Antrim Hurling

[Tony Baloney]

A long time and before 2004.

That's true.

How many of these special juvenile players over the years will look back and think they should have won a senior championship or two?  So many decent teams over the years have fallen by the wayside, St Johns the same. These lads for whatever reason have not progressed at senior, maybe the attitude is wrong, drink culture can't help or just lack of ambition are the factors.

Having the right senior set up, the players buy into the management team and goals can make a big difference.

The simple fact is there are more distractions/temptations in Belfast than Loughgiel, Cushendall, Dunloy etc. so you are never going to see the same player retention as the rural areas, many of which have fcuk all apart from the club (looking at you Loughgiel). Ballycastle is no metropolis but they had a reputation for being too fond of the high stool over the past 20 years or so.

It has changed a bit in the past few years due to the job market - Glenariffe have definitely suffered and most Glens clubs would be in the same boat. No strength in depth for SHC.

not really true nowadays tony. We have cars, electric and everything now ya know. 

I think I agree with what hs is hinting at. It comes down to how much work you want to put into it. And how much you want it.

Fcuk when did that happen? Next thing ya know you'll develop a sense of humour

Tony, attitude and respect, those two things can make a standard senior team (Ballycastle lets say) into a contender, Rossa and the Johnnies have the tools they just need to f**king use them. Every club has high stools and dicks that sit on them, some of them come on here every so often and talk a lot of shite, get barred and come back

I agree with you. It may be a cliche but success breeds success. When there is a winning mentality and silverware on display then there is a hunger for more and plenty of young fellas and subs champing at the bit to get a piece of the action. Galls, Loughgiel, Cross etc. don't have massive  pools to choose from but when there is a big Championship win then obviously any team will want to defend their trophy. The best teams might go on the rip for a while after a big Championship win and then they'll get back to preparations for the next one. Plenty of teams have let the celebrations go on too long.

[btdtgtt]

I don't deny that there is logic in it.
It will (hopefully) give us more competitive games.
It will (hopefully) instill a winning mentality amongst players who have never won a championship match.
Potentially, we could (very hopefully) go beyond Antrim and Ulster and contest an All Ireland championship.

It could, however, make little difference to our overall goal of improvement, just like the Johnnies. We could return to senior at the same level that we exited it.

I think it did help St. John's.
As previously stated they were in division 2 when playing intermediate - they are now a safe division 1 team.
But I fail to see how staying in senior will help.

I suppose time will be the only answer!

Even if it gives the rest of us some ammunition for a bit of Rossa bashing!

[Seamroga in exile]

So, who's left in the senior championship?

Loughgiel, Dunloy, Cushendall,  St. John's, sarsfields , st galls, ballycastle?

[btdtgtt]

I take it clooney Gaels are able to stay in intermediate even tho they won it then?

[Bonamargy]

Clooneys Gaels will be in Senior. If you win the ulster intermediate, you cannot play intermediate the following year

[Milltown Row2]

Would like to wish all the best to Clooney Gaels and Creggan today. Real tough games for both. I expect Creggan will have the best chance to go through but you never know. Weather to keep scores down and with PJ able to get goals they might have a chance.

[Last Man]

Would like to wish all the best to Clooney Gaels and Creggan today. Real tough games for both. I expect Creggan will have the best chance to go through but you never know. Weather to keep scores down and with PJ able to get goals they might have a chance.

+1

[Lecale2]

Good luck Clooney Gaels and Creggan this afternoon. Fullan Gaels are a big strong outfit but they are beatable.

[Bonamargy]

Good luck to Clooney and Creggan. A big ask for both of them. PJ needs to have a great game for Clooney to have any chance, and Conor McCann needs to hit the net for Creggan. Give it a whirl, good luck!

[Seamroga in exile]

Yep. Good luck to both clubs.

[Milltown Row2]

Creggan 2-03 1-06 Fullen Gaels at half time. In with a shout

On twitter somewhere?

[Milltown Row2]

Radio commentary on here at 2, though they are brutally biased

http://kclr96fm.com/livestream/kilkenny.php

[Bonamargy]

Yep on the @kickhamscreggan page. Score corrected to 2-02 to 1-06 now. And Creggan have the strong wind at their backs in 2nd half

[AQMP]

Creggan 2-6 Fullen 1-8 (Twitter) about 10 mins ago

[AQMP]

Creggan 4 up with 1 min of normal time left