Antrim Football Thread

[inabsentia]

Early doors in the season, however are the new rules highlighting gaps between teams, all teams conceding more but some stark score lines to date. Hopefully might accelerate a move to 4 divisions in a future season to improve quality.

We have 34 adult teams competing across 3 leagues this year.

16 of those are in D1.

11 teams a division in D1/3, one extra in D2 where there'll be a bigger glut of teams around a similar level.


Sorted it for ye lads. Let me know when you want me to come on full time as county board representative.

[imtommygunn]

The lack of discussion on here about relegation to Div 4 shows the real problem in this county, no one really gives a toss

I don't think so. The discussions resort into this club, that club etc. It's hugely disappointing to be relegated and it's hugely disappointing that the reality is that if you were an objective outsider looking at division 3 we would have probably been candidates for it. Hard to know where we go from here. Probably a new manager you'd imagine but there's a lot more to it than just one manager.

[bannside]

Championship venue confirmed for Corrigan Pk as anticipated.

[imtommygunn]

Live on BBC for those who can't get tickets...

[Hectic]

Lack of discussion about being relegated?

Yesterday was just the dotting and crossing but there has been a lot of discussion over the past week, particularly around areas where posters perceive progress needs to be made to get our county team pressing forward.

Were you wanting us to come on with a collective wailing and gnashing of teeth last night?

[Hectic]

And as for Division 1 having too many teams being the problem?

How does that work given county players are not available for league games?

Pray tell!

[Take the Mark]

The 16 team Division 1 has no effect on how shite the county senior team is this year, zero.

But it will have in years to come. Weaker teams playing at a higher level, leads to false dawns.

[SaffronSports]

You could half that and there would still be too many teams in Division 1. Realistically, you have Cargin who are on a level of their own. Then you have Portglenone, St Brigid's, Creggan maybe? The fact there are so few decent club sides absolutely impacts the county team but it's one of many, many issues. 

[Hectic]

But how does a smaller Division 1 help the county team?

Especially when some of our strongest club teams don't contribute greatly to county squads and county players generally don't see much by way of league action.

The cynic might conclude that the aforementioned clubs would like a smaller Division 1 with the strongest league teams (as opposed to strongest teams when all county players are available) to sharpen their own team ahead of championship.  While having feck all interest in what happens to the county team.

I'd prefer 8 in Division 1 and 8 in Division 2 (or even call it 1b) from a spectacle point of view and for more competitive games.  But I won't pretend I want that to make the county team better.

But happy for someone to explain exactly how it would.

Because I am stuck at the idea the development work needs to be done long before we release a set of fixtures for senior leagues.

[Milltown Row2]

Clubs are only interested in their own clubs well-being, be that in support of the 16 team div or 8 team division.

The only success a club in Antrim can achieve is winning the county championship, as with Antrim, we've been devoid of appearances at Clones for many years so the attention is to win what we can and that's the Antrim football championship.

That's not knocking the Sterling effort by those who'd be involved in developing squads and the like.

Players probably (rightly or wrongly) see a success path through club so are easily persuaded or by own choice to not jeopardise injury or burn out playing for (in their view) a lost cause..

Antrim don't have a big pool of players able to compete at a higher grade most years, but when potentially better players prefer staying at home, it makes it harder again.

[Take the Mark]

You could half that and there would still be too many teams in Division 1. Realistically, you have Cargin who are on a level of their own. Then you have Portglenone, St Brigid's, Creggan maybe? The fact there are so few decent club sides absolutely impacts the county team but it's one of many, many issues. 

Creggan maybe? Creggan, definitely. They had a shitshow of a year last year but will certainly be in the mix for the championship this year. Possibly moreso than some of those you mentioned before them.

[Goodray]

You could half that and there would still be too many teams in Division 1. Realistically, you have Cargin who are on a level of their own. Then you have Portglenone, St Brigid's, Creggan maybe? The fact there are so few decent club sides absolutely impacts the county team but it's one of many, many issues. 

Creggan maybe? Creggan, definitely. They had a shitshow of a year last year but will certainly be in the mix for the championship this year. Possibly moreso than some of those you mentioned before them.

Who is running Creggan this year? They are scoring heavily so far.

[Milltown Row2]

Over the years I've normally seen Creggan's best players standing on the sidelines during the league. Probably playing their better players during the league

It's how much you score in championship that matters

[SaffronSports]

You could half that and there would still be too many teams in Division 1. Realistically, you have Cargin who are on a level of their own. Then you have Portglenone, St Brigid's, Creggan maybe? The fact there are so few decent club sides absolutely impacts the county team but it's one of many, many issues. 

Creggan maybe? Creggan, definitely. They had a shitshow of a year last year but will certainly be in the mix for the championship this year. Possibly moreso than some of those you mentioned before them.

Who is running Creggan this year? They are scoring heavily so far.

Still Joe Cassidy.

[Gold]

The lack of discussion on here about relegation to Div 4 shows the real problem in this county, no one really gives a toss

Agreed.