved one at that.

Truth Hurts makes some very good points. Think people under estimate the step up to county football from club. Now thats not to say that a big handful of lads from kilcoo would be fit to make the panel. But its just not as easy to slot them straight in to downs starting 15. Niall and Adain Brannigan played in 2012 also and didnt get much game time so think thats why they choose not to commit as alot older now. Now Mc Evoy, Dabs, Jonstones, PD, Ward and Doc more than capable of playing at that level but would be in competition for starting places not certain of them. Forwards like Kerr, B.o Hagan, Corey Quinn all be of that level. Rooney cracking club player and would like to see him get a run for down this year and Mc Evoy/ Mc Elroy be great competition for each other.


On another note, any word of whats happening with the leauges. Surely it wont be 3 16 leauge teams with 6 going down at the end of the year as suggested. This would be such a waste of a year for some club teams   

Poor result at the weekend. Same glimpses of life in this team but will have to improve quickly in a short space of time.

Keeper- didnt look that secure/ confident throughout.

Defence- Mc Elory very good 1 on 1, Mc Parland stopped 2/3 goal chances first half, fegan and collins marked tightly, mooney showed in flashes and mc cartan was a good outlet from defence. overall i think they were let down by a poor night for the forwards.

Midfield- Worked hard but Derry came out on top. No obvious target for kickouts. ( O rawe out hurt I think)

Forwards-Poor handling, shot choices and finishing was the main downfall. Ohagan plenty of effort but gave up possession to many times, mc kernan not a threat inside, Kerr and gilmore looked good in flashes, Mc cormick took a good score but looked abit lost sometimes

subs- too late for them to make a difference. Would of liked to see Rushe and Mc Cartan on earlier to ask different questions inside 

Like the look of that Down team. Bookies have them 3 point underdog and Im hoping for a close game and good preformance. Derry will have sight on promotion and think this will set the tone for them.

Best of luck to kilcoo tomorrow also, has to be good for down football to have one of the best club team (if not the best) playing. Be good to see the Kilcoo lads join up with down after their great run.

No squad seen anywhere yet. Anyone brave enough to take a stab at the starting team.

R. Burns
G. Collins
C. Mc Cartan
N.McParland
D. O hagan
A. Doherty
C. Mooney
B. Ohagan
K.Mc Kernan

All sure to start i would say.

O.murdock
T. Close
F. Mc Ilroy
D. Gilly
R. Mc Cormick
P. Fegan
T. Rushe
J. Mc Cartan
C. O Rawe
R. Higgans
D. Murtagh
J. Connery

Could be a nice mixture of experience and youth. Depending on whos injured etc.

'Large numbers' can be alot different for some teams. Downpatrick with 5/6 players on the senior panel as i count it. Surely this would be a huge hinderance to their chances of avoiding relegation. The likes of burren, point and kilcoo would probably have a big enough pick to still feild strong teams. Is Division 2 and 3 now only having 1 team to go up? The likes of Longstone and glenn would suffer as they lose 2/3 boys and unlikely to be able to push for promotion in a tight division.


Looking forward to saturdays match- whats the thoughts? Derry probably strong favourties going into the tie now with Slaughtneil beaten yesterday. What would be a respectable result? Win, close loss or draw?

I have to laugh at some of the armchair pundits disregarding excellent players as 'done' or 'not good enough'. Lads out training 5/6 nights a week under the watchful eye of 2 all ireland winners with all the fancy extras they have now adays; GPS vests, video analysis, gym programming. They are  at that level for a reason and if i was a betting man I would say a damn bit better than the ones wiritng them off ever were.

I think the team will come together, i wouldn panic yet. Playing catch up slightly with fitness judging on last night due to the late start and a tough Divison 2.Lads havent played together much by the looks of it and abit rusty but 2/3 wins could be enough to keep safe this year and hoepfully a few more from the under 20's get fed into the team during the year. But the current bunch of players have survived 3 managment teams- they coudlnt all be wrong about them...