Antrim Hurling

[theskull1]

Most city men who know the game will know that the leagues don't lie. The ards clubs improve the standard of Div1..fact. So all the Div 1 antrim sides benefit from that. It's up to the Div2 sides to get to the right level and the current antrim Div1 sides to maintain their standards to push the ards teams out (if thats what you want). Simply getting rid of them is not an option. Only a complete half wit who has zero clue about the local game would suggest otherwise. It's been my experience that you'll get no better league games than the games against the ards teams. The city teams especially out of the city have all too often had a tendancy to just go through the motions rather than compete properly.

[maxpower]

This has to be a wind up surely,

we have a really good league now, which is borne out by the fact every team has been beaten at least twice already and its only June.  The Down teams play a big part in this, what they also bring to the Antrim leagues is regular reserve games, taken seriously, not all City or North Antrim teams can claim that.

[johnneycool]

Everyone is entitled to their say even if you agree with them or not.

The Antrim league is taken very seriously by the Down clubs and IMO all three clubs are at a lowish standard but that happens from time to time in all clubs. If we're relegated, we'll take our medicine, just like Ballycran did and do our damnest to get back into Div1 and being competitive.

We're not in a position as some Antrim clubs are to change the league formats to suit our own ends so we have gotten used to trying to keep ourselves up at all costs (and that includes flying players back from Cardiff in the middle of November) even when the leagues are likely to change on a whim.

Make sure you're above Ballycastle or Loughgeil and you'll be fine.   

[thehurler]

Here we go with our resident ards man jonny well he is right on one thing the standard of the ards hurling is dire and now we must begin to address the progress we need to make in our own county and first stop is eviction of the down clubs and then a radical approach to city hurling collectively to put antrim where we should be. there seems to be a glens and ards love affair going on and the sooner the glens and the city fall in love again the better for our county and hurling in our county.

[the colonel]

looper

[theskull1]

Just answer a few questions the(current div2+)hurler. Just so we can all understand where you're coming from and hopefully find that love youre looking for

If ards hurling is so dire, would you mind explaining why you think all 3 ards teams are in div1 yet there are no city teams? Are you of the opinion that St Galls St Johns and Rossa play at a better standard currently? And if so how does this square with reality (i.e league positions) ?

[Lecale2]

WUM!

[johnneycool]

Here we go with our resident ards man jonny well he is right on one thing the standard of the ards hurling is dire and now we must begin to address the progress we need to make in our own county and first stop is eviction of the down clubs and then a radical approach to city hurling collectively to put antrim where we should be. there seems to be a glens and ards love affair going on and the sooner the glens and the city fall in love again the better for our county and hurling in our county.

I didn't say we were dire, I said it had lowered a bit.

surely your second point which is much needed can be sorted out by all these full time coaches, at lot of whom are Belfast men floating around the province. In their spare time they could be coaching the youngsters for free like what happens in most other clubs?

What's your take on that?
I always find that the problems you face normally originate at home and not someone else's fault!!

[the colonel]

To be fair we haven't had someone one here losing the plot in a few months. They usually only last about 30-50 posts or so

[Milltown Row2]

Ballygalget Ballycran and Portaferry are worthy of their div one status. no question. even when we were relegated by our own county board (and a Belfast and north antrim club backed it) those three teams were above us and we were on 11 points!! Ballycran eventually came down but proved their worth when forcing Dunloy all the way in the Ulster final. No Belfast team has done that since Rossa beat Dunloy.

shite happens and i think Rossa may win the league this year and the Johnnies the following year. who comes down? either Ballycastle or Ballygalget.

We wont be competing at senior for a few years now, players retiring and a general drop in numbers training. St Galls will regroup and hopefully in a few years time we will push for promotion.

[imtommygunn]

Surely it would cost as much to travel to the likes of Ballycastle from Belfast as to Ards anyway? Dunloy would almost be much of a muchness too?

[oisinog]

I think the ards club add a lot to the leagues.

Its up to the clubs in the second division to up your standard and get back into the first division. We were relegated 2 years ago and took last season and worked hard to get back up.

We want to stay up this year and are working as hard as possible to win games

[thehurler]

My point is they should not be there at the expense of belfast clubs , if we are trying to promote hurling in our county why don't we have city teams in div 1 , the choices are either extend division 1 and get the city teams in or simpler throw out the
down clubs and let their own county promote hurling.

[oisinog]

The hurler it is up to the Belfast clubs to better themself and get back into the first division.

We are a great example of what happened we went down and straight back up.

Rossa are looking the most likely to come back up.

You also have to look how many Belfast clubs are playing in the senior championship that was the clubs choice to take the step backwards

[theskull1]

It's not easy to admit you're wrong I know young hurler so I'll assume your agreeing that the ards teams are not dire (well lets say less dire than the big 3 in the city (at the moment)).

So your point now is that regardless of how good, how bad or committed the Antrim teams are in relation to the ards teams, the down teams should be bucked out of the leagues to allow potentally and more than likely a worse standard of team to come into division 1? Just elaborate as to how this will be good for the game? You don't see any negatives in this approach at all?