well the way the 3 championships are run it should be the case, what happens next year with intermidiate winners is there a play off between beaten semi teams shc to see who goes down? but like everything else will be ****** up and back to the same system,if they are gonna do doi it right

ianog (Down) - Posts: 416 - 24/11/2009 15:44:17    492807

Thats a good question about W/point going down. I know we haven't been told anything. And it would be nice to know what we are preparing for in the coming year.

Cahill... What would be the point of getting rid of our seconds team? They fielded more than 90% of their games this year. They showed a hell of alot of committment. While you take the p*ss that team showed up to more games than alot of other teams this year. In ten years time it would be nice to see alot more second's teams, meaning more games and more of a chance that the county will have a bigger selection of players to pick from in the future. More teams in our leagues can only be a good thing. In time they will all improve.

Tom.Mull (Down) - Posts: 108 - 25/11/2009 18:28:31    494017

any word of a manager yet tom tom

gerryc (Down) - Posts: 135 - 25/11/2009 20:13:38    494118

Well I am disapointed to find out that you don't know yet within your own club. Is it possible to field two teams in one division from Warrenpoint? Probably not. Your 1sts must be relegated if they finished bottom to allow for Ballyvarley so can your 2nds play in an Armagh league or something? I'm being serious.

Suas Sios (None) - Posts: 1558 - 25/11/2009 21:30:32    494197

There were 9 teams in Div 1 last year so they could promote Ballyvarley to make it 10 and leave 7 in Div 2. Maybe Bredagh will enter a 2nd team in Div 2 to make the numbers even? There 2nds played in Ulster league and Betsy Gray Cup this year.

Never mind next year - will this years Div 1 ever be finished?

Seannie Og (Down) - Posts: 952 - 25/11/2009 23:30:59    494357

yes Tom all messing aside I agree more teams more games? we can't get div1 finished as it is there has to be a consorted effort from the ccc to ENSURE the league is played out. maybe when your neighbours pull out this will elevate 50% of the problem. n e 1 hear how the hurlin meetin went last night? all the problems must hav been sorted out.

cahill (None) - Posts: 2567 - 26/11/2009 09:42:43    494533

I can see Div1 not being finished, (how could it be?) with all teams remaining and Ballyvarley being promoted.

I'd say it'll be Warrenpoints decision whether they want to continue with two teams (1 in Div1 and 1 in Div2) or go with the one, possibly in Div1.

Bredagh will want to keep a foothold in the Antrim leagues, if they've any sense, so I can't see them stretching their players any further by putting a seconds team in div2

Newry have serious problems to sort out and I hope they do as they're one of the better teams in the league and no one would want to see them fold but they had their problems this year and need to ensure that they're in a position to fulfill their fixtures and ditto Laitroim who's policy of not playing hurling before a football game is rubbish and obviously didn't do them any good as they were involved in the relegation playoff's which to date has buggered up the Joe McCrickard cup, a trophy named after a dedicated hurling man from the Fontenoys itself.

I hope that the county board have a good look at both the new hurling competitions and the football league playoff's as neither are beneficial to anyone in their current format. If Seamus Walsh gets the chair, he'll know that better than most.

bricktop (Down) - Posts: 2503 - 26/11/2009 10:55:24    494593

If Seamus Walsh is in for the post he should get it; a gentleman, true gael and more importantly he knows whats happening in both hurling and football.
Factor in a considerable level of intelligence, experience, communication skills and common sense then hes the man for the post; knowing Down though some eejit with a few soundbites will get it

ginger_el_vino (Down) - Posts: 64 - 26/11/2009 11:36:50    494639

if ye look at div1 league table for 2009 season there seems 2 b a distinct boarder line, meaning a 2 tier league. Ports, Laitroim, crans, galget and Kilclief all very much on top. if you add Ballyvarley 2 the league it's gona b another team 2 add 2 the bottom section. is this goin to be good for div 1 hurlin. I think not. i think it would be better with an 8 team league this year. the team that couldn't field for most of the season should have the decency to request a drop 2 div2.

cahill (None) - Posts: 2567 - 26/11/2009 12:33:54    494705

Good point. Not all the teams in Div 1 are up to the standard.

If Bredagh entered a 2nds team there would be 18 teams. Why not 3 Divisions of 6? Home and away would give you 10 league games. Surely CCC could fix 10 rounds of fixtures? Then play Joe McCrickard and Betsy Gray in August with SHC, IHC and JHC in September

Div 1
Portaferry IIs
Liatroim
Ballycran IIs
Kilclief
Ballygalget IIs
Shamrocks

Div 2
Ballela
Bredagh
Warrenpoint
Ballyvarley
Ballycran IIIs
Portaferry IIIs

Div 3
Ballygalget IIIs
Castlewellan
Clonduff
Carryduff
Warrenpoint IIs
Bredagh IIs

3 well balenced leagues?

I should be on the Hurling Board!

Frank Mitchell (Down) - Posts: 1082 - 26/11/2009 14:52:03    494878

frank that is very good. best ive seen in many a year. hope some one passes that idea on.

cahill (None) - Posts: 2567 - 26/11/2009 15:33:05    494928

lads is it not hurling league. so is hurling spreading a bit more around down or is it still confined to the ards peninsula?

overdabar (Westmeath) - Posts: 253 - 26/11/2009 21:04:17    495403

That's actually the best suggestion I've seen for the ACHL in a long, long time! All 3 Divisions would be competitive with very few hidings. We need these sort of ideas to be considered by those in charge.

You'll never make the Hurling Board or CCC Frank! Far to bright!

Seannie Og (Down) - Posts: 952 - 26/11/2009 22:12:10    495525

while on paper the three league would look balanced, how can shamrocks be in div 1 when they cant field a team on or play a league game most weeks. liatrom would fall into this category as well as they prefer to fulfill the football fixtures . the ards teams choose when they will play the game so as they can field the imaginary 3rd team or play in antrim. If the same penalties that insure football matches are played were enforced in hurling then all the fixtures would be fulfilled. Bredagh managed to play 14 league matches in 2009 so ccc must have fixed the games. As usual blame is put on the co board instead of with the clubs who fail to fullfill the fixture. so instead of wasting time playing with the leagues its time the clubs that want to play hurling do their utmost to fullfill the fixtures

gerryc (Down) - Posts: 135 - 26/11/2009 22:54:14    495595

gerryc although Im not a great supporter of the Shamrocks i must say that there could b civil unrest in that club, internal divisions which will have to be sorted out, allegedly! Leitroim do and have been fulfillin their fixtures, as far as possible, it is unfortunate they are in the football play offs, but that is the beauty of sport, it can b s unpredictable.
Yes the ards clubs play in Antrim and that is why Down seniors can hold there own in the national league div2 and Chris Ring. If they didnt they would prob b in div4 playin Longford, Donegal or Sligo (no disrespect to the afore mentioned counties.)
3 cheers for Bredagh 4 playing 14 games but it was still a very low point ratio an i can guarantee that the ccc didnt fix all their matches.
sean og is correct, Farnk u r showin 2 much intelligence to be on the Co Board or the CCC, but keep pushing it the idea is very good and now with the ban on July hurlin lifted there would b a great chance of the 3 leagues finishing, genuine promotion and relegation.

cahill (None) - Posts: 2567 - 27/11/2009 08:18:06    495793

Gerry, you're 100% spot on re clubs using all manner of excuses for not fielding, im sure Bredagh aren't blameness either (try and get a juvenile fixure with your club in the summer, some of us culchies also send our kids to the gaeltacht, donegal and even further afield as well!).
The fine system needs to be enforced, I would suggest the model used in Antrim would focus a lot of minds where if you don't field youre fined £300 and points deducted unless match is refixed with agreement between both clubs and sanctioned by Antrim board, believe me a lot less matches would be cancelled.
By the way Frank thats not a bad idea and by the way the hurling board has some decent individuals on board, problem is they are too few and the board has no teeth, so get rid of it, it serves no real purpose.

ginger_el_vino (Down) - Posts: 64 - 27/11/2009 09:38:47    495827

Just browsing and indeed Frank this idea of yours could solve the scenario of unfinished leagues. I am not aware that July was a no game month,why was that? I think the more time available to play the more games you get played. With a lower amount of teams in the leagues which should enable all league games to be played and the additional games in the Betsey Grey and McCrickard competations it will, sorry, would make for a good summers hurling.

swan song (None) - Posts: 451 - 27/11/2009 12:21:24    495966

Our club play in the Armagh Hurling League Div 1 and both Div 1 and Div 2 have been run very well over the years. However two years ago when Armagh County team was going well in the Nicky Rackard Cup, the Hurling board decided to have a break in the middle of the league around June and then resume in the middle of August when County competitions were finished. This has since resulted in many games not being played and teams going for long periods without matches. Indeed a Div 1 relegation play-off was only played on Wednesday night last Between Naomh Colum cille and Dungannon, even though Dungannon had only played about 9 games out of a possible 14. Armagh Board have also noticed that the were many one sided games this year in both Divisions and the plans are next year to have Three Divisions of five/six teams each played home and away. Hopefully this will result in the leagues being finished earlier and better competitive games.

OUTFORA65 (Tyrone) - Posts: 49 - 27/11/2009 13:09:06    496006

Am i the only one who thinks 10 league games a year is a bit pathetic and even if you add in 2, maybe 3, championship/betsey gray, Joe McCrickard games, its really not enough over the course of a season?

If the dedicated hurling night is to be a monday or tuesday night, there really is no reason why dual players can't play a football game on the friday night as well

bricktop (Down) - Posts: 2503 - 27/11/2009 14:22:55    496063

bricktop, look at the div 1 table there r a lot o outstandin games never to be played. the match average for clubs is 10. the McCrickard trophy is still going at semi final stage at the end of Nov. will the final ever be played? forby the ards teams playing in Antrim all the clubs play in the Ulster leagues which give them more games. the S/D teams play in the co championships as well, more games. it wud just be nice to see a league finish for a change. you could av the top 2 play to see who wins the league and the bottom 2 play for relegation, more games.

cahill (None) - Posts: 2567 - 27/11/2009 15:16:10    496116