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John retires due to the criticism he and his team receive in the wake of defeats - not the criticism to his face but that given from behind the protection of usernames on forums/message boards etc.... Keyboard Warriors I believe is what he is getting at.

What do people make of Johns decision? Are fans justified in offering criticism of players on public forums? Should John accept this as part and parcel of being in the limelight of intercounty football? Should people who choose to criticise players use their real names when doing so?

Daithi2009 (Louth) - Posts: 282 - 08/06/2011 09:58:04    950132

think its a bit much but its his own decision obviously

Rhodejim (Offaly) - Posts: 2888 - 08/06/2011 10:05:30    950140

can't believe that! I know john probably took a lot of abuse after the Armagh game but I think he is a quality player who was important for Down last year, also very intelligent player when he started to play in the forwards a few years ago, anyway best of luck to him and maybe he'll be back he still has a lot to offer , who knows?!

cboyle92 (Down) - Posts: 184 - 08/06/2011 10:06:35    950141

who is john clarke? says its all really!

liathroidboy (Mayo) - Posts: 4921 - 08/06/2011 10:07:34    950144

To be honest, I could never understand how he got his place on that Down team.
It seems a bit excessive to retire because of criticism though.

Coylers Elbow (Meath) - Posts: 1075 - 08/06/2011 10:08:18    950146

Thats pretty feeble if thats his rationale for retiring, that being the case most inter-county footballers would be calling it a day. If a player is not pulling his weight or whos form has dipped then they are fair game for criticism, regardless of the media used to do so. Of course personal criticism or insult should not be tolerated.

brendtheredhand (Tyrone) - Posts: 10897 - 08/06/2011 10:11:51    950152

just read it, i think ulster people are just born with a moan bone

liathroidboy (Mayo) - Posts: 4921 - 08/06/2011 10:14:38    950154

cboyle92
County: Down
Posts: 69

950141
can't believe that! I know john probably took a lot of abuse after the Armagh game but I think he is a quality player who was important for Down last year, also very intelligent player when he started to play in the forwards a few years ago, anyway best of luck to him and maybe he'll be back he still has a lot to offer , who knows?!

He seems to hint that he could come back at some point.... but what is the view from Down? I looked at a few posts from the Down forum after the Armagh game and the general consensus seems to be that John Clarke is a great club player but just not there at intercounty level? I have to say, after reading some peoples views from the Down forum, posters there aren't critical of the man himself but rather hold the view that there are better lads available

Daithi2009 (Louth) - Posts: 282 - 08/06/2011 10:29:54    950179

liathroidboy
County: Mayo
Posts: 3370

950144 who is john clarke? says its all really!

Says it all about your ignorance of Gaelic Football. Matches, if that is possible, your ignorance of pretty much everything including rugby.

Greengrass (Louth) - Posts: 6207 - 08/06/2011 10:30:24    950180

john clarke did come in for quite a bit of criticism after the armagh game....but so did many others..i live on the down/armagh border and many of the down supporters i spoke to dont think that john clarke is up to scratch at intercounty football,however most supporters gripe after the armagh game centered on the mangement and some of the crazy decisions that were made on the line...charlie vernon and kieran toner lorded midfield for armagh and nothing was done...armagh destroyed downs full back line and mc cartan response was to take off downs full forward line?????????????..pressure has risen in down this year after last years run to the all ireland final,and i think alot of the problem is that down people think they are much better than what they are....marty clarke for all of his skills can be equally as poor as he can be brilliant..take him out of that team and down are very limited...if clarke has one of his off days down dont really look that good.....marty clarke,daniel huges and mark poland would grace any team in ireland but after that..down are just a very average intercounty side who dont look like making the breakthrough in ulster anytime soon!..however i agree with the earlier poster who said that if players retired over internet criticism then there wouldnt be too many left on most panels!

orchardman (Armagh) - Posts: 158 - 08/06/2011 10:32:00    950184

fair play to him. why should he train 5 or 6 times a week, to play a game he enjoys to get criticism for it? it easy for fellas to sit behind a computer and criticise the players, but would they put the same effort in to represent their county!

Long_John (Down) - Posts: 299 - 08/06/2011 10:36:21    950192

Quiet ball boy! He scored 1-1 against your own county in the league, maybe you dont watch football matches and just mouth about it when you have the chance.

I think hes a smart player maybe the quickest or scoring always but intelligent running i would say though that he was unlucky to be subbed so early on against armagh

cboyle92 (Down) - Posts: 184 - 08/06/2011 10:41:57    950203

Long John have you ever played the game?
Club footballers get criticised as well.
And guess what, professional soccer and rugby players get criticised too!
And save me the "He trains x amount of times a week" spiel.
So do a couple of thousand other intercounty players and they seem to be able to handle a bit of criticism without jacking it in.
If he's bothered about what people are saying about him on the internet maybe he shouldn't look at it.

Coylers Elbow (Meath) - Posts: 1075 - 08/06/2011 11:19:45    950250

John Clarke retired because his heart wasn't in it any more. He spoke out about criticism he received on discussion boards, but where does it say this was the reason he left inter county football?? IT DOESN'T! Get your facts right.

MourneArmy (Down) - Posts: 1787 - 08/06/2011 12:04:14    950322

liathroidboy
County: Mayo
Posts: 3375

950154 just read it, i think ulster people are just born with a moan bone

Thats rich coming from the biggest whinger on this site.

On the topic, dont think its really a significant loss for down. Also, he cant go down as a great - had decent season last year but was more or less a stop-gap.

Brolly (Monaghan) - Posts: 4472 - 08/06/2011 12:27:00    950359

MourneArmy
County: Down
Posts: 402

Down's John Clarke has retired from senior intercounty football.

The 28-year-old An Riocht clubman informed manager James McCartan of his decision earlier this week and speaks in today's Irish News of how he grew disillusioned with the barrage of constant criticism from so-called supporters:

"The Armagh defeat made me think a lot. You get a lot of criticism. You don't mind people criticising you to your face, but you do have your critics who sit behind computer screens and are on discussion boards, which is cowardly.

"Players and managers alike take a lot of abuse on those things. That's not the reason why I'm retiring - but there's criticism and there's criticism.

"Definitely, after the Armagh game it just got to a point where I just thought it wouldn't be fair. I wouldn't be one for doing things half-hearted and - if I wasn't going back fully committed with my heart in it - there was probably no point.

"So I just thought I'd be doing myself an injustice and I'd be doing the team an injustice.

"I just thought the time was right, for the time being anyway - never say never in football - but as of now I've played my last game for Down."

First he says its because of being disillusioned with fans criticism then after he says he's not, he's contradicting himself there a little

moomoo (Kerry) - Posts: 4023 - 08/06/2011 12:31:29    950370

John took a break from football a few years back and returned to play some of his best football in 2008, but to be fair he wasn't having the best season this year and I suppose Down people could see this coming. He could return when he and the management feel he's back to his best, who knows. Best of luck to him he owes his county nothing!

acemarksman (Down) - Posts: 42 - 08/06/2011 12:37:55    950376

moomoo
County: Kerry
Posts: 323

I haven't bought today's Irish News yet, thats my excuse lol. You wouldn't know what to believe anyway. I don't think he will be massively missed, though its obviously disappointing for any county player to drop out of the squad at this early point of the season.

MourneArmy (Down) - Posts: 1787 - 08/06/2011 12:44:22    950384

Coylers Elbow

Of course club players get criticised but doesn't mean they have to accept it because "thousands" of others do. If a "thousand" fellas jumped off a cliff, does he have to follow! eh me thinks not.
Maybe it the society we live in, to think that it acceptable to criticise amateur sports folk. Hardly fair comparing amateur guys to professionals ones now is it? I'm sure if John Clarke was getting 30k a week, he'd happily take a bit of flak!

Long_John (Down) - Posts: 299 - 08/06/2011 12:51:33    950399

I hate the criticism inter-county players get, most on here (myself included) were never good enough to play inter-county, yet people seem to be perfectly happy to slate an amateur player over a poor performance. Most of us would struggle to commit to half the training.
Even if Wexford are hammered on Saturday I wont criticise them, because I know the sacrifice the players put in, the best hurlers are always on the ditch.

Pinkie (Wexford) - Posts: 4100 - 08/06/2011 13:11:57    950434