Antrim Hurling

[Na Glinntí Glasa]

Look hes off yet another panel. Forget about him and move on. His comments will have made a lot of antrim fans angry who travel the country supporting a team that lets them down all the time costing them a fortune.

All we need is support!

Do not make me laugh. Jesus.

A great hurler in his day, one of the best ive seen, but his time is done as being the best about. Time to look to antrims youth as our future.

[oisinog]

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.

We all know players from accross our clubs who gave the best of their hurling career to playing for the county and most of them done it for the love of the sport and not the money.

Granted the players should not be out of pocket but how can he be claiming that the expences are cut when that is set by croke park.

[Sleeping giant]

Wouldn't be the first controversial interview Liam has given in fairness.  When I think of the great players Antrim has had over the years.  And a lot of the best we ever had was at the county for the love of the jersey and for 50p a mile. Maybe fecking less. Am not standing up for him. But when you look at a lot of other counties and what they get. He has a point to a certain degree. Just could and should have worded it differently.   

[Brocky]

Look hes off yet another panel. Forget about him and move on. His comments will have made a lot of antrim fans angry who travel the country supporting a team that lets them down all the time costing them a fortune.

All we need is support!

Do not make me laugh. Jesus.

A great hurler in his day, one of the best ive seen, but his time is done as being the best about. Time to look to antrims youth as our future.

Yes he's off the panel and happy with his club. Fair enough.
But what I said was it highlighted problems with finances in the county,
I don't know all issues with the past management and why exactly he got the boot but finances seem to be a big issue.

[theskull1]

Car pooling isn't the done thing these days from what I've heard. 

Should someone at executive level who knows our financial position try to keep a hold of the purse strings and keep spending to a minimum by suggesting alternative ways for players to get to training. i.e share with a club mate? I think they have a duty to do that. But it seem the sense of entitlement is strong compared to the ordinary joe bloggs gaa nut.

Expenses ... the way to 'get paid' in the GAA 

[NAG1]

Car pooling isn't the done thing these days from what I've heard. 

Should someone at executive level who knows our financial position try to keep a hold of the purse strings and keep spending to a minimum by suggesting alternative ways for players to get to training. i.e share with a club mate? I think they have a duty to do that. But it seem the sense of entitlement is strong compared to the ordinary joe bloggs gaa nut.

Expenses ... the way to 'get paid' in the GAA 

AFAIK skull this was the case when things got a little out of control.

On the interview timing and context is everything and this benefitted from neither.

[Brocky]

Car pooling isn't the done thing these days from what I've heard. 
!

Should someone at executive level who knows our financial position try to keep a hold of the purse strings and keep spending to a minimum by suggesting alternative ways for players to get to training. i.e share with a club mate? I think they have a duty to do that. But it seem the sense of entitlement is strong compared to the ordinary joe bloggs gaa nut.

Expenses ... the way to 'get paid' in the GAA 

Fair enough. As I said I dont know all the issues.

I see the county board have came out fighting

[hurlingstick]

Sambo is the new manager

[Sleeping giant]

Sambo is the new manager

could have guessed that.  Antrims favorite son.

[Brocky]

Sambo is the new manager

I would think it's a temporary thing for the christy ring and see what happens after that. He's nothing to lose now. Win it and he's great. Lose and sure look at the state of it beforehand. Still think he's a good coach and not a good manager.
Take charge for a couple of months and we'll pay you the money we held back on expenses - good deal 😁

[hurlingguru]

Sambo is the new manager

Great choice, hope he takes no nonsense

[btdtgtt]

Just for a moment - consider what Sambo has given to Antrim against what Liam Watson has given for Antrim?
Maybe that says enough.

So the Belfast telegraph decided to ring Watson for a quick quote about the current situation - the paper couldn't care less about GAA - and Watson turned it into a diatribe essentially about himself.

The county statement refutes basically all of it - but will that bring the attention back or un-do watsons slanging - no.
What did Sambo do?
Put his shoulder to the wheel.

A great club all Ireland indeed Watson had - but in an Antrim jersey compare him to the side Sambo hurled on in 89? They don't compare.

I think it's long overdue that Liam Watson faded to obscurity and let's hope journalists lookin cheap inches lose his number.

*no reason to compare the two other than illustration given current circumstances.

[paddyjohn]

Just for a moment - consider what Sambo has given to Antrim against what Liam Watson has given for Antrim?
Maybe that says enough.

So the Belfast telegraph decided to ring Watson for a quick quote about the current situation - the paper couldn't care less about GAA - and Watson turned it into a diatribe essentially about himself.

The county statement refutes basically all of it - but will that bring the attention back or un-do watsons slanging - no.
What did Sambo do?
Put his shoulder to the wheel.

A great club all Ireland indeed Watson had - but in an Antrim jersey compare him to the side Sambo hurled on in 89? They don't compare.

I think it's long overdue that Liam Watson faded to obscurity and let's hope journalists lookin cheap inches lose his number.

*no reason to compare the two other than illustration given current circumstances.

Bang on the money!

Watson has achieved exactly what he wanted, he's got attention and got people talking about him. As DR said a few posts back, forget about him, he's gone.

Move on with Sambo in a temporary basis and put some pride back in the jersey!

[aontroimabu11]

Couldn't agree more BTDTGTT.

Hope the players get behind Sambo and win the Christy Ring. God knows we've had little to cheer about recently but this could be the kick-start we need.

[Brocky]

I wonder if they have to go to London in christy ring will there be an overnight stay involved?
Maybe the expenses will be paid straight into their paddy power accounts.