Antrim Hurling

[btdtgtt]

Fair points both NAG and MR2.
I put Belfast in the Antrim context in much the same place as Antrim in the national context - yes there's a role for administration to help, but fundamentally they've got to raise their own game. I just don't think belfast hurlers are committed enough to hurling when they get to senior level.
The merger idea is a non-runner mr2 although I understand your frustration. Firstly it reduces the number from each club hurling at their senior level so counter-productive and as you have already mentioned I think St. John's and Rossa have toxic relations at best.
Each club has to raise their own levels - there's so much effort in this regard but it has to come from a large body of players in their 20's to make a difference.

[Sleeping giant]

What was to stop loughgiel joining with someone when they couldn't win one for years? What's to stop Ballycastle joining someone now?  Teams joining like that is for underage.  Not teams with a history of winning and are bigger than that shit. The only thing they can do is dig in and get everyone to buy into the right way of doing things and give it a fecking lash!!!!

[Milltown Row2]

What was to stop loughgiel joining with someone when they couldn't win one for years? What's to stop Ballycastle joining someone now?  Teams joining like that is for underage.  Not teams with a history of winning and are bigger than that shit. The only thing they can do is dig in and get everyone to buy into the right way of doing things and give it a fecking lash!!!!

I get you, we lost div status in football won the league that following year went up into div 1 in football and won the championship, 2 ulster clubs and an all Ireland with that team. But like yourselves we have tradition in a particular code. Rossa who have that hurling tradition have struggled while producing great juvenile teams can't get their 'shit' together. St Johns will always be a football club, never let anyone tell you different.

While not winning much for years Sleeping Giant, you were still competing every year in finals, so the talent/commitment was there and paid off. For whatever reason in Belfast we can't get that. Was talking to a Rossa man at the minor match and we both thought it was weird that Ballycastle haven't won it in 30 years!!! Fecking Rossa have won it twice in that time lol

[NAG1]

What was to stop loughgiel joining with someone when they couldn't win one for years? What's to stop Ballycastle joining someone now?  Teams joining like that is for underage.  Not teams with a history of winning and are bigger than that shit. The only thing they can do is dig in and get everyone to buy into the right way of doing things and give it a fecking lash!!!!

Because no one would join with you SG 

Good point though, dig in do the ground work and keep the kids interested and involved the whole way through. Its the only way.

[theskull1]

Every year..................in the end there can be only one.

Its up to every club to "respect the game" (as Paudie Butler talks about) enough to try their very best, prepare and work at their hurling craft every year as best they can at all agegroups. A club can be proud of the fact that they're respecting the game   

[sylvieslynanesnutsack]

Would be great to see a Belfast club formed exclusively to play hurling. The passion is there for the sport. Everyone has their club history and tradition but I'm convinced there would be enough interest. Has to be a long term plan though. With the exception of Dunloy that is a big bonus to the traditional North Antrim hurling clubs, one focus!! MR2 the point I was making is simply that Dunloy and Ballycastle care so little for the league, that for one of them their entire season will be one championship game. So many people care for hurling in Antrim and that is very positive. There is a lot of great work being done at underage, even in the smallest of clubs but like a few of you have stated, it's getting them through to senior level.

[Milltown Row2]

Would be great to see a Belfast club formed exclusively to play hurling. The passion is there for the sport. Everyone has their club history and tradition but I'm convinced there would be enough interest. Has to be a long term plan though. With the exception of Dunloy that is a big bonus to the traditional North Antrim hurling clubs, one focus!! MR2 the point I was making is simply that Dunloy and Ballycastle care so little for the league, that for one of them their entire season will be one championship game. So many people care for hurling in Antrim and that is very positive. There is a lot of great work being done at underage, even in the smallest of clubs but like a few of you have stared, it's getting them through to senior level.

Yeah, we've established that the league has never really cared, and seasons do come down to one encounter in the championship that's been the norm for years. Come 7.15 on Sat night one team will be progressing and the other will be wondering what if!! Will be the same on Sunday in the other quarters. Think'll head down to see how these games go

[sylvieslynanesnutsack]

Definitely, will be a big weekend. Carey v Clooney Gaels this Sunday will be interesting to a lot of people. Bit of mileage clocked up the following weekend between Saturday night and Sunday. I see referees all named for Championship except Naomh Gall v Clooney Gaels.

[Sleeping giant]

How can it be great to see a Belfast club formed for hurling.  Your taking away 2/3 clubs to form 1?  When if the 2/3 clubs in question pulled there finger out they could make antrim hurling!!! The 3 clubs have plenty of there own history.  Can come down to one thing only for me.  Attitude

[sylvieslynanesnutsack]

How can it be great to see a Belfast club formed for hurling.  Your taking away 2/3 clubs to form 1?  When if the 2/3 clubs in question pulled there finger out they could make antrim hurling!!! The 3 clubs have plenty of there own history.  Can come down to one thing only for me.  Attitude

SG what are you ranting about? I'm talking about a new club targeting young players who only want to play hurling. Not taking players from other clubs - hence the long term plan. You would think (being from Loughguile) you could sympathize with a club who want to stick with one code. You have no idea of the difficulties of being a dual club. Are you telling me a player who trains 3 times a week for football and can't make hurling training has a bad attitude?

[Milltown Row2]

How can it be great to see a Belfast club formed for hurling.  Your taking away 2/3 clubs to form 1?  When if the 2/3 clubs in question pulled there finger out they could make antrim hurling!!! The 3 clubs have plenty of there own history.  Can come down to one thing only for me.  Attitude

Yes attitude and sticking to the one code has proved successful for a number of NA clubs, that's why that same ATTITUDE could be adopted for A club in Belfast, we will never have the panel strong enough to compete yearly at senior level while our footballers continue to win senior football championships Rossa annoy me in that they have had loads of talent but underachieved and the Johnnies are still a football club trying to hurl.

We could say that the football clubs aren't pulling the finger out when it comes to senior championship as in the last 13 years, only one club (Cargin) has won a single Championship. Poor return.

[Sleeping giant]

No rant.  So your gonna take hurlers from other clubs to form a club.  Killing teams to form a team.  When I said attitude.  It means.  IMO there's plenty of talent at each of the clubs.  But it's IMO there attitude holding them back.  That ok??

[Milltown Row2]

No rant.  So your gonna take hurlers from other clubs to form a club.  Killing teams to form a team.  When I said attitude.  It means.  IMO there's plenty of talent at each of the clubs.  But it's IMO there attitude holding them back.  That ok??

Look as I said in my post it's pie in the sky stuff, never going to happen, especially with the bigger so called clubs, I'd just like to see how a hurling only club would develop, we can debate about it till the cows come home aint happening lol

[Milltown Row2]

Milltown, give over ffs. That's like saying the rest of Antrim should amalgamate to try and stop St Galls winning the football.

Fcukin crazy idea. Amalgamating is for when clubs don't have numbers, not for All Star teams.

It's just a thought, I've said a million times it aint happening with the bigger clubs, keep your knickers on and read my posts properly. We won't be winning many more soon at senior football, at the end of the road for us I'd say

[ardtole]

Amalgamating three clubs in Carlow to form Mt Leinster has proved successful, id imagine there was plenty of opposition to the amalgamation when it was first proposed.