Football

Down training camp leads to fixtures call-off

Down manager Eamonn Burns will take the squad down south for a pre-Championship training camp this weekend
Down manager Eamonn Burns will take the squad down south for a pre-Championship training camp this weekend Down manager Eamonn Burns will take the squad down south for a pre-Championship training camp this weekend

THE Down senior football squad will head down south for a training camp this weekend which has led to the cancellation of tomorrow’s round of League fixtures.

The decision to postpone fixtures involving county players was taken by Down’s CCC on Wednesday night, as clubs did not wish to play games without their best players.

Not only does it affect all Division One games but some Division Two and Division Three games have been called off as a consequence.

Downpatrick’s scheduled Division Two game has been postponed due to the county involvement of Peter and Damien Turley and Gerard Collins, while Down panellists Johnny Flynn (Loughisland, Division Two), Connaire Harrison (Glasdrumman, Division Three) and Packie Downey (Drumgath, Division Three) mean their club games have also been pulled.

Mourne chairman Sean Rooney confirmed the decision yesterday.

"The decision to call the games off was due to the team having a training weekend this weekend,” said Rooney.

“It was actually the clubs who requested the postponement because they'd be without their county players. We set the fixtures out at the start of the year. The CCC met last night and that's when the fixtures were called off.”

Down are scheduled to face Monaghan in the Ulster SFC first round on June 12.

At last week’s Ulster Championship launch in Newry’s Canal Court Hotel, senior boss Eamonn Burns bemoaned the lack of time he’s had with his players due to the fact that clubs have been playing two League fixtures per week.

“The danger with the schedule is that, because of the workload, people pick up injuries and then you’re hampered in your preparation,” said Burns.

“If fellas are picking up calf strains or quads or hamstrings, you’re struggling to get them ready for Clones.

“We just have to be really careful how we plan our training sessions to ensure players are coming back to us after a weekend’s football fit to do some work. The schedule is set out and we’re working our way around it.”

Yesterday, Rooney added: "We were playing two matches per week [Mondays and Fridays] but it's one game per week from now on; it was just to get fixtures going at the start of the season.

"There are a few matches postponed in Division Two and one in Division Three. Any matches involving county players have been called off."

U21 ‘keeper Mark Reid of Bryansford has been called into the Down squad due to Michael Cunningham’s absence through injury, with Kilcoo’s Stevie Kane expected to assume the number one jersey ahead of the Monaghan game.

Shea McArdle, Kevin McKernan, Paul Devlin and Malachy McGee are on the comeback trail which should boost Burns’ options for next month’s Championship showdown with the reigning Ulster champions.

The Mournemen recently lost to Derry by five points in a challenge game but reports suggest there were encouraging signs for Burns.