Antrim Football Thread

[saffron sam2]

Go on, give us a clue. Although I can't see the good dcoctor knowing enough (or indeed anything) about football to allow him to make an informed appointment.

[lynchbhoy]

whats the problem with Delargy lads?
The fellas (players) in Banagher were mightily impressed with him.
He turned the side around form one that won the odd game to be almost up there. Beating bellaghy and someof th eother big guns in league and championship was no fluke...one victory maybe, but people were talking about Banagher being dark horses for the championship. OK I would love to have thought this was the case, but they are just that wee bit short on quality players.
However in Delargys stint there was a big problem with the hurling still taking centre stage.
This season when Liam Baker Bradley took over, the emphasis was on football - forcefully so from the club exec (one that has caused a bit of a rift at the moment unfortunately - but will get back on track for next season I expect).

My observations are - I think Brian white is a good man, did great work with Antrim, but he is too old school.
Delargy is a more modern style football advocate. That immediately puts him top of the pile in Antrim from the few candidates I know of (though there are loads I dont).
the man has lifted sides to play above themselves in any club he has been to - with the exception of Loup,where they were already one of the top two teams in Derry at that time, and Delargy did well to take on and maintain the teams level after inheriting it from Mal O'Rourke.

If you want a more professional , gritty , hard working , focussed and honest competetive Antrim side, then Delargy will get you back to where Antrim Footbal Gaels fear to believe they could be. I see enough talent there to make a better dint in the ulster championship.
If you have a better candidate (other than rehashing the old ones that previously didnt have any affect) that we havent heard of yet - then give him the job as if he's better than Delargy, he must be excellent.

apologies for interjecting into your thread.

[NAG]

White eager to lead Saffrons again
08 October 2008


Brian White has expressed a desire to return as Antrim football manager.

White, who was forced to step down from the job in 2001 due to his wife Geraldine's illness, is set to battle it out with Portglenone man Frankie Delargy for the right to succeed Jody Gormley.



The former Tyrone midfielder called time on his two-year reign after leading the Saffrons to victory over Wicklow in the Tommy Murphy Cup final this summer.

White said: "I never wanted to leave the job in the first place but I had to be with my wife and family, and that was always the priority.
"It's something I have talked to my children about and I have their full support. I do believe there is a great deal of talent in the current squad that needs to start believing it can be as good as any in Ulster."


Seems like he is interested I personally think he is the man for the job so give it to him and let him get to work!

[lynchbhoy]

as a matter of interest can anyone tell me what Brian whites record and achievements as a manager are?
I know he is a nice guy (rem from the few interviews I heard/read when he was last in the job) and I think everyone sympathises with his sad loss.
Delargy I checked out when he took the managers job at Banagher and while it looked good on record I still had to see him in action in order to be convinced - but he did that in quick enough time for everyone at the club - so I know delargys record, just wondering about White's.
Does anyone have info on him and what he has done (football wise)?
thanks

[lynchbhoy]

as a matter of interest can anyone tell me what Brian whites record and achievements as a manager are?
I know he is a nice guy (rem from the few interviews I heard/read when he was last in the job) and I think everyone sympathises with his sad loss.
Delargy I checked out when he took the managers job at Banagher and while it looked good on record I still had to see him in action in order to be convinced - but he did that in quick enough time for everyone at the club - so I know delargys record, just wondering about White's.
Does anyone have info on him and what he has done (football wise)?
thanks

Share with us his record,please.

that was a couple of years ago, so I will have to trawl through what I found and saved in a spreadsheet at home.
The list of senior clubs in Derry include kilrea, Loup, Banagher he vastly improved each team each year (apart from loup who were already top of the pile and kept them up there or thereabouts - a decent job after Malachy orourke left them)
I think he was also involved as manager/joint manager/coach on antrim teams from u14 up to and inc u21 - I could be wrong but this is from memory.
I'll get back to you ...

are you going to furnish me with Mr Whites record?
thanks

[imtommygunn]

Two ulster minor finals, ulster championship semi final replay with seniors and all ireland b. Note that the ulster semi final replay was a a massive achievement given the history and it would have been an ulster final had it not been for tohill catching a point and the ref bottling it when he nearly decapitated Kevin Madden!

I know nothing about Delargy to be honest - he certainly seems to provoke strong opinions anyway. I have vague recollections of boys from the club playing underage county under him and saying he was a bit crazy but I can't speak from personal experience.

What we need is someone who can instill belief in the team, who can get them playing with a good system and , even though we are antrim, deal with any egos which are in there and I don't know why but there are a few.

Getting out of division 4 must be a priority. If we get a draw like Cavan (are the ulster draws made yet?) then we should also be winning a game like that. Last year was set for another championship win but for one reason or another it didn't happen. In fact to be honest it was over quite a way from the final whistle and that Cavan team was most likely the poorest they've been in years.

[lynchbhoy]

Two ulster minor finals, ulster championship semi final replay with seniors and all ireland b. Note that the ulster semi final replay was a a massive achievement given the history and it would have been an ulster final had it not been for tohill catching a point and the ref bottling it when he nearly decapitated Kevin Madden!

I know nothing about Delargy to be honest - he certainly seems to provoke strong opinions anyway. I have vague recollections of boys from the club playing underage county under him and saying he was a bit crazy but I can't speak from personal experience.

What we need is someone who can instill belief in the team, who can get them playing with a good system and , even though we are antrim, deal with any egos which are in there and I don't know why but there are a few.

Getting out of division 4 must be a priority. If we get a draw like Cavan (are the ulster draws made yet?) then we should also be winning a game like that. Last year was set for another championship win but for one reason or another it didn't happen. In fact to be honest it was over quite a way from the final whistle and that Cavan team was most likely the poorest they've been in years.

ya see tommy, I have a problem with that bit in bold. There is part of the problem.
I honestly believe that you have enough talent to compete in ulster and win a few qualifiers at least.
Look at wicklow, did well in leinster and yous beat them in the tommy murphy cup.
Antrim has talent (sounds like a dodgy tv show - theres an idea.
Maybe we could have the likes of Brian white, Jody and delargy (and more?) trying out to see who is Antrims X factor.
It might raise money for the Antrim county boards coffers (I was gonna say players coffers, but then I realised that any money going to any county board wont reach players)
Back to the point, I feel that Antrim are def capable of emulating fermanagh. Seriously. the talent of the players is much the same.
Antrim are not that far off the Armagh's, Tyrones, Derry's,Donegals, Downs etc. Its just organisation, tactics and a gameplan - things that delargy does well.

yeah delargy does provoke reactions. At least the team wouldnt be as complacent under him as they were last year.
Having seen him, and knowing what the lads in Banagher thought of him, and not knowing a whole lot about white, I am obv a bit of a Delargy fan.
I suppose its the couple of posts slating him that offended my sense of fairness and got me to reply on here.

white is a good guy and has a decent record, but from first hand exp, Delargy is a hungry younger more modern style of football manager that is passionate about antrim (jeez he never used to shut up about Antrim Antrim Antrim ! ) and mad about football (mad full stop - but maybe thats what it takes !).
Will be interesting to see who gets it.

I wonder if Delargy will pay be to be his PR officer  !

[imtommygunn]

I do mean that these boys have not when it boils down to it proved themselves lynchboy and thus have no right to have egos.

There are some very capable footballers in antrim. I'm not sure we have 15 but we have definitely around the 9 or 10 mark.

Michael McCann, Sean Kelly and ,when he fills out a bit, CJ McGourty would grace many county teams in the game. Justin Crozier should be likewise in a couple of years. We are very weak in the corner back and half forward areas though. If what we have is harnessed right though there is no reason we couldn't make a decent run in the qualifiers with the right draw. You play that 15 that beat Wiclow in the tommy murphy and some good results will come. Also a win in ulster would be desirable.

The one thing which White has given us in the past, which was sadly lacking before him and probably is again, is belief.  That is probably why he would be the "peoples" choice.

[milltown row]

we are bound to get Tyrone in the championship at Casement

[Two Hands FFS]

They'd be shitting themselves coming to fortress Casement.....Tyrone that is

[lynchbhoy]

I do mean that these boys have not when it boils down to it proved themselves lynchboy and thus have no right to have egos.

There are some very capable footballers in antrim. I'm not sure we have 15 but we have definitely around the 9 or 10 mark.

Michael McCann, Sean Kelly and ,when he fills out a bit, CJ McGourty would grace many county teams in the game. Justin Crozier should be likewise in a couple of years. We are very weak in the corner back and half forward areas though. If what we have is harnessed right though there is no reason we couldn't make a decent run in the qualifiers with the right draw. You play that 15 that beat Wiclow in the tommy murphy and some good results will come. Also a win in ulster would be desirable.

The one thing which White has given us in the past, which was sadly lacking before him and probably is again, is belief.  That is probably why he would be the "peoples" choice.

I think that even with 9 or ten decent players a good man can make a good team of them - Fermanagh being the example.
They have drawn Donegal, thats not going to be easy !

Delargy gives players belief, but if white does get it, delargy is young enough to be about for a future position, and he's prob gonna be doing something to improve his exp (or working in some capacity for the true love of his life - Antrim football ...his missus might dispute that though )

[fred the red]

I do mean that these boys have not when it boils down to it proved themselves lynchboy and thus have no right to have egos.

There are some very capable footballers in antrim. I'm not sure we have 15 but we have definitely around the 9 or 10 mark.

Michael McCann, Sean Kelly and ,when he fills out a bit, CJ McGourty would grace many county teams in the game. Justin Crozier should be likewise in a couple of years. We are very weak in the corner back and half forward areas though. If what we have is harnessed right though there is no reason we couldn't make a decent run in the qualifiers with the right draw. You play that 15 that beat Wiclow in the tommy murphy and some good results will come. Also a win in ulster would be desirable.

The one thing which White has given us in the past, which was sadly lacking before him and probably is again, is belief.  That is probably why he would be the "peoples" choice.

I think that even with 9 or ten decent players a good man can make a good team of them - Fermanagh being the example.
They have drawn Donegal, thats not going to be easy !

Delargy gives players belief, but if white does get it, delargy is young enough to be about for a future position, and he's prob gonna be doing something to improve his exp (or working in some capacity for the true love of his life - Antrim football ...his missus might dispute that though )

Are you a relation?

[glenullinabu]

give job to mccartan

[milltown row]

he's busy is rafferty still with S,niell?  or will he make his way back to his second club and make a dream paring of McCartan and Rafferty

raff for Antrim

[Gold]

an Ulster final place is there for us now...