NFL Division 3 - 2026

[rodney trotter]

I was in a bar in a Gaa stronghold in Down on Saturday evening to watch this match. There was a good crowd in and a grand total of 2 people were watching the match on tv. I went into a different bar to watch the second half. This bar is owned by a GAA club and is always frequented by current and former players. There was a good crowd in this one too and I observed 4 people watching the match on tv and only sporadically. Last Thursday this same bar was packed with people in to watch the Ireland match.
This is how entertaining people find this shite that we call gaelic football.

Down love a handpass. Laverty is use to the style with kilcoo but there should be more variey and get a few kickers in the team. 

[JPO]

Would you agree that Croke Park is a Gaa stronghold when the fans are there? Just watching the Sunday game and they said the crowd were booing during the Down match so yes it was that bad 

[JPO]

Hows about 14 kickers? Then they could call themselves footballers?

[snoopdog]

Stronghold???

Was it Newry by any chance.
Irish people are mostly bandwagon jumpers and not sports fans. Attendance throughout the league and early championship would tell yiu that.
I had premium tickets sat night wished i hadnt, most of those im premuum were there to drink. Place was a mess. Pints in the seating secrion. Thought that wasnt allowed in croke pk.
Down have a small secrion of loyal fans like most counties the rest are fairweather. Moan about the game but funnily never watch it. But get an ulster final or all ireland semi and they are there for the drink. Prob  all big rugby fans also
Yes sat nights game was boring  , ive been to all Downs games this year apart from the dead rubber and thats the worst they played.   

[David Gedge]

Would you agree that Croke Park is a Gaa stronghold when the fans are there? Just watching the Sunday game and they said the crowd were booing during the Down match so yes it was that bad 

Wexford fans were booing because Down wouldn't give them the ball. For better teams they call it game management. Worked the chance to win but wrong man and he missed.

[thewobbler]

I was in a bar in a Gaa stronghold in Down on Saturday evening to watch this match. There was a good crowd in and a grand total of 2 people were watching the match on tv. I went into a different bar to watch the second half. This bar is owned by a GAA club and is always frequented by current and former players. There was a good crowd in this one too and I observed 4 people watching the match on tv and only sporadically. Last Thursday this same bar was packed with people in to watch the Ireland match.
This is how entertaining people find this shite that we call gaelic football.

Yet, and as you know well, had you made this post a few days after any other ROI soccer match in recent memory, nobody at all was watching ROI.

[lfdown2]

Would you agree that Croke Park is a Gaa stronghold when the fans are there? Just watching the Sunday game and they said the crowd were booing during the Down match so yes it was that bad 

Wexford fans were booing because Down wouldn't give them the ball. For better teams they call it game management. Worked the chance to win but wrong man and he missed.

Exactly, Conor O'Donnell's goal for Donegal was exactly the same scenario except that the right man was on the end of it - people feel they entitled to be on the edge of their seat for every match all of the time otherwise we should change the rules again.

The div 3 final had more riding on it than any other game all weekend (notwithstanding the fact that a shock provincial result could turn that on it's head), accordingly Down at least seemed as must concerned with losing as they were for going and winning the match.

Laverty mentioned after the match also how Down were mindful of Brooks' long ranging free taking ability and as such were very careful not to commit fouls in that area just outside the 2 point arc, unfortunately I think they overcompensated for it and had very little contact or even pressure on the man in those areas.

Down seem to be copping flack for striving for Sam Maguire football, supposedly we have notions, surely all counties want to improve and compete at the highest level possible, are we any further along the line? I'm not sure, but we have given ourselves the best opportunity to play SM football this year and we are back in Div 2 for 2027 - fck the begrudgers.

[Aristo 60]

Would you agree that Croke Park is a Gaa stronghold when the fans are there? Just watching the Sunday game and they said the crowd were booing during the Down match so yes it was that bad 

Wexford fans were booing because Down wouldn't give them the ball. For better teams they call it game management. Worked the chance to win but wrong man and he missed.

Exactly, Conor O'Donnell's goal for Donegal was exactly the same scenario except that the right man was on the end of it - people feel they entitled to be on the edge of their seat for every match all of the time otherwise we should change the rules again.

The div 3 final had more riding on it than any other game all weekend (notwithstanding the fact that a shock provincial result could turn that on it's head), accordingly Down at least seemed as must concerned with losing as they were for going and winning the match.

Laverty mentioned after the match also how Down were mindful of Brooks' long ranging free taking ability and as such were very careful not to commit fouls in that area just outside the 2 point arc, unfortunately I think they overcompensated for it and had very little contact or even pressure on the man in those areas.

Down seem to be copping flack for striving for Sam Maguire football, supposedly we have notions, surely all counties want to improve and compete at the highest level possible, are we any further along the line? I'm not sure, but we have given ourselves the best opportunity to play SM football this year and we are back in Div 2 for 2027 - fck the begrudgers.

A hero reply from a hero member!

[ck]

Would you agree that Croke Park is a Gaa stronghold when the fans are there? Just watching the Sunday game and they said the crowd were booing during the Down match so yes it was that bad 

Wexford fans were booing because Down wouldn't give them the ball. For better teams they call it game management. Worked the chance to win but wrong man and he missed.

Exactly, Conor O'Donnell's goal for Donegal was exactly the same scenario except that the right man was on the end of it - people feel they entitled to be on the edge of their seat for every match all of the time otherwise we should change the rules again.

The div 3 final had more riding on it than any other game all weekend (notwithstanding the fact that a shock provincial result could turn that on it's head), accordingly Down at least seemed as must concerned with losing as they were for going and winning the match.

Laverty mentioned after the match also how Down were mindful of Brooks' long ranging free taking ability and as such were very careful not to commit fouls in that area just outside the 2 point arc, unfortunately I think they overcompensated for it and had very little contact or even pressure on the man in those areas.

Down seem to be copping flack for striving for Sam Maguire football, supposedly we have notions, surely all counties want to improve and compete at the highest level possible, are we any further along the line? I'm not sure, but we have given ourselves the best opportunity to play SM football this year and we are back in Div 2 for 2027 - fck the begrudgers.

After 4 years of Laverty Down are back in Div.2, this is after he promised Div.1 football inside 3 years. In that 4 years he has not beaten anyone of note and certainly hasnt taken a scalp. Against Wexford I thought they struggled and looked like a team who have stalled? The flip side of all of that is they are like a team that are always on the verge of delivering something. There are those who will say Down are about to do something and could make a break through. It really could be either, very hard to know.

[snoopdog]

Would you agree that Croke Park is a Gaa stronghold when the fans are there? Just watching the Sunday game and they said the crowd were booing during the Down match so yes it was that bad 

Wexford fans were booing because Down wouldn't give them the ball. For better teams they call it game management. Worked the chance to win but wrong man and he missed.

Exactly, Conor O'Donnell's goal for Donegal was exactly the same scenario except that the right man was on the end of it - people feel they entitled to be on the edge of their seat for every match all of the time otherwise we should change the rules again.

The div 3 final had more riding on it than any other game all weekend (notwithstanding the fact that a shock provincial result could turn that on it's head), accordingly Down at least seemed as must concerned with losing as they were for going and winning the match.

Laverty mentioned after the match also how Down were mindful of Brooks' long ranging free taking ability and as such were very careful not to commit fouls in that area just outside the 2 point arc, unfortunately I think they overcompensated for it and had very little contact or even pressure on the man in those areas.

Down seem to be copping flack for striving for Sam Maguire football, supposedly we have notions, surely all counties want to improve and compete at the highest level possible, are we any further along the line? I'm not sure, but we have given ourselves the best opportunity to play SM football this year and we are back in Div 2 for 2027 - fck the begrudgers.

After 4 years of Laverty Down are back in Div.2, this is after he promised Div.1 football inside 3 years. In that 4 years he has not beaten anyone of note and certainly hasnt taken a scalp. Against Wexford I thought they struggled and looked like a team who have stalled? The flip side of all of that is they are like a team that are always on the verge of delivering something. There are those who will say Down are about to do something and could make a break through. It really could be either, very hard to know.

When dod he promise Div 1 football in that time frame?  Who would you have instead? Down dont have the footballers. Lav ia getting the max out of this group.
Your like the clowns in Armagh who were calling for McGeeneys head the winter b4 he delivered an all ireland.
Id say you were at all the league games this year. ?
On the others complaining about style of football. I see you waited umtil rte provided their analysis first. Winning is the end goal not entertaining armchair supporters.
 
 

[Rossfan]

Surely Laverty is doing as well as he can with the talent available.

[Cunny Funt]

Surely Laverty is doing as well as he can with the talent available.

Of course he has.

Topped the Division 3 table and won the final in Croke Park.

Last year relegated on 6 points the one point head to head loss v Louth proved costly.

In the championship were competitive against Donegal in Ulster, reached the last 12 of the championship and competitive against Galway.

[snoopdog]

99% of people that follow Down football kmow that Laverty is doimg a good job with what he has.  For years Down have had massive turnover of players and now they have a settled squad with some new additions each year. We know we are a but off the top teams but thats a lot better than where we were.

[JPO]

The FRC brought in the new rules as attendances were dropping all over the country. Teams like Down don't have the players capable of playing Gaelic football so the management devise tactics to help them win matches..tactics that make the game almost unwatchable. Watching players kicking 2 pointers  with not a defender near them is becoming boring now. The novelty will wear off and attendances will begin to drop again.