Antrim Football Thread

[Take the Mark]

What tradition? They havent made a senior final in 20+ years and won a total of 3.

[BigGreenField]

As with Cargin before the EC game hope springs eternal for all clubs, everyone has a plan till their punched in the face etc.

Lots of good development work on the numbers side at lots of clubs and the game is growing.

Cargin remain champions and will be difficult to unseat, at some point the gnarly men will be too old. Is that next year, it should be but PG1 not far away from being in the same bucket and Brigids don't have the forwards or the mentality, Agahgallon have gone backwards past 2 years and Creggan likewise. Galls showed some fight in this years championship but 2/3 years away from progressing, the rest are back in the ranks.

[Around the glens]

They done nothing in the minor A championship, beat by Creggan. U16 I'm near sure they played in the B league and u14 I don't think they were near it.

I'm not saying you can't bring teams from B up but there defo not developing in A leagues like you say.

They have a good spread of younger lads on the senior team at the minute but every year its the older hans pulling them through.

Cargin still have enough to avoid falling behind in Antrim.

They are fielding 3 adult teams and they are mostly developing at A level in both juvenile leagues and college.

Portglenone gave it a good rattle this year but the team best placed might just be the ever popular St Brigids. Though a wee bit of a mentality shift maybe still needed there.

[Spike]

As newbridge showed this year, tradition is important too.

A Grade titles are nice to have but not the be all end all.   I dont recall Cargin romping home with underage title after underage title. Probably quite sparse compared to others

[Hectic]

Right well if they are falling back into B below minor I think that is a relatively new thing and maybe is a sign of thinning out a bit.

But if working with a smaller pool than some then U16, and U14 in particular, won't be the best measure of where they will be at come minor and beyond. At minor a younger age profile has less impact if the talent is right than it does down the age groups where, for example, being able to field a dozen plus 14 yr olds at U14 can have be a big advantage.

Regardless a lot of their players are also seeing good college level through the Derry schools.

[Take the Mark]

Never takes long for people to write Cargin off, as soon as the final whistle goes on the season for the men in green we have to hear the same oul cobblers. 'Too old' 'over achieving' 'dominance up for grabs' - grab away!!

I dont envisage any sort of panic on the shore road so calm down lads.

The most sensible posters on the topic are probably the 2 from outside Cargin that watch them most in Bannside and MR2. Cant believe I wrote that last line 

[bannside]

No one needs to feel good about Cargin putting up a disappointing effort on Sunday, as no one in Antrim benefits from that. We can be sure that Cargin will start off hot enough favourites for next year's Antrim championship...and even if they dont win many underage titles,they will bring through 3 or 4 quality players every year from their conveyor belt.

I respect the work Cargin put in, and recognise that for many years they were sole SW club consistently performing when SW football generally was a poor second fiddle to some great city teams. And the fact they will always be around the top end of Antrim football, even if they hit odd year where there is transition etc.

It's up to the rest to catch up. plain and simple, and clubs wanting to do that need to be working very hard across all age groups for a sustained period of time.

Happy where PG1 are in this regard, I've consistently said there's genuine quality in the underage system and I see tangible rewards for that in the not too distant future. I see them getting better as they go, not other way around  and plenty of other clubs have definitely upped their game too in this regard which can only be good for Antrim football in general.

[AllStar15]

Management merry-go-round has began, plenty of clubs looking new management going into the new season, any missed or wrong?

Portglenone      McKeever staying
Tir Na nÓg    Jackman?
Lamh Dhearg    Ramsay ?
Cargin            Devlin ? Derry Rumours
Moneyglass    Marron?
Ballymena    Baker? - another year unlikely, rumour he had said previously this was his last year
St. Endas    McCabe away
Naomh Brid    McGuckian away
St. Galls    Terry away
Aldergrove    Doogan away
Rossa            McGettigan?
Glenravel        Downey?
Aghagallon    McGrath away
St. Johns    Douglas staying
Creggan            Cassidy away?
Ahoghill            McGlone?

Add Ronan Devlin to the gone list

[Lár na páirce 1]

Management merry-go-round has began, plenty of clubs looking new management going into the new season, any missed or wrong?

Portglenone      McKeever staying
Tir Na nÓg    Jackman?
Lamh Dhearg    Ramsay ?
Cargin            Devlin ? Derry Rumours
Moneyglass    Marron?
Ballymena    Baker? - another year unlikely, rumour he had said previously this was his last year
St. Endas    McCabe away
Naomh Brid    McGuckian away
St. Galls    Terry away
Aldergrove    Doogan away
Rossa            McGettigan?
Glenravel        Downey?
Aghagallon    McGrath away
St. Johns    Douglas staying
Creggan            Cassidy away?
Ahoghill            McGlone?

Add Ronan Devlin to the gone list

I highly doubt that even though it's what you all are wishing for

[NAG1]

Management merry-go-round has began, plenty of clubs looking new management going into the new season, any missed or wrong?

Portglenone      McKeever staying
Tir Na nÓg    Jackman?
Lamh Dhearg    Ramsay ?
Cargin            Devlin ? Derry Rumours
Moneyglass    Marron?
Ballymena    Baker? - another year unlikely, rumour he had said previously this was his last year
St. Endas    McCabe away
Naomh Brid    McGuckian away
St. Galls    Terry away
Aldergrove    Doogan away
Rossa            McGettigan?
Glenravel        Downey?
Aghagallon    McGrath away
St. Johns    Douglas staying
Creggan            Cassidy away?
Ahoghill            McGlone?

Add Ronan Devlin to the gone list

I highly doubt that even though it's what you all are wishing for

Would Cargin not be looking a fresh voice themselves after last week?

[Milltown Row2]

How high is the bar when it comes to management? Winning 3? championships and being involved with winning many more is some CV, not the first to lose in Ulster and unlucky with the sending off last year and a creditable outing v Glen the year before that also

Young enthusiastic managers don't just fall out of the trees, I would say that Cargin are happy for RD to find that solution to get the run in Ulster..

Was great to see that on our line on Sunday up in Portglenone, lads that have been through the rigors of Ulster and All Ireland runs, it doesn't always translate into a winning formula but thankfully it did this time round, miss the highs and lows of management but I doubt I'd be able to deal with this generation of players coming through, the softly hand over the shoulder approach is difficult to deal with..

Ok that's it, just waiting to see who puts their hands up to join Andy in is quest for promotion and beating Armagh  

[BrendanAntrim]

No one needs to feel good about Cargin putting up a disappointing effort on Sunday, as no one in Antrim benefits from that. We can be sure that Cargin will start off hot enough favourites for next year's Antrim championship...and even if they dont win many underage titles,they will bring through 3 or 4 quality players every year from their conveyor belt.

I respect the work Cargin put in, and recognise that for many years they were sole SW club consistently performing when SW football generally was a poor second fiddle to some great city teams. And the fact they will always be around the top end of Antrim football, even if they hit odd year where there is transition etc.

It's up to the rest to catch up. plain and simple, and clubs wanting to do that need to be working very hard across all age groups for a sustained period of time.

This is 100% spot on. We all wanted to see Cargin -  and the counties other representatives in Intermediate and Junior do well - that's one way the narrative and culture of Antrim football will change for the better.

[Would ye whist]

I have never seen as many posters on here fawning some kind of admiration or sympathy for the plight of Cargin while no doubt sniggering behind the bushes, Brendan neither you or MR2 give one shit about our club and all you are doing is trying to soft soap, save your smart a** comments.

Only person with any hint of genuine intent is Bannside

We will be back next year with Ronan and more than ready to defend our title much to disappointment of a lot of you   

No one needs to feel good about Cargin putting up a disappointing effort on Sunday, as no one in Antrim benefits from that. We can be sure that Cargin will start off hot enough favourites for next year's Antrim championship...and even if they dont win many underage titles,they will bring through 3 or 4 quality players every year from their conveyor belt.

I respect the work Cargin put in, and recognise that for many years they were sole SW club consistently performing when SW football generally was a poor second fiddle to some great city teams. And the fact they will always be around the top end of Antrim football, even if they hit odd year where there is transition etc.

It's up to the rest to catch up. plain and simple, and clubs wanting to do that need to be working very hard across all age groups for a sustained period of time.

This is 100% spot on. We all wanted to see Cargin -  and the counties other representatives in Intermediate and Junior do well - that's one way the narrative and culture of Antrim football will change for the better.

[Around the glens]

Management merry-go-round has began, plenty of clubs looking new management going into the new season, any missed or wrong?

Portglenone      McKeever staying
Tir Na nÓg    Jackman?
Lamh Dhearg    Ramsay ?
Cargin            Devlin ? Derry Rumours
Moneyglass    Marron?
Ballymena    Baker? - another year unlikely, rumour he had said previously this was his last year
St. Endas    McCabe away
Naomh Brid    McGuckian away
St. Galls    Terry away
Aldergrove    Doogan away
Rossa            McGettigan?
Glenravel        Downey?
Aghagallon    McGrath away
St. Johns    Douglas staying
Creggan            Cassidy away?
Ahoghill            McGlone?

Dunloy missing from that last of div 1 teams from next season 😅

[Na Glinntí Glasa]

Management merry-go-round has began, plenty of clubs looking new management going into the new season, any missed or wrong?

Portglenone      McKeever staying
Tir Na nÓg    Jackman?
Lamh Dhearg    Ramsay ?
Cargin            Devlin ? Derry Rumours
Moneyglass    Marron?
Ballymena    Baker? - another year unlikely, rumour he had said previously this was his last year
St. Endas    McCabe away
Naomh Brid    McGuckian away
St. Galls    Terry away
Aldergrove    Doogan away
Rossa            McGettigan?
Glenravel        Downey?
Aghagallon    McGrath away
St. Johns    Douglas staying
Creggan            Cassidy away?
Ahoghill            McGlone?

Dunloy missing from that last of div 1 teams from next season 😅

Only way to play senior championship it seems for us....