MARK POLAND has revealed how close he was to walking away from Down after a poor Championship campaign last year and the criticism the team endured on social media.
Speaking at Wednesday's Allianz National Football League launch at Malone House in Belfast, the Longstone clubman explained his family played a key role in him returning to the Mourne fold.
“Last year, things didn’t go well for me, personally,” said Poland.
“I don’t know whether that was coming late into the squad after getting married and the eye injury I got prior to the league final [against Roscommon]. But I thought my Championship performances weren’t up to scratch.
“A lot of criticism was fired at the players and the team in general and there was a lot of talk going on on social media and different things. Players pick up on that. It really did rile me, to be honest, but time is a healer. I spoke to my wife Eimear and my family because I know how much it means to them to see me pulling on a Down jersey. They told me to give it another go and see what happens. So I’ll probably keep doing that until I’m not wanted around the place.”
Rumours circulated earlier this month that Poland was on the verge of quitting the panel as he didn’t appear in any of Down’s Dr McKenna Cup matches. But the 30-year-old playmaker has been back training over the last week under new manager Éamonn Burns.
“You put in a lot of effort and for it to end like it did last year was disappointing and sometimes you have to look outside the box and ask: ‘Is it worth it?'," he added.
“It was maybe a knee-jerk reaction on my behalf [about retiring] because I was so annoyed the way things went, especially after the Wexford game. But at the end of the day, I’m a passionate Down man and a passionate Longstone man. If it means sitting on the bench to push younger lads on, I’m going to do that because somebody once said to me: ‘You’re a long time retired’. It was a dream to pull on the Down jersey, so I’m not going to walk away from it.”
Down won promotion back to Division One last season, but their Championship campaign ended after two defeats - to Derry and Wexford. Manager Jim McCorry resigned after just one season in charge following the management committee’s controversial decision to vote 7-6 to have the Armagh native replaced. The clubs subsequently voted to retain McCorry but, weeks later, the former Kilcoo manager resigned as he felt his position was untenable.
Poland said: “With the whole management merry-go-round, I remember there was more in the paper about Down than about Fermanagh, who were preparing to play Dublin in an All-Ireland quarter-final.
“People are entitled to talk and everybody is entitled to their opinion - but some people don’t see what’s going on behind the scenes and the effort the players are putting in. It can be annoying and does make you angry at times.
"I think it happens in every county, but it’s maybe not as publicised as we tend to do in Down. Everybody seemed to be getting their twopence worth in and, when people start talking, it escalates. As a player, you just have to focus on what happens on the pitch. You can’t get too bogged on what’s happening outside of that.”
Gerard McGovern (Burren), Joe Murphy (Ballyholland) and the returning Connaire Harrison (Glasdrumman) are just some of the names that have impressed Poland since he returned to the fold.
And he has lauded the passion and consensus-led approach of double All-Ireland winner Burns since taking on the daunting managerial task: “Éamonn’s very passionate about Down. He’s a great talker and a great motivator - and he’ll listen to younger players too," Poland said.
“It’s not a case of his way or the highway; he’s willing to give young players a chance and, just by the way training is going, I wouldn’t be surprised if there are a lot of young lads playing National League football this year.”
The fact that Down have already been written off before a ball has been kicked in Division One only serves to motivate Poland, who made his senior debut against Sligo in 2006.
“It certainly motivates me," he said.
"It probably comes from within our own county that people don’t have any aspirations for the team. You just have to go out and prove people wrong. It’s going to be very, very tough, we know that. But it’s a challenge and that’s what you want.”
Down open their Division One account against Donegal in Newry on Saturday night.
