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The 1984 IR jersey on retrogaa is a belter

I think it is deserving of a new thread as he is one of the best young players in the country and it doesn't belong to the Down v Cork thread, as that's a match thread.

It was the first thing he said on stage. He wasn't prompted by anyone to comment on it. He spoke, said that there were rumours going round about him going back to Australia and he told the people that the only place he wants to play football is here. If he was to go he wouldn't have mentioned it at all.

Confirmed last night to a crowd of over 5000 in Castlewellan that he will not be returning to Collingwood. Just the news I had wanted to hear, as I was worried he may have left after this year. Good news for Down and good news for the GAA.

Des is a wooden one - he's ok when he doesn't have to ask questions but given the nature of his job, that is too often. I've never heard him asking a follow-up question, always seems to say "OK" and move on. Talentless balloon.

I agree with the concensus that its andwagon fans that are booing.

For many its was maybe their 2nd or 3rd time at HQ, and they just don't know how to behave at GAA matches.

Are there normally tickets floating about for the AI Final at the Sevens and if so do they normally go for around face value?

felt a little uneasy driving round lisburn with my flags out en route to airport the other day. did get a few odd looks

were the last 2 posts aimed at me?

If so, you have both got it SO wrong. I'm sickened by the fact that 2 people are going and the height of their knowledge is 1 player from 30 starting.

If you saw that comment as homophobic then you need to take a good look at yourself.

I got my ticket today.

I don't think you really want it - can I have it??

haha, you'll need to try harder.

This will be my first gaelic match in years. I have to admit that I don't know any Cork players at all and I know Benny Coulter on the Down team. I saw James McCartan play in the flesh. I'm taking a person who isn't into sport at all but hopefully I will have him turned!

that is truly sickening

Therefore what has he got except a lot of knock off gear bought from a company that went bust that he is trying to offload on the GAA sector with neither permission or right to do so.

You can talk about monopolies all you want but the other companies that had a go against O'Neills did so in the correct manner and had to buy the rights of the GAA to do so.

canterbury went bust??? surely not

I'll try and check to see if the GAA within Down receive any royalties from O'Neills products sold.

I know O'Neills do a Down polo that looks the part (I'm sure many on here are aware of it too).

I got the O'Neills Golf Polo a few months ago.

cant see them making a fortune from the Down change kit. it is minging. yellow is a crap colour. why we dont have a black one is beyond me.

We had... or at least it was a goalie top fit for use outfield.

The old gaelic gear one - been about 2003 or so.

Yeah but they always use that yellow yoke if required. Did anyone see conor Deegan in the Irish news today, wouldnt recognise him.

did indeed, he's piled the pounds on.

@marym: people say Down have never lost a final, regardless of jersey worn. History, or jerseys mean nothing.

I think its lazy to call Tyrone 'negative', a proper analysis would clearly show that Tyrone have a structured and disciplined team strategy, which means they defend and attack in numbers.  Other teams try and copy Tyrone's way of defending and playing, yet people continuously criticise Tyrone as being negative without looking at the vigour they bring going forward.  There seems to be this fantasy that Down play in a great swashbucking style, but again Down have attempted to play the Tyrone way and actually on the topic of negativity I recall nearly all the Down team camped out in their own half towards the end of the Kildare game - is this not as negative as you will get?  I don't recall Tyrone ever resorting to tactics like that, tactics that would be akin to what the like of Wolves or Blackpool would employ in the EPL.

Do you really think that a team holding on for their first final appearance in 16 years wouldn't defend deep to hold on to keep their lead? If the roles were reversed Kildare would have done exactly the same thing.

I think its very naive to suggest that a team would maintain the same mentality throughout the whole 70 (+5) minutes.

There's no fantasy about Down's style. They play direct, they play quick.

Tyrone have some of the best forwards in the country. If Harte had set his team up to give the forwards the quick ball that they need then it's very likely they'd be in the final.

Similarly they have some of the best defenders in the country. They dont need a 7th man in there.

I've noticed a distinct change in Down's style over the last few games. Against Donegal and Tyrone they played a short handpassing game with the sweeper as the majority of Ulster teams swamp the defence and the only way to combat that is to keep possession and try and gradually make ground into the oppositions half. Tyrone are the best team in Ulster in deploying that tactic.

That style continued in the games against Longford and Offaly, but gradually you could see their tactics changing. Colgan was dropped as the sweeper and McKernan came in. From the Sligo game onward Down's attitude changed and the long diagonal ball into the forwardline has been effective.

I have no doubt though that if we had played Tyrone say in the SF, we would have reverted back to the way we played in the Ulster Championship. Its very hard to play long balls into a swamped final third.

I can see the trend continuing in the Ulster Championship, but maybe the likes of Tyrone will learn from Down that a negative style doesn't always work from the QFs onwards.

Then just ignore it Heffo, no one is forcing you to enter.  Always next year for ye anyway...

You're spamming the forum - it's hard to ignore.

If you're going to spam, I'm going to comment.

It would be a cold day in hell anyway before I ever have to buy a ticket like this crap to get to an AI final

100%

why do some clubs feel the need to 'coin it in' at every given opportunity.