Antrim Football Thread

[paddyjohn]

County board deleting negative comments again on Facebook about the choice of venue for the semi final.

[rogercasement]

Plus great to see a bit of fight from our lads. No backing down in the second half.

[bannside]

Exactly RC. We weren't great today, did enough. Look we get another day out, LD were along way off the team that we know better than most. Aghagallon very impressive yesterday, emphatic victory against a team that beat us comfortably a few weeks ago. 50/50 game, great for two ambitious clubs to be in that position. Of course all eyes will be on the other semi final, sure that's alright.

[bannside]

Just read Saffron Gael match report of St Johns game. I grew up in awe of the Johnnie's, was it 9 in a row they done too. Am I right in seeing they only scored two points from play yesterday. What the heck is going on in the city of Belfast atm? Antrim needs you to be strong, youre going in the complete opposite direction. And it gives me no pleasure in saying that.

8 parishes still involved in our championship season at all grades...all 8 from SW clubs.

Belfast you need to really take a good look at yourselves. The state of you atm is nothing short of a disgrace. Come on...you're better than that!

[Rodger Mona]

Bannside id save that battle cry for your lads v aghagallon. let the city men worry about themselves.

And surely Casements wouldnt have the brass neck to try and get a 2nd red in two games overturned?

[JimStynes]

Bannside od save that battle cry for your lads v aghagallon. let the city men worry about themselves.

And surely Casements wouldnt have the brass neck to try and get a 2nd red in two games overturned?

It'll be overturned surely. If it's not they've still got plenty of strength and depth. They had a couple of cracking players on the bench yesterday. It's bonus territory for Aghagallon now and we are massive underdogs going into this match but we will give it a go. Whatever happens I can't see Cargin being beaten. They'll have an eye on Ulster. Our neighbours Clann Eireann are playing a weak enough Cross team in the Armagh final and Cargin will fancy themselves in that.

[Dunsilly King]

Delighted with the result yesterday, we were the better team and had we had our shooting boots we would have been in total control in the first half. Our weakness in not having a reliable free taker came to bite us again. St Johns kickouts were brainless. What was their manger at first half with that strategy, much more varied second half. Jamie Mc Cann was massive for us, as was Eunan Mc Ateer to. We looked really solid in defence. All credit to St Johns for making a real fight of it. We shouldn't have needed our keeper to make the save in the last couple of minutes, we didn't attack and finish off the game on repeated turnovers, instead of trying to recycle and keep the ball. Great result but will need more need weekend.

Just read Saffron Gael match report of St Johns game. I grew up in awe of the Johnnie's, was it 9 in a row they done too. Am I right in seeing they only scored two points from play yesterday. What the heck is going on in the city of Belfast atm? Antrim needs you to be strong, youre going in the complete opposite direction. And it gives me no pleasure in saying that.

8 parishes still involved in our championship season at all grades...all 8 from SW clubs.

Belfast you need to really take a good look at yourselves. The state of you atm is nothing short of a disgrace. Come on...you're better than that!

Thats rich, coming from a man who has bad mouthed the Casements manager up and down the past eight weeks to anyone you could get talking to. Obviously he still has the changing room after yesterdays result.

[Christmas Lights]

Football in Belfast is dead.  All city teams out of all competitions without a whimper.  The country boys ruling the roost now and for years to come.  Belfast is a long long way behind, the teams like LD, St Galls, St Johns are even failing massively at youth level, in recent years some of those clubs havent even fielding minor teams for goodness sake.  Sure they are the money men but St Bridgets seem to be the only Belfast club along maybe with St Enda's & St Pauls to an extent who seem to be making any strides at youth level.

I would question Antrim county board though, the fixture scheduling of youth football is nothing short of a disgrace, there is such a lack of game no wonder your losing players to soccer, rugby and other sports who are able to offer players maybe 20 or so matches a season.  Its all about playing matches and thats where Antrim gets it so so wrong, it doesn't happen in Down, Tyrone, Derry, Donegal etc.....It seems hurling takes priority in Antrim over the football from the outside looking in. 

[JimStynes]

All joking and slagging aside. It is worrying for Belfast GAA but it's definitely not dead. I'm sure those traditional clubs will be back at some stage. St. Brigid's look like they'll become the new show in town in a few years time, Rossa have some decent talent but seem more into the hurling and St Paul's have a couple of good underage teams. The size and population in some of those areas and some teams literally can't find 20 lads to play minor. I can't understand it at all. There are some years when there is just a low number of lads born at that age group but in the city that excuse doesn't exist. Are they playing different sports or is it just young lads in the city aren't interested and have too many other distractions? I know the usual ones will come on and say about county titles etc in the city. But those county titles aren't what I'm talking about. There needs to be 5 or 6 Belfast teams competing each year for all the titles. Not just one team who have a mixture of boys from different clubs playing for them. A really strong competitive GAA competition is needed at all ages.

GAA is going well in the countryside at the minute but it's definitely not all good in every club either. The clubs that are putting in the work are the ones that are producing good teams. Simple as that.

[themac_23]

Football in Belfast is dead.  All city teams out of all competitions without a whimper.  The country boys ruling the roost now and for years to come.  Belfast is a long long way behind, the teams like LD, St Galls, St Johns are even failing massively at youth level, in recent years some of those clubs havent even fielding minor teams for goodness sake.  Sure they are the money men but St Bridgets seem to be the only Belfast club along maybe with St Enda's & St Pauls to an extent who seem to be making any strides at youth level.

I would question Antrim county board though, the fixture scheduling of youth football is nothing short of a disgrace, there is such a lack of game no wonder your losing players to soccer, rugby and other sports who are able to offer players maybe 20 or so matches a season.  Its all about playing matches and thats where Antrim gets it so so wrong, it doesn't happen in Down, Tyrone, Derry, Donegal etc.....It seems hurling takes priority in Antrim over the football from the outside looking in.

Such bullsh*t, football in Belfast is fine, let's look at the list of div 1 clubs and you tell me which clubs should be criticised? Tell ya what it shouldn't be any of the Belfast clubs because really bar st bridgets(who in fairness have started hurling) all have been competing in hurling and football this year, with the short condensed season a lot of players have been run into the ground playing both. How bout we talk about clubs who don't bother giving hurling any thought? Cargin, portglenone aggagallon? 3 of the 4 semi finalists have no hurling, maybe that's the over riding factor? Massive fair play to Creggan who got to the IHC final and now SFC semi final.

Massive over reaction to not having a Belfast team in the last 4 but these things happen, it's an insult to a lot of clubs and a lot of people saying football in Belfast is dead.

[imtommygunn]

St Pauls were unlucky not to win the u17 and st brigids won the u15. I expect st pauls to come again.

Tbh I am disappointed that LD didn't push on from winning the ulster minor. You'd have thought there were  few seniors in them. St Johns still aren't that bad either.

Same as anything these things come in cycles though it does look like Cargin will dominate for a while.

[EOC1923]

Football in Belfast is dead.  All city teams out of all competitions without a whimper.  The country boys ruling the roost now and for years to come.  Belfast is a long long way behind, the teams like LD, St Galls, St Johns are even failing massively at youth level, in recent years some of those clubs havent even fielding minor teams for goodness sake.  Sure they are the money men but St Bridgets seem to be the only Belfast club along maybe with St Enda's & St Pauls to an extent who seem to be making any strides at youth level.

I would question Antrim county board though, the fixture scheduling of youth football is nothing short of a disgrace, there is such a lack of game no wonder your losing players to soccer, rugby and other sports who are able to offer players maybe 20 or so matches a season.  Its all about playing matches and thats where Antrim gets it so so wrong, it doesn't happen in Down, Tyrone, Derry, Donegal etc.....It seems hurling takes priority in Antrim over the football from the outside looking in.

Such bullsh*t, football in Belfast is fine, let's look at the list of div 1 clubs and you tell me which clubs should be criticised? Tell ya what it shouldn't be any of the Belfast clubs because really bar st bridgets(who in fairness have started hurling) all have been competing in hurling and football this year, with the short condensed season a lot of players have been run into the ground playing both. How bout we talk about clubs who don't bother giving hurling any thought? Cargin, portglenone aggagallon? 3 of the 4 semi finalists have no hurling, maybe that's the over riding factor? Massive fair play to Creggan who got to the IHC final and now SFC semi final.

Massive over reaction to not having a Belfast team in the last 4 but these things happen, it's an insult to a lot of clubs and a lot of people saying football in Belfast is dead.

Why would we give hurling any thought lol

[bannside]

Yes DK, Casements management have got their dressing room intact again, made some good calls yesterday that worked well, and mood in the camp is definitely a bit better. There was a ropey spell (it happens) but between management and players they seem to have worked their way through it, credit where it's due.

[Rodger Mona]

The numbers in the city isnt neccessarily an advantage. Its the community that binds a club together and thats where i think the differences are laying in antrim at the moment.

It was no coincidence that during the troubles St.Johns, St.Pauls, Rossa, St.Galls, LD etc.. were all tight knit clubs/teams with the outside factors they faced on a daily basis playing a part in geling them lads together. Them teams had all lads with family connections to the club, their social clubs were a hub for the community and you usually played for the club whos area you were from. The modern version of this in what we are seeing today is the city teams have players scattered all around the city who have no comings and goings with each other outside of GAA.

Country teams have usually 4 or 5 family connections in each team from underage up to senior, as well as primary schools where each school in a town/village is prodominantly filled with the local clubs players. All this adds to the culture of a club which is slowly slipping away from City teams. However we have seen from St.Galls and Brigids more recently, that all that can be papered over by getting palyers in from other clubs and making a good senior team!

[Belfast GAA man]

the lack of hurling in SW is an advantage for the football clubs there - do no lads want to hurl in Toome / PG1 / Agha??
Belfast needs a turbo charged Gaelfast at primary & secondary schools but its moving very slowl