Antrim Football Thread

[Points a Good Score]

Yeah though if I am correct Antrim have been in 2 of the last 3/4 Junior Finals so would maybe have been good to take that step first but yeah ballsy all the same.  Plus I do not think anyone would have batted an eyelid had they been playing Div 2 but entered in the Junior.  Likewise surprised that Glenavy opted for the Senior Championship as they will be nowhere near it and again would have good grounds to be playing Intermediate.

I genuinely mean no disrespect to Glenravel though I appreciate that is exactly how it sounds but Ballymena held their own against St Johns for long periods in the senior championship last season whereas Glenravel will be warming up with games against Mitchells, Eire Og, Lisburn etc (again no disrespect meant).  I honestly cannot see how this will be anything other than a comfortable victory for Ballymena.

Is there not a bye law of possibly just an unwritten rule that if you win the junior or intermediate championship you play the next grade up the following year, as current junior champions Glenravel would fall into this bracket.

As for Glenavy they should have beat Portglenone in the championship last year but for losing Paddy Gallagher to injury and  bit of naivety in letting Portglenone march up the field in added time to score a goal they would have been through so I can see why they would want another crack at the SFC, also they have won the IFC in the recent past so it possibly doesn't give them the same motivation as a run or scalp in the SFC.

Antrim are a different prospect whilst coming up short in a few junior finals would drive some teams to continuing competing at that  level until the win it outright, they have shown that they obviously have ambition above that and want to progress further and I think should be commended for that decision.

With our current league structure its perfectly set up to move in line with our championship i.e Div 1/SFC, Div 2/IFC, Div 3/JFC which would do away with any objections or confusion as to who should be playing where.

[Hectic]

Do you really think though that Glenavy would do anything at Senior level beyond accounting for one of the relegation candidates from Div 1?

Agree - Leagues and Championships aligned would be the way to go for me - simple and appropriate.

[Points a Good Score]

Probably not, but they have nothing to gain from an intermediate campaign that they are not guaranteed to win, I can see the logic in their decision.

[Na Glinntí Glasa]

im quietly happy with the draw we got in the championship. I think we have proved we are more than capable of making ground in the championship and in avoiding Ballymena, St Brigid's & st endas we have a decent chance of making ground again.
All Saints will start as favourites for the whole thing, they will be hard to beat.

[paddyjohn]

Yeah though if I am correct Antrim have been in 2 of the last 3/4 Junior Finals so would maybe have been good to take that step first but yeah ballsy all the same.  Plus I do not think anyone would have batted an eyelid had they been playing Div 2 but entered in the Junior.  Likewise surprised that Glenavy opted for the Senior Championship as they will be nowhere near it and again would have good grounds to be playing Intermediate.

I genuinely mean no disrespect to Glenravel though I appreciate that is exactly how it sounds but Ballymena held their own against St Johns for long periods in the senior championship last season whereas Glenravel will be warming up with games against Mitchells, Eire Og, Lisburn etc (again no disrespect meant).  I honestly cannot see how this will be anything other than a comfortable victory for Ballymena.

No disrespect lol... It is what it is. I'm sure Glenravel would rather be playing Div2 football but they aren't. Its the beauty of championship football.

[Hectic]

Sure we will continue this conversation after the quarter final then 

[paddyjohn]

Sure we will continue this conversation after the quarter final then 

Aye that'll do lol.. 

I always thought there was a rule that if you won a championship then you had to move up a level.. Maybe I am wrong.

[Stillwater2]

Sure we will continue this conversation after the quarter final then 

Only if you go on to win the provisional championship.

[Hectic]

Sure we will continue this conversation after the quarter final then 

Aye that'll do lol.. 

I always thought there was a rule that if you won a championship then you had to move up a level.. Maybe I am wrong.

I am not criticizing - just think that Glenravel could not have got a tougher draw.

[paddyjohn]

Sure we will continue this conversation after the quarter final then 

Aye that'll do lol.. 

I always thought there was a rule that if you won a championship then you had to move up a level.. Maybe I am wrong.

I am not criticizing - just think that Glenravel could not have got a tougher draw.

In fairness they couldn't.

[country bumpkin]

As far as I am aware Antrim do not have a rule governing championship entry and indeed if Cargin, or St Gall's or any first division side elected to play in Intermediate championship no bye law does prohibit their entry.

[DownFanatic]

Is there not rows galore in Antrim with teams effectively deciding what championship they enter?

[stiffler]

My predictions:

Cargin
Dunloy
Sarsfields

[paddyjohn]

My predictions:

Cargin
Dunloy
Sarsfields

Big shout there with Dunloy, could go close if they get the hurlers out.

[Hectic]

Is there not rows galore in Antrim with teams effectively deciding what championship they enter?

No, which suggests there is a rule of some sort. I always thought you could play up but not down.

Or maybe the teams themselves do not take the piss. You see debated here today that in the case of this year anyway it is more a case of teams aiming higher than those going the other way.