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Great article in the Bel tel, delighted to see that even the challenging parties to Saffron Vision are fulsome in their acknowledgement of achievements to date re the Saffron Business Forum and the Belfast Plan which will kick in soon and be a massive boost to the whole county. Somewhat bizarre of course to lay all the credit at the door of the Ulster Council and Antrim county secretary, but it perhaps underlines a lack of knowledge of county structures more than anything else.

I remember Pauric Duffy not long ago appearing at a Q&A night at an Antrim club (perhaps St Galls?) and he was very clear in saying that a blank chequebook was not the way forward for Belfast and indeed Antrim as a whole. He intimated that once Antrim had the house in order at board level and came forward with a detailed strategic plan then HQ would fund accordingly. This plan alongside other developments are surely the start of the that and must be of great satisfaction to those volunteers who have made huge sacrifices to achieve them.

With no disrespect to the administration previous to Saffron Vision, themselves volunteers with their hearts in the right place, I have no doubt that this current progress would not have taken place had they remained in situ. A gentle reminder of the risks we pose to ourselves by opting for a return of the old guard.

And on that topic in general, aside from not being Saffron Vision, what are the policies/proposals of the challenging group?

Anyone at the U21 semi finals on Sunday?

Rossa seemed to run out well against St Brigid's, favourites for the final?

Sorry state of affairs when some so called fans write off the tenure of our senior football manager 1 day after his appointment based on what exactly? Being from Belfast? Jesus wept. Give the man a chance - All Ireland winning manager to boot. 

Just to pick up on a few points in terms of funding and the constant criticisms of the Saffron Vision group from some.

Looking in from the outside the Saffron Business Forum seems a uniquely creative business venture that stands to make Antrim thousands (and already has). I honestly haven't heard of a model like this anywhere else in the country and it seems to be going from strength to strength - more coverage needed on our brilliant social media platforms.

One point that does irk me is this - where on God's green earth do certain posters believe this money that is going to turn us into an 'ultra professional set up' is going to come from? One of Theresa May's magic money trees? Let's get real - this current county board inherited a dire financial state of affairs - anyone who does not acknowledge that either has absolutely no clue about Antrim GAA in the slightest or is deliberately ignorant for some reason only known to themselves. Initiatives like the Saffron Business Forum are helping immensely, but won't turn us into big financial hitters overnight. A two year term to date to solve years and years of financial woe ain't gonna be enough guys - anyone with half a brain cell and one iota of business knowledge should know this. Sorry to offend those who have neither.

Does anyone here honestly believe the county board are actively withholding funding from our senior football team? In relation to the hurling comparison - I read in the Irish News a few weeks ago that G Adams did not feel there was a disparity in funding? Perhaps there is, I'm not sure - would've thought funding was decided at the start of the year when managers make their pitches etc

Which brings me to my last point - the statements seem to make it pretty clear how the manager was selected. A 3 man committee actively sought interest and went through an interview process before selecting who they believed to be the strongest candidate. This was then recommended to county committee (which is made up of club reps?) for ramification? Am I missing something here? I would have thought if the county board wanted the cheapest option they would have handpicked that themselves or at the very least not left it open to chance?

Unless of course the 3 man committee are also in on this conspiracy theory to exclude SW Antrim and keep all of King Midas's gold from the footballers.

PS a big rant for first post I'm aware but just disgusted at the negativity of some in relation to volunteers giving their time to try and actually help our county move forward