Messages

Is is probably as strong as we can get a present.  Watched  McAuley from Ballycastle play full-forward for antrim against Cushendall recently and was impressed. He looks strong. Delargy as corner back should add a bit of pace to that sector but I cannot get the selection of Johnny Campbell at centre-back.  I do not rate him at all.

Johnny Campbell is just not a number 6. It's not a snipe at the man, I'm was never a number 6 either. He works better on the wing.

yeah your right big drink culture in Antrim, you only have to go to the BOT on a wed, Sat. night and all the best players are there. it's up to the current mangement to change that but the attitudes of the players need changing,

And we all wonder how the people in question can train all year long and still look so unfit  , and even so we hold them up as "class acts" and "rolel models" within our county and others. I do think a national strategy needs to be introduced to ensure that every club has within its structures the ability to address this very important issue. There is nothing worse than seeing talent being pisssed up against a wall....yet the seems to be an acceptability about it

[It is also very naive of you to think that grant scheme would keep the GPA happy for long]

It is also very naive of you to think that grant scheme would keep the GPA happy for long. It will set a legal precedent of players getting financially rewarded for representing their couinty and leave the door open for them to the gain even more in the future.  

Skull that is merely your opinion, not a fact so don't present it as absolute.

Well you cannot blame me for holding such an opinion muppet when the GPA is as clandestine as it is. I can only read between the lines. I don't think I'm far off the mark  

You're also implying that you would be for "pay for play" IF the GAA could afford it? I'm assuming you're talking solely about the financial price rather than the cultural price. I find this an unbelieveable stance when you consider the points Hardy has just made.

I didn't imply the former, your middle assumption is wrong and therefore it is not so difficult to see why you find it unbelievable.

To say I am against pay for play because the Gaa couldn't afford it and it would destroy the game does not imply that I would be for it if they could afford it.  

Would you mind clarifying it me me then? Hardy as you said yourself eloquently put forward the deep seated ethical reasoning as to why we should not be supporting "pay for play". You then stated.....

Firstlly I will declare as I have done before that I am not for 'pay for play', not for the reasons that Hardy so eloquently outlined above, but because the Gaa could never sustain it and the game as we know it would be destroyed.

What other way am I meant to interpret what you have said when I take into consideration that your reason for not supporting pay for play doesn't line up with Hardy's view?

[allowing club players to sign up as associate or second tier members, even if were just a token gesture.]

Again Hardy, you make the point so well. The GAA is made up of 99% of people who share these same views and who understand the importance of holding onto them.

Yes muppet there are paid managers, there are misguided businessmen providing salaries to certain county players. The GAA should be addressing these issues and making more noise about how these activities are eroding the core ethos of the orginisation. It is also very naive of you to think that grant scheme would keep the GPA happy for long. It will set a legal precedent of players getting financially rewarded for representing their couinty and leave the door open for them to the gain even more in the future.  The fact that the GAA mightn't be paying for it is irrelevant. The grant scheme is pay for play.
You're also implying that you would be for "pay for play" IF the GAA could afford it? I'm assuming you're talking solely about the financial price rather than the cultural price. I find this an unbelieveable stance when you consider the points Hardy has just made.
And finally, if the GPA also represented club players then it would not be what it is today....i.e. a financially motivated orginisation concerned only in persuing the interests of an elite few. So the crime would not be commited if club players were involved.

personally i think the GPA missed a trick by not just allowing club players to sign up as associate or second tier members, even if were just a token gesture.

And if the GPA did allow it purely as a token gesture Uladh, how would it benefit the GPA? You're almost implying they could have USED the club players membership to bolster their perceived repectability amongst the GAA population to then use this position to fulfil their real agenda?

I'm not from Tyrone, but I can say that they're speaking for me Sean. I don't buy this holier than thou image that the GPA are trying to portray.

It is true that the GAA need to sort out the players insurance scheme asap because it is no doubt a bit of a disater speaking to anybody who has had to use it. It is a disgrace that this scheme has not been given the right attention and that "a players representative association" has had to champion its cause rather than the GAA sort it out from within. But the GPA do not seem to realise that this is an issue for every player, not just the elite. If the GPA exists only to look after player welfare issues, why do they not canvas the wider club population for support in their endevours? Surely the wider membership would help bring about the changes quicker? I think we all know why they don't give two fiddlers about the club player and his opinions. They haven't got the money making potenial of the elite.

But the GPA are NOT the players' representatives. They are the representatives of a self-appointed elite and their agenda is nothing less than the destruction of the amateur ethos and egalitarian structure of the GAA.

100% in agreement Hardy.

I hope the Antrim squad are getting ready to put it up to Galway on Sunday instead of dwelling on negatives. If they can put up a fighting display for the full 70 minutes then that will be a positive. If they go down with a hiding on their minds then there will be no surer thing. If they are going to do anything come summer time they have to at least show they are up for it. There should be enough strength in the panel to put out a steady 15 for the game.

Sadly only in threads coming from antrim do you get such shite. Why people have to come on here and take out their personal stupid grudges is beyond me. Get behind your county men you fools.

No more than you hear in everyday life ITG The world is full of wastes of space. It riles me no end that to some of these numpties, causing offense is the ONLY reason they post. These people are beyond telling

Milltown to be fair though in earlier games in antrim pre loughgiel cushendall struggled for points and got a number of fortuitous goals against ballycastle and then dunloy dunloy with their point tallies not being hugely impressive. They have improved since then but similar deficiencies were illustrated on sunday sadly. Shane McNaughton and Paddy Magill will hopefully come on leaps and bounds from sunday and that young brick fella sounds a promising prospect so hopefully that will improve them. Their defense however is immense but from about no. 8 up they have done nothing but chop and change all year which would suggest  they've not been happy with their lineup.

You're obviously right about their low points tally ITG. Nobody can dispute that but I would argue that it was cushendall game plan to snuff out the oppositions forward line and sacrifice scoring potential ...hence alot of low point scoring games which they won.....but in having so much space in their inside forward line they were able to generate alot of goal scoring opertunities because of this approach. Everyone comments on their defense, but it was immense because their defenders number 2-12 (excluding no 11)

Hopefully they've raised the bar for antrim clubs and other teams will raise their game now and benefit antrim hurling.

Ah--hem..... do you want to think about that again 

Milltown...To say Cushendalls forwards clicked in Antrim Final and therefore "have it" is missing the point. Cushendall scored 2-12 i think (i may be wrong here) against a team that totally gave up and on a perfect day for hurling. Nobody will tell me that is a cricket score, as Skinner said yesterday the forwards lack of scoring has been the problem all year.

The fact that the Antrim Championship was won by a team which I agree lacks fluent forward play say's more about the rest of us does it not StS?  Cushendalls success over the past 2 years is primarily down to them being very defensive tactically. They play their 3/4 line way out the pitch to keep things very conjested at the back. In doing so they only have to deliver ball into space up front and if they are doing well defensively as they have done then the forwards that they only have to find enough ball to get them ahead of the oppositon even allowing for their misses as JC has mentioned. It worked for them up until yesterday.
Cushendall beat who was put in front of them in Antrim, so we can hardly misscall their short comings without exposing our own can we?

Who made you the moderator Skull? I didn't vote for you. You've only been around this board for 5 minutes yourself.

WTF...I've been an active member of this board for over two years. If thats 5 minutes in your world SkyBlue then this board must have started in and around the time Babbage invented the computer. And since when did I hold myself as the moderator? I think it is fair advice to someone new...shit stirring are we?

Skull.......Monty has had some sort of strapping since he was about 16. They had the oppurtunity, werent good enough.

True but he normally uses the old neoprene knee bandage which only serves mainly as a comfort blanket to players (been there done it), but the strapping he had on his knee yesterday looked to be protecting a ligament injury. Maybe BoS can illuminate? Agreed they were not good enough. I am simply trying to suggest that injuries may have played a part in them not being good enough to win yesterday. Based on what they showed yesterday I can't believe how Loughrea got out of Galway. If Ballyhale can keep their feet on the ground then I can see Loughrea taking a real pasting on the 17th...but it doesn't always work that way does it?

Nor do you need my acceptance, but you'll very soon end up looking like an asshole if you don't bring something more to proceedings....that was my point. You joined the board so that you make derogatory comments about another club (I'm presuming). To me that is not a good way to start of on this type of forum....it'll get you a bad name as does childish name calling  . Please, feel free to ignore this advice if you want to

Getting back to the game, I think Cushendalls injuries had a big impact on thier performance up front in particular. Both Monty and Shane McNaughton were both carrying heavily strapped knees and I believe Declan McKillop had a stomach muscle injury. None of them had an impact on the game. Michael McCambridge returning from an ACL injury looked very rusty and played no part. Big players to loose for such an important game and if fit they could easily have contributed 3-4 points to the side. Loughrea look a very avaerage outfit and I think that Cushendall must know that they missed a glorious chance to get to the finals yesterday

draw at half time, draw at full time, draw at half time in extra time and they were a point down with a few minutes left. 2 late points won it for them.

What a way to win a game at this level. They must have shown great character to have come out on the right side of this result. Does anyone have the dates for the final....I hear its going to be a flood lit game?

The Truth....if it took Cushendall to get beat yesterday for you to feel the need to sign up here just so you could give off about them then I don't think too many people will look forward to your future contributions on this board ....think about it

Definately there for the taking BoS as Loughrea could also be accused of not having the forward power either. Didn't think youse coped well at all with the pitch and conditions. Hard Luck


Brillant Result for Clooney Gaels if the reports are right. What a result for SW Antrim Hurling. With Tir Na Og, Creggan and Clooneys both getting good numbers at Juvenile, this could be a real shot in the arm for hurling in Antrim if these clubs can push on and try to emulate their near neighbours

Still no news of Gort Na Mona....can anybody post the score?

Great Match. Toomevara will have nightmares about this games for years to come. Thats not tthe first time I've seen a team scoring early goals and then taking their foot of the pedal. Have to save it was Ballyhales "club" players who dragged them back into the game although the class of Shefflin & Fitzpatrick ultimately put toome to the sword. Really enjoyed that

i read somewhere that Mayo have drawn up a new club season where the league gets played during the summer without inter-county players, or something like that, sounds like a plan to me.

Not if your allegiences are to your club first. What incentives are there for clubs to produce quality players if they realise they will not represent them at senior level for 80-90% of the season. In club leagues you need their best 15 against your best 15 for it to be interesting. Without that the leagues become glorified friendlies