Antrim Football Thread

[Dunsilly King]

Is that true? That is absolutely crazy! Totally unacceptable.

Unbelievable, is there one ounce of wit in there. What is wrong with Ahogill under lights?  We are continually let down. How insulting, a f**king school pitch never mind 3 bloody G

[Spike]

The SFC semi replay will be in Colaiste Feirste at 8pm.. Shambles absolute shambles

Jesus wept.

The next venue will be whiterock carpark

[johnnycool]

The SFC semi replay will be in Colaiste Feirste at 8pm.. Shambles absolute shambles

That's quite a small pitch for a senior football game, no?

There's only one 65M line so it's only 130 metres long.

[bannside]

Our club has been thrown into complete disarray half an hour ago with this late development. We havent trained or played on a 3G pitch, different feel to it completely. I've talked to a few of our top club officials and those involved in the team management, and at this stage I would very much doubt if we will be there.

I'm a big supporter of the new administration but if Ciaran Mc Cavanagh wants to lend his support to this (and I know he has)  then the gloves are off because I'm led to believe this decision comes from the top down. This would not happen in any other county full stop, and totally degrades the value  of our biggest domestic competition.

In case I am reading this too close to the action  can I take a quick straw poll from neutral people on here with no affiliation to Casements or St John's. Would YOUR club fulfil this fixture at a days notice, to play on a false surface that you were completely unused to??

I had genuine sympathy for the plight of St John's dual players, and would have supported a compromise if it was sensible, but this latest development stinks from a great height, and wont go down easily.

[outinfront]

I am not usually one to comment on another County's operating but I honestly find that totally unacceptable.  Shouldn't happen in championship, junior, intermediate or senior. 
Farcical!
Also what exactly is the compromise here for Johnnies dual players?  Is it less travel? Different surface? Whilst playing on grass feels heavier on the legs, 3G allows for greater speeds to be reached,is much less forgiving and can result in increased soreness which can be felt longer after the game!

[Spike]

The board will be trying to call your bluff BS - they know its championship and will dare you not to turn up and basically jettison your season.

Unacceptable in its entirety.

And you wonder why contributors on this board doubt our county board. Read above.

ps could they have got the venue any closer to St John's pitch?

[AntrimRealist]

The board will be trying to call your bluff BS - they know its championship and will dare you not to turn up and basically jettison your season.

Unacceptable in its entirety.

And you wonder why contributors on this board doubt our county board. Read above.

ps could they have got the venue any closer to St John's pitch?

Yes, O'Donnells.

[paddyjohn]

BS, Id be nowhere near it. Let them slide on and pull all county players and facilities from county use for games also.

[Caesar]

To change a venue 24 hours before a championship quarter final to an artificial 3G pitch which is used by St Johns club as a training pitch is an absolute farce!

Undisguised favouritism.

McCavanagh has let himself down big time and lost all respect.

Every neutral in the county should now be supporting Portglenone.

[belfastsaff]

i would presume this gives Portglenone extra motivation and I hope they win and slap it up the county. I wouldn't be hosting any more games for a long time the county will suffer if they were unable to use their facilities

[Spike]

BS, Id be nowhere near it. Let them slide on and pull all county players and facilities from county use for games also.

Thats the nuclear option - only used by Cargin (who appear to refuse to bootlick the county board). 

[Spike]

i would presume this gives Portglenone extra motivation and I hope they win and slap it up the county. I wouldn't be hosting any more games for a long time the county will suffer if they were unable to use their facilities

How often do the county use their facilities?  Creggan, Ahoghill, Dunloy and Ballycastle seem to get a good turn. portglenone much??

[paddyjohn]

i would presume this gives Portglenone extra motivation and I hope they win and slap it up the county. I wouldn't be hosting any more games for a long time the county will suffer if they were unable to use their facilities

How often do the county use their facilities?  Creggan, Ahoghill, Dunloy and Ballycastle seem to get a good turn. portglenone much??

5/6 so far this season alone.

Shambolic call from the county board.

[whatwillbwillb]

Our club has been thrown into complete disarray half an hour ago with this late development. We havent trained or played on a 3G pitch, different feel to it completely. I've talked to a few of our top club officials and those involved in the team management, and at this stage I would very much doubt if we will be there.

I'm a big supporter of the new administration but if Ciaran Mc Cavanagh wants to lend his support to this (and I know he has)  then the gloves are off because I'm led to believe this decision comes from the top down. This would not happen in any other county full stop, and totally degrades the value  of our biggest domestic competition.

In case I am reading this too close to the action  can I take a quick straw poll from neutral people on here with no affiliation to Casements or St John's. Would YOUR club fulfil this fixture at a days notice, to play on a false surface that you were completely unused to??

I had genuine sympathy for the plight of St John's dual players, and would have supported a compromise if it was sensible, but this latest development stinks from a great height, and wont go down easily.

If this is true then it just confirms once again what I have been saying a full purge of the structure is needed in the county. Most clubs voted these people in so its hard to be sympathetic to be fair, however its a ridiculous situation, do as I say not as I do... 

[bannside]

The result of the straw poll suggests that nobody on here would remotely agree with the decision that has been forced on us to turn up and play on an alien surface, with a days notice, on a pitch that apparently St John's occasionally use for training. What boots do players bring, what studs  the free kicking technique will probably be different, all sorts of things like that.

Is there a car park? Has the venue been passed for senior cship status? What about players and officials safety etc?. How much spectator capacity is there? All sorts of rumours that the pitch isnt standard size.....so many questions, as the ground is only open a few months and most of us havent ever been there!

For anyone with any interest in promoting integrity in sport to consider that equitable is truly beyond me...and opens a can of worms that will be difficult to put back in the box.

The sad thing is that it takes more than one person to make a call like this. How many officials were happy to give the green light to this preposterous proposal?? These are important questions that will now be subject to close scrutiny!

Our management and players are meeting right now to discuss our next move. What a shambles when the focus should be football.