Ballycran won the Down championship last year, and are bidding to win back to back titles in Down for the first time since Ballygalget did the treble between 2003 and 2005. (Sean Ennis pictured)

The Antrim club hurling leagues begin in a fortnight’s time and while Ballycran manager Stephen McAree is keen for his team to get back to competitive action, the new season brings with it some frustration.

McAree says he would much prefer that Down had their own senior league, and has called upon the county board to address the matter.

“The Down county board don’t organise a senior hurling league. It’s a disgrace,” McAree said.

“It is disappointing that they don’t get something sorted. I think that Down are the only county that has a senior hurling team, that doesn’t have a senior league.”

It is an idealistic idea that Down have its own league.

The outsider might argue that the big three Ards teams, Ballycran, Ballygalget and Portaferry would dominate any such league, but McAfee disagreed.

“You only have to look at the likes of Bredagh and Carryduff, they could amalgamate. Then there is Kilclief and Liatroim. There are a lot of good players in those clubs, a lot of them play for the county team.

“I think there would be enough teams to have a Down Senior league.

“The county board need to look at it so that they can improve Down hurling.”

McAree said that his team are working hard to defend their Down Championship title this week, and they see league hurling as the best preparation for that.

“The Antrim league is always important,” he said.

“It is a good league for the Down clubs to be playing in. If we didn’t have the Antrim league then Down clubs wouldn’t get any competitive hurling.”

“We want to keep our position in the league. We want to be in the top half of the league and not be fighting for our lives at the end of the season.

“But our main goal is back to back Championships. That’s all that we are looking at at the moment.”

r.scott@gaeliclife.com