Antrim Football Thread

[bannside]

In any county with a bit of savvy, no. The man has absolutely no idea, not a clue.

In Antrim, who knows! Anything is possible. Throw a mile radius of Casement one more time and you wouldnt know what youd get.
PJ for the third time. Whitey, Ray Mc Donnell, Grievisie again, Aidan Thornberry, God knows what would turn up.

The review of our senior management positionsis, by far the biggest test of our county board, who up to now have enjoyed unprecedented support. Time for strong, radical leadership, and not the mickey mouse plan B thats going about.

Has to go back to the clubs. If any club wishes to propose Jody for another year, thats fine, thats democracy, lets have the debate. One thing for sure, no amateur quick fix this time round. Saffron sweep tickets hard enough to sell!

Take Sept and Nov and throw the net far and wide, short list and interview half a dozen, and lets get it right this time. Or else just go fo Whitey and Rogy now and we`ll all just pack it in and go away.

Nothing against Whitey or Rogy. Both great Antrim men. But this time round we really do need to have the debate, and to shortlist the very best. If Whitey and Rogy come out top of the pile, then we can live with that. Even they will have the soundness to respect that process.

But we must go into overdrive to get the very best, and support them fully in every way.

No unproven, schoolboy managers please. Nothing less than a proven CV will be tolerated. End of !

[milkman mk II]

how about mickey moran? one of the top managers in the country, excellent coach, know him from UUJ, he is currently residig in the county, hes worth trying to get on board to replace jody? anyone agree?

[bannside]

Mickey Moran has the type of CV we need to be checking out, and would be an excellent candidate. A brilliant coach, well respected with the added bonus of two years working with a division one club team. def one for the short list. But would Mickey be interested in Antrim? I wonder
does he think we have the players to make an impact, or would he agree with Jodys sentiments that Antrim football is where its at for a reason, and thats our realistic level?

[lynchbhoy]

we could offer yez paddy crozier ...on the cheap like ?

mickey moran would be a great coach for you but he is also tactically naive and prob not strong enough or single minded enough to take on the antrim co board, belfast clubs v rural clubs issues etc.

[the milkman]

Would Antrim not try Moran and Brain White working together?

[Minder]

Would Antrim not try Moran and Brain White working together?

Play on words?

[A Quinn Martin Production]

Antrim and Wicklow, the two best teams in the country who cannot get out of Div 4

[milltown row]

St Johns beat us in a very entertaining game last night, not entertaining in a quality game sense, but the carry on's off the ball and in the stand. i'm sure James McCartan is wondering what he's gotten himself into.

thought the Johnnies won the Championship after the game, Whack for the Diddle was being sung long after the final whistle. bar sales where up by 50%

on the game (when they actually played) St Johns were the better team and sets up a good game should we beat Portglenoe against them. but on our performance we would struggle to beat the Ports

[aontroim]

Ah Milltown come on now - don't be giving everyone false hope for the C'ship! 

[Maximus Marillius]

St Johns beat us in a very entertaining game last night, not entertaining in a quality game sense, but the carry on's off the ball and in the stand. i'm sure James McCartan is wondering what he's gotten himself into.

thought the Johnnies won the Championship after the game, Whack for the Diddle was being sung long after the final whistle. bar sales where up by 50%

on the game (when they actually played) St Johns were the better team and sets up a good game should we beat Portglenoe against them. but on our performance we would struggle to beat the Ports

if thats the case ye must have gone back by some distance, because the Ports are a very poor team

[imtommygunn]

Milltown I'd take you boys by about +10 to beat Portglenone.

The Johnnies have been very very poor so far in the league this season. They will know they have to buck up or else they're for division 2 but would be unthinkable for the johnnies. That would probably explain if there were "goings on".

They can't even field a reserve team this year whatever is going on.

(Very poor considering the pick they have compared to some country clubs who struggle but still always put out reserve teams. Having said that always respected St Johns and I'm sure they have their reasons for this. I'd say the main one is they seem to think they will make it big in the hurling.)

[Glensman]

By Antrim standards the Ports are not a poor team.
They could give St Galls a good game though I fear championship fever will kick in and St Galls will step it up.

Leagues and Antrim generally
How anyone is meant to "step it up" though is a tough one. The Antrim leagues are a complete joke. No momentum can be gained at all given that the fixtures are all over the place. I have no instant solution but something needs to be done and done for next year. How can anyone build a head of steam, improve, work on your game, correct mistakes made the previous week. Discussions are being had about blocks for football and blocks for hurling on different sites.
When you hear that Crossmaglen have wrapped up another league title in Armagh (I think I heard that?!) you have to think where we have gone wrong.  
The last 7 league games will be played in October/November.
If we played Cavan in November we'd be flying.

Tommy Murphy
A friend was telling me that yesterday in a league game when exchanging verbals with a current senior county football player that same player (who I would previously have regarded as a gentleman on the field) supposedly said "Are you coming to watch us at Croke next week?".
After paying £5 to watch the debacle that was Antrim London (was 5 mins late and pleaded with the auld men on the door) I wish I had kept my £5...this is the first time I have ever said I would rather have not been there when Antrim were playing.

Antrim and the players in it need to learn that they are and then change their position in Ulster as the whipping boys. Unless attitudes change, points such as those made by Gold earlier are listened to and the league format changes we're going nowhere, fast.

I was in two minds about heading down to the Tommy Murphy cup. I'm not now. If Antrim win I'll be a happy man...and they'll all go on the lash and delude themselves.

[bannside]

Dont miss too many, but couldnt get the interest level up high enough to make the trip to belshaft, especially with Monaghan and Donegal going to the wire live on telly. Heard it was poor stuff, further evidence we have not progressed one inch, but it gets us into a final, and we should be much more motivated for this one that Wicklow. Fair play to the lads for putting in the effort.

Who showed up well, did anyone have a good game?

When will venue be announced for final, anyone know?

[Hoof Hearted]

being discussed on main thread sat at 12.00 at croker before down/wex + tyrone/mayo

[Two Hands FFS]

Tommy Murphy Cup Final
Saturday 2nd August@ 12.00
Croke Park

Antrim v Wicklow

Croker will be 4 or 5% full if lucky at start of this match