Antrim Football Thread

[Milltown Row2]

My first act would be to ask why are parents not feeding their kids breakfast?? Brexit?

[country bumpkin]

My first act would be to ask why are parents not feeding their kids breakfast?? Brexit?

A really mature comment indeed MR2......but I do wonder if such would be your reasoning if you had a son on the minor panel and indeed you flippancy underlines a couldn't care less attitude.
Take a dander up to Milltown Row some evening and have a yarn with a former Gall's manager who was asked to dig deep into his pocket at the week-end Clan Ree stop, or the centre back who played a leading role on Sunday's successful minor team and learn.
Seems you really have really gained respect aplenty for our beloved county board nowadays which does differ considerably from those bygone days on another like site.

[Milltown Row2]

My first act would be to ask why are parents not feeding their kids breakfast?? Brexit?

A really mature comment indeed MR2......but I do wonder if such would be your reasoning if you had a son on the minor panel and indeed you flippancy underlines a couldn't care less attitude.
Take a dander up to Milltown Row some evening and have a yarn with a former Gall's manager who was asked to dig deep into his pocket at the week-end Clan Ree stop, or the centre back who played a leading role on Sunday's successful minor team and learn.
Seems you really have really gained respect aplenty for our beloved county board nowadays which does differ considerably from those bygone days on another like site.

Are you still talking about the lack of money within Antrim county board? And not feeding the kids ?? Dig deep into your pockets cb as the county has no money as far as I can see... you really think they can pull money from thin air? Nuts absolutely nuts!!

My issues were over fixtures and how it affecting the senior team I managed, like all concerned managers do who have dual players and county players, oh wait, you wouldn't

[bogieman]

We could stop paying refs aswell and not buy tracksuits for players or stop paying the county secretary a salary. Make them do it for nothing, really get back to the volunteer status of the association as money is so tight that we can't throw a 17 year old a breakfast or a senior player a post match dinner. Adopt Trumps saying, MAKE ANTRIM GREAT AGAIN! Make people work for us and that will increase the possibility of everybody fulfilling their potential. Build a wall and keep the Down, Derry & Tyrone clubs out of our leagues, have Antrim leagues for Antrim teams. Have Antrim managers only in charge of Antrim clubs, no outsiders, don't allow outside players from other counties to play for our clubs.

I agree, and I could put a few more in, but you're almost there... YBR...

There is one thing for certain, no matter what sport, THE LEAGUE DOESN'T LIE... 

[paddyjohn]

We could stop paying refs aswell and not buy tracksuits for players or stop paying the county secretary a salary. Make them do it for nothing, really get back to the volunteer status of the association as money is so tight that we can't throw a 17 year old a breakfast or a senior player a post match dinner. Adopt Trumps saying, MAKE ANTRIM GREAT AGAIN! Make people work for us and that will increase the possibility of everybody fulfilling their potential. Build a wall and keep the Down, Derry & Tyrone clubs out of our leagues, have Antrim leagues for Antrim teams. Have Antrim managers only in charge of Antrim clubs, no outsiders, don't allow outside players from other counties to play for our clubs.

I agree, and I could put a few more in, but you're almost there... YBR...

There is one thing for certain, no matter what sport, THE LEAGUE DOESN'T LIE... 

Feel free to add 👍👍

[Hectic]

Look I think Sunday just laid it all out bare. We have many failings from grassroots upward but for me I was hoping to see a brave effort, something to cling to, signs that there was potential, some character, defiance etc. Instead it was what I feared most, a total capitulation. Yes we were playing one of the top teams in the country but I had hoped that might inspire us.

I don't know if the management are to blame unless they have put players off representing their county then they are playing the hand they have been dealt. I do not blame the players as no doubt these lads have bust a gut and made sacrifice over the last number of months and have been let down by the absence of more experienced players to lead them.

I think there is a general apathy and lack of direction right down to club level. There are exceptions but there are many failings and having followed Antrim for close to 40 years it is the same old story stuck on repeat play.

Looking at the club scene it is generally either the same people or else parents. In an ideal world you would have specialists at each age group that stay there and the kids get to move through different pairs of hands meaning they are being coached different ideas at an appropriate level and removing any potential for discrimination or favouritism. Equally the schools, particularly primary schools have to work hand in hand. Money might be tight but the aforementioned approach would be a good start.

Fffff knows but when you do not have hope you have nothing.

[BrendanAntrim]

I'm still waiting for Banndisde's take on it all. Usually has his finger on the pulse and his heart in the right place.

[paddyjohn]

I'm still waiting for Banndisde's take on it all. Usually has his finger on the pulse and his heart in the right place.

I think his silence says it all.

[BrendanAntrim]

I have no great insight into Sunday as I choose not to go. Which from my point of view says it all too really.

[paddyjohn]

I have no great insight into Sunday as I choose not to go. Which from my point of view says it all too really.

You'll be accused of not being a proper county man now if you didn't go.

[imtommygunn]

Those fermanagh games generally weren't as close as the scoreline suggested either

We just don't have it at the minute. The exact reasons for that i just don't know but at the minute the ulster championship is just a day out with no chance of anything from it.

[country bumpkin]

Lost sight of the Under-21 hurling championship it seem....no vision ?

[Milltown Row2]

Lost sight of the Under-21 hurling championship it seem....no vision ?

Or breakfast for flip sake!! Madness

[Kickham csc]

We are undoubtedly dwelling in the basement in the country and indeed it would be difficult to envisage better times ahead until we answer the difficult questions truthfully.
Had we the best players in the county involved on Sunday...?
Just where were men like Mick Mc Cann, Justin Crozier, Niall Mc Keever, the Burke brothers, the Johnstons, and more than a few others who are certainly more than capable of still wearing the Saffron.
Aye right they removed themselves from the panel and nobody bothers to ask why......
We are a county which has no training facilities, and indeed one in which the senior team management are forced to organise fund raising events and are asked to pay for those players who had the cheek to eat steak on the road and make use of far too many shower caps....ffs.
Then we have the minor management asked to fund away 'challenge games' themselves and forced to dig into their own pockets on Sunday last to come up with payment for extra pre game breakfasts in Donegal.
We do have a duty of care for those young men/kids who can provide a better future but in my humble opinion and in more than a few others we have failed dismally.

I am most afraid that unless radical change of attitude in those who would lead us and a realization that they are of much lesser importance than those who will wear the Saffron jersey failure will continue as the diet

Were most of those guys not involved when Fermanagh hammered us in the last couple of years??

Hardly hammered on either occasion......the home side scored a penalty in the latter stages in 2015 to win 1-13 to 0-08 having played with against a 14 man Antrim for most of the game in 2015.
In 2016 Fermanagh won by five pts after a strong finish.....

And ur point is......?

Id say the point is we are still shite, even more shit to be beaten by a team that has a smaller group to pick from (I'd imagine) But if you think its the food the players are not getting then keep going

Yes, I suppose my point is that if we accept that the players named in CB's post are better than some of those who played on Sunday, then even with most of those players Fermanagh (with 8 senior clubs) beat Antrim 1-13 to 0-08 in Ulster, then 1-21 to 0-13 in a qualifier in 2015 and 1-12 to 0-09 in Ulster in 2016.  That's a cumulative defeat of 25 points.  Granted Antrim did beat Laois in the qualifiers in 2015.  It looks like even if we have our best 15-20 out we're still a way off being competitive in Ulster.

Fermanagh have 8 senior clubs, but the fundraising and organization that the put into their games would put Antrim to shame.

When I was at college in Belfast 20 years, the Fermanagh board had set up a mini bus leaving Queens to take the lads to training for football and hurling. I hate to go here, but they also ensured the lads got a dinner on the way home. They had tracksuits, kit bags and were given 2 /3 sets of boots per year. When you spoke to them, they referred to the county as "we", i.e. county board and the teams working together. At the same time, the Antrim players were paying for taxis and waiting months for the reimbursement. No such thing as kit bags, boots etc, and getting a kitkat and drink, and sometimes sandwiches after training.

How come a county of 8 senior clubs can provide so well for their teams and Antrim could not. And how come in the past 20 years we have not been able to set up the structures to match at least what Fermanagh had years ago, never mind what Down and Tyrone have now.

And one last antidote, Down establish Club Down in 1960 FFS!!! and provided the great down team with all the support they needed, arranging club fixtures around county training, meals, medical help, travel costs etc. When you talk to the players on those teams they say that it was a big factor them stepping up and winning All Irelands. 60 years later Antrim have not even met that standard.

If we want Antrim to improve, everything has to improve, starting with leadership and the county board. They should set the clear vision and the short, medium and long term steps to get there and we need to address fundraising, coaching standards, etc etc. Until we do this we will be having the same conversation in 20 years.

[Milltown Row2]

It's down to money.... if we don't have it we can't support it