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Represented this county with great honour at minor, u21 and senior level. Played in our first all ireland final in 16years and provided us with many enjoyable days out last summer and over the last 10 years. All the best to John and will surely continue to play club football for many a year to come! Hope the wheels dont come off the Down wagon over the next few weeks, do think with a bit of luck and a reasonable draw we will be along with Tyrone the only Ulster representation in the last 8!!

Thats two newspaper articles in two days about the "faceless" critics on the discussion boards who are doing all the harm.  Looking back through the history of this board will show that last september, august, july when the county were building up a head of steam - there was nothing but positivity and everyone was full of praise for certain individuals.  They werent writing in the papers thanking us - no - they were lapping up the praise and watching their own heads getting bigger by the day.  Now the shit hits the fan and - as always - we express our opinion - and they throw their toys outta the pram.  Grow up county boys.  If you are good enough to take the praise - then take the constructive criticism.

You certainly werent on praising anyone p***k,

Your a complete tool   

Anyone hear news on Caolan Mooney this weekend?

So Mooney gets added to the ever increasingly large Down Senior panel. The rumours of players walking away from the panel are untrue but I would be more concerned about the size of the panel. How is a squad meant to bond and become tight when there are such large numbers coming and going, stories get leaked from the camp easier etc..  this would be off pressing concern.

Without causing offence to any member of the panel and I will not start naming names, but is there much call for some of these fringe players and U21's??

On the Mooney situation, Rostrevor MUST feel aggrieved, this is the club that gave this lad everything from underage, coaching, support, opportunities and what are they getting back now??? Its an all too familiar trait that the county get everything and the club gets cast aside! What is the general feeling down there Supersub?? I personally feel the lad is nowhere near a senior intercounty player at present! Cant speak for 3/4 years time but now no way IMO.

Some of the posts on here this week have been Ludicrous and outrageous!! I think its a disgrace some of the abuse certain individuals have been handing out and some of the inflamatory comments that have been put on here particularly from new posters.

Lets put behind the DOOM and GLOOM and look forward to an easy path through the qualifiers again. Tyrone will win Ulster at a Canter anyway lets be real   

I didnt post immediately after the game because i actually couldnt get my head round how we lost BOTH games on Saturday evening. I left the Athletic grounds angry and upset over a number of things.

1. The team is getting clearly wiped out in the middle sector and we take our corner forward off. Surely with the quality of coach/trainer/selector/eye in the stand/manager that someone can see this!
2. The armagh management team are a mickey mouse outfit but their team looked sharper and fitter than our guys?? Someone touched on here before about the injuries?? What are we actually doing at training?
3. I will not get personal about James younger brother but he should have been replaced after 15mins. Not fair on the lad to leave him hanging out to dry like that.
4. The burren players are not an issue for me, their current county champions so they deserve to be on the panel BUT!! if young Eoin cant get a start for Burren why do we need to bring him into an inter county championship tie? Are the rest that bad??
5. The minor debacle!! where do we start?? I said on this forum a long time ago Peter Mc Grath is a complete legend, but his appointment was a major major step back!! That was a crime that team didnt walk Ulster!!

will they be streaming it live again ??   

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.

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.

Completely agree with MDG, Burren actually get to face a tough task in the first round and we ll really see what sort of a side they are as I felt last year they got a dream run to the final.

Some interesting ties, Rostrevor v Lstone is hard to call, Saval v Clonduff could also go anyway. The rest should go to the favourites, bar Wpoint v Tullylish which could see the Lish sneak through ;-)

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.

[Must be in the new county offices there?]

Yes, ticket allocation is going to be extremely tight for their stand. You will have no problem whatsoever acquiring a ticket, I would say there will be lucky to be 10-12 thousand at it.

Club championship draw is on tonight in Park Esler. Must be in the new county offices there? Anyone any details of what time its at??

Are we so well off that we can afford two county offices? Surely now that we have a new buiding at Pairc Esler which we own, all office business should be conducted from there?

Think thats the plan? Are the offices not going to be in that building?

Yes, ticket allocation is going to be extremely tight for their stand. You will have no problem whatsoever acquiring a ticket, I would say there will be lucky to be 10-12 thousand at it.

Club championship draw is on tonight in Park Esler. Must be in the new county offices there? Anyone any details of what time its at??

games in navan at 1pm

[With the way he is behaving lately]

Its common knowledge Marty flies to Oz the week after the Armagh game to resign for Collingwood. He will then go there full time once Down get knocked out. Is anyone actually surprised?!

Goood luck to the lad! He is a top top quality player annd I hope he is a star again in Aussie Rules.

With the way he is behaving lately - the sooner he goes back to Australia - the better.  We dont need pre madonnas like him swanning around like he owns the place.  Send him packing i say.

Enlighten us oh knowledgable one 

Are there a round of fixtures next Friday as normal?

Yes on Friday the 20th supersub and they are completely starred. Handy one for yous supersub 

Longstone v Mayobridge   
Saval v An Riocht 
Bryansford  v Kilcoo 
Rostrevor v Burren 
Ballyholland  v Clonduff 

The following friday, night before the Down game there is no fixture. I also heard last night that this weeks games are now no longer starred and only those players injured dont play. Surely this is going to cause a lot of controversy especially the likes of Ballyholland  for example who face Burren and probably would have a chance if Burrens 7 or 8 were starred?? Its an interesting one.

Jody Gormley and Longstone have parted company after last nights defeat.