THE club seasons are in full swing across the country as championships have all commenced or they are just about to start, as is the case in Down from tonight when the first senior game takes place between Castlewellan and Mayobridge in Burren. Down clubs will play round one and two games on consecutive weekends […]
Steven Poacher: Armagh’s culture club
August 6, 2024
WE always hear the many buzz words associated with football teams and management teams. We hear about philosophy, culture, standards, values, expectations and many more. The majority of the time, unless you win, they are deemed worthless. For Kieran McGeeney and Armagh, this was a work in progress for a long time. Despite not having […]
STEVEN POACHER: Donegal’s tactical evolution
July 8, 2024
SO we are down to the final four of the All-Ireland Championship and not too many would have predicted that Louth would have stayed in the championship longer than Dublin (albeit one day) although it’s disappointing for Leinster to have no representation in the last four. Ulster have two sides involved, Munster one and Connacht […]
STEVEN POACHER: Subs are vital in modern game
June 12, 2024
AFTER Armagh’s hugely impressive win over Derry in Celtic Park last weekend, Oisin O’Neill and brother Rian spoke about the impact the Armagh bench has been making this year. When Conleith Gilligan was appointed coach, the first thing he did was forensically examine the statistics and impact that the subs were having on games,. He felt the […]
STEVEN POACHER: Don’t pen the Oakleafers’ obituary
May 28, 2024
LAST weekend Derry lost their second game in a row under new manager Mickey Harte, a situation Mickey has found himself in many of times in his managerial career. Back in 2008, Mickey left Páirc Esler having been beaten by Down and the obituaries were being scribed all across the country. Roll on a few […]
Mirror image: The tactical breakdown of what to expect at Clones
May 10, 2024
By Steven Poacher THIS Sunday we have an Ulster final that is a repeat of the Division Two National League final that saw Donegal defeat Armagh 0-15 to 0-14 in a passive enough encounter that only sprung to life with 15 minutes to go. It had looked as if Donegal were going to canter to […]
STEVEN POACHER: Down need variety for Orchard test
April 19, 2024
THE Ulster Championship last weekend felt like an extension of the National League – poor crowds, soft pitches and windy, wintery conditions. It was a far cry from the summer sod, when the sun is shining, the straw hats are out and the football is fast and intense. Down’s game with Antrim on Saturday was […]
STEVEN POACHER: Kicking is the key to success
March 25, 2024
IF you go to a coaching course looking for ideas on developing the punt pass you will be extremely disappointed as there is very limited material or ideas for coaches regarding the punt pass. If you go to a coaching course or witness a sample session you will see multiple games and drills that use the […]
STEVEN POACHER: Planning is everything
March 8, 2024
I HAVE been asked the same question on numerous occasions recently by people who are getting into coaching for the very first time, particularly at underage level, and it is very simply ‘have you any advice for me?’ Well, apart from buying yourself some very thick skin and a crash helmet, I always reiterate the […]
STEVEN POACHER: Identity matters
February 28, 2024
WE are now three weeks into the National League and out of 32 teams, we have only seven on maximum points – Derry, Armagh, Donegal, Down, Westmeath, Laois and Leitrim. The competitive nature of Division One has only Derry on maximum points, but interestingly everyone has at least picked up a point, with Roscommon v Monaghan […]