Antrim Football Thread

[Milltown Row2]

If you read the proposal you would see it suggested starting the leagues much later so all county players are available, Tyrone had played 4/5 league games before they were dumped out on 12th July. That weekend was the Tailteann cup final so that's the furthest Antrim can get. I would argue it would make the county more attractive because the leagues aren't being wrapped up before the county players get a chance to play any.

It would allow time (April May June) for the regional comps to be played and make them more competitive too, Beringer/O'Cahan/McCormick etc just like the Devlin in Tyrone.

Straight knockout championship cannot be replicated, it's where it's at. Give each game its each its own time slot over a long weekend Fri-Mon and the crowds will get bigger.

Put it to your committee/club sec/club county delegate.. If it gets the required majority it will pass 

[Duine Inteacht Eile]

If you read the proposal you would see it suggested starting the leagues much later so all county players are available, Tyrone had played 4/5 league games before they were dumped out on 12th July. That weekend was the Tailteann cup final so that's the furthest Antrim can get. I would argue it would make the county more attractive because the leagues aren't being wrapped up before the county players get a chance to play any.

It would allow time (April May June) for the regional comps to be played and make them more competitive too, Beringer/O'Cahan/McCormick etc just like the Devlin in Tyrone.

Straight knockout championship cannot be replicated, it's where it's at. Give each game its each its own time slot over a long weekend Fri-Mon and the crowds will get bigger.

Tyrone don't have a hurling league and need to have 2 football games a week* at times to get their league finished, and it's late finishing even with it. With hurling, we couldn't replicate what they do.
However, there is a happy medium to be found. As a county with more fixture congestion than others, playing group games before the real championship starts doesn't make a lot of sense.

* I appreciate the irony that we are now having double weeks in "championship".

[Take the Mark]

The fact that SFC starts tonight and the chat on here is about structuring tells you all you need to know really.

Anyway, here are my predictions -

Portglenone by 10+
Creggan by 8+
Aghagallon by 8+
Cargin by 12+
Aldergrove by 1
St Brigids by 15+
Dunloy by 2
St Galls by 1

[Hectic]

If you read the proposal you would see it suggested starting the leagues much later so all county players are available, Tyrone had played 4/5 league games before they were dumped out on 12th July. That weekend was the Tailteann cup final so that's the furthest Antrim can get. I would argue it would make the county more attractive because the leagues aren't being wrapped up before the county players get a chance to play any.

It would allow time (April May June) for the regional comps to be played and make them more competitive too, Beringer/O'Cahan/McCormick etc just like the Devlin in Tyrone.

Straight knockout championship cannot be replicated, it's where it's at. Give each game its each its own time slot over a long weekend Fri-Mon and the crowds will get bigger.

Fair enough then - I thought you were still proposing part of the league overlapping.

It's a difficult one no matter how you try to cut a way through.

[Caesar]

One could argue that an open-draw, straight-knockout championship would increase the level of jeopardy for the bigger teams over a longer period. As it stands, the top teams can afford a poor performance early in the championship without facing serious consequences as long as they get out of the group. They've all have suffered meaningless defeats in the group stages in recent years.

Raising the stakes and introducing the possibility of big teams clashing early on could shake things up which can only be a good thing. It might also raise overall standards and ambition, especially if lower-ranked teams had the chance of knocking out one of the big guns with a big performance on the day.

[Milltown Row2]

One could argue that an open-draw, straight-knockout championship would increase the level of jeopardy for the bigger teams over a longer period. As it stands, the top teams can afford a poor performance early in the championship without facing serious consequences as long as they get out of the group. They've all have suffered meaningless defeats in the group stages in recent years.

Raising the stakes and introducing the possibility of big teams clashing early on could shake things up which can only be a good thing. It might also raise overall standards and ambition, especially if lower-ranked teams had the chance of knocking out one of the big guns with a big performance on the day.

I'm all for straight knockout, I'm just not convinced it raises the standards for the clubs and thus the county teams benefit from it..

Remember we have had straight knockout for many years before and no real surprises as both Cargin and St Galls generally got to the final and won them

[Gael-in-exile]

Reading some of the views on here the issues seem to stem from worries about relegation from league when forced to play without county players.
Also the championship has some fixtures that become meaningless or have the feeling of warm up games until knockout or qualification for that phase is on the line.

I think Derrys approach this year is good. Up until the 3rd set of fixtures all 16 teams have one second chance.

As for relegation the idea of 1 up 1 down from each league and championship could be managed and gives a chance for underperforming league teams to play with county players.

Could the league even be split into 8 teams in 1&2 or 1a & 1b that all play senior??

They are just ideas but my own view would be to split competitions into 3/4 even enough sets.
Senior, intermediate, junior and junior b if required.
That's a 12/10/10 split as it stands without incorporating seconds and thirds teams.

[AllStar15]

I'm all for straight knockout, I'm just not convinced it raises the standards for the clubs and thus the county teams benefit from it..

Remember we have had straight knockout for many years before and no real surprises as both Cargin and St Galls generally got to the final and won them
[/quote]

No championship set up will effect the county team, outside of a dramatic introduction of the Kerry regional system which would be too hard to set up, fund and integrate.

[Around the glens]

Were they chancing there arm with the ticketing pricing there. They had it £7 quid for a ticket £10 cash/card at the gate. See that's now changed.

In my opinion no group game should be more than £5.

[Milltown Row2]

Were they chancing there arm with the ticketing pricing there. They had it £7 quid for a ticket £10 cash/card at the gate. See that's now changed.

In my opinion no group game should be more than £5.

Is that the going rate for a soccer game? It's a fiver for a normal club league game

[Around the glens]

Were they chancing there arm with the ticketing pricing there. They had it £7 quid for a ticket £10 cash/card at the gate. See that's now changed.

In my opinion no group game should be more than £5.

Is that the going rate for a soccer game? It's a fiver for a normal club league game

What's soccer got to do with it? £5 quid would be plenty for group games. Group games = more matches so still at £5 a game is plentyful

[Milltown Row2]

Were they chancing there arm with the ticketing pricing there. They had it £7 quid for a ticket £10 cash/card at the gate. See that's now changed.

In my opinion no group game should be more than £5.

Is that the going rate for a soccer game? It's a fiver for a normal club league game

What's soccer got to do with it? £5 quid would be plenty for group games. Group games = more matches so still at £5 a game is plentyful

Are you saying its expensive? £7 is cheap, the soccer comparison is they pay a lot more for a their games for less action

[Around the glens]

Were they chancing there arm with the ticketing pricing there. They had it £7 quid for a ticket £10 cash/card at the gate. See that's now changed.

In my opinion no group game should be more than £5.

Is that the going rate for a soccer game? It's a fiver for a normal club league game

What's soccer got to do with it? £5 quid would be plenty for group games. Group games = more matches so still at £5 a game is plentyful

Are you saying its expensive? £7 is cheap, the soccer comparison is they pay a lot more for a their games for less action

For people in today's day and age 7 quid for a group game is expensive. And thats a bad comparison with soccer which is irrelevant

[Take the Mark]

Were they chancing there arm with the ticketing pricing there. They had it £7 quid for a ticket £10 cash/card at the gate. See that's now changed.

In my opinion no group game should be more than £5.

Is that the going rate for a soccer game? It's a fiver for a normal club league game

What's soccer got to do with it? £5 quid would be plenty for group games. Group games = more matches so still at £5 a game is plentyful

Are you saying its expensive? £7 is cheap, the soccer comparison is they pay a lot more for a their games for less action

He's saying the county were chancing their arm by offering 2 prices for the same admission - its clear what he said, and its clear the county were at their work trying to gouge another 3 quid from folk.

[EOC1923]

I agree the group games should be £5. Lets be real the standard of some of the teams in pretty poor and will lead to some one sided games. But more importantly the group style format is a real turn off for most people.