Antrim Football Thread

[bannside]

Antrim minors again??? Heard something along these lines a week or two back.

[Na Glinntí Glasa]

why would that be CB? i didnt think their was the right numbers more so on the Cloney end to allow one team each

Don't know the reasoning but hear it is a fact which may well have negative consequences for the Ahoghill based juveniles.
Heard rumour of such a few months back....

heard this last night as well from someone else. Confirmed what you said with regards to the negative consequences for Ahoghill. They are not happy about it, and understandably so. they dont have the numbers to put out teams in all grades but you understand Portglenone's point of view. If they have the numbers then they need to be looking after their own club players first and foremost.

[Belfast GAA man]

Antrim minors again??? Heard something along these lines a week or two back.

talking of minor are we still u18 at club level? everyone seems to have a different view...

[country bumpkin]

Think club will be under-18 in 2018.....
And in county minor management I will really be surprised if Fitzy is even considering that position after the goings on this term in a one sided austerity imposition.

[stiffler]

Think club will be under-18 in 2018.....
And in county minor management I will really be surprised if Fitzy is even considering that position after the goings on this term in a one sided austerity imposition.

Fitzys over a div 1 side is the talk.

[paddyjohn]

Think club will be under-18 in 2018.....
And in county minor management I will really be surprised if Fitzy is even considering that position after the goings on this term in a one sided austerity imposition.

Fitzys over a div 1 side is the talk.

Great appointment for them if it happens.

Where will it leave the Ahoghill and Portglenone clubs now the Stinsons team has folded? Sad to see in my opinion. I suppose it's one of the problems with almalgamations, keeping everybody happy.

[imtommygunn]

How long have stinsons been going? I never remember a time they weren't there.

I think portglenone would be fine but ahoghill would be low on numbers.

[bannside]

Going 40 years exactly ITG. Some great memories including 4 in a row minor championship medals. Some people were doing their best to hold back the tide, but in the end the vast majority of our club members wanted to promote one brand only. As one member stated, as juveniles passed through minor but possibly weren't good enough to play senior, they dropped out without ever really having any allegiance to Roger Casements and never ever got the chance to wear their club colours.

[imtommygunn]

Yeah i remember your 4 in a row well. A few very good prospects never made it through to senior but always the way.

I see your point about the never playing for casements thing.

[JimStynes]

Think club will be under-18 in 2018.....
And in county minor management I will really be surprised if Fitzy is even considering that position after the goings on this term in a one sided austerity imposition.

Fitzys over a div 1 side is the talk.

St Endas?

[country bumpkin]

Yeah i remember your 4 in a row well. A few very good prospects never made it through to senior but always the way.

I see your point about the never playing for casements thing.

Remember that 4 in a row as well ITG......Paddy Logan's nine point haul out of a total of ten in a Stinson's winning total ......

Casement's do believe they can go it alone but can't help but feel for the Cloney men who will no doubt endure the consequences of the split and the death knell may well be tolling in the distance..........really hope not.

[blindside]

Going 40 years exactly ITG. Some great memories including 4 in a row minor championship medals. Some people were doing their best to hold back the tide, but in the end the vast majority of our club members wanted to promote one brand only. As one member stated, as juveniles passed through minor but possibly weren't good enough to play senior, they dropped out without ever really having any allegiance to Roger Casements and never ever got the chance to wear their club colours.

Bannside

Surprised at this  I always thought Sean Stinsons really brought Portglenone and Ahoghill forward.

I might be wrong here but were both teams not hanging around the junior championship beforehand.
Now both in Div 1 and playing Senior Championship...

Also think it really improved the SW juvenile leagues. Stinsons raised the standards  others raised the game and have overtaken them

Even more surprising given your comments below from a previous post which I have seen first hand.

U14's this year barely getting a score in the B league


"Regards the amalgamation thing.  It's not a new idea specific to Antrim or Belfast. It's a conversation that is going on all around thd country and will hit hard into rural areas too if if hasn't already.  People having smaller families and many primary school classes getting much smaller on size. Even the reasonably successful Sean Stinsons combo with both parishes involved will see a few years where they will find it hard to get a team gathered up."

[bannside]

Those were genuine sentiments at the time Blindside but the vast majority of our club members, after a lengthy debate, weighed up all the pros and the downsides too, and opted to go solo.

I can't divulge the contents of the debate, that's for club members only, but last year the motion to remain went through with ease, and this year it was the opposite.

I can assure you though that the when someone mentioned the welfare of Ahoghill juveniles missing out on football, this was counteracted by the sentiment that they are more than welcome to play for us and can sign to Ahoghill after their juvenile days are over. We won't be responsible for youngsters not getting a chance to play the game, but the majority of our club members insisted this would need to be done in our colours and in our name.

The same way as young hurlers in the area who used to play in the name of Sean Stinsons now do so in Ahoghills Red and Black in the name of Cooney Gaels. So despite CB's concern, all St Mary's gaels who want to play GAA should still get the chance to do so, and quite rightly so.

[Kickham csc]

Those were genuine sentiments at the time Blindside but the vast majority of our club members, after a lengthy debate, weighed up all the pros and the downsides too, and opted to go solo.

I can't divulge the contents of the debate, that's for club members only, but last year the motion to remain went through with ease, and this year it was the opposite.

I can assure you though that the when someone mentioned the welfare of Ahoghill juveniles missing out on football, this was counteracted by the sentiment that they are more than welcome to play for us and can sign to Ahoghill after their juvenile days are over. We won't be responsible for youngsters not getting a chance to play the game, but the majority of our club members insisted this would need to be done in our colours and in our name.

The same way as young hurlers in the area who used to play in the name of Sean Stinsons now do so in Ahoghills Red and Black in the name of Cooney Gaels. So despite CB's concern, all St Mary's gaels who want to play GAA should still get the chance to do so, and quite rightly so.

The problem for Ahoghill is controlling who their kids play for and how they are going to build a loyalty for the club.

With the breakup of SS, Ahoghill kids can now play for; M'glass, Tir na Nog, Ballymena, Portglenone, Greenlough, Lavey, Cargin, Creggan.  If this happens, what affiliation will they have with Ahoghill after underage, there will be a greater threat of them remaining with the club they played underage with.

Great example, wasn't Rafferty who played with Lavey, (in an All Ireland club final) an Ahoghill lad who played underage with Lavey and stayed with them up into senior football?

[bannside]

Yes there's always that risk but of bigger concern to them may be the number of young males in their parish. It's certainly a lot less than in previous years. It's a challenge they need to face up to themselves and personally I hope they can because there are a lot of good people there who are fighting hard to preserve their identity.