Antrim Football Thread

[geezer]

I was at corrigan a few years back when cargin played gweedore. Mid way through the 2nd half cargin looked like the only team that was going to go on and win it, kevin cassidy scored a goal against the run of play and that halted cargins momentum. 1 that got away from cargin. Low and behold gweedore went on to win ulster. Creggan were very unlucky not to win yesterday and would have had a good chance of reaching the final. So i wouldnt necessarily say the standards have dropped.

[Milltown Row2]

MR2 do you think that clubs just go along as normal as there's no panic and these things come around in cycles?

Yes, clubs go through lean spells, we were even relegated, it happens. We'd only started getting underage success in the 70's it took a while, if Creggan manage to win ten titles in 20 years I'd say their plan is working, winning one in 50 isn't showing signs of dominance, coming second  or last is the same. We'd big success in the 80's parts of the 90's and plenty dominance in 00's

Could be another 8/9 years before we get a go at it again, that's how i've viewed in my 40 years at this club, Johnnies even more successful on the domestic front than us, but they'll hardly fold and once they have the club set up sorted they'll come back.

If our current set of winning champions can't get past the first round of Ulster, has the standards dropped? And if they have them that's an all Antrim issue rather than a Belfast one

I think the standard pretty good, a lot of hard luck stories from ourselves and now Creggan but they weren't far off yesterday to be fair.
I hear your U20 managers didn't take the defeat too well calling the ref all sorts of names after the final whistle, a relative of the ref was telling me today. Tut tut

Abusing referees is a disgrace and hopefully Eamon puts it in his report. I didn't see much wrong with the officiating of the game, few calls either way.

Where would you like me to start with the abuse I continually get during and after Cargin games?

Now that you're interested in ref abuse

[geezer]

So beacuse the best club team antrim has ever seen arent challenging nomore that automatically means the standard has dropped? Ok.

I was at corrigan a few years back when cargin played gweedore. Mid way through the 2nd half cargin looked like the only team that was going to go on and win it, kevin cassidy scored a goal against the run of play and that halted cargins momentum. 1 that got away from cargin. Low and behold gweedore went on to win ulster. Creggan were very unlucky not to win yesterday and would have had a good chance of reaching the final. So i wouldnt necessarily say the standards have dropped.

To win an Antrim championship 10 years ago, you had to beat the best team in Ireland. That is not even remotely the case today.
The standard has dropped.

[EOC1923]

MR2 do you think that clubs just go along as normal as there's no panic and these things come around in cycles?

Yes, clubs go through lean spells, we were even relegated, it happens. We'd only started getting underage success in the 70's it took a while, if Creggan manage to win ten titles in 20 years I'd say their plan is working, winning one in 50 isn't showing signs of dominance, coming second  or last is the same. We'd big success in the 80's parts of the 90's and plenty dominance in 00's

Could be another 8/9 years before we get a go at it again, that's how i've viewed in my 40 years at this club, Johnnies even more successful on the domestic front than us, but they'll hardly fold and once they have the club set up sorted they'll come back.

If our current set of winning champions can't get past the first round of Ulster, has the standards dropped? And if they have them that's an all Antrim issue rather than a Belfast one

I think the standard pretty good, a lot of hard luck stories from ourselves and now Creggan but they weren't far off yesterday to be fair.
I hear your U20 managers didn't take the defeat too well calling the ref all sorts of names after the final whistle, a relative of the ref was telling me today. Tut tut

Abusing referees is a disgrace and hopefully Eamon puts it in his report. I didn't see much wrong with the officiating of the game, few calls either way.

Where would you like me to start with the abuse I continually get during and after Cargin games?

Now that you're interested in ref abuse

I wouldn't condone it anyway, tough job and no one deserves to be abused

[Milltown Row2]

So beacuse the best club team antrim has ever seen arent challenging nomore that automatically means the standard has dropped? Ok.

I was at corrigan a few years back when cargin played gweedore. Mid way through the 2nd half cargin looked like the only team that was going to go on and win it, kevin cassidy scored a goal against the run of play and that halted cargins momentum. 1 that got away from cargin. Low and behold gweedore went on to win ulster. Creggan were very unlucky not to win yesterday and would have had a good chance of reaching the final. So i wouldnt necessarily say the standards have dropped.

To win an Antrim championship 10 years ago, you had to beat the best team in Ireland. That is not even remotely the case today.
The standard has dropped.

Look our return in Ulster can be a yardstick to where we are at currently, it's not hard luck stories every time?

[JimStynes]

MR2 do you think that clubs just go along as normal as there's no panic and these things come around in cycles?

Yes, clubs go through lean spells, we were even relegated, it happens. We'd only started getting underage success in the 70's it took a while, if Creggan manage to win ten titles in 20 years I'd say their plan is working, winning one in 50 isn't showing signs of dominance, coming second  or last is the same. We'd big success in the 80's parts of the 90's and plenty dominance in 00's

Could be another 8/9 years before we get a go at it again, that's how i've viewed in my 40 years at this club, Johnnies even more successful on the domestic front than us, but they'll hardly fold and once they have the club set up sorted they'll come back.

If our current set of winning champions can't get past the first round of Ulster, has the standards dropped? And if they have them that's an all Antrim issue rather than a Belfast one

But why wait for those good spells? Why not be strong all the time and then have an exceptional team every once in a while. That includes the South West clubs too. It's not going perfect either, but a lot better than before.  There's massive clubs in Belfast that can't field a minor team ffs. The standard of football is decent in about 5/6 clubs. In other counties like Tyrone there's about 15 good teams ffs. And if you want to compare dual counties then look at the likes of Galway. That's why they've all Ireland titles and Antrim are crap. I think it's up to clubs, Antrim and the GAA to get their finger out and start get more players playing the game, particularly in Belfast. It's ok saying about St. Galls. That was an exceptional group of players who had great underage success! That might happen ever again if things don't change. Belfast football is not dead but it's not doing as good as it should be. Some areas have no clubs at all and there's maybe a few too many clubs in other areas of the city. There's massive potential but not a lot of effort to change it. Ah sure it'll be grand, we'll come good eventually. 

[JimStynes]

So beacuse the best club team antrim has ever seen arent challenging nomore that automatically means the standard has dropped? Ok.

I was at corrigan a few years back when cargin played gweedore. Mid way through the 2nd half cargin looked like the only team that was going to go on and win it, kevin cassidy scored a goal against the run of play and that halted cargins momentum. 1 that got away from cargin. Low and behold gweedore went on to win ulster. Creggan were very unlucky not to win yesterday and would have had a good chance of reaching the final. So i wouldnt necessarily say the standards have dropped.

To win an Antrim championship 10 years ago, you had to beat the best team in Ireland. That is not even remotely the case today.
The standard has dropped.

Look our return in Ulster can be a yardstick to where we are at currently, it's not hard luck stories every time?

Tyrone don't do a whole pile in Ulster. They've a stronger spread of teams rather one exceptional team. What's better?

[geezer]

St galls were a freak team. Absolutely littered with talent. Well oiled machine. 1 of the best teams in ulster consistently. Could always rely on them to represent antrim well in ulster. Once in a generation team. They set the highest standrds and i would assume at the start of each season they werent looking at antrim, they would have had their eyes set on ulster and beyond. Thats how good they were. Couldnt speak highly enough of them.

In terms of standards dropping, of course they are going to when a team like that isnt winning championships. But im not having that antrim clubs cant compete in ulster. As i said previous, creggan just had to hold onto the ball for 5/10 more seconds and they would have had a great chance of reaching the final. Our clubs can compete against the best in ulster and ive no doubt they will in the years to come.

[Milltown Row2]

We won in the 80's with a totally different team and in the 90's .

It's getting the right structures with the right mentors at the right time, we had a great group of mentors with an exceptional juvenile committee charged with developing our kids coming through.

That whole set up managed 5 minor and under 21's in a row, I remember those days up at St Pats home where we managed to coach all these lads that went on to the pinnacle.

It's very hard to sustain that, if it was easy we'd continue to do that.

[EOC1923]

So beacuse the best club team antrim has ever seen arent challenging nomore that automatically means the standard has dropped? Ok.

I was at corrigan a few years back when cargin played gweedore. Mid way through the 2nd half cargin looked like the only team that was going to go on and win it, kevin cassidy scored a goal against the run of play and that halted cargins momentum. 1 that got away from cargin. Low and behold gweedore went on to win ulster. Creggan were very unlucky not to win yesterday and would have had a good chance of reaching the final. So i wouldnt necessarily say the standards have dropped.

To win an Antrim championship 10 years ago, you had to beat the best team in Ireland. That is not even remotely the case today.
The standard has dropped.

Look our return in Ulster can be a yardstick to where we are at currently, it's not hard luck stories every time?

In recent years we lost to Crossmaglen, Killyclogher, Gweedore and Derrygonnelly. All
good sides. Killyclogher actually the one that annoys me most they weren't great and we should of beaten them. Creggan should be sitting in the semi now but for a monstrous free kick to equalise. You get 60mins every other year if your lucky to have a crack at it. Not easy getting that elusive win

[geezer]

Look at tyrone. Everyone raves about their championship. Absolute state of their record in ulster. Does that mean that tyrone have overrated club sides? Standards poor? I highly doubt it. My guess is that it is extremely hard to win in ulster. 9 excellent club teams and only 1 winner, it ainy easy.

[geezer]

Yous had gweedore dead to rights that day in my opinion. They were rattled until cassidys goal.

So beacuse the best club team antrim has ever seen arent challenging nomore that automatically means the standard has dropped? Ok.

I was at corrigan a few years back when cargin played gweedore. Mid way through the 2nd half cargin looked like the only team that was going to go on and win it, kevin cassidy scored a goal against the run of play and that halted cargins momentum. 1 that got away from cargin. Low and behold gweedore went on to win ulster. Creggan were very unlucky not to win yesterday and would have had a good chance of reaching the final. So i wouldnt necessarily say the standards have dropped.

To win an Antrim championship 10 years ago, you had to beat the best team in Ireland. That is not even remotely the case today.
The standard has dropped.

Look our return in Ulster can be a yardstick to where we are at currently, it's not hard luck stories every time?

In recent years we lost to Crossmaglen, Killyclogher, Gweedore and Derrygonnelly. All
good sides. Killyclogher actually the one that annoys me most they weren't great and we should of beaten them. Creggan should be sitting in the semi now but for a monstrous free kick to equalise. You get 60mins every other year if your lucky to have a crack at it. Not easy getting that elusive win

[Milltown Row2]

So beacuse the best club team antrim has ever seen arent challenging nomore that automatically means the standard has dropped? Ok.

I was at corrigan a few years back when cargin played gweedore. Mid way through the 2nd half cargin looked like the only team that was going to go on and win it, kevin cassidy scored a goal against the run of play and that halted cargins momentum. 1 that got away from cargin. Low and behold gweedore went on to win ulster. Creggan were very unlucky not to win yesterday and would have had a good chance of reaching the final. So i wouldnt necessarily say the standards have dropped.

To win an Antrim championship 10 years ago, you had to beat the best team in Ireland. That is not even remotely the case today.
The standard has dropped.

Look our return in Ulster can be a yardstick to where we are at currently, it's not hard luck stories every time?

In recent years we lost to Crossmaglen, Killyclogher, Gweedore and Derrygonnelly. All
good sides. Killyclogher actually the one that annoys me most they weren't great and we should of beaten them. Creggan should be sitting in the semi now but for a monstrous free kick to equalise. You get 60mins every other year if your lucky to have a crack at it. Not easy getting that elusive win

Any side in Ulster is good, the Gweedore being the best (in my view) but the we can only look at how good we are against others at that level. There was a decent Cargin team that got to the semis in the 90's?

[geezer]

If it wasnt for galls id dare say cargin would have an ulster medal. Close, mccanns, scullion, crozier, kobo 7/8/9 years younger. Would have given as good as they got in ulster.

So beacuse the best club team antrim has ever seen arent challenging nomore that automatically means the standard has dropped? Ok.

I was at corrigan a few years back when cargin played gweedore. Mid way through the 2nd half cargin looked like the only team that was going to go on and win it, kevin cassidy scored a goal against the run of play and that halted cargins momentum. 1 that got away from cargin. Low and behold gweedore went on to win ulster. Creggan were very unlucky not to win yesterday and would have had a good chance of reaching the final. So i wouldnt necessarily say the standards have dropped.

To win an Antrim championship 10 years ago, you had to beat the best team in Ireland. That is not even remotely the case today.
The standard has dropped.

Look our return in Ulster can be a yardstick to where we are at currently, it's not hard luck stories every time?

In recent years we lost to Crossmaglen, Killyclogher, Gweedore and Derrygonnelly. All
good sides. Killyclogher actually the one that annoys me most they weren't great and we should of beaten them. Creggan should be sitting in the semi now but for a monstrous free kick to equalise. You get 60mins every other year if your lucky to have a crack at it. Not easy getting that elusive win

Any side in Ulster is good, the Gweedore being the best (in my view) but the we can only look at how good we are against others at that level. There was a decent Cargin team that got to the semis in the 90's?

[Milltown Row2]

Look at tyrone. Everyone raves about their championship. Absolute state of their record in ulster. Does that mean that tyrone have overrated club sides? Standards poor? I highly doubt it. My guess is that it is extremely hard to win in ulster. 9 excellent club teams and only 1 winner, it ainy easy.

I really do think they hype up their championship if I'm being honest, the best team I seen was Carrickmore . Ardboe beat us back in the day, crazy match, but I still think they are not as good as they think