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St . Enda's  knew that some people would find it strange that they entered the IFC but most people probably dont know that they have never won any adult county football championship at either Junior, Intermediate or Senior grade in their history. They played senior for most of the 90's and noughties before dropping down to intermediate so seem to have set their sights on winning their first title before they consider themselves a proper senior club. If more established clubs like Rossa and the Johnnies can enter and win intermediate grade championships why cant they aspire to that too.
Big favourites for the final but write off Gorts at their peril. In Sean McKenna they have a very astute coach who will have them set up really well.

Never mind over trained, I have it on good authority that one of the starting full forward line on the team v Fermanagh has not played ANY football for his club in 18 months and only plays hurling. His club did not put his name forward for trials as he told them he was only playing hurling this year and yet somehow he was selected for the minor county team. The club did not even know he was on the panel until last week. Bizarre! Great communication from the management. Would a kid in Tyrone who doesnt play football for his club and who doesnt go to a school that plays football even be considered for county selection? Not a chance! Not a bit of wonder we only scored 8 points!

Good to see a more competitive Division 1 this year and while I think Cargin and St. Gall's will still be the main teams to beat this year when it comes to championship, I think we will see a new name on the Championship roll of honour inside the next 3-4 years, whether this be Creggan, Rossa, Lamh Dhearg, Johnnies, Rossa or Portglenone is difficult to call. All in all the age profile of St. Gall's and to a lesser extent Cargin will lead to a much more competitive senior championship, with 5 or 6  teams in contention each year as opposed to the last 15 years when it has only been two. This can only be good for the county and hopefully push standards on although I don't think we'll ever see a side of the quality of St. Gall's again.
As for Division two St. Enda's are definitely the team to beat although from what I hear they are such a young team to beat that they often struggle over the summer months when they lose most of their team who are students to foreign travel. This has been the case in their last two championship campaigns when they were tanked by Ballymena. Other contenders will be St. Paul's and maybe Glenavy who when they get their full team out are a big, physical side with some good footballers.

Wouldn't think we have much of a chance although would love to be proven wrong. While we seem to be able to win matches at the minor grade and at least be competitive, I cant remember when the last time was that we won a match in the Ulster U-21 championship. Don't think the preparations have been helped by Johnnies involvement in the Ulster club U-21 although as far as know most of their U-21 team is now overage and of those eligible Conor Johnston is not making himself available due to hurling. Think St. Enda's seem to have the biggest representation along with Aghagallon. Maybe they'll be helped by the fact that they have their own management team this year in Gerard McNulty and Sean McGoldrick whereas in the past few years they've just trained with the seniors. We live in hope. Just a pity its up in Derry as it's a long journey for any city based supporters midweek.

From what I hear, Division 1 and 2 teams will play one another once, and then split into a top 6 and bottom 6 whereby each team will play one another once in their own half. 16 games in total. Personally think the old format was better and clubs voted in the new proposal without giving it any thought but it is what it is and clubs have to get on with it. Hopefully the leagues will be completed by mid Sept at the latest  with 2 games fewer and not stretch into late October/start of November as it was for some clubs last year. Everyone just looking forward to championship draws next week.

First time posting on the hurling site and in relation to the transfer of young Nugent I very much agree with btdtgtt and can't understand how some players do this, and to me it is very much against the ethos of our great organisation. However it is not just confined to city teams and just to correct btdtgtt in 1989 one of Antrim's best ever hurlers transferred from Armoy to Loughiel just for the season to win a senior championship. He duly obliged by doing what he was brought in for, and being man of the match in the final v Johnnies!!!

Country Bumpkin must have heard it too. He's on the McKenna Cup panel at present and also on the hurling panel.

Yes, hear the Johnnies are about to lose one of their main men to Lamh Dhearg. All the stops obviously being pulled out from the Hannahstown men in their pursuit for a championship. Amazing how some players in the city just jump from club to club when things aren't going well. so much for GAA ethos of one parish one club!

I agree that the leagues need to start earlier but not 8 weeks earlier. There are 4 additional games this year not 14 extra games. Most clubs pitches are still closed in early February and if the leagues start early February they will become disjointed and stop-start. This appears to be a knee jerk reaction to having an additional 4 games to fit in for each club. Last year the leagues started on 8th April. If they started the leagues on 6th or 13th March they would still be able to get 3 or 4 games in by the start of April and still be ahead of where they were last year. Common Sense.

Think Sarsfields motion was only about self preservation and not about the 'good of Antrim'. A 12 team league has not been thought out. At the minute Divisions 1 and 2 work well as a two way league ensures 18 games which given the amount of other code clashes and age group clashes is just about the correct amount of games. With 12 teams is it going to be a 2 way league with 22 games? Where do they fit the other 4 games into an already crowded fixture calendar? Or maybe they want top make it a 1 way 11 game season. That will really entice club players to keep playing. if they are talking about a split in the leagues or play-offs Sarsfields have not made any proposal on this issue and therefore as they have not fully though out their proposal it should be binned immediately.

Yeah looks like Aghagallon could be too strong for Glenravel in the semi-final although Glenravel obviously are on a high after winning a very tight match in the quarters. It's just a pity that the two best teams in the competition meet in the other semi-final. Two teams who haven't really been tested to date and which would have made a great final but that's the luck of the draw. Have to fancy the Johnnies though as they are an older more mature U-21 side than St. Enda's side for whom the majority of the side are either minor or U-19. I think both these teams met last year in the semi-final as well with the Johnnies winning convincingly in the end by 9/10.

History is littered with great minor teams who never made the breakthrough at senior. I think Stinsons won 4 minor titles on the trot in the mid 90's with players such as Madden, Logan, McCarry, Convery, Doherty et al and they didn't win any senior titles albeit they did come up against the best club side ever to come out of Antrim but they did give sterling service to their club and ensured they were competitive at the top table.

Well if you are referring to the Irish League please state that, otherwise you are legitimising the six-county state as do all uneducated six-county soccer internationals when they refer to this part of Ireland as 'the country'. Personally speaking I would not fix a county final for a Saturday, not because it clashes with soccer but because a lot of people work on a Saturday and Sunday is the traditional GAA day. Saturday evening as a compromise would probably draw a bigger crowd as evening throw-ins tend to prove popular.

All this nonsensical talk about soccer players being available on a Saturday or not. Either they choose to play for their club or they don't and choose to play another sport. It's their decision. themac-23 twice referred to Sean O'Neill as being ones of the best soccer players in the country. What country are we taking about here? Are we talking about the Irish League because if we are, surely you are referring to part of a country ie six counties of Ireland. One thing I have noticed in recent years is the number of soccer players who refer to teams in the Irish League as being the 'best team in the country' or the being the best league ' in the country' or as Liam Boyce did last week when he referred to the six counties as being 'the whole country'. Really? Are these people just stupid? I'm sure he wasn't taught that in St. Mary's CBS. Money talks I guess. Some of these guys must need geography lessons  and stop referring to the six counties as a country. It is part of Ireland. As our Rugby players what country they play for?

Getting to the business end of the season. Also think Rossa could spring an upset v Lamh Dhearg. Think Brennan will have Cargin focused v Creggan and cant see an upset. Although Creggan will have Conor Small in their ranks after using him very sparingly to concentrate on the minor this year. He will be a big bonus. Would be great to see a Rossa v Creggan final!

Also really important weekend in Division 2 where Ballymena should get the win the need v St. Enda's to seal promotion although the Glengormley me are on a high after winning the minor c'ship. But at the other end of the table relegation is still on the cards for any 2 from 5 teams after Glenavy saved themselves last week when St. Brigids put out a dud team against them to concentrate on winning the reserve league.
Word on the street is that Moneyglass are gonna do the same thing as St. Brigid's against Tir na nOg this weekend since its a dead rubber for them, and Tir na nOg need a win or they get relegated. They feel they got shafted last year when St. Teresa's and Gorts played out a draw on last day of season to suit both teams. Although if its a city v country nonsensical thing this will mean that Rasharkin are back in the mix and will need to win their last game away to Gorts to secure their status.