Antrim Hurling

[SaffronSports]

Sheedy presumably as he did some work with us before. Neil also sounded a bit odd to me. Was obviously with this current ticket last year but yeah if hes interested in coaching over media you'd prefer him to have more experience first.

I'd have no issue with Gregory or Johnny getting the job, both loads of experience but i think Mickey McShane probably the front runner atm due to being u20 manager this past two years. He seems the obvious one to me but could be someone else altogether.

[marty34]

Sheedy presumably as he did some work with us before. Neil also sounded a bit odd to me. Was obviously with this current ticket last year but yeah if hes interested in coaching over media you'd prefer him to have more experience first.

I'd have no issue with Gregory or Johnny getting the job, both loads of experience but i think Mickey McShane probably the front runner atm due to being u20 manager this past two years. He seems the obvious one to me but could be someone else altogether.

Maybe a Greg and Johnny double team. Keep everybody happy.


Not a great U20 run in Leinster for Micky. Had a good group of players. But Leinster 2 is hard, never mind the top tier in Leinster.


Gleeson, in hindsight, done some job with Antrim. In a quiet understated way also.

[Antrim Coaster]

Liam Sheedy was doing some coaching when Sambo & Woody were in the hotseat the second time on an interim basis. I think Sambo may have got in touch with Liam for some assistance and he agreed.

Antrim weren't in a great place and I remember them playing Kerry in the Joe McDonagh in Cushendall where Kerry headed back down the road with the points.

Liam had brought his clubmate, Darren, with him and both lads were more or less calling the shots on the line that day.

It was soon afterwards that Darren was offered the county job, won the Joe McDonagh and kept us in the Leinster championship.

I reckon Mickey McShane and the U20 backroom team will move up to the senior job.

There's some backroom team team there - Dick O'Kane, Tosh, Brian McFall, Hippy Og all involved. Dick could possibly move up as joint manager with Mickey which is what I think will happen.

[Milltown Row2]

Too many cooks spoil the broth, both Mickey and Dick would seem to be the type that would like to look after the role on their own, which is what I'd prefer, the joint manager thing isn't a strong looking role/position IMO

Irrespective to all that, the main problem or me lies with the grade of hurling after leaving primary school and why other counties accelerate and we decelerate.. Find and fix that issue and we are on to a winner

Few points after chatting to lots of coaches and concerned clubmen and parents yesterday at our club P7 hurling tournament was about fixing post primary coaching..

Kids can't be using the hurl just for games and matches, they should be using it every day in some fashion be it in organised school activities before and after school, and there are various forms to be had with skill competitions and the likes rather than the typical training methods.

Strength and conditioning from first year, Methody and the other big schools rugby places are doing that from day one, before school starts and afterwards.. putting in place best practice in terms of health and well being for lads/lasses going forward

Bringing in full time coaches to schools and take away the excuses used by schools that they haven't the time..

Development squads need to be rehashed, targeting our best, creating academy hubs locally first in the Belfast North Antrim and South West to take away the distance travelled at the start, creating a positive mindset

There will be drop outs and so on, that's life but the numbers need filled and still using development squads they can then fill those positions from the natural drop outs, essentially a two tier system, so the standards are being kept

Obviously the clubs also need to get behind it and the 'club is king' culture needs be addressed otherwise we will keep falling behind the rest of the 2nd tier counties who seem to be getting better all the time

There are many other ideas and methods that can be used, its doesn't happen though without serious hard work, the secret to success lies in that work from all involved     

[johnnycool]

Sheedy presumably as he did some work with us before. Neil also sounded a bit odd to me. Was obviously with this current ticket last year but yeah if hes interested in coaching over media you'd prefer him to have more experience first.

I'd have no issue with Gregory or Johnny getting the job, both loads of experience but i think Mickey McShane probably the front runner atm due to being u20 manager this past two years. He seems the obvious one to me but could be someone else altogether.

Maybe a Greg and Johnny double team. Keep everybody happy.


Not a great U20 run in Leinster for Micky. Had a good group of players. But Leinster 2 is hard, never mind the top tier in Leinster.


Gleeson, in hindsight, done some job with Antrim. In a quiet understated way also.

Someone earlier mentioned that they didn't think Wee Mickey was tactically aware and that's a subjective opinion, but what I do know is that when Slaughtneil met Dunloy in Newry, Slaughtneil had the much better gameplan and Greg hadn't got a response to what Slaughtneil did that day.

Was Gregg also part of that huge U20 management panel? I think I saw a picture of them and it was near on a dozen lads there, unless there were physios etc in the photo.

what Antrim need to do is go internal. Back the one man to take it on and not go putting together these combos to suit various agendas.

It almost never works unless the lads have a good working relationship prior to going into these roles.

[Antrim Coaster]

Sheedy presumably as he did some work with us before. Neil also sounded a bit odd to me. Was obviously with this current ticket last year but yeah if hes interested in coaching over media you'd prefer him to have more experience first.

I'd have no issue with Gregory or Johnny getting the job, both loads of experience but i think Mickey McShane probably the front runner atm due to being u20 manager this past two years. He seems the obvious one to me but could be someone else altogether.

Maybe a Greg and Johnny double team. Keep everybody happy.


Not a great U20 run in Leinster for Micky. Had a good group of players. But Leinster 2 is hard, never mind the top tier in Leinster.


Gleeson, in hindsight, done some job with Antrim. In a quiet understated way also.

Someone earlier mentioned that they didn't think Wee Mickey was tactically aware and that's a subjective opinion, but what I do know is that when Slaughtneil met Dunloy in Newry, Slaughtneil had the much better gameplan and Greg hadn't got a response to what Slaughtneil did that day.

Was Gregg also part of that huge U20 management panel? I think I saw a picture of them and it was near on a dozen lads there, unless there were physios etc in the photo.

what Antrim need to do is go internal. Back the one man to take it on and not go putting together these combos to suit various agendas.

It almost never works unless the lads have a good working relationship prior to going into these roles.

Slaughtneil dropped Gerard Bradley behind the half back line cutting off the Dunloy runners who could not penetrate the Slaughtneil rearguard. He also pinged one over the bar from the same area.

Johnny Campbell employed the same tactic in an Antrim semi final against Dunloy, where he slung 5 men across the half back line. He was interviewed after and he mentioned that if the Dunloy running game was allowed to cut through the Loughgiel defence they would have been destroyed.

It wasnt pretty but effective and frustrated Dunloy who again had no answer on how to counter that tactic.

At the recent Ulster U20 final at the Dub, Antrim had 19 mentors on the sideline including the former county secretary.

Dick had come on board possibly just prior to the Ulster U20 campaign, perhaps at the invitation of Wee Mickey.

[Hectic]

Developing right type of players is key.

Same old.

Need good coaching structures at clubs and beyond to best develop players.

Same old.

Too many set in their ways as well around what the game of hurling should look like.

Romantic stuff is lovely but it is not moving with the times.

That too is same old as we have been too resilient to change for a long time, especially at club level.

Like it or lump it physicality and athleticism is nearly the primary requirement nowadays. Kildare threw us about like rag dolls earlier this season ffs.

[JonnyD_]

exciting times 

hope tf we get it right this time.

Does anyone know how the role will be appointed (process, people involved etc...)

I see the names mentioned and we seem to be following the narrative. I'd like to think the process would invite interested parties who would then talk through their plans, approach and back room team and have someone sensible people in the room (not those who appointed davy, as in hindsight that was a cluster f)

Rather than it'll either be mcshane or dick as starting point

[NorthAntrimSaff]

I think Dick for the senior job alright. JC back invloved and McShane to stay with u20s for now. Try and keep that for minimum 3 years and see after. Theres obviously a good working relationship with Dick and MMcS if they were both part of the u20

[marty34]

Would Sambo be interested?

Alway seems to be giving off about about wee Davy. Always the 'go to' man for a soundbite for Off The Ball.

Antrim need to work out what level they're realistically at. To me, it's Joe Mc Donagh level. If they stay at Div. 1B, I think that's a bonus.

Down are the top team in Ulster currently.   

[Milltown Row2]

Based on results Antrim are behind Derry at Club level and Down at intercounty level

Been a long time (if ever) that's happened in one year

Hasn't been rosy at all but a proper think tank required and looking at a longer fix that's sustainable rather than a short term media attention hit has to be the focus

Btw I really wanted the Davy Fitz experience to work, alas it didn't

[imtommygunn]

We are at a low ebb but down only beat us by last minute goals in both games so it's not like we're much behind them.  The club thing is probably more worrying. I think Dunloy best placed to win ulster club wise.