Antrim Hurling

[Na Glinntí Glasa]

The more ive heard over the weekend about the county set up the worse it gets. I would say the damage thats been done cannot be undone that easy.
I would be surprised if we struggle to get a full team out for the christy ring cup. I know that some players will not be back again and dont want anything to do with it or be dragged down by those few who have tarnished our county.

[imtommygunn]

I see the irish news is now covering the story. Seems to be being denied at present. Hopefully it's all just a big internet rumour but unfortunately seems to have some legs.

[Last Man]

The more ive heard over the weekend about the county set up the worse it gets. I would say the damage thats been done cannot be undone that easy.
I would be surprised if we struggle to get a full team out for the christy ring cup. I know that some players will not be back again and dont want anything to do with it or be dragged down by those few who have tarnished our county.

If people within the camp are walking then there has to be some substance to it.  CB need to get a few serious operators working on this including someone to handle the media. Flat denials now could be seriously damaging down the line if the rumours prove to be true. Wouldn't like to be in the frame that's for sure.

[Na Glinntí Glasa]

I see the irish news is now covering the story. Seems to be being denied at present. Hopefully it's all just a big internet rumour but unfortunately seems to have some legs.

Sadly it isnt a rumour

[imtommygunn]

Well hopefully the truth will come out then and nothing like this will ever happen again. It's never easy supporting antrim

[north_antrim_hound]

Agree Lastman
I read the CB response in the paper yesterday
Called it vicious rumours etc
I know one lad who has walked but he might come round if its dealt with better

[paddyjohn]

What player has walked on the back of this?

[Na Glinntí Glasa]

Well hopefully the truth will come out then and nothing like this will ever happen again. It's never easy supporting antrim

Prob is that theres nothing in place to protect against this happening. Its something that your relying on players honesty and integrity to be in place.

Theres been cases of this apparently happening but in very small instances. Most of it is all hearsay and you take it with a pinch of salt but theres plenty of chances that its in fact true.

The fall out from this will be damaging for antrim and hurling in general if all found to be true. If it is true then the people in question should be banned from club and county for a year. A serious stance has to be taken in this, and a mark left to others that it will never be tolerated again.

[theskull1]

If you continue to paper over cracks whilst at the same time eroding the integrity and values that are meant to be a huge part of our games, what is there to expect other than damage to reputation?

Time to deal with the issue head on and start focusing on making sure integrity and honesty is at the core of everything we do. Do that and we should get 15 players who will take that onto the pitch.

[johnneycool]

I see the irish news is now covering the story. Seems to be being denied at present. Hopefully it's all just a big internet rumour but unfortunately seems to have some legs.

At the height of these rumours I noticed the viewed stats to be jumping very high, over 1500 views less than 4 hours so it was being well watched by people not contributing..

[imtommygunn]

While generally it's people talking rubbish here JC I'm sure some journalists find it a good source plus I'm sure if there are guilty parties there are a few people a bit scared of being named and this is as likely a place as any lol.

[Milltown Row2]

Having not seen the schools game but reading the various posts, it seems the referee has given the southern team all the soft frees?  I'm not saying there are not referees who have an agenda or a particular hate fir another club, it happens in all counties and generally consigned to a shit referee... But for a referee to do it at a level such as school finals on tv to seems a bit silly considering he'll have been assessed for that game, it's a stepping stone to bigger games (as they usually give them to up and coming refs)

But I'd take skulls assessment over most and even with the obvious bias he'd have due to involvement with a lot of these lads, it must have been a shocking performance.... Hard to take for all involved ....

[imtommygunn]

MR I would generally prefer not to criticse referees but I do think sometimes we don't seem to get the rub of the green. I will never forget it took us 20-25 minutes against Carlow the year we beat them in that tight game in casement to get a free. Carlow were physical that day and there were many legitimate fouls not blown. Also Padraig Horan in our quarter final against wexford in croke early 00s was really really bad against us and in my view cost us a big scalp.

Also I went to the division 1 games regularly in the early 90s and can vividly remember a few refs being booed off from casement.

(The worst part of the carlow game was too that he gave us nothing all day then when we were coming back into it he gave us a dubious free which more or less won it for us!)

[Milltown Row2]

MR I would generally prefer not to criticse referees but I do think sometimes we don't seem to get the rub of the green. I will never forget it took us 20-25 minutes against Carlow the year we beat them in that tight game in casement to get a free. Carlow were physical that day and there were many legitimate fouls not blown. Also Padraig Horan in our quarter final against wexford in croke early 00s was really really bad against us and in my view cost us a big scalp.

Also I went to the division 1 games regularly in the early 90s and can vividly remember a few refs being booed off from casement.

(The worst part of the carlow game was too that he gave us nothing all day then when we were coming back into it he gave us a dubious free which more or less won it for us!)

Yep was at the game also, was a performance by the referee that day.... and the Wexford game too, I'm fine with views on referees as having been a player and a manager I've been very vocal when I believe a referee has given us a poor game (in my view) its just harder for a referee to do it while having the game on TV and being assessed, I'd imagine you'd have to be ultra even on all calls and being consistent, (even if you're calls are shite) as long as they are shite for both teams..

Hopefully it wont give the young lads a complex when put in that position again (ref'd by a southern referee)

[theskull1]

Sometimes we run with the pack and when everyone's saying the same thing its very easy for it to become a truth. When I looked at the game again on TV as honestly as I could, and there's just too many poor decisions that didn't go St Louis way both in terms of not getting frees and being blown for soft/non frees. The balance of poor decisions made by the ref (bad calls either way to be expected) was heavily loaded against them. I'd be fairly sure it was subconscious decision making on the referee part but it was biased refereeing none the less. Just enough to tip the balance whilst not being too obvious. Very easy to get a 4-6 point swing. Actually the semi final referee was as bad only St Louis were just too good to be affected but him that day. Munster Team, Munster Venue, Munster Referee  .  When your out hurling on the biggest day of your life and you can see the ref's against you, I can see how a young mind (and hence performance) can be affected negatively. They had to work so much harder to get their frees. I know they'll harness the hurt in the right way and be stronger for it.