Antrim Football Thread

[Belfast GAA man]

unfortunately i'm only belfast person on this board but i see former strong clubs like St Theresas, O Ds , Aggies and Eire Og with little to no juveniles then there is a problem . Any county clubs struggling like that?

[Sportacus]

Agree about Small, and McAteer at corner back was excellent too.

[JimStynes]

A Belfast man was telling me today about some of the amalgamations in Belfast. Very sad. Think he said there was an u17 hurling team that has the likes of St. Galls in it. I find it hard to understand how teams can't gather up 15 players when they have a massive population around them. Massive help is needed from outside the clubs. The problem seems to start from about the age of 14-19 in Belfast. There seems to be plenty of numbers in the lower age groups. I've no doubt the usual men in those clubs are busting their balls to get kids down to the club but they need help and money to help fix the problems. I'm not sure if we can even compare it to Dublin as they had won a million all Irelands before they went back and put money into it.

[JimStynes]

i started a thread on this before about Belfast GAA ' dying' and in need of support and was told off - anyone agree more given SW sweep of all age groups???dont think Belfast have won any hurling trophies in recenT history either

At Paul's this year

what was that in?

Minor B.

so not much to shout about really - Cargin, Cregan, Agha and PG1 prob top 4 senior teams too

Lámh Dhearg beat Aghagallon twice in the championship.
I don't think it's that clear cut.

Agreed. I wouldn't be putting Aghagallon or PG1 in top 4 just yet. On their day maybe but I still think there's about 5/6 clubs all around the same and then Cargin and Creggan a bit better than the rest.

[JimStynes]

I'm not sure St John's fielded by themselves in anything between u15 and senior. That's an eye opener.

If that's true that's unbelievable. How can that happen in a club like St. John's

[Belfast GAA man]

I'm not sure St John's fielded by themselves in anything between u15 and senior. That's an eye opener.

If that's true that's unbelievable. How can that happen in a club like St. John's

they joined with O'Ds, Davitts and Gorts at different age groups and called them Corpus Christi I think - Mr2 prob knows better than me

[geezer]

Only 1 SW team comes to mind in terms of underage- Ahoghill. May be more but there the 1 i can think of.

[JimStynes]

That Clann Eireann team from today has a massive membership and ridiculous numbers at underage. What do they do differently from the likes of St. John's? Not having hurling helps but it's not enough to not be able to field teams.

[Milltown Row2]

A Belfast man was telling me today about some of the amalgamations in Belfast. Very sad. Think he said there was an u17 hurling team that has the likes of St. Galls in it. I find it hard to understand how teams can't gather up 15 players when they have a massive population around them. Massive help is needed from outside the clubs. The problem seems to start from about the age of 14-19 in Belfast. There seems to be plenty of numbers in the lower age groups. I've no doubt the usual men in those clubs are busting their balls to get kids down to the club but they need help and money to help fix the problems. I'm not sure if we can even compare it to Dublin as they had won a million all Irelands before they went back and put money into it.

I've mentioned this already in here.

We have numbers, while I'm a hurling man football is the big draw for parents, not kids at my club.

Personally I'd like us to go back to the blueprint, but it takes a huge collective effort.

In my view things go in cycles, our position is no different to when we hadn't won a senior in a few years, it'll come back around again.

There's no panic buttons being pressed, we know where we are.

Rossa and St John's need to decide what they are and stick at it for a period as competing at both is doing them out of potential championships

Smaller clubs will be continually squeezed unfortunately, we have too many clubs in my view. How that's fixed? Who knows

[Belfast GAA man]

winning is great of course but if teams who used to have juvenile teams now dont is that not alarm bells?

[paddyjohn]

See a pic of Enda Muldoon along with the Creggan management today, more money?

[Milltown Row2]

A Belfast man was telling me today about some of the amalgamations in Belfast. Very sad. Think he said there was an u17 hurling team that has the likes of St. Galls in it. I find it hard to understand how teams can't gather up 15 players when they have a massive population around them. Massive help is needed from outside the clubs. The problem seems to start from about the age of 14-19 in Belfast. There seems to be plenty of numbers in the lower age groups. I've no doubt the usual men in those clubs are busting their balls to get kids down to the club but they need help and money to help fix the problems. I'm not sure if we can even compare it to Dublin as they had won a million all Irelands before they went back and put money into it.

I've mentioned this already in here.

We have numbers, while I'm a hurling man football is the big draw for parents, not kids at my club.

Personally I'd like us to go back to the blueprint, but it takes a huge collective effort.

In my view things go in cycles, our position is no different to when we hadn't won a senior in a few years, it'll come back around again.

There's no panic buttons being pressed, we know where we are.

Rossa and St John's need to decide what they are and stick at it for a period as competing at both is doing them out of potential championships

Smaller clubs will be continually squeezed unfortunately, we have too many clubs in my view. How that's fixed? Who knows

I suppose you run into the argument of what the primary objective of a GAA club is. Win championships or promote the games? Both perhaps?

I'm fully behind that, but a big way our games are promoted is through competitions, getting the balance right is the thing.

Single code clubs do better, mainly, you've clubs that come along like S'niel who say different but not the case all over, Crokes only had one dual player in their squad, while the Tipp lads are another one, it's not the norm.

[imtommygunn]

unfortunately i'm only belfast person on this board but i see former strong clubs like St Theresas, O Ds , Aggies and Eire Og with little to no juveniles then there is a problem . Any county clubs struggling like that?

No you're not. Mr and others.

Country clubs are different from city numbers wise and go through phases from what I can gauge. The likes of Sean Stinsons would have been needed in it's day for a reason. I think if you look at the hurling a few north Antrim teams are.  When I was growing up aghagallon could barely field and Randalstown and Creggan would have struggled but different now.  The likes of ahoghill would struggle from time to time with numbers I think but that's understandable.

St. Paul's only beat by one point in u17 and st galls one point. Not a crisis yet and ld have a bit of life in them.

[JimStynes]

unfortunately i'm only belfast person on this board but i see former strong clubs like St Theresas, O Ds , Aggies and Eire Og with little to no juveniles then there is a problem . Any county clubs struggling like that?

No you're not. Mr and others.

Country clubs are different from city numbers wise and go through phases from what I can gauge. The likes of Sean Stinsons would have been needed in it's day for a reason. I think if you look at the hurling a few north Antrim teams are.  When I was growing up aghagallon could barely field and Randalstown and Creggan would have struggled but different now.  The likes of ahoghill would struggle from time to time with numbers I think but that's understandable.

St. Paul's only beat by one point in u17 and st galls one point. Not a crisis yet and ld have a bit of life in them.

But do we not all agree that although it's not dead in Belfast, it's certainly not going well. Even if a Belfast team wins the senior championship next year, doesn't change the fact that GAA in the city is not going that great at the minute. And we can't keep coming out with things like 'sure it goes in phases, it'll come back round again'.

[imtommygunn]

Tbh it is more in phases in the country with population. I am from a pretty small place and there have been years were we couldn't field because there just aren't the numbers. Belfast always would have the numbers so the phase thing isn't quite the same.

Demographics are changing though and with that st Brigids and st endas should come. The question is what comes out of the west. St. Paul's do seem to be competing at a better level and st galls got to u20 final so there must be a kick in them. St. John's don't appear to have as much coming through. Sarsfields you hear less of these days too. Rossa have players at an age they should be competitive in senior at both.