Antrim Football Thread

[thegladiator]

What are these "shenanigans that happened this year in D2 were unbelievable" you are referring to?

Some of the shenanigans that happened this year in D2 were unbelievable-even by antrim standards!

The season is done now and whatever I say won't make a blind bit of difference at this point. Safe to say that any trust I had in our county officers has gone and that the restructuring is not at all surprising.

[country bumpkin]

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...

That is a question for the outgoing County chairman and his sidekick...could he have a vested interest...?

[Oso]

As I said, we just needed to do enough, we had no need to go out and prove a point by hammering you. He was sent off for a dangerous tackle, end off. You can cry about it all you want, but that's a red card all day, you can't lead with the elbow. Our club scene is like everybody else's, there a top 2 or 3 teams and the there's the rest.

I'm not a fan of the holding heads and rolling around, but it's a part of the game regardless, every team in the country  is doing it. Cargin can act like they're playing the game the correct way, but in reality they've been out done and out smarted every time they step out of antrim.

Class act? I suppose McCann going to the Irish news to cry about his red card is a class act aswell then? You can say all.you want about how we handled our business earlier on in the year, but the GAA needed called out for they're incompetence.

No doubt we will come up against better teams at some point, but we'll give any team in Ireland a game. Were in a good place and we're enjoying it.

And as for the comment on Bellaghy and Ballinderry, you correct, they were great champions. Just like St.Galls were. You boys could only dream of replicating what they did. But we have a realistic chance of going all the way. Unlike Cargin.

Now away and see if any other papers will listen tom ye moan

Ordinarily I could let this go, I'm not even from Cargin but....

Can you not even see the stupidity and the hypocrisy of what you've just written??

Everything you've said regarding the match is total nonsense, your stats, your analysis about just doing enough, there was 1 point in it when Cargin's best forward, who was troubling your defence, was incorrectly sent off with only a third of the match gone. You managed to win by 4 playing against 14 men for the remainder of the game.

You continue to claim that it was a red card for dangerous play despite photographic evidence since which proves he didn't lead with an elbow and he only made contact with the Glen player's arm and ball.  You say the GAA needed called out for their "incompetence" last year but you're not prepared to acknowledge everything incompetent about the Gaa on Sunday past. You can't have it both ways??? Players and clubs deserve better, not a weak referee who has decided in advance who should win and who he's not going to black card on the pre matcb favourites team regardless.

And lastly you OK your player lying on the ground feigning injury to his face in an effort to cheat the referee (photos prove he wasn't close to getting touched) because you say everyone does it?  Have you not the balls to say it's wrong and he cheated? It's not part of any game or any sport for that matter, it's cheating, and he has form.

I'm guessing you didn't make the debate team at school with your logic, or any team for that matter.

You didn't like it when the shoe was on the other foot last year agaisnt crokes for a few seconds, not playing a man down for two thirds of a game.  Be man enough to admit it was disgrace on Sunday and don't fall into the stupid brigade of just defending everything just because it's your club.  Lastly I highly doubt you'd call out Tomas Mccann or any of his brother to his face about going running to the Irish News, have you proof of this?

[Silver hill]

Cargin learnt nothing from last year. What's the point it just trying to contain Glen? 2 points from play this year, similar last year. Why not have a cut if your players are as talented as you say they are? Some bit of whinging this year and last. If that's the height of your ambition; to limit Glen to a 4 point defeat, then you're never going to get past a first round in ulster. As for us, this is all new territory and we'll enjoy our moment on the sun as we know we'll fall back into the pack like every other club does. I'm enjoying the ride so far, we'll see where it ends. Not playing that well this year but just about doing enough. Our wide count yesterday is worrying as they were from good positions and under minimal pressure. We won't get away with that down the line. Scotstown looking like the firm team, that was a big scalp to take yesterday. 9 county players, jack mccarron now transferred in, they'll be hard to stop I think

Think you need to gave a word with your 'stats man' S H Cargin did score three points from play, not a lot but  Glen managed just  one more...2 from J Doherty, one each from corner back Michael Ward and Ciaran Mc Faula.
The rest from placed efforts, a few questionable.....

As for outa form players did Conor Glass get a kick at all?

Think you need to take another peek and at your recording and keep fingers crossed the Cavan man may be recalled North if Glen reach the final...

These are salty salty tears from the Lough shore.
Let me simplify this for you boys...you could be out there with headlamps on, playing to now, and you still wouldn't be able to score enough to beat us.

[themac_23]

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?

[Sportacus]

I may know f#ck all squared about gaelic football but I will say that if we end up with an Ulster final of Glen v Scotstown, it will be worth watching. The Monaghan champions very impressive yesterday and be a big test for anyone.

It wasn't worth replying to Brendan. 

[Spike]

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

[Milltown Row2]

On a lighter note...

We all set for the All Star awards at The Devenish?

[themac_23]

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.

Waste of time the league then? Literally nothing to play for in div 2 and 3, exactly what the county needs less competitive football

[ck]

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.

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

[Oso]

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.

Definitely the Tyrone system would work better.  The league has become a farce. Squad players/fringe players with the county currently get little or no club football until the last few league games. We then kid ourselves that a round Robin section/group section in the

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...

we

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...

Definitely the Tyrone system would work better.  The league has become  meaningless. Squad players/fringe players with the county currently get little or no club football until the last few league games. We then kid ourselves that a round Robin section/group section in the championship serves to develop the weaker teams and give them more meaningful games. In reality it merely leads to more meaningless games and doesn't develop anyone.

Why should a team like St Endas pay the price of having to play division 2 football simply beacause their better players committed to our county? They wouldn't have finished where they did if their county men were available.  Why would club teams support sending their better players forward to the county set up if they are seeing no game time virtually all season  and the club suffer as a consequence?


The system is set up for the big guns with the strongest squad ro win the championship year in year out and we are seeing it everywhere as a result. Same teams winning county championships all over the country year in year out except in Tyrone. The chances of a shock/upset minimised in the championship on the early rounds.

[AllStar15]

A lot of insinuations about the out-going chair, these proposals will be voted on after he has left as far as I am aware so I doubt its him pushing it and more likely a central council drive. 

This 'no relegation' is a farce, we are accommodating 1% of players who play county to the detriment of the other 99% who will have to run about playing friendly games until September. The overall concept is sound but we need relegation and promotion from the leagues or else we can forget about getting any enjoyment out of club football for the majority of the year.

Start the league later, like Tyrone and go to a straight knockout championship with 1A seeded.

[Spike]

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

[Saffrongael]

There was no promotion in the hurling leagues this year, they were a joke - unless you were threatened with relegation

[Delgany 2nds]

The aim of the proposal is to cut back on the number of league games senior teams have to play to the benefit of a dual County and as a result of the spilt season.
Three clubs proposed to scrap relegation in July , when they were in bother. It was knocked back then !
These proposals should be put forward for introduction in 2025 and not retrospectively after 2023 season.

1A -8 teams=14 games(reduction of 4 games)
1B - 8 = 14 games
2 - 10 = 18 games (+2)
3 -  8 = 14 games (-4) Ballycastle??

Decoupling league & championship would be useful for IFC + JFC

Div2 League winners + IFC winners promoted - bottom 2 teams in 1B relegated. Same for Div 3  & JFC.

If double winners in Div 2 or 3, have a relegation / promotion play off