Antrim Hurling

[theskull1]

 

Was chatting to a fellow last night who was chatting a county player. Told him that they had lost their membership of fitness first because the county won't pony up the funds. Now at this stage that is only a rumour and don't wish to state that this is a fact, but that is quite unbelievable (especially when you consider the money the would have pulled in from corporate events and championship games) if ture.  Hopefully there is another explanation

[Balboa]

Was chatting to a fellow last night who was chatting a county player. Told him that they had lost their membership of fitness first because the county won't pony up the funds. Now at this stage that is only a rumour and don't wish to state that this is a fact, but that is quite unbelievable (especially when you consider the money the would have pulled in from corporate events and championship games) if ture.  Hopefully there is another explanation

I hope you are not looking for a smoking gun when there isnt one Skull......... 

[theskull1]

 

You saved that one for a rainy day....thats kinda sweet 

[Balboa]

I wouldnt be surprised to tell you the truth if it was true though. You hear things like that and then we wonder why we dont compete down south, some things change and some things remain the same........

[Balboa]

You didn't ever need Fitness First, Balboa.
Loads of steps.
Donnelly's butchers, Ballycastle.
Go up a mountain somewhere when it's snowing and lift logs.

There is a good beach in Waterfoot, then i just run up Lurig mountain with a bull on my back.

[Balboa]

I'm sure the county board could stretch to buying a couple of bulls.
Fitness First, with their central heating and Ricki Lake on the tv. No wonder we get hammered!
A bunch of fruits playing these days.

In fairness they had fitness first membership a couple of years ago and half them didnt use it.

[theskull1]

You didn't ever need Fitness First, Balboa.
Loads of steps.
Donnelly's butchers, Ballycastle.
Go up a mountain somewhere when it's snowing and lift logs.

Was Donnelly's butchers in Rocky 4? There you go...never knew that

[Last Man]

Very worrying if that is the case. As a comparison in Tyrone certainly last season, don't know about this one, gym membership was never an issue as players were expected to do so much on their own, they were sent home with crates of Rockwell and Lucozade sport after training sessions, players had so much kit they didn't know what to do with it! In Armagh if a players local gym didn't have the proper free weights gear it was sorted by the board. Even Tyrone's over 40s masters football is all funded by the county, thats kits, balls, buses, meals, the lot.
I know this is still only speculation but there is no smoke without fire given the various training initiatives the county has pulled the plug on over the last few years. I think McSparron should initiate a financial review of the County board and how it is administered,
by an independent consultant( if such a thing could be found). That report would make some reading.

[theskull1]

I know this is still only speculation but there is no smoke without fire given the various training initiatives the county has pulled the plug on over the last few years. I think McSparron should initiate a financial review of the County board and how it is administered,
by an independent consultant( if such a thing could be found). That report would make some reading.

What worries me is that no one at that level ever seems to want to put a tighter hold on the finances coming in. The same boys week in week out collecting money at gates without any traceability. Now if I were one of those boys I would be demanding that there were ways of tracing what went through the turnstiles and what was collected...too ensure septics like me wouldn't be able to question my integrity as a gate collector.

[Last Man]

I accept that it is not straightforward considering the concessions for kids, oaps etc, nor would I directly call into question the integrity of any of the stewards but experience tells you with some people, give them an inch and they will take a mile.

[Balboa]

I think it was the Clare match this year i was walking in and a steward opened a gate and let about 15 of his mates in, in fairness you see this at every match in Casement. All it takes is a nod and a wink and the gate is opened. As regards the gym membership, are our fella relly willing to embrace what is needed to be atop inter county athlete, there are too many of them are just interested in the recognition that goes with being an inter county player, the gear, getting the name in the paper but are not willing to take it as seriously the way teams down south and football teams like Tyrone and Armagh do up here. I remember a story i heard when Dinny Cahill was the manager, and this is before the arse fell out of it with Cahill, a prominent player (still playing) did not train one night because he was playing in a golf tournament in Cushendall that evening.

[Last Man]

I agree some players rip the hole out of it, where it's all about look at me, I play for the county. But if the county board could find the resources in place as per the top performing counties, look after the players properly but also set targets, the slackers would be found out and hopefully dropped to give someone a chance that it means something to.

[johnneycool]

...too ensure septics like me

I'm assuming that's a typo skull!

As for the gate money issue, it's alive and well in every county and if you ask about receipts being issued at gates etc you'll get the old VAT thing thrown back at you.
The biscuit tin accountants are still alive and well at all levels of the GAA and whilst this is the case there will always be clouds of suspicion surrounding gatemen and anyone handling finances.

[Balboa]

i'm going to hit the antrim board in a minute as they have fixed us, get this, for senior football and div 3 on saturday and on sunday we have senior hurling and reserve.

what is the rush now in getting the games completed? our lads on the 4th of november are trying to represent antrim in the ulster (as is dunloy on both fronts, fair play) football championship and they have us fixed in for a double over this weekend. we have at least 10 players who play for both teams, starters i may add for the senior football team.

i think it's about time they had a one way league for the football. there are only about 6 clubs which are single codes the rest play both at some level. for a county that is shite at football we persist with football overload and we are getting worse at it.

beware what you say about the county website as they have people reading this site all the time

Milltown knows best.......Big brother is watching us.

[theskull1]

...too ensure septics like me

I'm assuming that's a typo skull!

Agghh ffs JC.....I was trying to tee up Rocky with that one 

Only joking ..well spotted  ...10 press-ups coming right up