Down Club Hurling & Football

[snoopdog]

Heard this evening Wee James and Aidan O'Rourke are the ticket being put forward.. don't know who else is with them at this stage..

I had heard that also. If true I hope wee James is more interested than he was with the minors.

[Smurfy123]

The appointment of James McCartan whilst I think it's probably as good as we can hope for smacks of total desperation. It's as if they now have went and begged him to pull them out of a hole. If it's not James watch a big left field appointment. Someone from Dublin or that to get that big name

[Truth hurts]

It's less than 7 weeks until the McKenna cup starts and we have nothing in place, its the biggest shit show in Ireland, and I feel sorry for the players who are seeing other teams getting together and having training weekends in preparation for next season. We are light years behind 2. Who will do S and C? Who will do physio etc. No disrespect to the selection committee but come on men. It's 5 months since the backbenchers/dinosaurs ousted the new Kerry coach, we should have something in place by now. On another note, AGMs are coming up and it is time clubs voted young vibrant people as their county board officials. It's like the house of Lord's job for the older club statesmen who want a cushy number with 2 all Ireland tickets guaranteed for a few meetings a year. We need a wake-up call in Down and it's time we pushed the dinosaurs out. The Queen's alumni will forever be controlling our county.

[Smurfy123]

It has been the longest drawn out management appointment I can ever recall
This selection team have not covered themselves in glory
And if for one second they think no other team is training well then stupid them
All team have long started
When the new man comes in surely he wants to get his own team around him
Physios
S & C
And the lot
That will take another 2 or 3 weeks to get all that sorted
This county are light years behind
Antrim who would be considered ulsters bottom team are just back from a training weekend in Donegal

[Truth hurts]

Armagh have also been in Munster a few weeks ago for a training weekend, Antrim have been away training and Derry have a training weekend arranged.

[Mourne Red]

Poacher away to the Bridge... Would associate Bridge as a team who want to play football, guess that's no more

[Godsown]

Poacher away to the Bridge... Would associate Bridge as a team who want to play football, guess that's no more

Well he is a serial winner no matter where he goes

[Town Gael]

What did he win at Ballyholland??

[Smurfy123]

Mayobridge don't mess about
Whilst he wouldn't be my cup of tea I would love that partnership over CPN
Me thinks that's a very shrewd move by Mayobridge

Regarding Down we are almost another week old
It really is getting ridiculous now
With the McKenna cup likely to go back into the GAA calendar we are officially 7 weeks away from the start of the season

[upandwin]

Seems like a crazy appointment for the Bridge IMO...Was Poacher not there before a long time ago? Would have considered Mayobridge to be one of the few pure footballing teams in Down, in the same bracket as Bryansford and Burren. No longer the case...I suppose this is the last roll of a dice in a bid to win something. Surely they'd have been better placed getting Benny in?

If the Bridge are happy paying for Zoom calls...more power to them I guess

[Smurfy123]

Burren and Bryansford pure football. Have you seen either play in 5 years?

[upandwin]

Have indeed...Think Ford are a by-product of having a poor team but they still attack when they can. Burren haven't been overly defensive past 5yrs....and when they have that's because they're desperate to try something different to beat Kilcoo and you won't do that with expansive football all the time.

If you watched a match other than semi final or final of the championship, you'd learn a thing or two. Try going to the odd league game fella...

[Truth hurts]

An interesting dynamic for Mayobridge and fair play to them for sealing that in a short time. It actually makes our selection committee look worse. I think our county players would have loved to see a Poacher/Clarke ticket being announced last night.

"Pure footballing teams" is something a 90-year-old says in the bar over a glass of stout reminiscing about Paddy Mo. We need to get away from this malarky. Our county champions are the meanest defensive structure around. Do you think Micky and Conleith play with 6 defenders? We have men on our county board who are brought up on the successes on the 60s and 90s. So was I and I am so proud of that as we all are. But the game has changed dramatically over the last 10 years and we need to embrace it. We are being left behind and I feel for the players in their prime who are not being afforded the proper channels to improve their county careers?

[Truth hurts]

Kilcoo Moran/ Gilligan
Burren McCorry/ Adams
Clonduff McBride/ Copeland
Mayobridge Poacher/Clarke
Ballyholland
CPN Mulholland/Poland
Loughinisland Duffins
Carryduff Paddy O Rourke
Rostrevor Benny Coulter
Castlewellan
Downpatrick Gracey/ Walsh
Bryansford


Glenn Bagnall
Longstone
Saul
Liatrom Frankie Fitz
Saval
Darragh Cross DJ/ Gormley
Annaclone Seamy Quinn/ Haughey
An Riocht Ruane/ Mussen

[lumpitin]

Pete McGrath wee James and Aidan o Rourke new down management. To be confirmed