Antrim Hurling

[Milltown Row2]

South Antrim Board have suspended some our players after they played in a South Antrim competition two weeks ago, they were un graded players but had played in various games in our Inter. championship last year. now the players were told they could play but have since been told that they will have to serve a 12 week suspension!!!!

you would get less if you hit the referee in an Championship game in Croke Park!!!! (Mr Galvin)

the punishment does not fit the crime, a competition that is only in place for the south antrim player as his chances of getting a start on the senior team are slim and he will not be playing hurling the rest of the year!!!

[NAG1]

Harsh I would agree but there has to be some sort of action taken for this kind of thing to try and keep some order in these types of competitions.

I would say that there should have been better communication between SA and the Club invovled but this does not appear to be the case.

My feeling is on it that if this was a football competition this error would not have occured.

[Lecale2]

Is it not usually the club secretary that gets banned in these cases?

[Milltown Row2]

Crazy, our manager has asked can he take full responsibility. i phoned the lads yesterday when i found out, seething is a word that can be used for how they are feeling.

Gorts in the same position, they played a fella also against St Johns and got kicked out aswell

[concrete_boots]

"I was going up to play a minor match tonight when i was told by my manager i wasnt allowed to play because im suspended... this is why ... I took part in intermedite championship last year... i played south antrim championship this year after being told i was allowed too... im a minor and cant be graded(well so i thought) and i got 12 weeks.. this means i miss my last games in minor and miss minor hurling championship.. Can anyone explain this or help me???"

seen this on the county website and surely he has a point how can a minor be inegliable wen he cant be graded?

[Milltown Row2]

aye two of the lads are Minor, apparently its not a rule either.

but rules in Antrim can be changed when needs be, sure there have been high profile county players have had their suspensions reduced leading up to County games and at the business end of Club Championships!! correct me if i'm wrong Minder

[imtommygunn]

They'll have to turn those over on appeal though - surely. The minors at least.

I know rules in competitions are rules but it is secretary's and managers roles to sort this not 17 year old players.

[Milltown Row2]

ache don't get me started. I played in the match and had we not played the 'ungraded' players we would not have been able to field!!

i 'm more annoyed at the suspensions, grand kick us out and replace the other team in our place but the players had no knowledge of the rule, in fact before a ball was thrown in one player asked the referee and he said as long as you didn't play this year you'd be grand!!!

only realised something was up when we noticed players that we played against in the league were standing watching the game from the sideline!!!

[the colonel]

The whole minor thing about grading is an unwritten rule to encourage that they don't be graded.

[NAG1]

Well a big championship weekend again!

Anyone see any upsets or does everyone think it will go according to the script.

What about Ballycastle vs Glenariffe, should be the pick of the games I have a feeling the town will be just a bit too good for them but not by much.

[Milltown Row2]

Rossa will push all the way, the Ballycastle game will end up with a couple of red cards and the others will go to plan, heavy scores for Loughgiel and Cushendall

[thehurler]

The winners will be predictable - Cushendall , Glenariffe , Dunloy and ourselves.
The town's match against Glenariffe would be pick of the round . Glenariffe's team spirit will be too much for a very unfulfilled town side who cannot accept that now they are pretty far behind the rest and really need more structures  in place around their senior side if they are to push on. Last year they ran a poor Dunloy side close.The town have a few older heads alright but the younger ones are too light  in the forwards in particular the soccer boys are just passing the time.It is sad to see with all the good work done by Joe Cassidy at C and Passion not being brought on to the next level  , they showed foresight with their pitch development but on the coaching side thet are light years away from senior success.They will be lucky to stay in Div 1.A town side with a few committed families but that is all , they need to take ownership of the club to the whole club and get a bit  outside help on the coaching side.Compare this to Glenariffe and the population they have to pick from , they must certainly punch above their weight and are a credit , Ballycastle could learn from them and at the weekend they will learn after a heavy defeat to Glenariffe ,

[maxpower]

The winners will be predictable - Cushendall , Glenariffe , Dunloy and ourselves.
The town's match against Glenariffe would be pick of the round . Glenariffe's team spirit will be too much for a very unfulfilled town side who cannot accept that now they are pretty far behind the rest and really need more structures  in place around their senior side if they are to push on. Last year they ran a poor Dunloy side close.The town have a few older heads alright but the younger ones are too light  in the forwards in particular the soccer boys are just passing the time.It is sad to see with all the good work done by Joe Cassidy at C and Passion not being brought on to the next level  , they showed foresight with their pitch development but on the coaching side thet are light years away from senior success.They will be lucky to stay in Div 1.A town side with a few committed families but that is all , they need to take ownership of the club to the whole club and get a bit  outside help on the coaching side.Compare this to Glenariffe and the population they have to pick from , they must certainly punch above their weight and are a credit , Ballycastle could learn from them and at the weekend they will learn after a heavy defeat to Glenariffe ,

Shall i bite! who won the Championship last year

As for the games, not sure if Loughgiel will even get a game and if they do they should rack a heavy score as will Cushendall

Dunloy v Rossa is a huge game for ourselves, Rossa are no mugs having beaten us in last years Ulster League Semi and will have improved as a result of another years hurling for their talented u21 winners.  But contrary to reports Dunloy are still a force and we will relish this years championship

I think the town are an excellent side, with real potential in if the young soccer lads really commit they could be a major force the coming years, i think they will have too much for Glenarriffe

[slow corner back]

Ballycastle have won two of the last 3/4 U-21 championships, there has to be something coming through to the seniors. I do not see much Div 1 hurling so I am in no place to judge but I would expect them to put it up to Glenariffe. Last year both Glenariffe and Ballycastle ran Dunloy close so they cannot be that far away. If you read too much into league results you start to think C Dall are not a good team.

[Minder]

I don't see how anyone, that isn't on the wind up, thinks we will beat the town easily. Ballycastle are in better form going by league results (which is the only form to go on at present). We also have couple of suspensions ruling players out. There is usually very little between us and Ballycastle and we would have no hangups playing them, but I am not sure we are playing well enough at the minute.