Antrim Football Thread

[Milltown Row2]

The gap between lower tier hurling began when the back door was introduced, it allowed the bigger teams a second bite of the cherry and when the element of surprise goes it becomes harder to win.

Antrim failed to keep up with the other main counties at the time and gap widened, Dinny broke the mould for a period and in some occasions we were very unlucky, Tipp Wexford bring the notable games..

The introduction of the tiered system I feel has lifted our standard and our mentality has changed, we've accepted that we are a second tier team, but have plans to move up. The skills are there, and Gleason isn't stupid, he's seen that there's lads willing to buy in to his vision, Neil has a huge job and let's hope that position bears fruit at all levels..

As for underage we've never really competed, we ain't in our own

Counties that I feel hurling has taken over the big ball game is growing.

Carlow, Laois, Offaly, Westmeath. These are four counties that have beaten Antrim and football was their main sport. Kerry have made huge strides and really should be competing in the Munster championship.

Limerick, Galway, Tipp, Kilkenny, Waterford, Cork, Wexford, Clare and Dublin on their day can beat each other. Bar Dublin (Who for years we beat handy enough) hurling is the top sport, five Munster 3 from Leinster 1 Connaught.

There are 8 teams competing for Liam, 2 at the minute seem head and shoulders above the rest, that'll change.

Progressive teams coming up a division will develop further. Why the Sam Maguire has 33 teams trying to win it is beyond me, why football people can't see that is even more baffling. If someone can give me a decent sustainable reason why we enter a competition that we are 28th in and expect to win I'll listen, I doubt Bannside could find me an answer to that one.

[NAG1]

My original point still stands.

The seeds of this current structure (which is not perfect btw) were started by a group of committed people. This was way before any DOH was mentioned.

My question was why can a similar group of people get together for the promotion of football in the county and look at what they can do to develop it. Once this is in place I am sure the investment and backing would follow.

Could it be dare I say that all those committed football people (with the means) are already being tapped by clubs to pay for 'managers', therefore there is no excess to provide for anything above this.

I think this has to be the first step before a DOF, because if you have a DOF prior to this type of movement what are they working with?

[bannside]

Im all for a two tiered system in football MR. I'd have a top 8 competition (as its there already and is working well) and then a comperition with the other 24/26 involved.

The second tier competition needs properly marketed and resourced so thats its a really big honour to win it. It cant feel like a second class competition.

Some kind of promotion and relegation as well so that even counties in the top tier would keep gping until the end to stave off the prospect of relegation.

In league terms we are tier 4, so we cant think playing in a two tier system is in any way beneath us.

[Milltown Row2]

Im all for a two tiered system in football MR. I'd have a top 8 competition (as its there already and is working well) and then a comperition with the other 24/26 involved.

The second tier competition needs properly marketed and resourced so thats its a really big honour to win it. It cant feel like a second class competition.

Some kind of promotion and relegation as well so that even counties in the top tier would keep gping until the end to stave off the prospect of relegation.

In league terms we are tier 4, so we cant think playing in a two tier system is in any way beneath us.

That mindset of thinking we are above our station is killing us, if we are tier four Level we should win a tier four competition before moving up, win the third tier competition and move up again, once you are competing and winning these levels you'll earn the right to play with the big boys..

We can't match the big boys at the minute so Croke needs to adapt, the hurlers took their medicine without any complaints and have embraced it, why can't the footballers?

[bannside]

Nag I wouldnt disagree with anything you are saying. Football dosent NEED a DOF, but a sub group primed to make some basic recomendations that could take it to the next level. I can think of dozens of people with the know how and interest to take this on if they were approached. The bigger plan and the structure to lead that could as you say Nag, evolve in the second phase.

We dont need yet another full blown talking shop with everybody lining up to highlight the usual problems, but struggle to provide any solutions.

As Nag says, a few good hurling people got together to see what hhey could do after a few disappointing seasons. The DOH thing evolved from that.

This can be as KISS as it needs to be, but needs to happen ASAP.

[Belfast GAA man]

how any COunty board can have a director of hurling and not a director of football is beyond me in the era of equality.......

[Milltown Row2]

how any COunty board can have a director of hurling and not a director of football is beyond me in the era of equality.......

So how did this come about? I'd be interested in knowing

[Na Glinntí Glasa]

The restructuring of the hurling championship did play a massive part in how the Counties were forced to do the same. Antrim had to adapt to try and get to a higher level.

As MR says, Antrim did to an extend compete with Wexford, Tipp etc but fell short and in the forth coming years fall away off. We went to a level
(or results and performances dictated it) that we were able to compete at. Simply put we just weren't good enough to compete at a higher level. Antrim were at the level they deserved to be.

We were a division 2 side - not 1a or 1b - and we struggled at times at that level for a lot of years. The Christy Ring cup was the level again we were at and we struggled for a few years through that. But progress has been made.

Darren Gleeson has come in, Liam Sheedy has come in to help as well from time to time -  both All Ireland winners with Tipperary - quality assets. Antrim got a good management team of great former hurlers like Jim Close, Gary O'Kane, Johnny Campbell, Karl McKeegan etc. All those lads have won championships, all Ireland club titles, played in All Ireland semi finals and finals, and represented Antrim for years between them.

They have brought in the best hurlers from every club, no matter what level they are playing at, and gelled a good team together.

Yes there has been plenty of downs in that time but they have bounced back from them all. They seem to have learned and adapted.

I don't see any sort of improvement in our football fortunes this past years. We seem to be doing the same bloody thing year after year. We think we should be out of Div 4 - we don't get out of it. We enter the Ulster championship and get one game and then move to the qualifiers and if we are lucky get two more games. After its all over we then bemoan our fortunes and how things need to change.

Rinse and repeat for the following year.

Its depressing and its why there's very little appetite for football in the County. It has to change from top to bottom.

It may be on a lower level but within our club we have a hurling, football and camogie development committee with like minded folk in all of them. Their sole aims is to improve and promote the codes within the club and look to see how they can make it better all the time, address problems and find solutions to it. If we can do that on a club level surely it can be done at county level.

[Na Glinntí Glasa]

Im all for a two tiered system in football MR. I'd have a top 8 competition (as its there already and is working well) and then a comperition with the other 24/26 involved.

The second tier competition needs properly marketed and resourced so thats its a really big honour to win it. It cant feel like a second class competition.

Some kind of promotion and relegation as well so that even counties in the top tier would keep gping until the end to stave off the prospect of relegation.

In league terms we are tier 4, so we cant think playing in a two tier system is in any way beneath us.

Thats the problem BS, it wont be marketed or covered well. We have seen the hurling and what way they have done wiht it but the reality is that no one cares about watching Louth v Leitrim in the hurling, much the same as they dont care about antrim v leitrim in the football. its of no interest whereas the top games like Dublin v Kerry and Tipp v Kilkenny are.

But getting on tv is the least of our concerns at the moment and a two/three tier system in football is needed to give us more competitive games at a level we can improve at and try to step up to each time.

[imtommygunn]

While the Joe McDonagh isn't televised particularly well it's a fantastic tournament which will bring all the teams on.

I think to MR's point he could be right(heaven forbid). I honestly thought part of our drifting for a few years in the hurling was because we were far too good for the christy ring but nowhere near good enough for the liam mccarthy so one year we were hammering everyone to the next year we were getting hammered. The competitions weren't leveled right at all. The Joe MCDonagh has been great for Laois, Carlow, Westmeath and Antrim. In football arguably if you had two competitions we would fall into the camp of not being good enough to be competitive (draw dependent) but if you had four then we would be in with a shout. Yes that will mean the matches are against teams who won't be deemed to be glamorous fixtures but then we wouldn't be either so couldn't complain about that.

Anyway while we are in the ulster championship hopefully we have at least a chance against Cavan. They would be strong favourites but I'd rather we played them than Monaghan as experience wise / conditioning wise etc they're not quite as good as Monaghan and Monaghan tbh need to take a long hard look at themselves for why they didn't beat Cavan as they just sat back when they could have put up a bit of a winning margin and then when they went forward it was too late.

[Na Glinntí Glasa]

The JMcD cup has been a fantastic competitive group for Antrim and the teams around them. As you say IMG the likes of Laois and Carlow have stepped up and been able to hold their own (whilst maybe not winning all the time) and its shown them where they need to be.

Antrim have gotten really good games v Westmeath, Carlow, Offaly, Laois, Kerry over the last few years where some of the teams have progressed into the Liam McCarthy Cup.

If we ever want to stay there we need to maintain standards and keep working.

[imtommygunn]

Yeah I do think the christy ring before the JMcD didn't really work and there's a lesson in there for the football community.

Anyway turning big game weekend into hurling talk lol.

[bannside]

Indeed ITG. Big match ahead tomorrow evening and its all about pride restoration. The players let Lenny down badly against Wicklow, and got a result against Waterford, albeit it was a bit of a dead rubber for them. Nevertheless a win is a win.

Our lads have nothing to lose tomorrow, just go out for over an hour and give it 100% of everything you have. Its 20 v 20 and lets hang in as long as possible to put doubts in their head, and maybe with good fortune we can get over the line. Stranger things have happened, and for the work Lenny and co have put in they deserve a break.

[bannside]

DR, the Cuchullian model is perfect. Three codes, own centre of excellence and facilities. Theres a passion in Dunloy for Gaelic games that is up there with the best parishes in the land. No wonder you have a strong conveyor belt of talent coming through.

[bannside]

The Antrim Gaa strategic report for 2020 - 2022, (page 9 - first paragraph) lays down the recomendation for directors of Hurling and Football. Its on our county website for all to see. The action was to be completed in 2020, so we should not despair. Hopefully the topic will go to the higher end of the priority list when normal county business resumes.