Down Club Hurling & Football

Started by Lecale2, November 10, 2006, 12:06:55 AM

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johnnycool

Quote from: befair on November 29, 2021, 02:22:27 PM
This obviously the wrong time for an U-20s competition; so many players will be away at 3rd level. There is rarely a good time, I suppose

U20's has another issue IMO.

currently we play U13, U15, U17 and U20 (sometimes).

If you're like us and look/need lads to play their own agegroup and the one above then under these age groups we've a group at U16 who only get to play U17 as they're ineligible for U20. Hurling wise in Down you'd be playing the same teams four or five times in the year and it goes stale quite quickly..

This needs brought down to U19 as well as the difficulties of finding a slot in the calendar between adult competitons and minor and lads away to university..

Truth hurts

or maybe Burren, Carryduff, Clonduff, and Mayobridge have a mentality with their club that they field in fixtures and that's why they are in the semi-final. There are always crap excuses but clubs would not have paid money to enter a competition where they did not have enough players. I do not think clubs are that stupid now!

thewobbler

Quote from: befair on November 29, 2021, 02:22:27 PM
This obviously the wrong time for an U-20s competition; so many players will be away at 3rd level. There is rarely a good time, I suppose

It's always been a fraught competition; the domain of larger clubs whose numbers allow them to counteract the normal reasons why teenagers drop out of football: just lost interest, new hobbies or distractions, away to university.

I'd guess a number of clubs were like ourselves this year, hopeful that the surges in training numbers for senior football during Covid, would reflect in greater interest and desire among u20s. It was always hopeful.

——

U20 football, u19 football and reserve football should all be thrown out and replaced with a "future stars" league, which runs on a regional basis during the season, before full county knockout stages / championship in late summer. The regionality is key: keep the games local, cut down on travelling.

In reality, with no blocks in place on age limits, this would be reserve football under a different name.  But in reality something needs to change to make reserve football a more attractive proposition to teenagers.

I played reserves at 15. So did everyone. Why on earth modern 18 year olds need another juvenile rung, I don't know.


knockitdown

Quote from: thewobbler on November 29, 2021, 02:39:15 PM
Quote from: befair on November 29, 2021, 02:22:27 PM
This obviously the wrong time for an U-20s competition; so many players will be away at 3rd level. There is rarely a good time, I suppose

It's always been a fraught competition; the domain of larger clubs whose numbers allow them to counteract the normal reasons why teenagers drop out of football: just lost interest, new hobbies or distractions, away to university.

I'd guess a number of clubs were like ourselves this year, hopeful that the surges in training numbers for senior football during Covid, would reflect in greater interest and desire among u20s. It was always hopeful.

——

U20 football, u19 football and reserve football should all be thrown out and replaced with a "future stars" league, which runs on a regional basis during the season, before full county knockout stages / championship in late summer. The regionality is key: keep the games local, cut down on travelling.

In reality, with no blocks in place on age limits, this would be reserve football under a different name.  But in reality something needs to change to make reserve football a more attractive proposition to teenagers.

I played reserves at 15. So did everyone. Why on earth modern 18 year olds need another juvenile rung, I don't know.

Same here. It was always seen as a pathway to playing senior. In my later years at senior it was clear that the mindset had changed. Younger lads who would sit on the bench all year round for the Seniors almost felt insulted at the suggestion of being asked to play reserves. Its like its beneath them. I couldn't understand it, why train 2-3 nights a week at 20 years of age and never play a game. On a Friday night we would have 18-20 lads confirmed for a reserve game on the sunday. When sunday came, id would say 50% of the time we couldn't field, even for home games. Boys not showing up, wouldnt answer their phone and would show up to Mondays training and laugh about it.

I would still like to play reserves (im 36) but soon got fed up of telling the wife we couldn't do anything on a Sunday because i had a game, only to return home before throw in because we couldn't field. If you think I was cross......


Truth hurts

Quote from: thewobbler on November 29, 2021, 02:39:15 PM
Quote from: befair on November 29, 2021, 02:22:27 PM
This obviously the wrong time for an U-20s competition; so many players will be away at 3rd level. There is rarely a good time, I suppose

It's always been a fraught competition; the domain of larger clubs whose numbers allow them to counteract the normal reasons why teenagers drop out of football: just lost interest, new hobbies or distractions, away to university.

I'd guess a number of clubs were like ourselves this year, hopeful that the surges in training numbers for senior football during Covid, would reflect in greater interest and desire among u20s. It was always hopeful.

——

U20 football, u19 football and reserve football should all be thrown out and replaced with a "future stars" league, which runs on a regional basis during the season, before full county knockout stages / championship in late summer. The regionality is key: keep the games local, cut down on travelling.

In reality, with no blocks in place on age limits, this would be reserve football under a different name.  But in reality something needs to change to make reserve football a more attractive proposition to teenagers.

I played reserves at 15. So did everyone. Why on earth modern 18 year olds need another juvenile rung, I don't know.

I would regard Ballyholland as a larger club tbh, minor champions 3 years ago and contesting underage  A championships finals. Are you losing many players to soccer?

ScarvaLegend

I think you are mistaking stature for structure. Just because a club wins a competition doesn't automatically give them a larger selection of players.

Truth hurts

Quote from: ScarvaLegend on November 29, 2021, 04:43:16 PM
I think you are mistaking stature for structure. Just because a club wins a competition doesn't automatically give them a larger selection of players.

Ballyholland has the biggest pick of players outside of Carryduff and Bredagh and East Belfast.

Smurfy123

It seems to be the usual suspects taking the under 20 competition serious
Burren Bridge Clonduff and Carryduff
With Kilcoo not in it for obvious reasons
No wonder these teams are consistent in division 1 and always seem to be at the latter stages in most underage A grades
These clubs are putting the work in

Truth hurts

Quote from: Smurfy123 on November 30, 2021, 08:54:11 AM
It seems to be the usual suspects taking the under 20 competition serious
Burren Bridge Clonduff and Carryduff
With Kilcoo not in it for obvious reasons
No wonder these teams are consistent in division 1 and always seem to be at the latter stages in most underage A grades
These clubs are putting the work in

Typical south Down arrogance

Truth hurts

Quote from: Smurfy123 on November 30, 2021, 08:54:11 AM
It seems to be the usual suspects taking the under 20 competition serious
Burren Bridge Clonduff and Carryduff
With Kilcoo not in it for obvious reasons
No wonder these teams are consistent in division 1 and always seem to be at the latter stages in most underage A grades
These clubs are putting the work in

Your own club has a chance to win the u20 b competition and is doing great work.

Any word on the new down squad?


thewobbler

Quote from: Truth hurts on November 30, 2021, 08:49:12 AM
Quote from: ScarvaLegend on November 29, 2021, 04:43:16 PM
I think you are mistaking stature for structure. Just because a club wins a competition doesn't automatically give them a larger selection of players.

Ballyholland has the biggest pick of players outside of Carryduff and Bredagh and East Belfast.

You're confused. Upwards on 70% of players at all grades come from the one small rural primary school.

Truth hurts

Quote from: thewobbler on November 30, 2021, 10:39:06 AM
Quote from: Truth hurts on November 30, 2021, 08:49:12 AM
Quote from: ScarvaLegend on November 29, 2021, 04:43:16 PM
I think you are mistaking stature for structure. Just because a club wins a competition doesn't automatically give them a larger selection of players.

Ballyholland has the biggest pick of players outside of Carryduff and Bredagh and East Belfast.

You're confused. Upwards on 70% of players at all grades come from the one small rural primary school.


My apologies, I was at an underage game two years ago and one of your supporters was saying that you were getting a bigger influx from Newry people due to your facilities which are first class. Ballyholland have done serious work in the past 20 years or so as they were an intermediate team for most of my playing career.

Ed Hardy

Gonna be a busy few months for the Down panel playing catch up even just to get up to same fitness levels as the other  Div 2 teams. Hopefully wee James, and Aidan O'Rouke can get a good buy in from the players they call up. Would imagine it will a very different looking 15 which take to the feild v Monaghan than the one that played v Donegal this year come championship time. Personally I'd like to  see these players involved this year, I'm sure there are plenty I've missed out now.

3 x Johnsons
Shane Annett
Cormac McCartan
Steven Fegan
Ruairi O'Hare
Odhran Murdock  (very young, but some talent)
Owen McCabe (if he can get his form back, seems to be struggling since that bad injury v Mayo.)
Charlie Smyth
Tony Morgan
And M. Rooney from Kilcoo aswell .


Mourne Red

Quote from: Ed Hardy on November 30, 2021, 04:31:40 PM
Gonna be a busy few months for the Down panel playing catch up even just to get up to same fitness levels as the other  Div 2 teams. Hopefully wee James, and Aidan O'Rouke can get a good buy in from the players they call up. Would imagine it will a very different looking 15 which take to the feild v Monaghan than the one that played v Donegal this year come championship time. Personally I'd like to  see these players involved this year, I'm sure there are plenty I've missed out now.

3 x Johnsons
Shane Annett
Cormac McCartan
Steven Fegan
Ruairi O'Hare
Odhran Murdock  (very young, but some talent)
Owen McCabe (if he can get his form back, seems to be struggling since that bad injury v Mayo.)
Charlie Smyth
Tony Morgan
And M. Rooney from Kilcoo aswell .

Would add Andrew Gilmore form St Johns too that list.. Best underage player I've seen and to that played well for the u20s, St Johns star man and is playing up front for the Poly and scored a few goals and a number of points for them already

manwithnoplan

Quote from: Ed Hardy on November 30, 2021, 04:31:40 PM
Gonna be a busy few months for the Down panel playing catch up even just to get up to same fitness levels as the other  Div 2 teams. Hopefully wee James, and Aidan O'Rouke can get a good buy in from the players they call up. Would imagine it will a very different looking 15 which take to the feild v Monaghan than the one that played v Donegal this year come championship time. Personally I'd like to  see these players involved this year, I'm sure there are plenty I've missed out now.

3 x Johnsons
Shane Annett
Cormac McCartan
Steven Fegan
Ruairi O'Hare
Odhran Murdock  (very young, but some talent)
Owen McCabe (if he can get his form back, seems to be struggling since that bad injury v Mayo.)
Charlie Smyth
Tony Morgan
And M. Rooney from Kilcoo aswell .

I'd also like to see Arthur McConville get another decent go at county level if he is keen, and maybe young Close from Clonduff too (though I'm not sure what age he is, would he be under 20's?)