FOR 49 seconds, emotive images of past and future generations swirl back and forth to the sound of Celtic drums thumping.
The blood stirs, the spirit soars before a familiar voice implores you to join the red and black rising.
“It’s your county, our county, our Club Down”.
It’s powerful stuff, but this YouTube flyer for the relaunch of Club Down at Newry’s Canal Court Hotel tonight marks only the beginning of a long, hard road for those hoping to spearhead a red and black revival.
Watching footage of legends like DJ Kane and Greg Blaney serves as a reminder of how far Down have fallen since their early ‘90s heyday. In a football sense, the Mourne County are not alone in this respect.
Just look at how far off the pace Meath are in Leinster, never mind in an All-Ireland context. The mighty Cork have suffered a considerable decline since beating Down to Sam in the 2010 final.
A succession of disappointing years at underage level has, perhaps inevitably, had a knock-on effect on the Down senior footballers who – despite showing some positive signs during the Dr McKenna Cup – have been at a worryingly low ebb.
There is now a realisation that the county needs to go back to basics and build from the bottom up.
“A successful club starts off with a good underage policy so our underage structures need to be right to provide county footballers,” said county board chairman Sean Rooney earlier this month.
The main aim of the new-look Club Down is to raise money for the Mourne Academy, established in 2015 and overseen by All-Ireland winning captain Paddy O’Rourke, as well as a possible centre of excellence.
Behind the scenes, O’Rourke was part of a steering group alongside 1994 All-Ireland winning captain Kane, James McCartan and Dr Niall Moyna who have taken an in-depth look at successful practices in other counties.
Also involved are county development manager Conor O’Toole, as well as John Murphy from the great 1968 team, Newry solicitor Ciaran Rafferty and accountant Feargal McCormack.
The man heading up the fundraising project is Ross Carr.
His is the familiar voice at the end of the YouTube clip, and in the past he hasn’t been shy about having his say on difficulties within the county.
When Carr was asked to get involved with Club Down, it was a chance to bring his own expertise to the table. With a busy family and work life on top of managing the Clonduff seniors, it was a matter that required thought, he admits.
“It probably did,” said Carr.
“Like a lot of other people I would’ve had my own feelings on Down and how things were being done but at the end of the day, I got so much out of playing for Down, my family has got so much out of playing for Down.
“I feel, as others do, that I got so much pleasure out of Down being successful that we’re just trying to do our bit.”
As an integral part of the teams that brought Sam Maguire back to the county in 1991 and 1994 – as well as a former minor and senior football manager with Down - Carr understands where they are, and where they need to be.
“This is not just football – we’re hoping to harness the good will and support from all Down fans here in Ireland and across the globe, to invest and support the Mourne Academy,” he said.
“The Mourne Academy’s aim is to provide coaching and training to all our kids across the four codes – football, hurling, ladies’ football and camogie. Our hope is to lay the foundations for success for the next generations.
“It’s not that long ago that Down were in an All-Ireland final at senior football, they were winning and reaching the final stages of their respective competitions in hurling, the Christy Ring, they won an All-Ireland in ladies’ football and in camogie.
“That has all happened in the not-so-distant past, and we want to provide the financial support so that we can implement coaching within our academy and development teams across the four codes and get a presence into the schools.”
Working in conjunction with the steering committee, the wheels are in motion, plans in place. Now it is over to Club Down to bring in some money to make dreams become reality.
It may sound simple, but Carr knows the size of the job ahead.
“I want to see Down successful again,” he continued.
“It’s maybe unfair to blame minor, U21 and senior management if the conveyor belt of talent isn’t good enough. If you’re not good enough at 14, 16 or 18, you’re hardly going to be good enough at senior.
“I’ve asked a number of people and they have been more than helpful. Whether it was because of the 25th anniversary celebrations [of Down’s 1991 success], there is a feel-good factor and hopefully we get everybody involved.
“The feedback we’re getting is that there’s a genuine desire to try and help the next generation of kids be the best they can be.
“You could go and try and copy Dublin but that’s not comparable whatsoever, you don’t have the numbers and you don’t have the finance. You have to be realistic.”
County chairman Rooney spoke of a ‘2020 vision’, which he hoped could deliver an Ulster minor football title within four years.
Carr also feels there is a need to set targets, but believes expectations must be managed.
He added: “If you take it that we haven’t won an Ulster minor title since ‘05, an Ulster U21 since 2009, our recent performances at underage level in football haven’t been good.
“Last year we won a minor All-Ireland in camogie, our recent performances in ladies’ football have not been great.
“We have competed very well at underage in hurling and the targets we set have to be in conjunction with the coaches of the four codes.
“To set something in stone is dangerous, but in any project you must set targets or you can get caught up in fluff.
“We are managing expectations – we’re not going to turn around and say we’re going to win an All-Ireland title in five years.
“This initiative is more like a pilot scheme for everybody, but we can’t fix all the ills at one time.”
