Messages

lol yeah i was expecting it to be tougher for the dual clubs now and they wont want group games to be done.

I prefer the knock out system as theres no dead rubber games and theres more intensity to the games.

by the chat ive heard is that we will get some league games played off prior to the championship in both codes.

If that's true and we get some league action then straight knockout is grand. However if there's no league games then group games in all cships before semi finals is a must in my opinion. There won't be dead rubber games as we haven't had any games!!!

I used to take a very strong 'nobody should be paid to manage/coach teams' approach but the reality is that a very large proportion of clubs are paying a coach or manager or both!

Unfortunately in modern society volunteers are becoming fewer and fewer. People enjoy the little free time they have in a week to do their own thing/spend time with family etc. The pace of the modern world has changed and we don't have the luxury of a large pool of volunteers anymore. It doesn't mean I agree with it, its just the way it is in 2020. I can't see this trend changing anytime soon.

Teams are also becoming more demanding in this 'elite' culture we have within the GAA. You have Junior clubs (my own club included) now wanting a full time strength and conditioning coach . Not everyone has those capabilities in house so you have to go out and get/pay someone.

Changed times. I feel old. I am old 

This is just the start of it. We need a complete overhaul in the way fixtures are played in our county. Mindsets need to change because croke park aren't for shifting. 2021 will be packed tight. I don't envy the job of whoever is doing the schedules.

Do you think ultimately they will shift from the hurling one week football the next? With the calendar being condensed will they maybe make it that hurling and football be played same week for example a hurling game tues/ wed and football thurs/fri just seems that something is going to have tk five somewhere along h the line, that'll be a disaster for dual clubs though

I don't know what the solution will be but the way you are thinking there is an example of how the way we think about fixtures will have to change. I agree, the hardest hit will be the dual clubs.

This is just the start of it. We need a complete overhaul in the way fixtures are played in our county. Mindsets need to change because croke park aren't for shifting. 2021 will be packed tight. I don't envy the job of whoever is doing the schedules.

Fair play to county PRO Sean Kelly he is really something else...between twitter Instagram facebook etc he is getting some big viewing numbers. Don't think there could be a better person promoting our games, all for no personal gain. I think he's on year 4 of his term and won't be easily replaced when his time is up. Between Sean and the Saffron Gael team we are truly blessed atm in the promotion of Antrim Gaa.

Completely agree. Fantastic work being done here. We need to bring in the next generation of PRO's now as an understudy to step in and keep it all going.

Championship Predictions, how do you see it going

Cushendall v St Johns - Cushendall by 3
Dunloy v Loughgiel - Dunloy by 4

St Endas v Glenariffe - St Endas by 7
Carey v Sarsfields - Sarsfields by 9

Glenarm v St Paul's - St Paul's  by 4
Rasharkin v Gort Na Mona - Gorts by 5

St Johns by 2
Dunloy by 5

St Endas by 5
Sarsfields by 9

St Pauls by 5
Gorts by 9

We've all missed you SIE 

Just in time for war at the weekend 

i was wondering that myself about the weather and if the pitch can take two games.

Nothing that can be done now as its too close to the time to be moving the game to another venue or day. It is what it will be.

That pitch always seems to be firm enough even in heavy rain but I can imagine it would be very greasy on top.

Bit of extra thought needed for teams in second match regarding warm-up timing etc but nothing they can't handle!

Any news on semi final venues for championship matches?

Reserve Hurling Cup Final
Ruairi Og v Ballycran at Ballycastle on Fri 6th at 8pm. Down lads may book into AirBnB...

thats a joke. no way is that fair venue or time for a match for a team in co down

Are there many floodlit venues in Antrim capable of holding a senior hurling game?

Ballycastle, Ahoghill, Cargin possibly, Randalstown have lights but I don't know if they can play hurling under them.

Friday night games at this time of the year in crucial games is just stupid scheduling. Hurling under the floodlights at the above venues is just about ok but should we be going down that route for cship games. Lads training from late last year, gearing up for that one big cship game and then its on a Friday night at 6:45pm. What are we doing to ourselves??

Weekend Championship predictions

Loughgiel v St Johns - Loughgiel by 5
Dunloy v Cushendall - Dunloy by 3
Ballycastle v Rossa - hard to judge with Rossa leading by 14 and not needing to win. Will say Ballycastle by 3
Cushendun v Sarsfields - Sarsfields by 10 plus
Ahoghill v St Endas - St Endas by 7

Let's see other predictions

Agree with most apart from:

Ballycastle v Rossa. I think Ballycastle have left too much to do here and Rossa should get over the line.
Ahoghill v St Endas. This could be the game of the weekend and think it will be tighter than 7 points. But yes St. Endas to win by 2 or 3.

Haven't read them, then what happens to Kerry if Antrim are in it?

They are probably awarded the cup without playing a match.

They will get heavily fined for not turning up to play the final 

Top of division two looks to be getting interesting with sarsfields beat and st endas beating Creggan.

I think a few of the teams that got beat last night will take the defeats ok as not too many want to go up 

If you look at underage leagues though there are a load of games where teams are not fielding. How would more games help that? I think it's deeper than just the more games thing.

Yes, there are many different strands to this issue. This might relate back to MR2's point about too many clubs in Belfast. Or maybe the way the fixtures were scheduled in the first place. A minefield

We all have various 'tweaks' to current systems to improve the situation for young men/ladies in either code. Here's what i'm thinking for u16 & minor:

Trying to keep these high level:
1. Organise our fixtures to accommodate the exam timetable.
2. Increase the number of games dramatically.
3. Schedule these fixtures in a logistically sensible way (i.e Belfast teams can play each other mid week/friday night. NA would do the same. NA vs Belfast games must be a sat/sun).

If we could tick these boxes it would be a great start.