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SV will be AWOL for another 2 weeks!
They've now moved onto bashing referees since Andy is winning games...any desperate attempt for content to appease all these 'supposed' patreons

Simple question to answer EOC. If Antrim hadn't won today there would have been a fair few queuing up to say we are no better off. But now most will agree (concede even) that we are. A 19 point turnaround in a year is not too shabby.

Enjoy the occasion, the pride that took a hammering this time last year has been restored.

Now we can move on....

A good win, we have rightly took it seriously this year as this is Antrims level.Disappointed we had no representation on the starting team to be honest. I'd say the men we have there maybe won't be there much longer.
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Who would you have started and where?

Really.... Your surprised by someone asking how no player from the best club side in Antrim for the last 10 years started

What's the alternate Fr Maginn. There's no easy fix except a lot of very hard work ...frustrating as that may seem. We've all been there!

The issue imo is quality of coaching within clubs at underage.

I might sound harsh, but too many underage coaches don't know what they're doing or teaching even if their heart is in the right place and I get they're doing their best because others who are better suited don't want to get involved.

By secondary school I think its too late as it's more about refinement and even then the quality of coaching is questionable in alot of schools.

We've never been that far away, ever, even when these counties were winning all irelands consistently.  I don't care how strong Tyrone and Derry are, it's a joke to only score 3 points in 2 games.  Those scorelines were only that bad because of attitude and giving up, not quality

Difficult for players/coaches/fans to retain hope when you score 3 points in 120minutes of football, regardless how strong the opposition are

Disagree WC. Winning a McRory cup is not THE prize, even if that was achievable!  I'd rather our four or five big schools made a proper concentrated effort at winning McLarnon, at least we would have 150 players being prepared each year, than 20 Antrim and 20 Down.

We need these schools to properly aspire to putting in the work from year 8 and upwards and be competing in all their year group comps. And to give them a chance Clubs need to step up and send in better quality, and county dev squads need to take the lads under them to a higher level, at least individually (S&C etc).

Irs a long hard road and there's no short cuts.

I suppose you could then ask how Down are taking similar tankings to us at minor level? I'd say they have a right few boys playing A football right through school with St Colman's and the Abbey, they aren't splitting their resources with hurling anywhere near the same as we are, yet they are nowhere near the ballpark at county minor level.

Down have literally just won back to back u20s.  So what if they have 1 bad underage team.... Comparing us to them is a bit disrespectful to Down and we are certainly not even close to being in similar positions

Sorry 2/3 but point stands

Disagree WC. Winning a McRory cup is not THE prize, even if that was achievable!  I'd rather our four or five big schools made a proper concentrated effort at winning McLarnon, at least we would have 150 players being prepared each year, than 20 Antrim and 20 Down.

We need these schools to properly aspire to putting in the work from year 8 and upwards and be competing in all their year group comps. And to give them a chance Clubs need to step up and send in better quality, and county dev squads need to take the lads under them to a higher level, at least individually (S&C etc).

Irs a long hard road and there's no short cuts.

I suppose you could then ask how Down are taking similar tankings to us at minor level? I'd say they have a right few boys playing A football right through school with St Colman's and the Abbey, they aren't splitting their resources with hurling anywhere near the same as we are, yet they are nowhere near the ballpark at county minor level.

Down have literally just won back to back u20s.  So what if they have 1 bad underage team.... Comparing us to them is a bit disrespectful to Down and we are certainly not even close to being in similar positions

Beat 8-17 to 0-2

Downed tools after 7 minutes, the SV lads told them they didn't get mentioned on Twitter.  So they wanted to make a statement to the county board

I count 7 across the 3 divisions or are you only referring to Div 1

Only one 'city' game last night 

Interpret the response as you like, but it's going off point.
As players we train our asses off.  When we play matches we get shoulded to the head picking up ball, tackled with closed fists, high tackles around neck, 2 man tackled to ground for us to then get blown up for over carrying etc.  Look I agree some players and managers are completly out of order to referees which is wrong and I won't defend that, they don't deserve the comments they get, just like the Cargin lads didn't deserve what was mentioned last night. But as players we get ridiculed for bad results.  The backlash in this forum after Armagh and the whole Div3 was clear.  Even Andy too.  But yet it seems that as soon as anyone mentions a poor decision/performance after a game by a ref they are bang out of order.  As I said, I don't know the solution but that's my observation whether it's right or wrong

You'll not hear me giving off about county teams and the like with regards to performances, no one steps out on to a pitch to perform badly, it happens, even I have a bad day

Taking things to a personal level is different though, you can have constructive criticism or just be a nasty shite and go over the top. I'm generally the only one hear that will debate about the referee's otherwise it would be one way traffic. Or would you prefer it not to be challenged?

Closed fist yellow card by the book, open hand attempt on the ball ok, misses the ball a free, shoulder to the head by the book is a red card, high tackle around the neck is also a yellow depending on how bad it is it can be red.. I'd two of these last night, and typical aggro. This very rarely happens in hurling, why is it so different?

Debate is healthy if respectful, no one can be right 100% of time.  Everyone of those tackles happened last night and every outcome was over carrying.  I just think the standard has dropped.  How would you say standard has changed in last 5 years?  Or would your take be, you don't see enough as generally are reffing yourself?  I think we can both agree respect has dropped along with the number of actual refs.

High tackles in hurling are very common got, my take is players, especially at County, encourage tackling arms to slide up their body in tackles to that hight and then exaggerate the tackle as unlike football, frees are generally speaking a free shot on goal.  Could be completly wrong.

I count 7 across the 3 divisions or are you only referring to Div 1

Only one 'city' game last night 

Interpret the response as you like, but it's going off point.
As players we train our asses off.  When we play matches we get shoulded to the head picking up ball, tackled with closed fists, high tackles around neck, 2 man tackled to ground for us to then get blown up for over carrying etc.  Look I agree some players and managers are completly out of order to referees which is wrong and I won't defend that, they don't deserve the comments they get, just like the Cargin lads didn't deserve what was mentioned last night. But as players we get ridiculed for bad results.  The backlash in this forum after Armagh and the whole Div3 was clear.  Even Andy too.  But yet it seems that as soon as anyone mentions a poor decision/performance after a game by a ref they are bang out of order.  As I said, I don't know the solution but that's my observation whether it's right or wrong

Care to elaborate what game you were at last night or are you talking about all the games last night?

From what I've seen this year, about 10 senior games, the level of refereeing has been very poor.  Last night was the worst and that's not to be harsh on the fellas, but there has been maybe 1 good ref for every 3/4 bad.
I don't think linesmen or umpires is the issue, I'm talking about general play around the middle third, linesmem would of course help for some decisions.  I understand being a referee is difficult job at times but I'm talking about obvious and clear errors and not 50:50 tackles.
Not sure what the solution is, the rules sometimes don't help but I'm sure if more ex players took up the whistle it would help.  The chances of that happening is probably null.  And before anyone says I'm being hyper critical for no reason, that's not my intention and I've done the referee test before and scored >90% so I do have a fairly decent understanding of the rules too

How could it be all the games?  I don't want to single this fella out no, as I know refs do their best and it's not intentional.  But it was 'in the city'

From what I've seen this year, about 10 senior games, the level of refereeing has been very poor.  Last night was the worst and that's not to be harsh on the fellas, but there has been maybe 1 good ref for every 3/4 bad.
I don't think linesmen or umpires is the issue, I'm talking about general play around the middle third, linesmem would of course help for some decisions.  I understand being a referee is difficult job at times but I'm talking about obvious and clear errors and not 50:50 tackles.
Not sure what the solution is, the rules sometimes don't help but I'm sure if more ex players took up the whistle it would help.  The chances of that happening is probably null.  And before anyone says I'm being hyper critical for no reason, that's not my intention and I've done the referee test before and scored >90% so I do have a fairly decent understanding of the rules too

Game of the night for me tonight is Pete's men v the ports
A win will set Aghagallon up nicely a loss for ports again will do their mental frailties no good at all.

I think everyone is all too aware of RC shortcomings mentally come the business end of season.  But I doubt they will be too alarmed if they lose a couple of league games at this stage

Judging by the score, maybe some players were glad it wasn't covered on twitter

Scoring over twice what your opponents does imo is a game that's not even close.  But even if you think it isn't, my point still stands about the team being average/no better than any other recent team

I wish people would stop referencing the u20 team as if they were this exceptional team.  They lost to a average donegal team who lost heavily to derry.  There hasn't been a 'decent' antrim youth team since 06 if truth be told