I think it sounds like a good idea. Although i would bredagh or ballela in div 1 ahead of Newry as you know there gonna play there matches.

weepats5 (Down) - Posts: 295 - 27/11/2009 15:19:33    496124

The 3 leagues do look good. But if a team go's up and a team comes down every year do you not end up with the same problem of teams getting slaughtered? What is the point of sending up a team to the top division for a year if they are gonna be put straight back down after being killed in every game? This happened Warrenpoint 1sts over the past year. But if given the choice i would like to stay in D1 and just try to make a little progress every year like we did over the past 6/7 years in D2. These things take time.

Gerry.C.. I've heard a name. But untill something is confirmed or whatever i'd rather say. I thought Brian and the boys did an excellent job with the Point over the last 2/3 years having won Ulster D5 last year and the C/ship this year. But maybe the time is right for a fresh face, and some one out side of our club.

Tom.Mull (Down) - Posts: 108 - 28/11/2009 16:37:02    496894

I know only to0 well thats theres a lot of outstanding games at the top of Div1 but thats got SFA to do with league format, it's due to a weak Co board and dare i say it the hurlers in Liatroim and shamrocks need to grow a set and get a bit of parity with their footballers from within their own clubs. I don't think anyone is forcing dual players to choose, but to allow a football manager to throw the toys out of the pram and call off hurling games, two and three days in advance of a football league game is just folly.

Down hurling need the likes of Liatroim, Shamrocks and Kilclief (who hadn't the same issues) giving the hurling a fair crack of the whip as they've all produced good hurlers for county teams in the past and present but a handful of games for young fellas through the year isn't enough to keep them at the game.

The Joe McCrickard semi-final was played yesterday and Ballycran won out by 2-11 to 0-5, hardly surprising since Liatroim haven't played a game since getting beat in the Ulster intermediate championship by Middletown some six weeks ago.

bricktop (Down) - Posts: 2503 - 30/11/2009 09:21:10    498037

how do crans play in final ??

Dhuibh (Down) - Posts: 281 - 30/11/2009 14:46:17    498345

##you know who crans play in final? when? where?

Dhuibh (Down) - Posts: 281 - 30/11/2009 14:51:28    498353

Crans play Galgets in newry under lights 7.30 Wed nite 2/12/09

cahill (None) - Posts: 2567 - 30/11/2009 14:59:04    498360

what's the rush now?

Is there something on this Sunday preventing this match from being played then?

bricktop (Down) - Posts: 2503 - 30/11/2009 17:04:25    498510

sorry i could of got it rang it could or might b Friday nite

cahill (None) - Posts: 2567 - 30/11/2009 18:04:54    498603

was the Down under 16 league or the lack of brought up at de hurlin meetin last week. it seems a bit odd that Down u16s have a development squad but no league. we must b the only hurlin co in Ireland witout its own 16 league. odd!!!!!

cahill (None) - Posts: 2567 - 30/11/2009 22:26:37    498935

cahill Portaferry, Ballycran, Ballygalget, Carryduff and Bredagh all played in the South Antrim League while the other Down clubs participated in Down League. Clonduff won it. The entrance into the antrim league was a huge success and should be encouraged. Great strides were shown as C'duff 16s reached the A Championship final losing out narrowly 1-13 to 5-6 to portaferry. Extremely unlucky not to win but just shows the improvements made

Dhuibh (Down) - Posts: 281 - 30/11/2009 22:50:36    498976

Dhuibh, im not sayin to not play in the south Antrim league, add in the Down league. as 4 C'duff being unlucky aving a 10 point lead and playing agin 14 men at half time then gettin beat by 5 dont no how much improvement there is there. may be their management was naive there was a 15 point swing by the 14 men of Portaferry, that tells me C'duff still av alot to do. heard it say a draw would of been the right result. a load of manure the best team won by far.

cahill (None) - Posts: 2567 - 01/12/2009 08:30:52    499143

wouldnt blame the management for that game cahill. u must have been watching a different match to me! The scoreline tells the story. duff dominated 1st half portaferry had the 2nd half so surely draw was fair. ref did duff no favours that day either! considering that carryduff team were beaten by clonduff in the b feile 2yrs ago it shows that there is improvement!! first club outside the ards to even reach the final in a long time. Explain how there is no improvement?

Dhuibh (Down) - Posts: 281 - 01/12/2009 09:45:42    499172

Was that the Carrduff U-16's who beat Ballycran AET in Downpatrick?

If so they deserve to be in the final and by the looks of it gave Portaferry a better game than Ballygalget did in the semi-final.

However they do have an awful lot of hurlers who hold the hurl wrong and it near cost them in Downpatrick with one of their defenders turning goalside to clear a ball and getting blocked down resulting in a Ballycran goal which led to extra time. That needs coached out of them now.

I'd welcome any of the non ards teams getting to a full county final irrespective of the result. It's only a matter of time before the likes of Carryduff and Bredagh win underage titles as they have the resources, enthusiasm and its only a matter of time before they get the expertise.

bricktop (Down) - Posts: 2503 - 01/12/2009 10:49:14    499227

I was at the game in Kilclief that you are referring to and I have to admit that Portaferry were the better of the two teams. It was unlike that Portaferry team to allow themselves to go in at the interval 10 points behind. The red card was a tad unjust which gave Carryduff the upper hand. From the start of the second half the winners showed their intent when they scored two goals in the first five minutes.
The scoreline did tell a story and that was Carryduff were incapable of defending a ten point lead against fourteen men. The Carryduff management didn't seem to know where to play the extra man and were unable to close the game down.
Ballycran and Ballygalget were weak in this age group this year and for Carryduff to take Ballycrans to extra time was no big deal. Ballycran as a team were not training together which added to their demise.
A draw a fair result? I am afraid not. Carryduff had a few good players but the remainder are only division b players and were exploited to that extent when Portaferry smashed in 5.04 to take the trophy. Carryduff say they are making progress I would question that, one swallow doesn't make a summer.

swan song (None) - Posts: 451 - 01/12/2009 14:46:26    499470

but no development from getting beat by castlewellan and clonduff 2yrs ago? on that day duff were incapable of defending high balls however i wouldnt say the portafery goals were of any high standrd! half of port team is div b standard i would say

Dhuibh (Down) - Posts: 281 - 01/12/2009 15:17:59    499499

dhui wot has this got t do with a down u16 league. is there 1 next season?
you say 5 poor goals scored agin a poor side who couldnt defend agin high balls 2 year ago and now just cant defend agin 7 div b players. i wounder!

cahill (None) - Posts: 2567 - 01/12/2009 15:30:31    499517

cahill think what u like but there is clearly progress from getting beat by castlewellan and the likes to coming close to an a championship! anyone can see that! there was a down league this yea(which clonduff won) this is identical to what happens at senior level with the top teams playing in antrim and the remainder in down. if the down clubs are invited back into the SA league (which i expect as the down clubs entrance was a huge success) these clubs are likely to agree to enter as it is better for their development. dont see the problem here

Dhuibh (Down) - Posts: 281 - 01/12/2009 16:46:51    499601

Maith fear Dhuibh. It is clear that Carryduff improved at U-16. To deny this is illogical. Did the club proud lads. Great to see lads who actually choose the hurling over the football too.

Suas Sios (None) - Posts: 1558 - 01/12/2009 17:08:20    499630

while i am no expert on carryduff getting to down final must be progress,they did nt win buthow did their u14s fair two years ago

ianog (Down) - Posts: 416 - 01/12/2009 17:51:43    499703

Carryduff seniors for Down they have the A-TEAM!!!!!!!!!!!

GOD21 (Down) - Posts: 64 - 01/12/2009 18:23:22    499740