Has taken me a few days to actually get on to doing this. To say I am heartbroken is a total understatement, literally feel like there's been a death in Down, the sombreness around co down is clear to be seen and more painfully felt. Down haven't just lost a great, inspirational, irreplaceable leader in Benny coulter but personally speaking I have lost a true true hero. Benny's been playing for down for as long as I can remember, I never can remember going to a down match and Benny's name not being on the team sheet. I can say without any doubt that Benny has given me some fantastic cherished memories throughout the years In my eyes, he alone made the long treks, the cold nights, and the wrecked nerves all worth it. I particularly remember the Monaghan match in 2012 when he came on after returning from a broken foot and my god was he magic. Honestly think he has more to give, never have I seen such a passionate man even this year in the qualifiers to kildare Benny was the one and only Down man who stood out and as I well up (again) all I can say is thank you to Benny coulter for just being himself and giving me some of the best days out in my life. Is tú mo laoch Benny agus ádh mór sa todhchaí.

MissDownFanatic (Down) - Posts: 411 - 27/11/2014 10:46:03    1675144

Donegalman
County: All
Posts: 1756

1674766
Even though he never won an ulster, he is one of the few players that you would remember irrespective of what sort of a team he played for. When he was on form, he was virtually unstoppable because he had massive speed and strength as well as skill. Will be missed.

Agreed! It takes a special player to be remembered despite winning very little. The likes of Barden and Declan Browne being from even less established counties

tiobraid (Tipperary) - Posts: 4119 - 27/11/2014 10:56:52    1675147

Benny will be missed in the county alright, soreley missed!

It's about time a big name player came out and criticized the way modern Gaelic handball has gone! He was 100% right!
It is awful to watch, and is more about big strong athletes than skillful players.
As he said, it is especially sad that these blanket defense tactics have filtered down to club level (thanks Mickey Harte and especially Jim McGuinness!)

The CLG has always been about promoting Gaelic Games, language and culture, and also (just as importantly I think) about having fun, which is totally lost on most managers these days. It is now all about winning at all costs.
Why would young players want to start playing football when at the start of training season they do so much laps and fitness training and most don't see a football for months. This seems to be the norm for most u14 and u16 teams. And people wonder why they lose so many u16 and minors to alcohol!?

Someone criticized Benny for highlighting but not giving and possible solutions to the problem. Here are a few. The first is radical, but the rest are realistic:

1. Get rid of all the big wigs (who no doubt get hansomely paid) in Croke Park, as all they think about is generating money, money, money
2. Bring in a rule that reduces number of consecutive handpasses to 3, or 4 max (if it works in IR series, it can work here)
3. Bring in a 2nd ref (1 each half) as means to implement steps taken (I sometimes see 8 or 9 being taken, and then they win a free because they have been dragged down)
4. Get rid of fisted points

2 and 3 are the most important issues that need addressed
PS leave hurling alone too

beansycpn (Down) - Posts: 128 - 27/11/2014 11:43:14    1675161

beansycpn
County: Down
Posts: 69

1675161 Benny will be missed in the county alright, soreley missed!

It's about time a big name player came out and criticized the way modern Gaelic handball has gone! He was 100% right!
It is awful to watch, and is more about big strong athletes than skillful players.
As he said, it is especially sad that these blanket defense tactics have filtered down to club level (thanks Mickey Harte and especially Jim McGuinness!)

The CLG has always been about promoting Gaelic Games, language and culture, and also (just as importantly I think) about having fun, which is totally lost on most managers these days. It is now all about winning at all costs.
Why would young players want to start playing football when at the start of training season they do so much laps and fitness training and most don't see a football for months. This seems to be the norm for most u14 and u16 teams. And people wonder why they lose so many u16 and minors to alcohol!?
Someone criticized Benny for highlighting but not giving and possible solutions to the problem. Here are a few. The first is radical, but the rest are realistic:

1. Get rid of all the big wigs (who no doubt get hansomely paid) in Croke Park, as all they think about is generating money, money, money
2. Bring in a rule that reduces number of consecutive handpasses to 3, or 4 max (if it works in IR series, it can work here)
3. Bring in a 2nd ref (1 each half) as means to implement steps taken (I sometimes see 8 or 9 being taken, and then they win a free because they have been dragged down)
4. Get rid of fisted points

2 and 3 are the most important issues that need addressed
PS leave hurling alone too

________________________
What, and you reckon Jim McGuinness and Mickey Harte are contributing factors to that age group being fond of too much Buckfast, catch yourself on would you. That post there just about sums up why most of Ulster think Down GAA has and continues to look down its nose at the rest of us with what amounts to contempt.

brendtheredhand (Tyrone) - Posts: 10897 - 27/11/2014 12:15:09    1675170

For a start I play hurling, not football, which is way different than football in approach to training.
We don't run til we drop for 3 months then concentrate on intricate handpassing. Read the recent article from the Slaughtneil coach about how they train. If that happened all round people might enjoy the sport a bit more and not be put off by laps, laps, and more laps, followed by sprints.
I didn't mean the 2 managers in question were the sole reason u-age players turn to drink! As usual posters on this site focus on 1 wee aspect and have a go, which I forgot, a fatal error.
In all honesty if I was 15-16 again and doing months of laps and fitness, I'd much rather go out with my mates 3 times out of 4. As I addressed earlier, it's about enjoyment and participation, which is fundamentally lost.
It's getting off the initial point of improving the game as a spectacle and for the player, but if Harte had picked his teams to actually play to their own attacking strengths instead of focusing on containing opposition 1st, I believe Tyrone would have a few more AI medals.
And you don't know the contempt I have for Down Football, and their attitude towards hurling

beansycpn (Down) - Posts: 128 - 27/11/2014 13:43:52    1675198

beansycpn
County: Down
Posts: 70

1675161
Benny will be missed in the county alright, soreley missed!

It's about time a big name player came out and criticized the way modern Gaelic handball has gone! He was 100% right!
It is awful to watch, and is more about big strong athletes than skillful players.
As he said, it is especially sad that these blanket defense tactics have filtered down to club level (thanks Mickey Harte and especially Jim McGuinness!)

The CLG has always been about promoting Gaelic Games, language and culture, and also (just as importantly I think) about having fun, which is totally lost on most managers these days. It is now all about winning at all costs.
Why would young players want to start playing football when at the start of training season they do so much laps and fitness training and most don't see a football for months. This seems to be the norm for most u14 and u16 teams. And people wonder why they lose so many u16 and minors to alcohol!?

Someone criticized Benny for highlighting but not giving and possible solutions to the problem. Here are a few. The first is radical, but the rest are realistic:

1. Get rid of all the big wigs (who no doubt get hansomely paid) in Croke Park, as all they think about is generating money, money, money
2. Bring in a rule that reduces number of consecutive handpasses to 3, or 4 max (if it works in IR series, it can work here)
3. Bring in a 2nd ref (1 each half) as means to implement steps taken (I sometimes see 8 or 9 being taken, and then they win a free because they have been dragged down)
4. Get rid of fisted points

2 and 3 are the most important issues that need addressed
PS leave hurling alone .too

1. Makes no difference to how the game is played.The GAA should be interested in generating as much money as possible as bills need to be paid.

2.That would only encourage defensive tactics in my opinion.all managers care about is winning and if Jim McGuinness and the likes could win a game 2 points to 1 they would be happy enough.consecutive hand passes would be a dream for a team who plays a blanket defence as they would just retreat and allow a couple of player to press and force the opposition to kick under pressure into a mass defence.

3. Are there enough refs to do this and also the more refs you have means the more bad refs in the game which is not something the GAA needs although it may be worthwhile if there were enough quality refs and it didn't result in a decline in refereeing standards.Also you would have massive inconsistencies within the same game as 2 refs will never see something the same way.

4. Fisted points are a good thing.Just think of the amount of points that wouldn't be scored if a player was force to kick a point despite it being obvious it would be block. Fisted points allow forwards in tight spaces the ability to get a score when a kicked score isn't an option.

The one rule in my opinion that would definitely improve the game would be a ban of the blanket defence and a rule that says of the 15 players on the field 5 of them have to be inside the 65 of the goal they are attacking at all times.It might be a little difficult to ref but I think if other sports can handle an offside rule I don't see why a similar type of rule wouldn't work in football.

13 a side would be a good rule also as it would open up space and more space means more good football can be played.

uibhfhaili1986 (Offaly) - Posts: 1296 - 27/11/2014 16:42:41    1675225

tiobraid
County: Tipperary
Posts: 1339


Agreed! It takes a special player to be remembered despite winning very little. The likes of Barden and Declan Browne being from even less established counties

Donegalman (None) - Posts: 3830 - 28/11/2014 11:11:07    1675302