Messages

CK: A league with no relegation or promotion is not a league, it's a series of organised challenge matches.


Agreed.  This all seems a poorly conceived idea.  Would like to hear the positives from someone who knows what the aims are

League football has been gloried friendlies this past few years. There are a few teams going full pelt at it and then there are others who are literally playing about 3 players who will start on their championship team. Not sure what the answer is.

Tyrone system would work well. Let the league run on longer. Have a 1A and 1B with 8 teams each with 2 way league of 14 games ranging from March to end of July even August then have a knockout championship. All matches are meaningful. Even if clubs have to do without county men for max 4 league games. 1 up and 1 down. New proposals are ludicrous but hardly surprising...

What are the proposals?

No promotion or relegation in the league for the next 3 years. Can only get promoted or relegated through championship. Round robin championship and bottom team in the 4 groups go into a relegation round robin and either one or two relegated into intermediate and div 2. Similar structure in Intermediate/Div2 and Junior/Div3.

Apparently it has a lot of backing.

Would they not be better off leaving alone this season?  Is it tampering for tampering sake?  There's no ideal league system while the county players are away from the clubs

On another note, What the f+ck is the point in the restructuring of the leagues, all its going to do is make our intermediate and junior leagues weaker, going to lead to more dead rubber games at senior level.

Our "best" intermediate teams got hammered by a poor glenuillin side what the hell will our 4th best team not be like...

What is the thinking behind this?  As you say, if our best Intermediate team is way off the pace, what will weaker sides be like?   

Im guessing there is some logic or strategic to this? is it to improve the senior league somehow?

Did Sundays hollow victory touch a nerve with the Watty support?   

Very little to pick out of those idiotic ramblings that bears resemblance to the match or is true but Scotstown certainly look the most interesting team in ulster at the moment.  They appear to be able to mix it both ways. The official in charge will dictate what type of match we get.   Makes for an interesting couple of semi finals. 

Apart from the Covid year where they couldn't compete they have generally pulled the winner of ulster out of the bag unfortunately.  Of all of them i would say Derrygonnelly was the one they'd be disappointed with but were patched up with a lot of injuries. Possibly Killyclogher. Gweedore, Crossmaglen and Glen all eventual winners.  Cargin have the measure of Glen. 

Still think the club scene in Antrim isn't far away.  aside from Cargin's obvious anger, it goes to show that Antrim club football is in the same company as the best in ulster.     

I was at the game and it happened right in front of us. McCann lifted his elbow into an unnatural position and caught Mcguckin on the jaw/cheek. Straight red all day long.

If you're going to come on from the Derry board at least get your facts correct. McGuckin just one of a number of Glen players who spent more time on the deck than on their feet feigning injuries.

If that's a red, croziers block is a free and carrons challenge a yellow card and o'neulls a black then we may all pack up and go home because its not football any more

I personally came away from derry thinking antrim club football is in a better place than I had thought.  If Glen are the 2nd best team in Ireland the the top 4 or 5 in antrim are physically in a good place.  Cargin the equal of them though were visibly frustrated at a (I'll be generous and say curious) curious performance from the official. Glen were protected throughout.  A lot of positives to take from it for the county as a whole. Cargin cant seem to get the rub of the green in these last 2 ulster games.


Glenravel had a horror show on the day but a big winter awaits them. 

The area looks tight for a stand but certainly a few rows of terracing would be beneficial, bathroom facilities too.  depends how much use for it they see on a long term basis.  could be wrong but seemed a lot of people content with location

Do all the competitions not run as they were in the SW? Do you mean PR wise or is there less in terms of competition? The SW always run things well but perhaps don't generate as much publicity I think.

Yes meant PR perspective.  Juvenile games all going ahead in SW so there is someone there sorting things out. 

BS - I'd agree with much of what you have said. Donal Murphy a very talented individual. The next officials hopefully will be equally as good and can build on much of what has gone before. 

After Dunsilly gym, (ignoring casement) what is the next big infrastructure project in the pipeline?

I would agree BS, great credit due to Ciaran and his team.  We can all pick at things but it was a tenure that brought the county on in many ways.

On another note, perhaps it is just me but are the regional boards much quieter now?  Maybe i'm missing something but certainly the SW seems to have been very quiet as past few years 

Difficult to judge exactly where Glen are at the moment but they have been very professional to date.  Blew Magherafelt away in that 2nd half yesterday and they have a serious amount of men who can score. 

The Derry championship is in a worse state than I had previously thought.  Glen's brilliance has taken the eye away from how badly the other teams have slipped down.     

Down are very beatable.  a good draw to get

[we are seriously short of strong teams right now]

As for an open championship. Maybe open in terms of chances of getting to a final, and that certainly proved to be the case, but we are seriously short of strong teams right now!

It feels quite difficult to keep people happy on here and appears to be repeated each year.  A month ago the Antrim Championship was being lauded as open and anyone could win, a number of good teams now serious contenders and a county team on the up.  Cargin win and now both they and the other teams are poor. The Tyrone championship is unique in that it is very strong but going through the others you would give any of the Antrim top 5 a chance against the other ulster counties top 5.   

Barring huge upsets (which can happen) Glen are miles ahead of the others in Derry, Kilcoo and Burren the only standouts in Down. Glenties are a quality outfit and they get little credit on here.    The top half of the Antrim league is generally in good shape, the lower half not so much.   

[Owenbeg]

St galls are the best club side to play in antrim but largely hollow due to the postcode lottery they employed for personnel.  Cargin finished them in 2016 and every club in antrim should be thankful as the blow ins started considering the likes of bredagh, st bridget's and Carryduff as alternatives. Now a number of clubs believe they have a chance of a title. 

  The '82 st galls team should have been the club's heroes but now they are left with an empty shadow of a side that couldn't get out of the group stages this year.  Every club has blow ins but if you have too many then they desert the sinking ship quite quickly.

What Cargin and Dunloy have achieved with limited resources and playing numbers is infinitely more impressive. Just my opinion of course. 

Are you aware that dunloy had three "blow ins"?

Spike hurts my head, if he'd only research before posting..

Yep Bannside that's whats required, will be some head scratching by the 'big' clubs this year on how a Div 3 team    dispatched all that came before them...

Now all roads lead to Owenbeg for the first round against whatever team comes outta Derry, hopefully another win which would open the door for a great run in the competition

As far as i know youve a bit further to travel - its in Celtic Park

Yes, another exhibition of forensic research given there by MR2.