Antrim Football Thread

[Spike]

Player in question has well documented history of striking on the pitch. Are the county board and Portglenone going to wait until someone doesnt get up before they act. I see bannside hasnt commented which would indicate how bad the fighting was.
We need these incidents stamped out of our game and the only way is for stronger punnishments on players and clubs. God forbid your son was on the wrong end of a vicious attack on the pitch, playing our amature games.

Is this a wind up?

What angelic club is this statement coming from?

It has to be a wind up. Every club in this county has had these incidents at their games. I think the dislike of certain members of the PG1 club are clouding the vision of some people on here.

A windup surely.  Track records of both clubs don't compare.

Yip...

All very quiet this week on the performance of the county team, some people have went as far to say it was one of the worst they've witnessed from an Antrim team, even through the days of Frank Dawson. Will we beat Offaly? Not the worst draw but I'm sure they are thinking the same of us.

Sometimes, you just cant defend the indefensible.  The farce of the managers appointment and the disillusionment of the players (highlighted by lack of buy in) has been borne out by that abject display.  But the manager was cute enough on appointment to say 'a five year plan' (instead of the usual 3).

We're on the wrong road again, regardless of what happens against offaly

[Milltown Row2]

Player in question has well documented history of striking on the pitch. Are the county board and Portglenone going to wait until someone doesnt get up before they act. I see bannside hasnt commented which would indicate how bad the fighting was.
We need these incidents stamped out of our game and the only way is for stronger punnishments on players and clubs. God forbid your son was on the wrong end of a vicious attack on the pitch, playing our amature games.

Is this a wind up?

What angelic club is this statement coming from?

It has to be a wind up. Every club in this county has had these incidents at their games. I think the dislike of certain members of the PG1 club are clouding the vision of some people on here.

A windup surely.  Track records of both clubs don't compare.

Yip...

All very quiet this week on the performance of the county team, some people have went as far to say it was one of the worst they've witnessed from an Antrim team, even through the days of Frank Dawson. Will we beat Offaly? Not the worst draw but I'm sure they are thinking the same of us.

Sometimes, you just cant defend the indefensible.  The farce of the managers appointment and the disillusionment of the players (highlighted by lack of buy in) has been borne out by that abject display.  But the manager was cute enough on appointment to say 'a five year plan' (instead of the usual 3).

We're on the wrong road again, regardless of what happens against offaly

Who were the stay aways Spike?

[Gold]

Player in question has well documented history of striking on the pitch. Are the county board and Portglenone going to wait until someone doesnt get up before they act. I see bannside hasnt commented which would indicate how bad the fighting was.
We need these incidents stamped out of our game and the only way is for stronger punnishments on players and clubs. God forbid your son was on the wrong end of a vicious attack on the pitch, playing our amature games.

Is this a wind up?

What angelic club is this statement coming from?

It has to be a wind up. Every club in this county has had these incidents at their games. I think the dislike of certain members of the PG1 club are clouding the vision of some people on here.

A windup surely.  Track records of both clubs don't compare.

Yip...

All very quiet this week on the performance of the county team, some people have went as far to say it was one of the worst they've witnessed from an Antrim team, even through the days of Frank Dawson. Will we beat Offaly? Not the worst draw but I'm sure they are thinking the same of us.

Sometimes, you just cant defend the indefensible.  The farce of the managers appointment and the disillusionment of the players (highlighted by lack of buy in) has been borne out by that abject display.  But the manager was cute enough on appointment to say 'a five year plan' (instead of the usual 3).

We're on the wrong road again, regardless of what happens against offaly

Weve not enough forwards. You can do all the hill sprints in the world etc but without forwards its useless

I mean corner or full forward game winners. Weve Ryan Murray who is class and thats it it seems.

Weve no one breaking the gain line (shit term i know) at half forward. Miss Tomas McCann massively. Miss his bro. Miss Niblock. Miss Bam Neeson. Miss the class of Paddy Cunningham, even Ciaran Close who is still doing it weekly. We are talkin about the best club players, albeit not kids but still thee best and classiest players in our county. Lack of leadership and rudderless

No one playin with a smile on their face. Would give us all a lift in ourselves as our county if we could get a few wins.. look at.Carlow and remember how good 09 etc was.

Lads there are doin their best im sure but we are just lacking a bit of belief, off the cuff  play and biting desire from forwards

[Milltown Row2]

So going forward you want 30 plus year olds? Hmm 🤔

[Gold]

So going forward you want 30 plus year olds? Hmm 🤔

Theyre our best forwards NOW. We dont have better right now.

Like you're a ref in the county...you see the players and forwards....are you telling me they arent amoung the best we have?

I know a few of those are injured/unwell/families etc but if i was manager id try to get them on board and manage them.
Andy Moran is 35 and POTY last year. Kieran donaghy same age was unreal last year and a cert for at least an allstar until Kerry beaten inthe semi final. Age is a number. Players often get better, cuter with age

Even if we had Tomas or Bam from that list at least we'd have 1 more inside forward to assist Murray and trouble a team.

Like having a not 100percent fit  Michael Magill at FF on Sat there with all his experience as a full forward wouldve been a massive improvement than playing Niall McKeever out of position there. He couldve ran 10 yards to get a ball and knew how to lay a ball off at the right time  or have the strenght to hold a ball and win a free etc. We had no focal point and look rudderless

Anyone cant see that is not a football man or even a sportsman

[Milltown Row2]

And they aren't playing because?

[Gold]

And they aren't playing because?

Who knows....jobs/family/illness/injury/soccer/maybe not taken with mgt choice...i dont know

I dont know if management went to each individual, went to their houses, told them it wouldnt all be about stats about how far they ran....maybe told them theyd trust and manage them like Paul McGrath was the year he won Premier League player of the year. I dont know if thats what happened or not. Thats what i wouldve done ....whilst trying to bring through some youth too as obvs those boys wont last forever..but they are the best now. Ppl wanted to see a win or at least an effort at a win on Sat, not in 4 yrs time

Like we look like we play with fear and with a sorry frown on our faces. We need a bit of ingenuity and mischievousness in our play.

Im a supporter. Hate when ppl say "aww youre from Antrim what would you know about football "....as if we dont have 2 arms and legs too. Im just trying to find or brainstorm solutions

We need to get our house in order, have a bit of pride in ourselves and stop accepting nothingness

[Milltown Row2]

So what if they were asked and just said no, for the reasons you gave or like Spike believe that they (whoever they are) never played cause they didn't like the set up?

Now call me old fashion but it's meant to be a honour to play for your county, the manager is selected and as a player you get on with it... do these players decide, ah nah don't like him I'm going to not bother? This may not be the case here as I said, the players you are talking about have a lot of miles on the clock, or if it is the case that they didn't like the set up, then that says a lot about the person.

Said on the Antrim hurling site that we need all our best players to achieve something, it's the same there, some players don't bother or can't commit.. you go with The committed

[toby47]

For the small amount of Antrim club football I see you could add Conor Small to that list Gold

[belfastsaff]

i know conor small didn't want to join up with this years panel because he didn't enjoy it last year - cant blame the lad he's only a cub

[Spike]

So what if they were asked and just said no, for the reasons you gave or like Spike believe that they (whoever they are) never played cause they didn't like the set up?

Now call me old fashion but it's meant to be a honour to play for your county, the manager is selected and as a player you get on with it... do these players decide, ah nah don't like him I'm going to not bother? This may not be the case here as I said, the players you are talking about have a lot of miles on the clock, or if it is the case that they didn't like the set up, then that says a lot about the person.

Said on the Antrim hurling site that we need all our best players to achieve something, it's the same there, some players don't bother or can't commit.. you go with The committed

Yes, its meant to be an honour MR2, but now it isn't.  And its establishment men like you, backing up the establishment system that perpetuates the problem. You make it sound like they just didn't fancy it, preferring to sit at home, playing xbox.   These are driven men that put in serious personal effort and commitment only to get it threw back in their faces year after year.  Currently they are away doing their own training, furthering their lives/families/careers without the perceived waste of time of the Antrim county football setup.

Perhaps your time would be better spent seeing what the establishment could do to entice these men back. They are still the best players in the county, a fact only highlighted by last weekends debacle.

You've been very quiet on last weekends performance and management team? Did the hierarchy tell you it had all went to plan?? Theres a good boy

[Spike]

Who knows....jobs/family/illness/injury/soccer/maybe not taken with mgt choice...i dont know

I dont know if management went to each individual, went to their houses, told them it wouldnt all be about stats about how far they ran....maybe told them theyd trust and manage them like Paul McGrath was the year he won Premier League player of the year. I dont know if thats what happened or not. Thats what i wouldve done ....whilst trying to bring through some youth too as obvs those boys wont last forever..but they are the best now. Ppl wanted to see a win or at least an effort at a win on Sat, not in 4 yrs time

Like we look like we play with fear and with a sorry frown on our faces. We need a bit of ingenuity and mischievousness in our play.

We need to get our house in order, have a bit of pride in ourselves and stop accepting nothingness
[/quote]


Correct. Lots to agree on from this post.  The face of Antrim Football needs to change. Realise it wont happen immediately but the start has to happen.  Repeating the same mistakes every year simply doesn't work. Div 4 and a farcical game plan against down doesn't cut the mustard.   Pride lacking as well as mental toughness. 

[Milltown Row2]

So what if they were asked and just said no, for the reasons you gave or like Spike believe that they (whoever they are) never played cause they didn't like the set up?

Now call me old fashion but it's meant to be a honour to play for your county, the manager is selected and as a player you get on with it... do these players decide, ah nah don't like him I'm going to not bother? This may not be the case here as I said, the players you are talking about have a lot of miles on the clock, or if it is the case that they didn't like the set up, then that says a lot about the person.

Said on the Antrim hurling site that we need all our best players to achieve something, it's the same there, some players don't bother or can't commit.. you go with The committed

Yes, its meant to be an honour MR2, but now it isn't.  And its establishment men like you, backing up the establishment system that perpetuates the problem. You make it sound like they just didn't fancy it, preferring to sit at home, playing xbox.   These are driven men that put in serious personal effort and commitment only to get it threw back in their faces year after year.  Currently they are away doing their own training, furthering their lives/families/careers without the perceived waste of time of the Antrim county football setup.

Perhaps your time would be better spent seeing what the establishment could do to entice these men back. They are still the best players in the county, a fact only highlighted by last weekends debacle.

You've been very quiet on last weekends performance and management team? Did the hierarchy tell you it had all went to plan?? Theres a good boy

Now if you has any sense or knew me at all, i'm far from being 'the yes sir, no sir, two bags full sir' type of guy

The lads didnt committ, they were asked, there was trials, the season starts every year and they never bothered becuse of the reasons you stated.. the best players Antrim have, they are the ones that made themselves available for selection, now I don't know how smart you are but you can't drag people to a county set up, either they want to or they can't (or won't cause they threw their toys out of the pram).. Begging as a manager to get players to play for the county isnt a good look, now if you ever get the chance to manage team, begging players to play for it won't gain you any respect..

The knives have been out for a while, Antrim failing to win a first round match in Ulster (Unless you are in your 80's) away from home to a team a couple div's above us isnt the shock that you make it, yes we could have played better and tactically it didnt work out but do you actually think had the Dad's army team played we'd have won the match?

The top of the tree isnt the problem, its the roots that need sorting out, only then will the tree blossom!!

[toby47]

i know conor small didn't want to join up with this years panel because he didn't enjoy it last year - cant blame the lad he's only a cub

I believe he will be spending the summer stateside. However if I was the manager next year I'd be getting him onside

[Milltown Row2]

i know conor small didn't want to join up with this years panel because he didn't enjoy it last year - cant blame the lad he's only a cub

I believe he will be spending the summer stateside. However if I was the manager next year I'd be getting him onside

What if he wants to go to the States next year?