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

[snoopdog]

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?

Maybe they want to forget about Marty Clarke so they can get some sleep before he roasts them.
Ha Ha Ha.
Any word of the big screen for the Champs lge final.

[jobo11]

Ive being following Armagh for years now. I know clarke is not the messiah but he hasn t asked for people to keep asking about him. I think its not his fault. Armagh have the team to beat Down without clarke but it would be a bonus if he is on the bench. I think is getting a lot of game time in timing which would be at a high standard so maybe 10 mins but if not so be it. so mackers stop tryin g to say that there is tension in the team over clarkes injury. totally untrue I would say.
Once again I would be questioning your source or you reading to much into the situation.


Armagh abu

[mackers]

Ive being following Armagh for years now. I know clarke is not the messiah but he hasn t asked for people to keep asking about him. I think its not his fault. Armagh have the team to beat Down without clarke but it would be a bonus if he is on the bench. I think is getting a lot of game time in timing which would be at a high standard so maybe 10 mins but if not so be it. so mackers stop tryin g to say that there is tension in the team over clarkes injury. totally untrue I would say.
Once again I would be questioning your source or you reading to much into the situation.


Armagh abu

Woah.................back up the truck there a minute!!!

Not for one second am I insinutating the players are p1ssed off with Ronan Clarke, I'm saying that the players are p1ssed off answering questions about Clarke's fitness. That's a completely different thing.

You can question my source if you want but you seem to be reading things into my posts that aren't there!

[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.

Seeing you're obviously a man who is well informed I'll hold you to the highlighted bit...........I really hope you're right.

[PAULD123]

Ive being following Armagh for years now. I know clarke is not the messiah but he hasn t asked for people to keep asking about him. I think its not his fault. Armagh have the team to beat Down without clarke but it would be a bonus if he is on the bench. I think is getting a lot of game time in timing which would be at a high standard so maybe 10 mins but if not so be it. so mackers stop tryin g to say that there is tension in the team over clarkes injury. totally untrue I would say.
Once again I would be questioning your source or you reading to much into the situation.


Armagh abu

In defence of Mackers it did sound like the comment was not intended to show animosity to Clarke, just support for the existing team without him. Mackers never said anything about unrest.

There really has been too much said about his return and too much investment put in it. He certainly is/was a superb player but it has been a constant hyperbole all year "When we get Ronan Clarke back!!!". That isn't good enough, the Armagh team expects to win as they are and are not walking around looking for a saviour.

There is no way Ronan Clarke will play anything but a minor role if anything at all.

Coulter has declared that he will be fit to start and Ambrose is in training. But even if neither make it, we expect the fifteen that line out to perform as a team and win.

[illdecide]

If i was a Down fan i'd be looking Ronan Clarke to play...a fella who hasn't kicked a ball in 18 months

[Santino]

'Whole stitch up job in the Irish News today, trying to make me seem like a gay. Lets get things straight, Marty Clarke is a bender.'
This is from Ciaran McKeevers twitter page earlier.
What was gist of irish news article then?

[naka]

If i was a Down fan i'd be looking Ronan Clarke to play...a fella who hasn't kicked a ball in 18 months

I just want to see a great gaa player getting back on the pitch after the injury he has had
But the icing on the cake would be him putting the sword in you feckers

[TacadoirArdMhacha]

'Whole stitch up job in the Irish News today, trying to make me seem like a gay. Lets get things straight, Marty Clarke is a bender.'
This is from Ciaran McKeevers twitter page earlier.
What was gist of irish news article then?

Did you seriously think that is really produced by Ciaran McKeever?!

[pintsofguinness]

'Whole stitch up job in the Irish News today, trying to make me seem like a gay. Lets get things straight, Marty Clarke is a bender.'
This is from Ciaran McKeevers twitter page earlier.
What was gist of irish news article then?

http://www.hoganstand.com/armagh/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=141148

[PAULD123]

If i was a Down fan i'd be looking Ronan Clarke to play...a fella who hasn't kicked a ball in 18 months

I just want to see a great gaa player getting back on the pitch after the injury he has had
But the icing on the cake would be him putting the sword in you feckers

Of course Clarke not being fit to play against us is clearly not a bad thing for Down. But I want to be clear that I take no pleasure in seeing a young talented player, who was dedicated to his sport, struck down and forced out of the game by injury. Yeah everyone who reads my posts knows It would not hurt me at all to see Armagh lose every game but that doesn't mean I wish bad to any Armagh player. I hope clarke does recover and more importantly I hope whatever his situation, I hope it does not cause him any physical difficulties later in life.

Just as I am sure that when Ambrose rogers was rushed to hospital from Croke Park to have his spleen removed, there would be no Armagh fans who took pleasure in it and like all other GAA fans they would have wished him recovery. Rivalry aside I like to think that unlike some other sports, GAA fans would never rejoice in the serious injury of a player for any team. Because rivalry aside GAA is a brotherhood beyond the sport

[Applesisapples]

Lads any chance of taking this Down old crocks love-in to a dedicated thread and leave this one for the actual game?

It does beat the debate about whether to go to the match or watch the Champion's League Final though..............

Good call Macker's. in my defence I was just answering a question by an Armagh poster but I do admit it would be better on another thread.

But what do we talk about regarding the game? Haven't we said pretty much everything:

• Cagey people say there isn't a kick of the ball in it (what's the point in an anonymous debate forum if you won't give your honest prediction? - BrokenCbar has at least come out and given his straight opinion)

• Pessimistic Armagh followers bemoan their manager's contribution (rightly so in my opinion)

• Armagh fans widely debate their best line up (I haven't a clue what's your best line up and I've read all your forums hoping to learn from Armagh fans about your team)
  

• R. Clarke won't make it, S. Kernan won't get picked, Ambrose won't make it, Coulter is a doubt
  

• The Down team pretty much picks itself (hence we are left debating fantasy teams!!)

• Down fans range from cautious to wildly optimistic

• Sorry if this is offensive but there has been a lot of sarcasm which isn't constructive. I like to hear other people's opinions but prefer they deliver an intelligent point not just smart-ass ironies that teach you nothing but that the poster has little to say of merit.

Isn't that about it all?

I would like to hear sensible reasons why Armagh fans think they can win (not sarcasm there, just a request for opinions) Through winter the justification was frequently heavily weighted on Ronan Clarke's renaissance but that will not happen now. So where do you see a victory coming from? As I've said it is current form and team cohesion more than anything else that I think is giving Down the edge.

Whilst league form would suggest a Down win, you just can't predict a one off championship game. And don't forget Armagh gave Down a bit of a lesson in the League Final last year. Down had the last laugh though...and we're at home. Failing that Barca will stuff United and take the edge of a disappointing evening.

[Applesisapples]

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.

Depends what end of the county you are in. Tyrone/Armagh would have more bite around Mid/North Armagh.

[Applesisapples]

Ive being following Armagh for years now. I know clarke is not the messiah but he hasn t asked for people to keep asking about him. I think its not his fault. Armagh have the team to beat Down without clarke but it would be a bonus if he is on the bench. I think is getting a lot of game time in timing which would be at a high standard so maybe 10 mins but if not so be it. so mackers stop tryin g to say that there is tension in the team over clarkes injury. totally untrue I would say.
Once again I would be questioning your source or you reading to much into the situation.


Armagh abu

Woah.................back up the truck there a minute!!!

Not for one second am I insinutating the players are p1ssed off with Ronan Clarke, I'm saying that the players are p1ssed off answering questions about Clarke's fitness. That's a completely different thing.

You can question my source if you want but you seem to be reading things into my posts that aren't there!

Quite right too. I am still of the opinion that we have unfortunately seen the last of Ronan mores the pity. If he comes back from this it will be a miracle.

[bennydorano]

Miracle ???People recover from serious injuries all the time.