By Anthony McNamee
www.ballyholland.org

The Down football championships are about to get underway and you would be hard pressed to remember a more open and competitive Senior Championship than the one about to unfold.

Gone are the dull days of the eighties when Burren annually turned the Championship into a procession - though this really was a small price to pay for the honour they bestowed upon the county through the Ulster and All-Ireland series.

Gone also are the days of the early nineties when Downpatrick and Castlewellan threatened to turn the competition into a duopoly, such was the strength in depth of two sides so littered with county players.

But halfway through the decade that threat was lifted and the Championship has actually been quite an open affair since, with seven different teams on the roll of honour in the past eleven years.

Never in those eleven years though has there been quite such a genuinely open feel before a Championship. Over half the teams who line out this year have realistic aspirations for the title - yes, that many. There are a lot of good teams in the Championship, a lot of evenly matched teams, but there are no outstanding teams. Only four points separate the top seven sides in the county at present and the old phrase that Championship football is 'all on the day' has never rang truer.

It is maybe possible pick a favourite, but not with any conviction.

The current champions, Bryansford, sprang something of a surprise last year - not that they weren't considered a good side, more that they hadn't really presented themselves as Championship contenders in previous seasons. They beat Mayobridge fairly and squarely in last year's final though and were very worthy champions. Everybody will be wary of them now and they would rightfully be considered among the favourites this season. Key players like Kallum King and Aidan Shields have picked up county experience this season and they can only be better players as a result, while the return of Simon Poland from Castlewellan can only strengthen their defence.

Of their challengers, Mayobridge perhaps hold the greatest sway. At the turn of the decade, the Bridge threatened to do a 'Burren' and leave all contenders in their wake. The Sky Blues were blessed with an attack fit to grace many a county side and a long period of extended dominance was expected to ensue. Although far from de-railed, things have taken a turn for the worse in recent seasons though. Glen McMahon's defection to Burren would have hurt anyway, but when combined with long-term injuries to Ronan Sexton and Michael Walsh, it represents a huge burden being placed on the shoulders of Benny Coulter. The Ireland star still has the esteemable veterans Mickey Linden (if needed) and Robbie Coulter to help him out, but in reality he will have to be on the top of his game to fire the Bridge to glory.

Once past last year's finalists, it really is a minefield trying to pick out who the leading contenders are. It is not even that the two mentioned already are clear favourites, just that they are easily picked out based on last year's form.

There are the usual protagonists, Burren, Rostrevor, Clonduff and Castlewellan, all very capable teams that can boast Championship medal holders amongst their current players.

Then there are the lions in waiting, Kilcoo, Liatroim, An Riocht and Longstone, teams without Championship titles (at least in modern times anyway), but who are found beating the more 'fashionable' sides week-in, week-out in Division I.

Of that first group, Castlewellan have regularly flattered to deceive over the last ten years. Having been built around the tremendous individual skills of Gregory McCartan and Ciaran McCabe for the best part of a decade, it is difficult to see a Championship arriving at the door now that the power of these players is waning. They cannot be discounted though as this team is simply riddled with talent, but too often in recent years have they fallen meekly when put to the big test to be counted upon now.

Burren no longer enjoy the high profile of their glory days nearly twenty years ago but, like the Germans in international football, their progress can never be ignored. The introduction of the McCartan brothers, even if Daniel is absent through injury, has only strengthened a squad that had a fair share of talent already. At opposite ends of the field, Ciaran Byrne and Padraig Bradley represent two of the best players around that aren't currently involved with the county set-up.

Rostrevor and Clonduff are clubs that have followed similar paths in recent years. Both sides have huge catchment areas and a steady stream of successful underage sides coming through to bolster their senior teams on an almost annual basis. Yet it has been a long time since either club constructed a successful senior side that continually challenges for titles year-in, year-out.

Both sides are brimming with players that have donned the red and black at one time or another and it they get their tails up either side is capable of going the whole way. Of the two I would side with Clonduff as the superior side, principally because they have a reasonably settled and very experienced line-up. They have a powerful defence and in Shane Ward, Jamie Fegan and Jason Brown a potentially explosive forward line.

Rostrevor probably lack the physical presence of Clonduff, but they only narrowly missed out on the final last year and this season has seen the return of several key forwards, including the free-scoring Conor Daly. Based on this evidence, if it was horse racing instead of Gaelic Football, you wouldn't get a big price on the Villagers down at the bookies - but it isn’t horse racing.

With the Championship being so open, one question that has to be asked is, can a new name make its way onto the trophy? My first thoughts are, why not? Teams such as Kilcoo and Longstone have been impressive as any in the county this season. But in retrospect, every year when the big guns get going and get fully loaded with all their county players, league form goes out the window and Championship traditions tend to take over.

Kilcoo wouldn't actually be a new name on the trophy, but as it was before the war when they last lifted the title, it would be like a breath of fresh air if they did so. Along with Longstone, they have suffered minimal disruption during the season from county call-ups and both sides have built on this advantage to cement places towards the top of the league.

There is a lot to be said for having a settled team, but on the other hand there is also a lot to be said for the lift that the return of a talented county player or two can give a side. Last year both these teams came up short in the first round, but you can bet your life that they will do everything within themselves to progress further this time around. Players like Anthony Devlin for the Magpies and Barry Doran for the Stone provide more than enough class to ensure this can happen.

Neither An Riocht nor Liatroim should be ruled out of the equation either. Both of these sides have established themselves as forces within the county's football circles over the last decade and both have provided a series of players for the county team.

The Kingdom are young side, backboned by the MFC winning players of 2000 and 2001 who are beginning to make a real impact at senior level. As a result they might lack the physical size to dominate teams in the Senior Championship, but Down utility player John Clarke is a scoring machine from his centre half-forward berth and the Kilkeel men will push allcomers to the wire.

On the other hand, the Fontenoys are something of a settled and experienced side. Many of their current line-up took part in the 2000 final, when beaten by Clonduff. With the lynchpins of their team, Doyle, McCrickard and O’Prey, all now approaching their peaks as players there is no reason why they can’t reach the final again.

Six more teams bar those already mentioned line up in the first round - Annaclone, Ballyholland, Downpatrick, Loughinisland, Saval and Warrenpoint. It is only fair to say that something of a gap has developed between the Division I mainstays and this sextet who, along with the Shamrocks, tend to be involved in the promotion or relegation shake-up season after season.

The inclusion of Downpatrick and Loughinisland in this group, both of whom would have to be considered among the most fearsome Championship sides in the county in recent times, may perplex some people, but mid-table Division II positions would suggest the Senior Championship is now possibly above their stations, if only temporarily.

All six are very capable of big performances though, don’t worry about that, and all can boast forward lines capable of disposing any team that takes them lightly. But, each would have to win three tough, competitive games before they would have a shot at glory - and to me that seems like a bridge too far. There is hope, as shown by Ballyholland almost getting there in 2000 before finding Liatroim a little too classy in the semi-final, but ultimately it would be a huge shock if any of these sides made serious noises regarding the destination of the trophy

Looking at the first round draw, two ties stick out like sore thumbs – Mayobridge meet Clonduff in the most local of derby games, while Castlewellan are given the first opportunity of all to dethrone Bryansford. In both games the teams will know each other inside out and as a result will be playing for even more than Championship pride - a little things called local bragging rights.

Both games are too close to call and the only prediction I am going to make regarding them is that two of the best sides in the county won’t be in the second round draw!

Of the other first round ties, most games look very evenly matched and generally speaking, no possible outcome from these fixtures would be seen as a serious shock – except maybe in the opening game where Ballyholland meet Liatroim.

The Harps are Newry’s only representation in the competition this year and a quick glance at their league form and Championship history suggests that their participation could be shortlived. Three of Ballyholland’s last four Senior Championship outings have been ended by the Fontenoys and it is only fair to say that it would be a surprise if roles were reversed this time around. Stranger things have happened in the Championship though and with forwards of the calibre of Ronan Murtagh and Shane Mulholland at their disposal, Ballyholland will not enter the field with anything less than winning on their mind.

That fixture apart, would Annaclone turning over Rostrevor really count as a big shock? What about the Point taking Kilcoo down a peg or two? I guess that’s the beauty of this Championship, it really is there for the taking. After the first round is done and dusted, the picture will obviously be a little clearer.

If pushed now, I would tip Clonduff to be the likely victors, but that’s not a tip based on substance or fact, simply a gut feeling. Better advice would be don’t rush out to the bookies yet, but instead, sit back and enjoy the first round of what is sure to be a very interesting couple of months of Championship football in Down.