Down Club Hurling & Football

[Smurfy123]

Will Rostrevor be happy with that?
I heard he is going to Castlewellan?
The National league due to start in 3 months and Down don't even have a manager
By the time they appoint and get things up and running Down will have approx 2 months to prepare for the league
Other teams are already back and we can't even appoint
I'm hearing a few Tyrone men been approached
Peter Canavan with Gavin Devlin as coach
Decision likely by the end of the week

[Godsown]

A good few openings for next season from what I hear
Clubs need to be on the ball pretty soon

Bryansford decision imminent
Rostrevor
Loughinisland
Saul
Longstone
Castlewellan
CPN decision imminent meeting tonight
Newry Shamrocks
Newry Bosco
Carryduff
Bredagh decision imminent
Glenn decision imminent


A busy few weeks for clubs

I really hope Hollo gets the road tbh.. brought us silverware yes - but his approach is all wrong.. we have players another year older now and still no championship.. Should've got McCorry before them Uns up the road did...

I am hearing reports than Poacher will be heading to Rostrevor next season, interesting appointment

Hopefully that's the closest he gets to the red and black !

[Truth hurts]

Will Rostrevor be happy with that?
I heard he is going to Castlewellan?
The National league due to start in 3 months and Down don't even have a manager
By the time they appoint and get things up and running Down will have approx 2 months to prepare for the league
Other teams are already back and we can't even appoint
I'm hearing a few Tyrone men been approached
Peter Canavan with Gavin Devlin as coach
Decision likely by the end of the week

Rostrevor will be more appealing as they should win the intermediate. Both teams will struggle in division one next year. There is a reason Danny jumped ship after taking them up. Niall and Barney back to the Town perhaps.
John McEntee has stepped down as manager of Clontibret, could that be a sign?
Really looking forward to this weekend's games, Kilcoo should be too strong for Ballyholland while Burren and Clonduff will be tight, whoever wins should set an interesting East v South Down final.

I expect Darragh V Kingdom final and Darragh with the big money spent are hoping for glory in their historic year. It will further improve Gaelic games in the Sainfield/Crossgar area

[Truth hurts]

There an interesting podcast in the Gaelic life this week. They talk about the game being stronger if it had fewer clubs? What's your thoughts on this? personally, there are too many clubs in Down and there should be a few amalgamations!

[wobbller]

There an interesting podcast in the Gaelic life this week. They talk about the game being stronger if it had fewer clubs? What's your thoughts on this? personally, there are too many clubs in Down and there should be a few amalgamations!

Possibly correct but would love to hear your suggestions
as to where to start?

[Truth hurts]

Bosco/Mitchells

Glasdrumman/Longstone possibly Ballymartin

Ballykinlar/Dundrum

[Mourne Red]

Bosco/Mitchells

Glasdrumman/Longstone possibly Ballymartin

Ballykinlar/Dundrum

Balkykinlar players wouldn't go to Dundrum when they folded.. Finn, St Johns and Ardglass got the players from there.

Glassdrumman would be a good shout, club that's struggling recently and amalgamation would be best for them to keep some part of history. Same goes with Mitchells/Bosco suggestion

[Truth hurts]

also the county board need to be stricter on clubs poaching players

[wobbller]

Bosco/Mitchells

Glasdrumman/Longstone possibly Ballymartin

Ballykinlar/Dundrum

Aghaderg and St Michaels
Kiclief and Ardglass
Saul and Bright
St Johns and the the Finn
Darragh Cross and Drumaness
Saval and Glenn
East Belfast and St Pauls
Tullylish and Clann Na Banna
Annaclone and Drumgath

[Truth hurts]

Bosco/Mitchells

Glasdrumman/Longstone possibly Ballymartin

Ballykinlar/Dundrum

Aghaderg and St Michaels
Kiclief and Ardglass
Saul and Bright
St Johns and the the Finn
Darragh Cross and Drumaness
Saval and Glenn
East Belfast and St Pauls
Tullylish and Clann Na Banna
Annaclone and Drumgath

Some of them are ludicrous Wobb, East Belfast and St Pauls are two of the biggest clubs in the county in terms of membership. Darragh and Drumaness don't need to amalgamate but it's certainly an area that needs tapped into.

[bigarsedkeeper]

Bosco/Mitchells

Glasdrumman/Longstone possibly Ballymartin

Ballykinlar/Dundrum

Aghaderg and St Michaels
Kiclief and Ardglass
Saul and Bright
St Johns and the the Finn
Darragh Cross and Drumaness
Saval and Glenn
East Belfast and St Pauls
Tullylish and Clann Na Banna
Annaclone and Drumgath

Having a GAA club is about more than just if you can play senior football. My wife's grandfather played for Clann Na Banna in the 50s. They couldn't get a pitch in Banbridge and had to play in Ballyvarley. They had to fight their way through organised unionist blockades on the Scarva Rd just to play. Why would they give up what they've built, as limited as it may seem to some of the bigger clubs, if they have the numbers to keep going. Not every club can be a division 1 club.

You could say that some of those clubs should have an arrangement at underage so lads are playing at a better level but most of the clubs mentioned there are happy enough with where they are.

[Truth hurts]

Bosco/Mitchells

Glasdrumman/Longstone possibly Ballymartin

Ballykinlar/Dundrum

Aghaderg and St Michaels
Kiclief and Ardglass
Saul and Bright
St Johns and the the Finn
Darragh Cross and Drumaness
Saval and Glenn
East Belfast and St Pauls
Tullylish and Clann Na Banna
Annaclone and Drumgath

Having a GAA club is about more than just if you can play senior football. My wife's grandfather played for Clann Na Banna in the 50s. They couldn't get a pitch in Banbridge and had to play in Ballyvarley. They have to fight their way through organised unionist blockades on the Scarva Rd just to play. Why would they give up what they've built, as limited as it may seem to some of the bigger clubs, if they have the numbers to keep going. Not every club can be a division 1 club.

You could say that some of those clubs should have an arrangement at underage so lads are playing at a better level but most of the clubs mentioned there are happy enough with where they are.

I would not want to see amalgamations for the sake of it but only when it's needed. There is more chance of Crusaders and Cliftonville amalgamating as North Belfast soccer team than Glenn and Saval .

[bigarsedkeeper]

Bosco/Mitchells

Glasdrumman/Longstone possibly Ballymartin

Ballykinlar/Dundrum

Aghaderg and St Michaels
Kiclief and Ardglass
Saul and Bright
St Johns and the the Finn
Darragh Cross and Drumaness
Saval and Glenn
East Belfast and St Pauls
Tullylish and Clann Na Banna
Annaclone and Drumgath

Having a GAA club is about more than just if you can play senior football. My wife's grandfather played for Clann Na Banna in the 50s. They couldn't get a pitch in Banbridge and had to play in Ballyvarley. They have to fight their way through organised unionist blockades on the Scarva Rd just to play. Why would they give up what they've built, as limited as it may seem to some of the bigger clubs, if they have the numbers to keep going. Not every club can be a division 1 club.

You could say that some of those clubs should have an arrangement at underage so lads are playing at a better level but most of the clubs mentioned there are happy enough with where they are.

I would not want to see amalgamations for the sake of it but only when it's needed. There is more chance of Crusaders and Cliftonville amalgamating as North Belfast soccer team than Glenn and Saval .

There's some clubs you mentioned are in trouble in the long run and they'll have to do something new in the near future. The only full amalgamation in recent history, even that's 40 years ago, I can think of is An Riocht - I have no idea how the agreement was made though.

[manwithnoplan]

Bosco/Mitchells

Glasdrumman/Longstone possibly Ballymartin

Ballykinlar/Dundrum

Aghaderg and St Michaels
Kiclief and Ardglass
Saul and Bright
St Johns and the the Finn
Darragh Cross and Drumaness
Saval and Glenn
East Belfast and St Pauls
Tullylish and Clann Na Banna
Annaclone and Drumgath

Some of these are ridiculous. Some of these "smaller" clubs have done great work in recent years that's now led to success at various levels.

Shows a real South Down 'Big Club' arrogant attitude.

Saul - recent IFC winners and now playing SFC
Bright - recent JFC and Div 4 winners with underage success, trying to build something. Facilities are superb.
Finn - Now in Div 3 after some hard years and likely to win the JFC, good underage structure there now and player retention has been good.
Darragh - IFC possibility this year
St Pauls - Huge effort in recent years to turn a struggling senior team in to a solid young team, with players now coming through from underage. Recent JFC winners.
East Belfast - Brand new club with huge numbers, haven't even begun to establish themselves yet they should not exist?

Never mind the rest.

Not to mention some of the great facilities some of these clubs have worked hard for.

[wobbller]

Bosco/Mitchells

Glasdrumman/Longstone possibly Ballymartin

Ballykinlar/Dundrum

Aghaderg and St Michaels
Kiclief and Ardglass
Saul and Bright
St Johns and the the Finn
Darragh Cross and Drumaness
Saval and Glenn
East Belfast and St Pauls
Tullylish and Clann Na Banna
Annaclone and Drumgath

Some of these are ridiculous. Some of these "smaller" clubs have done great work in recent years that's now led to success at various levels.

Shows a real South Down 'Big Club' arrogant attitude.

Saul - recent IFC winners and now playing SFC
Bright - recent JFC and Div 4 winners with underage success, trying to build something. Facilities are superb.
Finn - Now in Div 3 after some hard years and likely to win the JFC, good underage structure there now and player retention has been good.
Darragh - IFC possibility this year
St Pauls - Huge effort in recent years to turn a struggling senior team in to a solid young team, with players now coming through from underage. Recent JFC winners.
East Belfast - Brand new club with huge numbers, haven't even begun to establish themselves yet they should not exist?

Never mind the rest.

Not to mention some of the great facilities some of these clubs have worked hard for.

Just my opinion and will not happen in the next five years but sometime down the line just as the debt is paid off(maybe not even)