Antrim Football Thread

Started by theskull1, November 09, 2006, 11:48:40 PM

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CSC

Slim
I'll conceed to you then.
Is he def starting. How close is Darrell Marting to making the first 15.

The Real SlimShady

cant be too far away, he played right up until the last couple of games! never know what could happen though.

ONeill

Interesting article on the St Galls website:

The State We're In

St Patrick's Day, 2006. As hordes of supporters of Cumann Naomh Gall travelled to Dublin and Croke Park to cheer on the senior football team in the All-Ireland Club Final there was great hope that a unique page of history would be recorded in the annals of our club. And there was great hope in the county also and many messages of encouragement from throughout the country and abroad. Alas the ultimate prize, for which our footballers and many others had worked so hard, eluded us but we all still felt a great pride in being associated with the name of Cumann Naomh Gall and the passion shown by our members has probably never been greater.

And the senior hurling team reaching a first All-County Championship Semi-Final in fifty years also raised our passions and stirred our pride.

2007. Where are we at now? There can be no disguising the fact that we are now a club in disarray. We have lost our chairman, we have members who have fallen out and others have taken sides, we have members pulling against each other and no doubt some behind the scenes stirring the pot, we have excellent players who refuse to play for certain managers and we seem to have left the strengths of our football behind somewhere. And let's not forget the small matter of our financial problems, and with dirty and dated clubrooms no immediate prospect of addressing them.

So how in the name of God have we gone from the highs of an All-Ireland final to where we are today and how can we deal with our problems in a mature and constructive way for the good of our club? Because if we're really interested in Cumann Naomh Gall that's what it's all about. It isn't about you and I, Liam Stewart or Gary Sheehan, Paul Duffin or Kevin McGourty or anyone else individually but rather us all collectively. Collectively we are Cumann Naomh Gall, it's not the clubrooms or the pitches, it's the group of people we are who have a passion for our club and want it to be successful.

How are we in this mess today? Well ask different people and you will receive different answers. But while knowing when or how our problems started is not unimportant it is more important that we resolve them. To do that we have to have a starting point and the obvious starting point is that we all want what is best for our club. And it is essential that we all remember that, if we genuinely want to move this club forward. That is the goal we are all striving for. No one person or group of people has all the answers or the tools to rectify our situation. We need to get away from petty squabbles and jealousies and thinking if things aren't done our way they shouldn't be done at all. We need to get away from the backbiting and personalising of issues at the bar, in the changing rooms and on this website when something goes wrong. We need to become more encouraging towards each other and not aloof. Offer assistance not destructive criticism, deal with each other on the same level, not look down on others as less capable. We need to be accepting of members' capabilities and be positive towards what they offer our club, be it small or great.

There is more than one or two people apart from the committee trying to get the club back on the right tracks although more are always needed but no person or group should feel elitist.

But there seems to be those at work in the club who undermine good work that they do by sniping at others because they are responsible for certain positions or because they choose to do things a certain way. This negative and destructive attitude needs to stop. People talking in whispers and backbiting will only increase divisions and ultimately be counter productive. Indeed sometimes it has to be asked if certain people are working to their own agenda or the club's.

If we pay heed to what is going wrong in Cumann Naomh Gall we can address problems as they arise but we can't sit back and expect a committee that is overworked and pulled out all the stops to get our club to an All-Ireland final to do all the work.

For the last three or so years the club treasurer was very explicit in pointing out where the club was going financially. Whether something could have been done before now is not as important as trying to sort out the debts today. And some people are trying to do that. So if someone has been off their arse for weeks organising a quality fundraising night to benefit our members the least our members can do is get off their own arses for just one night and support it and contribute to the club.

And everyone needs to contribute to the fundraising not just the few so if you're part of a group or a team and you've something planned but for some reason it can't go ahead then come with another idea and just get on with it.

Of course everything is not doom and gloom. There are positives in our club and it's the positives which need built on. But there are areas which need addressed although as a club we can only address issues with some type of unity of purpose and mindset. One important point to remember is that when someone takes on a responsibility, no matter how great or small, they're usually the only person who has accepted to do the work that goes with that responsibility so we should all seek to be encouraging rather than to put down anyone's efforts.

There has been a lot of upheaval in the club and faces are changing. People have done more than their stint and are entitled to enjoy 'retirement' if they so choose. We are all indebted to them but the best tribute we could pay them is to take up the mantle and build upon their successes.

We wont achieve that if we have a senior hurling team feeling victimised or a senior football team aloof from the rest of the club, or a juvenile set up under-resourced or the handballers feeling second class or any other group or part of the club feeling uncomfortable.

And we also must remember that the committee is the only elected authority in the club and ultimate responsibility and accountability rests with those people. We have to acknowledge, that while they don't get everything right, the effort they put in to make the club a success. And they deserve our support.

So let's start anew. Put all the shite behind us, acknowledge each other's contributions, stop the backbiting and be supportive towards each other and move this club on.

Let's make the clubrooms financially viable again but let us also get back to enhancing our underage structures in both hurling and football as well as for the ladies so that we are once again competitive in all codes and challenging for trophies at all levels. After all isn't this what Cumann Naomh Gall is really all about? Let's get a working group identifying and addressing problems with underage hurling, seek to have our handballers better integrated into the club, lets utilise even more throughout the club the undoubted expertise of our senior footballers and let us recognise the talents and contributions of all. Too much to ask?

Well let's set the target high and strive for it.


I wanna have my kicks before the whole shithouse goes up in flames.

johnjoe

Seems like one or two key members have retired. Men like Vincent Ward wont be easily replaced, but no one can go on forever.

the spirit of St Galls should be strong enough to bounce back again. Good luck to them.

Its ironic though that so much intense, and financial effort was put into winning the all - ireland club title, that the "energy" has been sapped out of the club. Antrim football needs a strong St Galls.  In sure they wouldnt fancy this article going onto a bigger medium though, and would prefer to sort out their own problems internally. Show them enough respect to let them do that.

ThatsTheFootball

what peoples reaction to the antrim team for sunday


1. Sean McGreevey - Naomh Pól
2. Tony Scullion - Clann na hÉireann
3. Paul Doherty - Naomh Mhuire
4. Kevin O'Boyle - Clann na hÉireann
5. Sean McVeigh - Naomh Uile
6. Gavin Bell - Ui Dhonnabhain Rosa
7. Justin Crozier - Clann na hÉireann
8. Michael McCann - Clann na hÉireann
9. Joe Quinn - Naomh Pól
10. Aodhan Gallagher - Naomh Gall
11. Kevin Niblock - Naomh Gall
12. James Loughery - Naomh Brid
13. Conor McGourty - Naomh Gall
14. Kevin Brady - Naomh Ergnat
15. Patrick Cunningham - Lámh Dhearg

16. Chris Kerr - Naomh Gall
17. Ciaran Close - Clann na hÉireann
18. Eoin O'Neill - Clann na hÉireann
19. Darrel Martin - Chiceann
20. Tomas Close - Clann na hÉireann
21. Paul Close - Ui Dhonnabhain Rosa
22. Michael Rea - Naomh Seosamh
23. Colin Brady - Naomh Gall
24. Conor McGoldrick - Naomh Treasa
25. Patrick Logan - Naomh Uile
26. Liam Gartland - Naomh Pól
27. John Finnucane - Lámh Dhearg


it'll prob not line out like this but i have serious concerns about where the scores r goin to come from. if derry keep the frees down to a minimum i cant see antrim getting more than 3/4 points from play.
brady wont get u many scores. despite all the hype about cunningham he is very markable from open play altho lethal from dead balls. dont no enough about mcgourty at this level to know if he will make an impact. and the half forward isn't going to get many scores. i would have started close he has much more pace than the other two corner forwards to get out in front and take a man on to draw frees.

what do people think?

stiffler

Any word on who will be captain?
GAABoard Fantasy Cheltenham Competition- Most winners 2009

johnjoe

Definitely Close should be starting. You know what your getting from him. CJ hit or miss, too many off days recently.

Kevin O Boyle in the c`ship last year, Yyan Scott v Derry u 21, when CJ was shite, Gort Naona corner back in last weeks Antrim u -21 final, and pure crap v Donegal in last years Ulster c`ship minor final.

Sorry, but thats 4 out of the last 5 times I seen him play, and that dosent spell consistency to me.

Close a far safer bet. (Love to be proved badly wrong, but wont be!)

On the captain, I`d say Brady or Beller ,or Mick, or big Joe. Does it really matter?

The Real SlimShady

I think Clos will still be captain, lead the team out and take the toss etc. its hardly worth the hassle of picking another one.

if there was to be another captain, I'd choose Sean McGreevey.

Maximus Marillius

Slighly embarrassing for Close...what say ye Slim...if you are the real slim shady(ye have been to polite for the real slim me thinks)

EannaAbu

i think the saffrons have lined out with a lot of strength at the back, loughry and gallagher will also pack the midfield, will relying a lot on frees though, kick outs will tagert mcveigh an ddoherty on either flank, we could get a bit of joy winning ball there, am glad to see some new faces getting a chance, nothing to loose

The Real SlimShady

expect a 2 man full forward line with Brady playing in Loughreys position.

Crozier will be playing Centre Half Back, not wing half as stated.

Kickouts will be targetting McVeigh?!?!?! have you seen McGreevey kick a ball? They'll be targetting Mick McCann in the middle of the park and Gallagher at RHF.

ONeill

Quote from: johnjoe on May 31, 2007, 12:20:11 PM
  In sure they wouldnt fancy this article going onto a bigger medium though, and would prefer to sort out their own problems internally. Show them enough respect to let them do that.

Away a that. This piece is an inspirational step that deserves the publicity the author has given it. Too many clubs in all counties, but a real killer in Antrim, suffer from fatal internal bickering. Any problems they are suffering are happening sometimes tenfold at others. However, too often, nothing is done about it. St Galls is Antrim's flagship club and no wonder when you have members willing to post the above.
I wanna have my kicks before the whole shithouse goes up in flames.

CiKe

excellent thoughtful piece. terrible shame the divisions in the club, every club has them but in the eyars i was playing they seemed to be kept to a minimum. have lost touch since moving abroad a few years abck but obviously things have deteriorated. good luck to htem, I hope they get things back on track.

re the game and the forwards. Has CJ bulked up at all? Without being slow, he was never lightning quick so I'd have thought a tenacious corner back would have him in his pocket - particularly given his propensity to start whinging and stop playing football. good luck to all the Galls boys and the rest of the team, it would be a great scalp

Queenie

Message for the Real Slim Shady, a serious rumour is gathering about the Dunloy v Cargin game, you will know what i mean slim, is there any truth in it! I hear it was deserved - bad crack to put a person in!
Are you a missionary or a mercenary?  Remember, tallk is cheap!

Glensman

Go on Queenie...expand on what you mean.

If there is a rumour is can be confirmed on dispelled on this board.