Antrim Hurling

[Shara Fuggers]

Shane McNaughton has slammed the "amateurish" goings-on in Antrim hurling.

The departure and return and re-departure of manager Jerry Wallace coupled with the decision to appoint an interim boss - Jim Nelson - made it a crazy summer for the Saffrons, culminating in last weekend's Gaelic Grounds massacre.

Ahead of Sunday's Ulster SHC final clash with Derry, Cushendall clubman McNaughton says the events are simply not good enough at senior intercounty level:

"Obviously everything that was going on in the background didn't help but we can't use that as an excuse," the ace marksman comments in The Irish News.

"For training, we didn't know what managers, let alone what players were going to be there leading up to the game. There are a lot of fellas who need to take a look at themselves, including most of the players.

"The things that were going on behind the scenes were ridiculous; it was childish.

"We didn't know what managers were turning up for training on Thursday nights. It was just a bit of a joke, the whole thing.

"It was the most amateurish thing you could get. When the rest of the GAA has such a professional set-up, ours was like an U14 team.

"Everyone was wondering what was going on. You get to the stage where you don't know whether to laugh or cry."

"The supporters who travelled down to the game is who I feel for, boys that paid £50 for diesel and paid in to watch it, then after ten minutes the match is over.

The audacity of Shane McNaughton!  There was a major Cushendall footprint on this entire debacle.  Are the Cushendall players, team mentors, county secretary all now beyond reproach?  Only in Antrim 

[oisinog]

Shane McNaughton has slammed the "amateurish" goings-on in Antrim hurling.

The departure and return and re-departure of manager Jerry Wallace coupled with the decision to appoint an interim boss - Jim Nelson - made it a crazy summer for the Saffrons, culminating in last weekend's Gaelic Grounds massacre.

Ahead of Sunday's Ulster SHC final clash with Derry, Cushendall clubman McNaughton says the events are simply not good enough at senior intercounty level:

"Obviously everything that was going on in the background didn't help but we can't use that as an excuse," the ace marksman comments in The Irish News.

"For training, we didn't know what managers, let alone what players were going to be there leading up to the game. There are a lot of fellas who need to take a look at themselves, including most of the players.

"The things that were going on behind the scenes were ridiculous; it was childish.

"We didn't know what managers were turning up for training on Thursday nights. It was just a bit of a joke, the whole thing.

"It was the most amateurish thing you could get. When the rest of the GAA has such a professional set-up, ours was like an U14 team.

"Everyone was wondering what was going on. You get to the stage where you don't know whether to laugh or cry."

"The supporters who travelled down to the game is who I feel for, boys that paid £50 for diesel and paid in to watch it, then after ten minutes the match is over.

The audacity of Shane McNaughton!  There was a major Cushendall footprint on this entire debacle.  Are the Cushendall players, team mentors, county secretary all now beyond reproach?  Only in Antrim 

I dont see anything wrong with this.

Shane has been honest not only has blamed the managment he has also blamed the players.

[btdtgtt]

One of those Ulster Council employees is managing a club team in Derry as far as I know.

yep, he can't take county teams though or different clubs apart from his own as far as I know. Same as Tony Scullion with Ballinascreen footballers.

Yes that's the rules - but routinely bent with money the common theme.

[Sleeping giant]

Shane McNaughton has slammed the "amateurish" goings-on in Antrim hurling.

The departure and return and re-departure of manager Jerry Wallace coupled with the decision to appoint an interim boss - Jim Nelson - made it a crazy summer for the Saffrons, culminating in last weekend's Gaelic Grounds massacre.

Ahead of Sunday's Ulster SHC final clash with Derry, Cushendall clubman McNaughton says the events are simply not good enough at senior intercounty level:

"Obviously everything that was going on in the background didn't help but we can't use that as an excuse," the ace marksman comments in The Irish News.

"For training, we didn't know what managers, let alone what players were going to be there leading up to the game. There are a lot of fellas who need to take a look at themselves, including most of the players.

"The things that were going on behind the scenes were ridiculous; it was childish.

"We didn't know what managers were turning up for training on Thursday nights. It was just a bit of a joke, the whole thing.

"It was the most amateurish thing you could get. When the rest of the GAA has such a professional set-up, ours was like an U14 team.

"Everyone was wondering what was going on. You get to the stage where you don't know whether to laugh or cry."

"The supporters who travelled down to the game is who I feel for, boys that paid £50 for diesel and paid in to watch it, then after ten minutes the match is over.

The audacity of Shane McNaughton!  There was a major Cushendall footprint on this entire debacle.  Are the Cushendall players, team mentors, county secretary all now beyond reproach?  Only in Antrim 

in SMN defence. he was nothing to do with any of it.  but its nice that somepeople know the truth

[Megaman]

Shane McNaughton has slammed the "amateurish" goings-on in Antrim hurling.

The departure and return and re-departure of manager Jerry Wallace coupled with the decision to appoint an interim boss - Jim Nelson - made it a crazy summer for the Saffrons, culminating in last weekend's Gaelic Grounds massacre.

Ahead of Sunday's Ulster SHC final clash with Derry, Cushendall clubman McNaughton says the events are simply not good enough at senior intercounty level:

"Obviously everything that was going on in the background didn't help but we can't use that as an excuse," the ace marksman comments in The Irish News.

"For training, we didn't know what managers, let alone what players were going to be there leading up to the game. There are a lot of fellas who need to take a look at themselves, including most of the players.

"The things that were going on behind the scenes were ridiculous; it was childish.

"We didn't know what managers were turning up for training on Thursday nights. It was just a bit of a joke, the whole thing.

"It was the most amateurish thing you could get. When the rest of the GAA has such a professional set-up, ours was like an U14 team.

"Everyone was wondering what was going on. You get to the stage where you don't know whether to laugh or cry."

"The supporters who travelled down to the game is who I feel for, boys that paid £50 for diesel and paid in to watch it, then after ten minutes the match is over.

The audacity of Shane McNaughton!  There was a major Cushendall footprint on this entire debacle.  Are the Cushendall players, team mentors, county secretary all now beyond reproach?  Only in Antrim 

in SMN defence. he was nothing to do with any of it.  but its nice that somepeople know the truth

Care to explain in more detail?

[imtommygunn]

We have 8 clubs - you have 4 divisions.   So we done well to win 3 or 4- my point was not that anyhow, it was more that no matter what the form book was were never feared of Antrim, thats just in our makeup, good stock we are

You're some boys.

Your biggest challenge is your county board and some of your attitudes to hurling in general.

Some hurlers have went through Derry and been wasted over the years and you've probably as good a feeder school as any in antrim which may explain the lack of fear.

typical lazy analysis...if all else fails blame the county board. Or are you blaming the specialist hurling committee?

As for attitudes, yeah some people don't follow hurling in the same way hurling people wouldn't go near a football match. You'll find that in any county from Cork to Derry.

I'm no expert but my view is that Derry doesn't have enough top quality native hurling coaches. Those that are there are paid by the Ulster council and can't take teams. Christy O'Connor said exactly the same in the Irish News yesterday.

There's nothing lazy about it.  Brian Mcgilligan made his feelings well know the other year.

Even in your own thread here the disdain shown to hurling is remarkable. Maybe it's like this in other counties however other counties haven't had the players going through their ranks which you have had.

You can have 30 footballers in the panel so there should be room for better in the hurling.

Maybe you'll beat antrim, though I'd like to think not, but you are still greatly underachieving irrespective. Some of those st pats teams have done as well as any antrim teams and you should be so much better than you are.

[sheamy]

I suppose county boards stay constant then do they? It's the mythical county board which never changes, is it? Sorry, I stick by my lazy analysis charge if you don't even know that much. In fact, you've made my point.

[imtommygunn]

Fill us in then Sheamy. Development squads, outside coaches,development of coaches inside, timing of hurling leagues, conflict of football and hurling club games, investment into continuing development of underage players into senior players(e.g. emphasis on u21). How does that all work?

Just because a county boards personnel change doesn't mean attitudes do.

Stick by lazy analysis if you want but if you ask me that's not much better than lazy analysis. 

[Sleeping giant]

Shane McNaughton has slammed the "amateurish" goings-on in Antrim hurling.

The departure and return and re-departure of manager Jerry Wallace coupled with the decision to appoint an interim boss - Jim Nelson - made it a crazy summer for the Saffrons, culminating in last weekend's Gaelic Grounds massacre.

Ahead of Sunday's Ulster SHC final clash with Derry, Cushendall clubman McNaughton says the events are simply not good enough at senior intercounty level:

"Obviously everything that was going on in the background didn't help but we can't use that as an excuse," the ace marksman comments in The Irish News.

"For training, we didn't know what managers, let alone what players were going to be there leading up to the game. There are a lot of fellas who need to take a look at themselves, including most of the players.

"The things that were going on behind the scenes were ridiculous; it was childish.

"We didn't know what managers were turning up for training on Thursday nights. It was just a bit of a joke, the whole thing.

"It was the most amateurish thing you could get. When the rest of the GAA has such a professional set-up, ours was like an U14 team.

"Everyone was wondering what was going on. You get to the stage where you don't know whether to laugh or cry."

"The supporters who travelled down to the game is who I feel for, boys that paid £50 for diesel and paid in to watch it, then after ten minutes the match is over.

The audacity of Shane McNaughton!  There was a major Cushendall footprint on this entire debacle.  Are the Cushendall players, team mentors, county secretary all now beyond reproach?  Only in Antrim 

in SMN defence. he was nothing to do with any of it.  but its nice that somepeople know the truth

Care to explain in more detail?

not really,   tried telling few home truths weeks back, got shot down!!   whole country talking bout it now tho!!   DELIGHTED that true hurling people know the truth about the childish shite that went on this year.   

[Seamroga in exile]

Sure I was put down for telling them all about the goings on behind closed doors as well sg. All came out in the end. Well, most of it.   

[lonely1]

The sad and sickening thing is, they will all have the hands out looking looking for the GPA money and the AI tickets, while the sad volunteer will struggle to get anything!

[btdtgtt]

I am not absolving the players at all but I don't think there can be much dispute that administrators (paid) in Antrim are sub-standard. For a long time we have stagnated and suffered due to a blend if incompetence and self interest. Maybe their agenda is more driven by the points lonely1 makes and such - but it's all self preservation & promotion before fulfilling their actual roles.

The county chairman I believe to be a genuine guy - I have spoken to him on several occasions. So genuine in fact that he does not hide the short comings of other county officials. Let's face it we know some of these guys and they have no pedigree.

But the real problem?
There's nobody ready to replace them!

[AshwoodGael]

Hey Cuzies , after the hammering we gave ye a couple weeks ago i took an interest in ye're match this weekend but the madness in ye're county is more craic altogether.

Rumour has it that Derry will have to tog out in an away strip tomorrow to avoid confusing all the loughgiel players ye are putting out or in fact ye are togging out in Loughgiel colours.

Ye're County secretaryFrancie Quinlan  appears to be going on a belated media war to try and save his backside. Its a bit tasteless as i heard he was too busy playing golf when ye're last manager  was under attack. Reading what i saw he knows nothing about loyalty it appears lads. Typical of most county secretaries only interested in looking after number one and not the bigger picture.

He seems very happy with Jim Nelsons performance though which should give ye great cause for optimism. Nelson seems to get a bit of fighting spirit going even if its only on the team bus between themselves  by all accounts.

I'd say ye will have some job trying to convince someone to take on the job with the in fighting and back stabbing. they call my city stab city but tis nothing compared to ye're back stabbing between supporters players and board. Sad lot/

Quinlan said ye are on the lookout for a team manager but id say ye need more of a childminder or something like that at this stage

keep the faith Cuzes and maybe the christy ring is a bit optimistic for ye at this stage. Let shamrocks eneter it instead maybe. cad a cheapan tu seomra/seomroga leithreas  as lathair

keep on hurling

[auld stock]

the problems in antrim hurling didnt just appear this year. they also are not the fault of jerry wallis, sambo,dick o kane, dinny cahill or may i add the loughguile or c'dall playing contingent this year. what we are now seeing is the culmination of 20 wasted years at grassroots level. listen 20 years ago when we had a at least half decent county team & our possible route to an all ireland final was fantastically easier than it is now because we got into a semi automatically, ONCE & only ONCE did we ever manage to drag ourselves into the final. now please god tell me how any sane minded person actually believed that the introduction of the qualifiers & the reality of playing up to 3 games against good opposition before we could even smell a semi was going to suit us??  this has now made it ten times more difficult for us rightly so fairer for better teams than us ie losing munster finalists who previously were out. what we should perhaps have tried after the humiliation of the '89 final was to go away & examine the structures in all the clubs in the county. emphasis should have been on the same top level of coaching the skills in ALL the clubs & a style of play adaptable & familiar to all the clubs so that like in most other counties you have a steady stream of capable players being sent from the clubs to represent the county. but what actually happened here was that the clubs were left to their own devices & some fared better than others. b'castle who were a real force in club hurling in the 70's & 80's seemed for years to ignore the underage set up & have paid the price ever since.only now are they starting to turn the corner & reap the rewards of a good underage set up implimented about 10 years ago. dunloy as well brought their own great senior team right up through the ranks & swept all before them. sadly now their underage teams are not producing the same level of players. the teams in the city have barring the johnnies & occassionally rossa havent produced anything of real worth. even today c'dall have a very good underage system but i can put my hand on my heart & say that neil,shane & arron are the only 3 players good enough to play inter county hurling. thats whats really frightening. we have been there or thereabouts at senior level now for nearly 30 years & we have only 3 players up to inter county level. loughguile had 6 starters last week & rightlly so as at the minute they are the best club team in the country. but when we strip it back to the bones i would say that although all these players are definitely good enough to be on the antrim county team ,i dont believe they are all good enough for inter county level. in my opinion we need to get into all the clubs & put in place structures where by everyone is being coached to the same highest levels & that most of the clubs can compete at all age groups. you would then naturally have a better hurler being sent to the county. this is not a 2 or 3 year fix. this could take 10 years or more but we have to start at the very earliest age we can. so what of our current squad? well this may seem ruthless but we should play christy ring & if we won it at a canter as some suggest (i dont think for a second we would) then so what,it hasnt bothered anyone that we have won 11 ulster titles in a row. for me the current squads its too late to ever make any impact on the liam mc carthy but that doesnt mean the honest players & management shouldnt get just reward of all ireland success in a lower grade. for now i would forget about running the county team like a club team. let them train once a week & play their league & c'ship games. the other nights of the week they would be of far more use training with their clubs teams where they would be helping to bring on their club mates & hopefully raising the standard of the club hurling & surely the natural progression is that when the club hurling is stronger & far more competitive the county can only benefit. we have tried everything else, why not this? the only obstacle in my view would be a very few people who are benefitting financially through jobs within the county who legitimise their roles by cintinuously championing the idea that we are in fact capable of challenging for an AI

[imtommygunn]

Paragraphs man, paragraphs...

Ashwoodgael you're about as much from limerick as the rest of us on this antrim thread but whatever floats your boat.