|
What
Christmas for Down Footballers!! - Down boss Paddy O'Rourke
demands total commitment - 18/12/02
Photo taken by Louis Mc Nally Freelance
Photographer
|
No nonsense Down team-manager Paddy O'Rourke
has cancelled Christmas for the Down senior football squad.
His players will be training on December 23rd and they will
resume their tough schedule just four days later.
The former All-Ireland winning captain
has injected a fresh degree of urgency since he took over
the management reins from Pete McGrath. Currently working
with a 54-strong panel, O'Rourke and his management team
of Greg Blaney, P. J. McGee and Johnny Comiskey will soon
cut the panel to a more workable number of 26 or 27 players.
The players have been training for the past seven weeks
and turn-outs have reportedly been extremely high.
Trainer Barry Monaghan is supervising the
midweek indoor circuits and weight training sessions. Challenge
games haver been held during the previous four week-ends.
Monaghan is a former well-known amateur cyclist and a fitness
guru. He has laid down the law in no uncertain terms. The
players have been told that if they are not training with
Down at the week-ends, then they must do something on their
own. Reports coming out of the training camp indicate that
many of the newcomers to the county panel have been impressed
with the new management structure, and their training schedule
and match preparations.
New names expected to feature in the Down
county set-up in the 2003 season are Bryansford's Colm Kearney;
Loughinisland's Brendan Ward and Longstone's Michael Higgins.
Another plus for the new management regime is that experienced
players such as Greg and James McCartan have also knuckled
down to the hard training graft. The Down set-up this season
is expected to be a much more disciplined one both on and
off the playing field.
The players and management know they have
a tough time ahead if they are to recover lost ground and
get Down football at senior level back challenging for major
honours. Plenty of commitment and sacrifices will be needed,
and at this early stage the players seem to be responding
which in itself is a real plus!
Site
was Created and Designed by Diarmuid Cahill
© DOWNGAA.NET
|