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I, too, pine for the days when kids played in the street and Antrim were class.

Oh wait...

We are no further on, I get that I actually

I, too, pine for the days when kids played in the street and Antrim were class.

Oh wait...

We are no further on in terms of how our senior teams are, we did win a under 21 title, we played regularly in division one hurling and football was crap but St Marys won a Hogan cup while I was growing up and reached a senior hurling final, eventually, systems changed now makes it impossible unless we drag ourselves up.. but I can remember Belfast teams competing late 70's through the 80's at hurling and football at senior level. My point is not about success more to do with the culture is gone the passion is gone.

It's easy to be a funny Cnut though

Was it applied consistently though (correctly or incorrectly)?

I watched a right bit of it and I don't think any game was reffed like armagh tyrone with steps.

Thats my main issue with gough. You wont see any other ref apply the rules like him. Either he is 100% right and all other refs are wrong or he likes to pick a topic and fuss or it.

Point is players getting away with it or being pulled on it differently week on week.

There was a directive about steps for that weekend and that was given to managers as far as I'm aware, seems Gough was teh only one that was hot on it..

He was certainly giving them less than 4, how do you count steps when reffing? right or wrong I used to count to 4 and then give them 1 more before blowing.

I'm generous, but I'm generous to both so it's ok

Correct thread, you have friends!    

Much prefer the stalkers though

Depends who they are and if they're male., female or somewhere in between

Any attention is good attention 

Well it was manslaughter he was up for for a start

Really awful tragedy but I doubt there was intent and a freak moment unfortunately lost someone their life!

Not sure what's the best way of wording that poll, I've grown with some of the rules from when they first came out..

I'm looking at them as a supporter and as an official, bit confusing but the least enhancement that really doesn't count is the forward mark, very rarely has it been done in all the game I've done so far. 1V1 at midfield players are still grappling for the ball and in occasions the lads that are on the 45 are still able to sprint in and collect the break.

The 3 up and 4 defenders is grand, as a supporter

The limits on using the keeper is great, the keeper should in fact not be outside the large rectangle, hard enough to listen to at the best of times but christ when they are up the pitch they all think they are The Gooch.

Solo and go is good

Kick outs are the same for both teams, learn to win your own ball, if the other team is always winning the ball, then managers need to look at their players

Scoring arc is good, but shouldn't be used for advanced dissent 2 pointers.. 2 pointers if from play only

People can talk about Cargin coming to an end but right now, they're top of the pile and talk is cheap. Somebody needs to get the big boy pants on and finish the job. Look at how many times they've come through extra time. They're a talented team but mentally, in Antrim, there's nobody close.

The closest team aren't even regarded as a football club 

I would have thought that would be a starting point for a look in general at Antrim football.

They were football before hurling ..... back in the day

There's a health and safety aspect to all this too so I get that they are fenced off, someone gets hurt and they sue the club!

I haven't the answers to this, other than hard work and concentrated work to generate that passion, I think Croke should be opened to clubs for big fixtures to bring the kids in for free, a lot of semifinals are not always full capacity this can sometimes drive that interests..

This is not to take away all the good work that is being done by those (usually flogged to death) coaches within clubs... I know what its like and did it for many years, I doubt now I'd have the stomach or desire to go back into that level of commitment again, as I'm not a half measured type of person, I expect that the effort I put in is given back to me from the kids involved..

Participation isn't so much a problem, I think the numbers are there, I just don't think we are using that as wisely as we could have.. We need a culture/tradition on top of the coaching being on point..   

A very good statement and yes, the context thing is up for debate, but I think they nailed it. I'd even say if the families of the murdered MP's recently wanted to meet them I think they would be very respectful and give their reasons personally and that be the end of it.

It wont certainly stop the DUP of course, this from the people calling for 'words matter' when their one time leader was calling the pope the antichrist ffs and walking with bands that are singing up to their neck in fenian blood, so I wouldn't personally give them the time of day..

They just have to navigate the supporting Hamas thing first with that investigation and they'll be grand, they may struggle for the visa's in the states but that was always going to happen after that last concert

This is the sporting press giving off about the shorter condensed championship and leaving them with less to write about..

Hurling has thrived and more counties have developed it more, a lot of this is down to the lower championships were teams are competing for a title that they can actually win, instead of being lumped into a championship that they'll have little or no chance of winning.

The grading allows teams to move up, but it's on them to improve, Offaly (bar last weekend result) have shown that you can drop to Christy Ring and move back up to McCarthy cup, they might sustain it too..

The main reason for me that you have this hierarchy in hurling is that counties don't invest in it to the same level as your Corks Kilkenny Tipps Galway's and more recently Limericks, at club level Derry Antrim have been competing and winning games against these established counties, the Ulster teams at intermediate and Junior have also competed and beaten teams from these counties, so the basics are there, the skill set is available it's just that you need ten teams at senior that are competing for their championship and not the typical 3 in Antrim and one dominating team in the other countries..

Hurling is hard game, the skill set is different to football, this isn't a snobbery thing it's basic fact, it's easier to play football and kids will naturally take the easier option nowadays

I'd prefer counting time over steps if I'm being honest

How many kids, in Belfast do you see with hurl and sliotar in hand, smacking against gable walls or heading to the park for a knockabout or with a ball kicking to each other?

I'd no garden but the hurl wasn't outta my hand growing up, street hurling or gable walls was the way, there is absolutely no Gaelfast, no go games and most kids didn't hurl or play football till last year in primary school or p6 at earliest

The problem isn't necessarily coaching, as clubs looked after the kids better, they picked them up at the house they brought them to the games they arranged to get people to senior games to watch and brought ya to Croker for provincial finals and provided the sandwiches and drinks for the day.

Life was easier then and we still were able be a force of sorts, the Johnnies and ourselves got to Ulster finals at club level during the 70's and 80's so players were about.

Kids were always at the pitches during the week and all days at the weekends..

Clubs need to breed a culture of GAA life into them, and Belfast hasn't or is losing that culture..

I'm not sure if kids now lift a hurl until the next game or training session or kick a ball.

You can coach them with Cody or Mickey Harte, if they ain't doing their own stuff then forget about it...

I'm probably like most of my post's talking out my arse, but I don't see passion too much nowadays

Has whitey been locked up or "disappeared"?

Took himself off

Good to see ICE sorting out these criminal aliens.

Irish woman living in US for decades detained by immigration officials https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/28/irish-woman-cliona-ward-us-detained-immigration?CMP=share_btn_url

Whitey probably grassed her out

I don't see the issue with Hamas supporting or calling Israel out at every opportunity

Can you give me one good reason why they, or anyone else should support Hamas?

I don't live in Gaza, but I'd say if I lived that life I'd probably be  supporting hamas or whatever political grouping that's standing up for your existence.

I'm not saying from the comfort of my sofa that Hamas are angels in all of this.. but Christ i can't imagine what life is like and the choices people have in that country, what I do know that circumstances can throw up unimaginable terror. The Yugoslavian war, watching that live at the time will tell the world what people can do to each other

If someone services  my boiler or  cleans my windows, and I pay them cash , and they don't declare it, I  honestly couldn't give  one shiny shite.

Then we shouldn't complain about the NHS too much either

We all know that's  a separate issue though

Ok, if you want it to be for a separate argument then fine.. but those avoiding tax and complaining about not getting to see a doctor or the waiting lists or whatever else our tax pays for then it's a bit dumb.