Antrim Football Thread

[cca]

Is there such a thing as sw b juvenile leagues? there's a shield... Do some leagues split?

Portglenone would generally have as big a pick as a lot of other clubs in the sw would they not? Ahoghill wouldn't mind you. Ahoghill are very much backboned by a few families. I think it is similar for other small country clubs mind... Revolves round a few families so the fortunes of the senior team depends on where those families are agewise.

Flanker you're right that Fergal Rafferty didn't join Lavey as a juvenile; he played for Ahoghill seniors - too briefly - before transferring; as did his younger brother Gearoid who later transferred to Glenullin.

None of the Raffertys were playing when Ahoghill beat Portglenone in the 1992 JFC final.

[country bumpkin]

I see in Martin Brehenys annual ratings Antrim are 27th for 2017. Fitzy and Adams must be disappointed in this, and Lennys challenge at the end of his tenure must be to see if he can get us out of the twenty somethings. Hopefully he can, someone needs to drive us out of this mediocrity.

So our current ranking is the fault of Fitzy and Gearoid BS......no blame attached to the players.......

[Flanker]

Is there such a thing as sw b juvenile leagues? there's a shield... Do some leagues split?

Portglenone would generally have as big a pick as a lot of other clubs in the sw would they not? Ahoghill wouldn't mind you. Ahoghill are very much backboned by a few families. I think it is similar for other small country clubs mind... Revolves round a few families so the fortunes of the senior team depends on where those families are agewise.

Flanker you're right that Fergal Rafferty didn't join Lavey as a juvenile; he played for Ahoghill seniors - too briefly - before transferring; as did his younger brother Gearoid who later transferred to Glenullin.

None of the Raffertys were playing when Ahoghill beat Portglenone in the 1992 JFC final.

CCA did Ahoghill get beat in a final mid 80's  PG1 won SW JFC in 85   I think he played in one around that time   Could have been against someone else though

[bannside]

Read my post again CB. Adams and Fitzy will be disappointed with 27th. That's all I said. And they will be make no mistake about that. It's a very poor return and 27th does not represent progress. A look at the 2011 rankings and Antrim were 17th.

If Lenny can't get us out of the twenties he will be personally disappointed. Otherwise whats the point in stepping up if you don't think you can effect change for the better. For the record I think he will have a proper rattle at doing so.

[imtommygunn]

Those ratings are nonsense though. Do you think he has been to any of our games? It is a lottery down round the 20s where you get to.

[Milltown Row2]

I see in Martin Brehenys annual ratings Antrim are 27th for 2017. Fitzy and Adams must be disappointed in this, and Lennys challenge at the end of his tenure must be to see if he can get us out of the twenty somethings. Hopefully he can, someone needs to drive us out of this mediocrity.

So our current ranking is the fault of Fitzy and Gearoid BS......no blame attached to the players.......

I'll hold on to this post for a while, see how the season fairs

[Spike]

Read my post again CB. Adams and Fitzy will be disappointed with 27th. That's all I said. And they will be make no mistake about that. It's a very poor return and 27th does not represent progress. A look at the 2011 rankings and Antrim were 17th.

If Lenny can't get us out of the twenties he will be personally disappointed. Otherwise whats the point in stepping up if you don't think you can effect change for the better. For the record I think he will have a proper rattle at doing so.

Anyone, and I repeat anyone could / should improve the Antrim rankings, so for Lenny the only way is, hopefully, up.

[Belfast GAA man]

Read my post again CB. Adams and Fitzy will be disappointed with 27th. That's all I said. And they will be make no mistake about that. It's a very poor return and 27th does not represent progress. A look at the 2011 rankings and Antrim were 17th.

If Lenny can't get us out of the twenties he will be personally disappointed. Otherwise whats the point in stepping up if you don't think you can effect change for the better. For the record I think he will have a proper rattle at doing so.

Anyone know if the squad is training at better facilities this year or is the Business Forum money being used in some way to benefit the squad's preparations?


Anyone, and I repeat anyone could / should improve the Antrim rankings, so for Lenny the only way is, hopefully, up.

[Flanker]

Read my post again CB. Adams and Fitzy will be disappointed with 27th. That's all I said. And they will be make no mistake about that. It's a very poor return and 27th does not represent progress. A look at the 2011 rankings and Antrim were 17th.

If Lenny can't get us out of the twenties he will be personally disappointed. Otherwise whats the point in stepping up if you don't think you can effect change for the better. For the record I think he will have a proper rattle at doing so.

Anyone, and I repeat anyone could / should improve the Antrim rankings, so for Lenny the only way is, hopefully, up.

That's a big statement did our last 4 managers not all leave us in Div 4 which would give at best a ranking of 25 when they finished or were shown the door ..... Realise some got improvement during there time but did any of the last 4 leave us in a better position than when they started..... Not that simple

[bannside]

I understand that Brehenys rating system is not an exact science, but it's consistent in that whatever barometer he uses it is the way we are viewed as a county by an independent arbitrator.

If he uses the same barometer that shows us in the top twenty by the time Lenny is finished then we should all agree that Lenny would have made progress. (By the way for the record I think he will). By the same token previous regimes (management/player/board) have failed miserably to make any noticeable progress...outside of Baker in his first year which illustrates that we do/did have players with the right qualities.

[Spike]

Read my post again CB. Adams and Fitzy will be disappointed with 27th. That's all I said. And they will be make no mistake about that. It's a very poor return and 27th does not represent progress. A look at the 2011 rankings and Antrim were 17th.

If Lenny can't get us out of the twenties he will be personally disappointed. Otherwise whats the point in stepping up if you don't think you can effect change for the better. For the record I think he will have a proper rattle at doing so.

Anyone, and I repeat anyone could / should improve the Antrim rankings, so for Lenny the only way is, hopefully, up.

That's a big statement did our last 4 managers not all leave us in Div 4 which would give at best a ranking of 25 when they finished or were shown the door ..... Realise some got improvement during there time but did any of the last 4 leave us in a better position than when they started..... Not that simple

I don't think it is a big statement. Some of things that happened last time out were simply unfathomable. Its been well documented on this site as to us following the same management formula and somehow expecting different results so wont regurgitate that argument but if Lenny has anything about him at all he will improve the rankings.  Whilst The Baker was no Mickey Harte, he was one of the few shining management lights (in Antrim Terms) in 50 years of dross. Only way is up.....even with Lenny.

[BrendanAntrim]

I understand that Brehenys rating system is not an exact science, but it's consistent in that whatever barometer he uses it is the way we are viewed as a county by an independent arbitrator.

If he uses the same barometer that shows us in the top twenty by the time Lenny is finished then we should all agree that Lenny would have made progress. (By the way for the record I think he will). By the same token previous regimes (management/player/board) have failed miserably to make any noticeable progress...outside of Baker in his first year which illustrates that we do/did have players with the right qualities.

To be fair Baker's second year was a success too. Beaten by Tyrone and then possibly the most heartening performance of the era, a draw away to Kildare before they beat us well in the replay. Got promoted to Div 2 that year too.

[bannside]

And who could ever forget Deaghlan O Hagans winning point in the last minute against Galway. Seems like a lifetime ago!

[country bumpkin]

Of course Lenny H is a very capable manager and arrives with a splendid CV, but the question remains as to the strength and depth at his disposal.
Or indeed will he be provided with full support in the provision of essentials for his charges...?
Hard to forget the goings on last term when our senior football management were forced to raise funds to provide such or being furnished with bills for unauthorised usage of shower caps...

[BrendanAntrim]

And who could ever forget Deaghlan O Hagans winning point in the last minute against Galway. Seems like a lifetime ago!

Absolutely - that must have been his 4th year I think? 2012? That was a huge win and v Tipp in the next round we were a couple of bloody centimetres away from a quarter final....Michael McCann nearly won it for us at the death. Very frustrating but a good year.