USFC Qtr Final - Armagh V Down - Athletic Grounds 28th May 7:30pm

[armaghniac]

It would need to be a big screen

I think they should put the big screen in front of the Armagh goals.

[borderfox]

Heres hoping for a good game which one team wins fair and square with no crappy refereeing decision spoiling the occasion.
In other words keep Sludden away

I cant see any bad refereeing decisions making any difference this time. Sure Armagh have the Cross boys back and possibly Ronan Clarke. They also have natural defenders and being at home will have the bigger support especially due to the Champions League final, afterall theres not too many knocking about Armagh who support the'foreign games'.

Aye but dont forget Down are the aristocrats of Ulster football yet haven't won anything of note in 17 years! Surely this will drive Down on, and bear in mind when the ground hardens and your nippy forwards get going you'll be nigh impossible to beat.

[Joe Umbrella (hey)]

Heres hoping for a good game which one team wins fair and square with no crappy refereeing decision spoiling the occasion.
In other words keep Sludden away

I cant see any bad refereeing decisions making any difference this time. Sure Armagh have the Cross boys back and possibly Ronan Clarke. They also have natural defenders and being at home will have the bigger support especially due to the Champions League final, afterall theres not too many knocking about Armagh who support the'foreign games'.

Aye but dont forget Down are the aristocrats of Ulster football yet haven't won anything of note in 17 years! Surely this will drive Down on, and bear in mind when the ground hardens and your nippy forwards get going you'll be nigh impossible to beat.

Sure if the ground has'nt hardened in the last 17 years it probably wo'nt this year either!

Although Armagh usually bottle it when it comes to winning All Irelands, they have still been the major force within Ulster over the last decade and it should'nt be any different this year.

[Joe Umbrella (hey)]

It would need to be a big screen

I think they should put the big screen in front of the Armagh goals.

What a good idea, lets face it with the Orchards natural defenders thats probably gonna be the only way of seeing some action in front of the Armagh goals. Everyone will be able to see Ronan Clarke & Co scoring at will into both goal ends at the same time.

[Aaron Boone]

Move it to the Sunday. Go on.

[Armaghtothebone]

Having thought long and hard about it, I believe this is going to be one of the hardest beatings Armagh have ever taken in championship history.

Oh God no

Not as bad as the tanking we gave them in the 1999 Ulster Final
The thought of walking out with my half time ice cream still not eaten. 

[Sandy Hill]

No major surprise but no Ronan Clarke for Down match and probably for the whole Championship run, long or short.

[Armaghgael]

No major surprise but no Ronan Clarke for Down match and probably for the whole Championship run, long or short.

Wered you hear that???

[mackers]

No major surprise but no Ronan Clarke for Down match and probably for the whole Championship run, long or short.

Wered you hear that???

I was talking to one of our main men's brothers last week and he said that he had asked his brother what the story was with Clarke and he said the response was "F**king forget about Clarke!!". I think the players are sick sore and tired about talking about this subject and want to concentrate on the job in hand. I think that's what we should do on here too.

[Fuzzman]

I always wondered how does the Armagh v Down rivalry compare with that of Tyrone v Derry in the 90's which to me was when it was teetering on the edge as we met so many times.

Has the Down v Armagh games lost a bit of their edge compared to yesteryear?
Has the back door lessened the importance of these games now?

What was Armagh's greatest memory of the Aristro cats & likewise for the Down lads?

I think most Tyrone folk would look back to the 1995 semifinal win with our famous 13 men 1 point win.

[jobo11]

well lads I think your sources r wrong , I have been told that clarke is back in training and could be featuring in the championship this year. he ll be playing club game this week so mackers and sandy hill , get your sources right.

[mackers]

well lads I think your sources r wrong , I have been told that clarke is back in training and could be featuring in the championship this year. he ll be playing club game this week so mackers and sandy hill , get your sources right.

I have mine right, thanks very much. Where have I said he won't feature this year?
So just to clarify, you're saying he's going to be playing for the Ogs this week............

[PAULD123]

No major surprise but no Ronan Clarke for Down match and probably for the whole Championship run, long or short.

Wered you hear that???

I was talking to one of our main men's brothers last week and he said that he had asked his brother what the story was with Clarke and he said the response was "F**king forget about Clarke!!". I think the players are sick sore and tired about talking about this subject and want to concentrate on the job in hand. I think that's what we should do on here too.

Could the phrase "F**king forget about Clarke!!" just have been one of exasperation at the constant messiah like status heaped on Clarke? Is there a chance that the guy you were talking too wasn't necessarily saying that Clarke wouldn't play but that you should forget about worrying about him because he feels the team is good enough to win without him and that he felt it insulting to the rest of the panel to be focusing on only one player?

Of course you were there and the conversation was probably more than this one phrase, so was it said in context that Clarke is out?

[mackers]

No major surprise but no Ronan Clarke for Down match and probably for the whole Championship run, long or short.

Wered you hear that???

I was talking to one of our main men's brothers last week and he said that he had asked his brother what the story was with Clarke and he said the response was "F**king forget about Clarke!!". I think the players are sick sore and tired about talking about this subject and want to concentrate on the job in hand. I think that's what we should do on here too.

Could the phrase "F**king forget about Clarke!!" just have been one of exasperation at the constant messiah like status heaped on Clarke? Is there a chance that the guy you were talking too wasn't necessarily saying that Clarke wouldn't play but that you should forget about worrying about him because he feels the team is good enough to win without him and that he felt it insulting to the rest of the panel to be focusing on only one player?

Of course you were there and the conversation was probably more than this one phrase, so was it said in context that Clarke is out?

The highlighted bit is the way I picked it up anyway..............Clarke is definitely out of the Down match and the players would rather get on with the match and stop answering questions about Ronan Clarke's fitness.  They feel they can win the match without Clarke.

[naka]

mackers re clarke i had been told that he was to play a few games with the cliub to get him up to speed but this hasnt happened, whilst he may be on the bench i dont think he will play against down as he will not have had any game practice indeed he does not yet tkae part in the whole of training.
i think you are right in that the rest of the guys on the panel are pissed off with the constant harping on as to whether he is fit or not because they see this as a team effort and not about one man