Antrim Hurling

milltown row · October 23, 2007, 09:59:14 AM

yes it's a long time since i was there. many a great tussle with the guys. i'm sure they have a good squad and will do well enough. just cant see were they will pick up points.

i can remember going there, changing in the cars cars, getting stuck in the mud on rainy days, ah the craic was ninety

whats the pitch like now? have not been up for a number of years. we last played Glenarm in the intermediate final at casement. 2 months after they forgot to turn up, while we turned up waiting on the pitch for them. won the game eventually by a point, we went up and they lost a lot of their older players at the time and our juvenile teams at the time were wining all the titles in hurling and went on to win minor and contest 3 under 21 finals. thats what we are currently playing with, and thats why we have stayed in div 1.

Hoof Hearted · October 23, 2007, 10:06:02 AM

how close would yous actually be milltown of challenging the big 3 ?
we in derry saw glenullin win the football on sunday and breaking the big 3 dominance there so there is no doubt that with the right structure in place it can be done
would the football be the biggest obstacle ?

Glensman · October 23, 2007, 10:09:44 AM

Any clarity on what is happening with the league structures then?

Big talk of it being split into 4 Divs again as previously mentioned on here but I for one hope not.

Bit of a kick in the teeth for the Div 2 winners if they don't get the chance to head into Div 1 and pit themselves against the big guns. They will be a bit behind but I don't see any reason why they can't enjoy the benefits of promotion and still play Intermediate. They were good enough to win the league this year but not their championship.

Same applies for whover wins the Div 3 league and for the junior championship.

Others may comment and have done so but the league programme is largely fulfilled is it not?
Div 1 there are a few games left but with no real emphasis on winning the thing they might not be played.
Div 2 is complete. I think.
Div 3 only 2/3 games left and keeps the interest going for a little bit longer.
Not bad?

Skull seems happy enough at this stage after his expressing his issues with the lack of fixtures (if anything there were too many for Dunloy)??
Milltown Row - you boys got a fair few hurling matches (albeit not one last Sunday).
Anyone else??

Cushendall
As regards the debate about Cushendall. I would never ever consider them to be arrogant as a club. If they have a few young starlets who are too big for their boots as has been mentioned on here then so be it - those starlets will either be whipped into shape or fall by the wayside.
Its not as if other teams have not fulfilled fixtures in the past.

milltown row · October 23, 2007, 10:38:52 AM

We have, as club spoke in the past about committing to hurling for a couple of years as the lads we have in the club if they were drilled hard for a number of years (as they have no fear of playing the big teams) could possibly push for the championship. We have competed in the leagues without really ever training; problem being, the footballers know each year that they are pushing not only for Antrim championships but also Ulster championships. So this reason puts it to bed. Even when we were put out by Cargin most of the lads took off to the states.

The commitment that is required to push in both codes could lead to player burn out, injuries, and the possibility to lose out on both championships. If we could put the club first instead of individual feats (oh how many medals have you got) and push for an historic first, and win the volunteer cup, then It would put our club on a par with the great Johnnies teams and Rossa teams of the past that were competing at both all the time.

County commitments and College commitments are a big drain on the club players now. So dual clubs can only compete at one code at senior level

Antrim Coaster · October 23, 2007, 11:13:15 AM

Glenarm have poached players from Larne for years and continue to do so. Re; Feystown, Glenarm only own 50% of the facilities there.

Balboa · October 23, 2007, 11:15:08 AM

Quote from: Antrim Coaster on October 23, 2007, 11:13:15 AM
Glenarm have poached players from Larne for years and continue to do so. Re; Feystown, Glenarm only own 50% of the facilities there.

With all due respect i think they will need a bit more than Latharna Og's finest if they are going into Division 1.

NAG · October 23, 2007, 11:26:58 AM

With all due respect Milltown I think you are still living a little in cloud cookoo land if you think that you could push for championship with that current side against other current sides.

You are an average hurling side that compete well in the league when others are using it to prepare for championship. Thats your level at the moment. Even if you had 20 fully committed players then I believe you would still struggle to make and impact and more than likely would find yourselves in exactly the same kind of spot.

Antrim Coaster · October 23, 2007, 11:40:54 AM

Balboa, that may be so, however when the Latharna Og club has developed players at underage / minor level, Glenarm have been sniffing around trying to entice players to play for them. This happened last season and its not on. Latharna Og have finally gotten an underage structure after many years in the wilderness and the last thing that club needs is their best underage / minor players being poached by their neighbours.

milltown row · October 23, 2007, 11:44:03 AM

nag, you sound like the Antrim fourm editor with the 'cookoo land' quote

i believe and it's my opinion, that we have the players.

we have the skillfull players like Karl, mackers, Johhny flynn. Ciaran and Cj McGourty, Sheehan. then players like McLean, Gaga, O'Grady, Terry O'Neill, Aidso Gallagher, McDaniell, Anton Mc Caffrey, Sean Burke. these lads along with the 5/6 others that have come through if committed, would push for Championships.

Nag, we have never trained as a team for Championship unless it's the week before Championship and even then we only get maybe 15 people turning up.

Balboa · October 23, 2007, 11:45:46 AM

Aye i agree with you Coaster, Larne are a credit to the GAA, the fact they have been able to sustain a Gaa club in a town as sectarian as Larne.

NAG · October 23, 2007, 11:51:12 AM

Im not knocking your opinion MIlltown its just mine that regardless of training you would be able to compete right at the very top end. You dont have the type of player required to win championships in hurling and wont have for another good few years as far as I can see.

theskull1 · October 23, 2007, 12:01:33 PM

Quote from: NAG on October 23, 2007, 11:51:12 AM
Im not knocking your opinion MIlltown its just mine that regardless of training you would be able to compete right at the very top end. You dont have the type of player required to win championships in hurling and wont have for another good few years as far as I can see.

It is my opinon that St Galls have more of the "type of player required to win championships " than any of the other chasing pack. They have a belief and compeditiveness that makes them difficult to break down when they are up for a game. For a team who don't train that much...you have to admit they have given plenty of sides who do, enough to think about over the years. They remind me of our Football team years ago, when we got to I think 4 semi finals without ever training for them. You take attributes from one code and use it in the other.

NAG · October 23, 2007, 12:13:11 PM

Skull

I agree with you that they have more than the rest of the chasing pack.

But who are the chasing pack? do they have more than st johns ? yes more than rossa yes?
do they have more than ballycaslte? yes?

do you actually see any of those sides winning a championship in the next 5-10 years?

The chasing pack are not chasing and that is the problem they are so far away when it comes to the nitty gritty time!

milltown row · October 23, 2007, 12:24:18 PM

nag, your right about the distance between the chasing pack and the top three teams and also about the quality of the players coming from our poor hurling juvenile set up. but the current crop we have at senior will be playing senior for at least six years.

should they committ for 3 years then i believe they could close the gap. but like i say this is all pie in the sky as our footballers are winning championships in first gear, and every year they are looking to compete in the Ulster championship. in the mean time, i'll struggle on and promote hurling in a football dominated club.

Ruairi Og exile · October 23, 2007, 12:30:23 PM

Milltown...6,7 or 8 years ago..St Galls were competing regularly in finals at U16, Minors & U21 & had a great bunch of players but I dont think they have come through due to the football. Now if they had been able to dedicate completely to the Hurling then you'd never have known. I remember watching Karl Stewart at minor & he was nearly unplayable at times...but him & a few others havent fulfilled their potential due to the success in the football