Antrim Hurling

[Na Glinntí Glasa]

Fuk me, money then, is that the reason.

I give up, i must rem to see how much im owed for going to work this morning at 6.30am, home at 6pm and straight to the pitch 3 nights a week for trainings and matches with teams im involved with. Having to ask my boss to get out at 4.30 tomorrow to head to a friendly in co derry and drive like a lunatic to make it time for the players.

Money

Im glad thats why i do it.

Fcuk clean off!

[aontroimabu11]

Good to see Liam Watson still knows how to make a fool of himself. The county involved in 2 major financial scandals and he gives an interview complaining the players weren't being paid enough. Is he stupid? The GAA is an amateur sport, you aren't supposed to be getting paid. Why should anyone be PAID for playing a sport we all love? I have no issue with players/coaches being reimbursed for travel etc. But no-one should be PROFITING from playing GAA. No one.

[johnneycool]

I still believe we've too many clubs in Belfast, if there were less clubs, but more teams within the clubs that are coaching correctly and with intensity then we'd produce better teams.... Dublin teams have 4/5 senior teams within some of the bigger clubs with a development and coaching plan in place to ensure that the style of hurling is brought through from juvenile up... what we have are some clubs with 6/7 core players and then lads with little or no interest playing for that team and not getting any better, those lads with little interest to put the effort in but still want to play can do that with the junior teams ..... once we get over losing our identities then Antrim will produce better hurlers in Belfast..

Important to remember here that St Johns and Rossa have by far the best record at juvenile level over the past lot of years. In the context of that fact, what do you think creating super clubs would do? Doesn't sound like a good or practical solution that'll develop the game. It'll do the opposite in my opinion.

More kids playing the game at the appropriate skill level for their age has to be the goal. Not filtering out kids who can't cut it in a super club system. 

I think the quality of coaching in clubs right across the county should be made the focus with a view to understanding the gaps and working with clubs to develop their coaching resources and providing them with support in the early to medium stages of any planned initiative. The downfall of anything changing could be the disease of apathy which plagues this part of the world. 

Brocky
In regard to the work that has went on in Secondary level Schools.
I've never seen a school, 'develop develop' a hurler. They arrive at the school gates with whatever skill level they have developed with their clubs and the schools will 'make hay' n the back of that IMO. That's not saying that experiencing success with a school team doesn't bring them up a notch because I'm sure it does and credit to the work that is done with them as they put in serious effort. But the non successful schools/school years will go through the motions and do next to nothing to develop their players IMO.

When there only 5/6 kids at under 8's up its very difficult to embed good coaching with a view to organising games and keeping interest there... This view of getting good coaches at all levels within a club is brilliant but ultimately flawed and each fecking coach believes his way is better than a standard approach and sticking to the system usually falls flat

Get a structured program in place in terms of appropriate skill sets to be coached at each stage as agreed by the whole club. Get someone strong enough to enforce it amongst the coaches and support them in their efforts in delivering said program. If a coach strays from the path then attempt to explain the error in their ways and if that falls on deaf ears gradually reduce their inputs with the age groups.

We don't allow our P3/P4 team to lift and strike the ball in the air until they are comfortable striking off both sides on the ground and have a decent ability at the belly and claw catch. I've had a team refuse to play us at a blitz because of it, as they wanted to lift and even had to argue my point with a full time coach on the same issue. The reasoning is that once they do start to lift, striking off both sides in the air is a natural progression. A youngster who's lifting the ball and one sided (irrespective of the grip) is hard to coach on their weaker side as the confidence in that stroke wasn't achieved on the ground.
Basic targets are that all P1/P2 grip the hurl with the dominant hand and build from there. Get that wrong and everything else is a struggle IMO.
We'd agreed as a club that there were certain targets that need met before other skills could be taught and hope to stick with that for the foreseeable future although its always open to review and updating.

btdtgtt,
    I understand your point on youngsters not wanting to get stuffed week in week out, but if GO games are administered right both by whoever is overseeing it and the coaches not making a big deal about the score then extenuate the positives even if they are light on the ground. As they come out of GO Games and hit the full 15 aside game, then yes, I can see that as a problem, but by then you need to have developed those youngster have a strong affinity with the club and not want them to go play with thon other shower!!

[btdtgtt]

I still believe we've too many clubs in Belfast, if there were less clubs, but more teams within the clubs that are coaching correctly and with intensity then we'd produce better teams.... Dublin teams have 4/5 senior teams within some of the bigger clubs with a development and coaching plan in place to ensure that the style of hurling is brought through from juvenile up... what we have are some clubs with 6/7 core players and then lads with little or no interest playing for that team and not getting any better, those lads with little interest to put the effort in but still want to play can do that with the junior teams ..... once we get over losing our identities then Antrim will produce better hurlers in Belfast..

Important to remember here that St Johns and Rossa have by far the best record at juvenile level over the past lot of years. In the context of that fact, what do you think creating super clubs would do? Doesn't sound like a good or practical solution that'll develop the game. It'll do the opposite in my opinion.

More kids playing the game at the appropriate skill level for their age has to be the goal. Not filtering out kids who can't cut it in a super club system. 

I think the quality of coaching in clubs right across the county should be made the focus with a view to understanding the gaps and working with clubs to develop their coaching resources and providing them with support in the early to medium stages of any planned initiative. The downfall of anything changing could be the disease of apathy which plagues this part of the world. 

Brocky
In regard to the work that has went on in Secondary level Schools.
I've never seen a school, 'develop develop' a hurler. They arrive at the school gates with whatever skill level they have developed with their clubs and the schools will 'make hay' n the back of that IMO. That's not saying that experiencing success with a school team doesn't bring them up a notch because I'm sure it does and credit to the work that is done with them as they put in serious effort. But the non successful schools/school years will go through the motions and do next to nothing to develop their players IMO.

When there only 5/6 kids at under 8's up its very difficult to embed good coaching with a view to organising games and keeping interest there... This view of getting good coaches at all levels within a club is brilliant but ultimately flawed and each fecking coach believes his way is better than a standard approach and sticking to the system usually falls flat

Get a structured program in place in terms of appropriate skill sets to be coached at each stage as agreed by the whole club. Get someone strong enough to enforce it amongst the coaches and support them in their efforts in delivering said program. If a coach strays from the path then attempt to explain the error in their ways and if that falls on deaf ears gradually reduce their inputs with the age groups.

We don't allow our P3/P4 team to lift and strike the ball in the air until they are comfortable striking off both sides on the ground and have a decent ability at the belly and claw catch. I've had a team refuse to play us at a blitz because of it, as they wanted to lift and even had to argue my point with a full time coach on the same issue. The reasoning is that once they do start to lift, striking off both sides in the air is a natural progression. A youngster who's lifting the ball and one sided (irrespective of the grip) is hard to coach on their weaker side as the confidence in that stroke wasn't achieved on the ground.
Basic targets are that all P1/P2 grip the hurl with the dominant hand and build from there. Get that wrong and everything else is a struggle IMO.
We'd agreed as a club that there were certain targets that need met before other skills could be taught and hope to stick with that for the foreseeable future although its always open to review and updating.

btdtgtt,
    I understand your point on youngsters not wanting to get stuffed week in week out, but if GO games are administered right both by whoever is overseeing it and the coaches not making a big deal about the score then extenuate the positives even if they are light on the ground. As they come out of GO Games and hit the full 15 aside game, then yes, I can see that as a problem, but by then you need to have developed those youngster have a strong affinity with the club and not want them to go play with thon other shower!!

It's the ages above Go-Games JC - we have great hurlers in the City at say U12, but by U16 their club doesn't field and so the players have stopped playing. Maybe they kick some football just.

Interesting point about not letting the kids lift & strike until they can play off the ground with both sides! Really like that!

What's the Watson story?

[paddyjohn]

Liam Watson says he dropped off the Antrim senior hurling panel partly because the players had their expenses cut.

A combintion of disillusionment and lack of time led to the 33-year-old dropping out midway through the Glensmen's fruitless Division 2A campaign and he has alluded to how a lack of funds is placing Antrim hurling under severe pressure:

"We were asked to take pay cuts. What's the point in going out for six nights a week if you know you are having to take a pay cut? That's where the whole fun thing comes into it. You just ask, 'what's the point?'," the Loughgiel ace states in The Belfast Telegraph

"I left the panel before the London game. I just wasn't happy with the way things were going.

"You can't cut the players. It's not the players' fault things are bad. We are always being told we would get what we needed, but there would be a cut in it. They couldn't even get us all an Antrim hurling bag. We were coming to matches and training in our club stuff and then we are trying to get club rivalry out of the way!

"We asked for gear, but it's stuff from years ago. O'Neill's are our kit makers. You go into their shops and you see there are a pile of nice new hoodies out. Antrim players weren't getting them. What's the point in going half-hearted, saying you want Antrim to do well, but not giving the backing?

"I don't like complaining about it, because then people say, 'all you want is a tracksuit', but it's not. We want support."


For those who haven't had the chance to read it yet.

Can't say I'm suprised though.

[theskull1]

Not surprised although still cringe inducing. The least said the better I think.

[AQMP]

"We were asked to take pay cuts..." .  An embarrassment.

[cfclg]

"We were asked to take pay cuts..." .  An embarrassment.

Did we expect any less from this gobshite. I used to feel sorry for Liam and always wished him well but he's turning into a serious pr*ck!

After watching him play for the county this year his best days are long behind him. He would be wiser to keep his mouth shut and enjoy what little playing time he has with his club.

[faughs]

Watson is finished at county level - watched him against Carlow and he was anonymous, he's nearly 34 and his best days are behind him. Time to focus on youth 

[Brocky]

Liams choice of words are not the best but rather than go on the Liam bashing does it not show up a bigger problem. We want a professional county set up but aren't willing to pay for it. No kit bag no training gear, cutting travelling expenses,  but we want you on board as part of Team Antrim. Other counties look after their players. I know the county board have to run a tight financial ship but to me that is ridiculous. 

[Jeepers Creepers]

Surley the cost of the overnight stay in London would have covered the gear?

[NAG1]

Liams choice of words are not the best but rather than go on the Liam bashing does it not show up a bigger problem. We want a professional county set up but aren't willing to pay for it. No kit bag no training gear, cutting travelling expenses,  but we want you on board as part of Team Antrim. Other counties look after their players. I know the county board have to run a tight financial ship but to me that is ridiculous.

No it doesnt it highlights the attitude of 'some' of this current squad.

Ask yourself the question, why was there a discussion around travelling expenses when this is a right of players coming from croke park?

Flown to London the day before, over night stays.

Team preparation weekends, the list goes on and on.

Also ask yourself the question why would said player be questioning this now?

[paddyjohn]

Liams choice of words are not the best but rather than go on the Liam bashing does it not show up a bigger problem. We want a professional county set up but aren't willing to pay for it. No kit bag no training gear, cutting travelling expenses,  but we want you on board as part of Team Antrim. Other counties look after their players. I know the county board have to run a tight financial ship but to me that is ridiculous. 

Well maybe if the overnight stay in London and the supposed £200 spending money per panel member wasn't needed and the expenses to the former manager and backroom team weren't as high as they supposedly were, then maybe there would of been enough in the budget for bags etc.

Watson has had his time & day in the sun, he's been found out this year.

[Brocky]

Liams choice of words are not the best but rather than go on the Liam bashing does it not show up a bigger problem. We want a professional county set up but aren't willing to pay for it. No kit bag no training gear, cutting travelling expenses,  but we want you on board as part of Team Antrim. Other counties look after their players. I know the county board have to run a tight financial ship but to me that is ridiculous.

No it doesnt it highlights the attitude of 'some' of this current squad.

Ask yourself the question, why was there a discussion around travelling expenses when this is a right of players coming from croke park?

Flown to London the day before, over night stays.

Team preparation weekends, the list goes on and on.

Also ask yourself the question why would said player be questioning this now?

Agreed the attitude of some of the squad past and present is awful. But this isn't what this is about. I see it more as fair play.
Overnight stay in London? Why not, if I was a manager I would insist on that. A 4am start on the day of a match isn't good preparation, although every manager may have a different view.
Discussions around travelling expenses, surely this should be set in stone as you say, and if not paid do you mean someone was fiddling expenses or what are you insinuating.

Team preparation weekends again for counties like ours with no suitable competition close how else do you prepare to play better opposition, you're clutching at straws just to bash someone. Come up with something constructive on a way forward for once.

Said player probably questioning it now as a journalist asked him in an interview.

Regarding expenses to management - I'm pretty sure the executive knew fill well what they were getting into.

I still haven't seen a better player in Antrim than Liam watson. And I just wish we had more of him.

[NAG1]

Liams choice of words are not the best but rather than go on the Liam bashing does it not show up a bigger problem. We want a professional county set up but aren't willing to pay for it. No kit bag no training gear, cutting travelling expenses,  but we want you on board as part of Team Antrim. Other counties look after their players. I know the county board have to run a tight financial ship but to me that is ridiculous.

No it doesnt it highlights the attitude of 'some' of this current squad.

Ask yourself the question, why was there a discussion around travelling expenses when this is a right of players coming from croke park?

Flown to London the day before, over night stays.

Team preparation weekends, the list goes on and on.

Also ask yourself the question why would said player be questioning this now?

Agreed the attitude of some of the squad past and present is awful. But this isn't what this is about. I see it more as fair play.
Overnight stay in London? Why not, if I was a manager I would insist on that. A 4am start on the day of a match isn't good preparation, although every manager may have a different view.
Discussions around travelling expenses, surely this should be set in stone as you say, and if not paid do you mean someone was fiddling expenses or what are you insinuating.

Team preparation weekends again for counties like ours with no suitable competition close how else do you prepare to play better opposition, you're clutching at straws just to bash someone. Come up with something constructive on a way forward for once.

Said player probably questioning it now as a journalist asked him in an interview.

Regarding expenses to management - I'm pretty sure the executive knew fill well what they were getting into.

I still haven't seen a better player in Antrim than Liam watson. And I just wish we had more of him.

Ok