Three players walk out on Antrim senior football squad
Antrim's preparations for the forthcoming Ulster Senior Football Championship have been hit by the loss of three key players from the squad.
CJ McGourty, Michael Pollock and Chris Kerr, all from dominant Antrim club champions St Gall's, are reported to have quit Liam Bradley's panel.
Antrim endured a poor League Division Four campaign, winning just two games.
They play Fermanagh in an Ulster championship quarter-final on 1 June in Brewster Park.
The Irish News reports that the trio have walked away from the Saffrons panel due to a breakdown in communication with manager Liam Bradley.
McGourty was Antrim's top scorer in Division Four with 26 points from only four starts.
The 2010 All-Ireland club winner's inter county career has been blighted by injuries and he was dropped by Bradley during his first spell in charge in 2009 and was again overlooked in 2012.
The talented corner forward was not part of Frank Dawson's Antrim squad in 2013 but was recalled by Bradley when he took over again at the start of this season.
McGourty's St Gall's team mate Michael Pollock played in all seven League games while Chris Kerr is regarded as the county's number one goalkeeper.
Yet again the McGourtys are never far away from controversy!
Currently the subject of some discussion on the Antrim board. I suspect the rest of the country doesn't give much of a hoot. In fact part of the problem is most people in Antrim don't give a hoot either!!
Quote from: The Brick on April 17, 2014, 05:03:25 PM
Three players walk out on Antrim senior football squad
Antrim's preparations for the forthcoming Ulster Senior Football Championship have been hit by the loss of three key players from the squad.
CJ McGourty, Michael Pollock and Chris Kerr, all from dominant Antrim club champions St Gall's, are reported to have quit Liam Bradley's panel.
Antrim endured a poor League Division Four campaign, winning just two games.
They play Fermanagh in an Ulster championship quarter-final on 1 June in Brewster Park.
The Irish News reports that the trio have walked away from the Saffrons panel due to a breakdown in communication with manager Liam Bradley.
McGourty was Antrim's top scorer in Division Four with 26 points from only four starts.
The 2010 All-Ireland club winner's inter county career has been blighted by injuries and he was dropped by Bradley during his first spell in charge in 2009 and was again overlooked in 2012.
The talented corner forward was not part of Frank Dawson's Antrim squad in 2013 but was recalled by Bradley when he took over again at the start of this season.
McGourty's St Gall's team mate Michael Pollock played in all seven League games while Chris Kerr is regarded as the county's number one goalkeeper.
Yet again the McGourtys are never far away from controversy!
When Paadys big Ego is questioning CJs attitude it is a recipe for disaster.Also the Baker boys have to find somebody to blame for the mess they are making.
Quote from: AQMP on April 17, 2014, 05:11:06 PM
Currently the subject of some discussion on the Antrim board. I suspect the rest of the country doesn't give much of a hoot. In fact part of the problem is most people in Antrim don't give a hoot either!!
Yep
No surprise with McGourty. He seems to have a big attitude problem. Every time I see him, I just want to slap him. He just has one of those faces.
Get rid of them and move on. Same with Quigleys in Fermanagh. Wastes of space and no good for any team.
The Xbox has a lot to answer for !
Antrim were going rightly in the Mc a Kenna cup. They bate Down in Newry in the last round of it. Management must have in dreamland after such a massive scalp. Sadly that was as good as it got.
Wheels have come off ever since. It happens.
McGourty is a class player, pity he is pissing around and not able to show his talent in the Championship
This has come as quite a shock to me.
I thought the McGourtys already walked ages ago.
Quote from: rodney trotter on April 17, 2014, 11:56:41 PM
McGourty is a class player, pity he is pissing around and not able to show his talent in the Championship
He is a very good club player but has never done much in the Championship.
Why did the other St Galls players wallk also though? Why is everyone just mentioning CJ McGourty in this thread? 2 other guys walked as well. It must be a St Galls thing? Away in the head with bigness maybe?
I presume because it's always him, 'Why always me'.
Quote from: Jinxy on April 18, 2014, 01:13:50 AM
This has come as quite a shock to me.
I thought the McGourtys already walked ages ago.
The path from St Gall's to the county panel and back is due to be resurfaced to make the process quicker.
Quote from: AQMP on April 18, 2014, 09:33:03 AM
Quote from: rodney trotter on April 17, 2014, 11:56:41 PM
McGourty is a class player, pity he is pissing around and not able to show his talent in the Championship
He is a very good club player but has never done much in the Championship.
He hasn't really been around to show what he can do . Wasn't involved in 2013. and didn't feature much under Bradley in his first stint due to injuries and a falling out
The 2010 All-Ireland club winner's inter county career has been blighted by injuries and he was dropped by Bradley during his first spell in charge in 2009 and was again overlooked in 2012.
Baker Bradley comes across as a complete tosser right enough. Just seems that way in interviews, maybe he is much different in person I dont know but he doesnt strike me as the easist character to work with either.
No, he's exactly the same as he is in interviews. Take from that what you will.
Quote from: DennistheMenace on April 18, 2014, 09:45:29 AM
No, he's exactly the same as he is in interviews. Take from that what you will.
An ignorant canntt then?
Being from a country place like Glenullin, I would imagine he wouldnt have much tolerance for the Belfast city boys from St Galls. Just strikes me as that sort of person and that there would be a real personality clash.
Quote from: rodney trotter on April 18, 2014, 09:39:56 AM
Quote from: AQMP on April 18, 2014, 09:33:03 AM
Quote from: rodney trotter on April 17, 2014, 11:56:41 PM
McGourty is a class player, pity he is pissing around and not able to show his talent in the Championship
He is a very good club player but has never done much in the Championship.
He hasn't really been around to show what he can do . Wasn't involved in 2013. and didn't feature much under Bradley in his first stint due to injuries and a falling out
The 2010 All-Ireland club winner's inter county career has been blighted by injuries and he was dropped by Bradley during his first spell in charge in 2009 and was again overlooked in 2012.
Some of his exile has been due to injury, some self imposed, some enforced by management etc. In Ulster he would make the Fermanagh team and maybe make the Cavan squad but I doubt he would make the Championship squad of any other county.
I'm sure he would make the Armagh Squad too
Quote from: AQMP on April 18, 2014, 10:25:25 AM
Quote from: rodney trotter on April 18, 2014, 09:39:56 AM
Quote from: AQMP on April 18, 2014, 09:33:03 AM
Quote from: rodney trotter on April 17, 2014, 11:56:41 PM
McGourty is a class player, pity he is pissing around and not able to show his talent in the Championship
He is a very good club player but has never done much in the Championship.
He hasn't really been around to show what he can do . Wasn't involved in 2013. and didn't feature much under Bradley in his first stint due to injuries and a falling out
The 2010 All-Ireland club winner's inter county career has been blighted by injuries and he was dropped by Bradley during his first spell in charge in 2009 and was again overlooked in 2012.
Some of his exile has been due to injury, some self imposed, some enforced by management etc. In Ulster he would make the Fermanagh team and maybe make the Cavan squad but I doubt he would make the Championship squad of any other county.
You seem to have a real chip on your shoulder about this player.
Whats the problem? hes Antrim's best forward by miles, you should be rolling out the red carpet for him.
Quote from: Christmas Lights on April 18, 2014, 10:30:38 AM
Quote from: AQMP on April 18, 2014, 10:25:25 AM
Quote from: rodney trotter on April 18, 2014, 09:39:56 AM
Quote from: AQMP on April 18, 2014, 09:33:03 AM
Quote from: rodney trotter on April 17, 2014, 11:56:41 PM
McGourty is a class player, pity he is pissing around and not able to show his talent in the Championship
He is a very good club player but has never done much in the Championship.
He hasn't really been around to show what he can do . Wasn't involved in 2013. and didn't feature much under Bradley in his first stint due to injuries and a falling out
The 2010 All-Ireland club winner's inter county career has been blighted by injuries and he was dropped by Bradley during his first spell in charge in 2009 and was again overlooked in 2012.
Some of his exile has been due to injury, some self imposed, some enforced by management etc. In Ulster he would make the Fermanagh team and maybe make the Cavan squad but I doubt he would make the Championship squad of any other county.
You seem to have a real chip on your shoulder about this player.
Whats the problem? hes Antrim's best forward by miles, you should be rolling out the red carpet for him.
No chip on the shoulder at all, I'm just expressing an opinion on his talent. It's an opinion (right enough I may be wrong) based on what I've seen over the years especially in the "white heat" of the Ulster Championship. He wasn't part of the squad that got to the Ulster Final.
Look at the end of the day this is an individuals decision to walk out/dropped out of team, as Hardstation has already mentioned Baker has his issues either with Galls or CJ, I mean what f**king eejit would try and punch one player at halftime in the tunnel during a Ulster club game!! He missed and ended up hitting another player and gave him a black eye in the process.
There was never going to be mutual respect between them anyways, as for not having the 'He is a very good club player but has never done much in the Championship' quote AQMP he's not on his own in that respect, we've had one good championship run in 60+ years
As for the other lads walking out, well again that's up to them, Naomh Gall are not behind this at all, anyone who knows anything about football knows that having lads on the county team can have a positive effect on their club team, due to the standard of training and conditioning that's required
Quote from: The Brick on April 18, 2014, 11:51:38 AM
Quote from: Milltown Row2 on April 18, 2014, 11:04:30 AM
Look at the end of the day this is an individuals decision to walk out/dropped out of team, as Hardstation has already mentioned Baker has his issues either with Galls or CJ, I mean what f**king eejit would try and punch one player at halftime in the tunnel during a Ulster club game!! He missed and ended up hitting another player and gave him a black eye in the process.
There was never going to be mutual respect between them anyways, as for not having the 'He is a very good club player but has never done much in the Championship' quote AQMP he's not on his own in that respect, we've had one good championship run in 60+ years
As for the other lads walking out, well again that's up to them, Naomh Gall are not behind this at all, anyone who knows anything about football knows that having lads on the county team can have a positive effect on their club team, due to the standard of training and conditioning that's required
And who was the man at the helm during this period? .....the baker lofl irony of all ironies
LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BAKER IN!!!!!!!!!!
Was CJ not dropped due to him turning up for a game in an unfit state?
The other players walked in support of CJ.
Quote from: Muzz on April 18, 2014, 12:08:58 PM
Was CJ not dropped due to him turning up for a game in an unfit state?
The other players walked in support of CJ.
Doesn't seem logical... some lad turns up to a match unfit to play (presumably due to drink) why would you leave in support of said player?
Doesn't make sense.
Whether you like Baker or not he is not the kind of character to put up with that! If CJ had genuine grievances with Baker prior to that I'm pretty sure landing to a match in no fit state to play leaves him the villain of the piece!
Quote from: screenexile on April 18, 2014, 12:18:25 PM
Quote from: Muzz on April 18, 2014, 12:08:58 PM
Was CJ not dropped due to him turning up for a game in an unfit state?
The other players walked in support of CJ.
Doesn't seem logical... some lad turns up to a match unfit to play (presumably due to drink) why would you leave in support of said player?
Doesn't make sense.
Whether you like Baker or not he is not the kind of character to put up with that! If CJ had genuine grievances with Baker prior to that I'm pretty sure landing to a match in no fit state to play leaves him the villain of the piece!
Another player the week before throw his top at Baker and told him to stuff his team, the same player played the following week after not being about all week, strange set of standards don't you think?
This is just shocking stuff altogether lads. All I ever hear in Antrim are McGourtys causing trouble, if it's not one then it's the brother. Spoiled kids throwing dummies out.
As for this Baker Bradley character. He's a laughing stock in Derry and wouldnt be let near a country mile of any county team yet Antrim recruit him twice?!
Having family in Belfast who are big saffron supporters I have a major soft spot for Antrim and think they really could be a football force in Ulster but they are their own worst enemies. Hope common sense can prevail and their suffering supporters can see success soon.
Was it Bradley that CJ allegedly rang or left derogatory voicemails/txts to a few years ago when he was steaming ?
Quote from: hardstation on April 18, 2014, 10:24:15 PM
Quote from: ck on April 18, 2014, 10:17:16 PM
This is just shocking stuff altogether lads. All I ever hear in Antrim are McGourtys causing trouble, if it's not one then it's the brother. Spoiled kids throwing dummies out.
As for this Baker Bradley character. He's a laughing stock in Derry and wouldnt be let near a country mile of any county team yet Antrim recruit him twice?!
Having family in Belfast who are big saffron supporters I have a major soft spot for Antrim and think they really could be a football force in Ulster but they are their own worst enemies. Hope common sense can prevail and their suffering supporters can see success soon.
Without agreeing or disagreeing with you, could you explain that a bit more?
I think you have major advantages that we in Sligo don't have. Population, number of clubs and registered players, rising nationalist population in Belfast, big county with massive room for growth.
These are all usually over shadowed by in fighting. Country verses city. Good people turned off joining county board. Lack of emphasis on strategy and long term vision.
Players aren't good enough in Antrim to be a force in Antrim, that's very obvious.
Quote from: hardstation on April 18, 2014, 10:44:24 PM
Quote from: Minder on April 18, 2014, 10:38:32 PM
Players aren't good enough in Antrim to be a force in Antrim, that's very obvious.
Ulster, you mean. ;)
Well, that is why I asked and it appears that ck is talking about the long term future, which is fair enough. With the right structures we should be, no question.
Having said that, we have the players, IMO, to compete fairly well, if we really wanted to.
He was telling me earlier it was 24 Tiger for 18 quid in Tesco ;)
Quote from: Tony Baloney on April 18, 2014, 10:46:35 PM
Quote from: hardstation on April 18, 2014, 10:44:24 PM
Quote from: Minder on April 18, 2014, 10:38:32 PM
Players aren't good enough in Antrim to be a force in Antrim, that's very obvious.
Ulster, you mean. ;)
Well, that is why I asked and it appears that ck is talking about the long term future, which is fair enough. With the right structures we should be, no question.
Having said that, we have the players, IMO, to compete fairly well, if we really wanted to.
He was telling me earlier it was 24 Tiger for 18 quid in Tesco ;)
I have had two of them :-[
Should the GAA not be investing in Antrim like they did with the Dubs. A strong Antrim can only be good for a Ulster and the GAA as a whole. They could start with Belfast Colleges entering the Mac Rory (as St Mary's seemed to have tailed off a bit) similar to Dublin Colleges did in Hurling. Do Belfast clubs receive the same coaching structures as those implemented in Dublin. Plenty of scope. The facilities too are dire in some clubs and to attract kids they need improved upon.
He must have learned from his brother, how many times did he walk out on Antrim under a number of managements, just a lack of commitment at the end of the day
Anybody know why the 3 lads have left but Kevin Niblocks still on the panel? Maybe it's nothing to do with St Galls