Antrim Hurling

[Milltown Row2]

The early pull under the dropping ball is dangerous, also when a defender comes in to bat down early when a players is trying to catch the ball, if its obvious then most referees should blow for it. I know this pull only to well, played Rossa couple of years ago and i pulled the ball in the air only for the defender missing and opening my eye up, 8 stitches i got that day

If we have decent ex players then they are well up to speed on players from clubs, doesn't take a brain surgeon to know who the headers are in a match after 5 minutes.

[johnneycool]

The early pull under the dropping ball is dangerous, also when a defender comes in to bat down early when a players is trying to catch the ball, if its obvious then most referees should blow for it. I know this pull only to well, played Rossa couple of years ago and i pulled the ball in the air only for the defender missing and opening my eye up, 8 stitches i got that day

If we have decent ex players then they are well up to speed on players from clubs, doesn't take a brain surgeon to know who the headers are in a match after 5 minutes.

I don't think you should be going into referee a game with preconceived ideas on certain players but no doubt it happens as referee's are only human also, well most of them anyway.

[Milltown Row2]

The early pull under the dropping ball is dangerous, also when a defender comes in to bat down early when a players is trying to catch the ball, if its obvious then most referees should blow for it. I know this pull only to well, played Rossa couple of years ago and i pulled the ball in the air only for the defender missing and opening my eye up, 8 stitches i got that day

If we have decent ex players then they are well up to speed on players from clubs, doesn't take a brain surgeon to know who the headers are in a match after 5 minutes.

I don't think you should be going into referee a game with preconceived ideas on certain players but no doubt it happens as referee's are only human also, well most of them anyway.

Johnny, everyone, players management and referees always go to games with preconceived ideas, how else would you expect to prepare for a match?

Knowing a players traits style or temperament is something I'd expect to know. How a referee deals with that is down to him. A quiet word with certain players during the match can calm things down when getting heated. Same goes with management. How many times have you seen a referee having a quiet word with both managers? It's usually a shouting match followed by sending the manager off the pitch!!

[johnneycool]

The early pull under the dropping ball is dangerous, also when a defender comes in to bat down early when a players is trying to catch the ball, if its obvious then most referees should blow for it. I know this pull only to well, played Rossa couple of years ago and i pulled the ball in the air only for the defender missing and opening my eye up, 8 stitches i got that day

If we have decent ex players then they are well up to speed on players from clubs, doesn't take a brain surgeon to know who the headers are in a match after 5 minutes.

I don't think you should be going into referee a game with preconceived ideas on certain players but no doubt it happens as referee's are only human also, well most of them anyway.

Johnny, everyone, players management and referees always go to games with preconceived ideas, how else would you expect to prepare for a match?

Knowing a players traits style or temperament is something I'd expect to know. How a referee deals with that is down to him. A quiet word with certain players during the match can calm things down when getting heated. Same goes with management. How many times have you seen a referee having a quiet word with both managers? It's usually a shouting match followed by sending the manager off the pitch!!

I understand what you are saying, but I don't necessarily agree with you. Surely you need to go out to referee with an open mind and treat each issue on its on merits irrespective if someone involved has 'previous' or not.  Why have a quiet word with one player and not another? I think you'd be going down a dangerous road to be treating players differently.

Get the name of an early riser and you can lie in bed all day and all that.

[Milltown Row2]

The early pull under the dropping ball is dangerous, also when a defender comes in to bat down early when a players is trying to catch the ball, if its obvious then most referees should blow for it. I know this pull only to well, played Rossa couple of years ago and i pulled the ball in the air only for the defender missing and opening my eye up, 8 stitches i got that day

If we have decent ex players then they are well up to speed on players from clubs, doesn't take a brain surgeon to know who the headers are in a match after 5 minutes.

I don't think you should be going into referee a game with preconceived ideas on certain players but no doubt it happens as referee's are only human also, well most of them anyway.

Johnny, everyone, players management and referees always go to games with preconceived ideas, how else would you expect to prepare for a match?

Knowing a players traits style or temperament is something I'd expect to know. How a referee deals with that is down to him. A quiet word with certain players during the match can calm things down when getting heated. Same goes with management. How many times have you seen a referee having a quiet word with both managers? It's usually a shouting match followed by sending the manager off the pitch!!

I understand what you are saying, but I don't necessarily agree with you. Surely you need to go out to referee with an open mind and treat each issue on its on merits irrespective if someone involved has 'previous' or not.  Why have a quiet word with one player and not another? I think you'd be going down a dangerous road to be treating players differently.

Get the name of an early riser and you can lie in bed all day and all that.

As i said already, the referee will only blow for a foul if he sees it.

Do you go out to play with an open mind, or do you prepare? who your marking? is he fast? is he a dirty player. I hope referees know something about the teams/players they are refereeing

[johnneycool]

As i said already, the referee will only blow for a foul if he sees it.

Do you go out to play with an open mind, or do you prepare? who your marking? is he fast? is he a dirty player. I hope referees know something about the teams/players they are refereeing

Knowing whether your opponent is a catcher, speedy etc is slightly different to a referee who is expected to be impartial going into a game with preconceived ideas on players and teams etc and IMO could and would lead to calls of bias if those perceptions were clouding a referee's judgement.
E.G. Watson is known as a bit of a hot head, opposition go out of their way to rile him, he may get involved, do you afford him some sort of leniency as he may have been got at or do you treat him like everyone else?

If you'd red carded a player in the past and low and behold there's a schemozzle and they're involved, surely you'd be inclined to treat them more harshly, now that in my mind would be human nature but as a referee you need to try and be above that and treat that incident in its singularity, No?

[pdiddy]

As i said already, the referee will only blow for a foul if he sees it.

Do you go out to play with an open mind, or do you prepare? who your marking? is he fast? is he a dirty player. I hope referees know something about the teams/players they are refereeing

Knowing whether your opponent is a catcher, speedy etc is slightly different to a referee who is expected to be impartial going into a game with preconceived ideas on players and teams etc and IMO could and would lead to calls of bias if those perceptions were clouding a referee's judgement.
E.G. Watson is known as a bit of a hot head, opposition go out of their way to rile him, he may get involved, do you afford him some sort of leniency as he may have been got at or do you treat him like everyone else?
If you'd red carded a player in the past and low and behold there's a schemozzle and they're involved, surely you'd be inclined to treat them more harshly, now that in my mind would be human nature but as a referee you need to try and be above that and treat that incident in its singularity, No?

No individual player should be treated different than anyone else so no leniency should be afforded to individuals.  However, it may be prudent for a referee to have a word with his linesmen and umpires to keep a close eye on the treatment taken and given out by individuals.  Each incident however should be judged on its own merits.

[Milltown Row2]

Look I'm not saying that because of players past or his wild pulling or has a tendency to take 6/7 steps that I'm going to blow cause of him. But a referee will (a good one) know most of the players he is refereeing. As I've said (many times) he can only blow for a free if he sees it!!!!. Regardless if the player in question is known to do certain things in previous games.

Having watched our match in Cross last week, the way in which the lines man gets involved in petty pulling and hauling is beyond me. Two players hauling should be pulled by the referee and told to wise up. But no they or in St Galls case he gives a card to one player when clearly to everyone there, they were both at it!!! Its called the easy way out

[Milltown Row2]

Was at the match (half time) and Carrickmore could have won, certainly more goal chances than the Johnnies had. thought the winter hurling of St Johns was poor and they looked surprisingly slow and some boys over weight!!!

to only win by 2 points is a poor enough if you are a Johnnies man. Carrickmore should take some heart from their display and they brought a great crowd down with them.

St Johns had moved their fullback to centre half forward and he won the match scoring the last 3 points for the Johnnies, Would be worried going into the latter stages of the competition, think they play the British Champions in the quarters so a big improvement needed.

Hardstation i would say the Carrickmore team played rightly and would be a disservice to them to say the Johnnies were that poor. Remember they won div 2 handy enough this year

in saying that we were 20 points up at half time in the Ulster final last year

[NAG1]

Getting to that time of the year, when the gongs are handed out.

Highlights of the year for everyone? Club or County?

[Milltown Row2]

Highlights for the county have been the game against Dublin and Offaly in the Championship. qualities that Dinny can bring out when you think we've had a shite year.

Lows certainly the under 21's hammering by Tipp and the poor Senior County final.

Loughgiel finally ended 18 years in the wilderness to win the cup. so a high for them and a kick in the ass for the teams that thought all we had to do was meet Loughgiel in the final

Major disappointments are that no real teams outside of the big 3 look like winning the championship (though the football ain't much better.....) and nothing major coming from teams in the lower leagues. The Johnnies are heading up but i fear will head straight back down.

Glenarrife missed the boat maybe last year, not sure if they have anything coming through the ranks. (minder!) Ballycastle? well they will be in Milltown next year and Gorts and was going to say St Paul's but.......

Best player for the County? Karl Stewart man of the match against Dublin in Croke Park

Best player for the County Champions? Well that goes to another Belfast man........ Jim Nelson

[johnneycool]

Lows certainly the under 21's hammering by Tipp

considering the hammering Tipp gave Galway a few weeks later I wouldn't be just that disheartened. That's one fine Tipp U-21 team.

[imtommygunn]

Highs: Dublin win and character shown to win the Carlow game. Watson's performance against Cork also a high that we have a player as good as he is. Loughgiel winning the c'ship. This will make county finals for the foreseeable future much better.

Lows: Cork in their current state still beat us by a bit. Watson still acting the maggot and showing we're not sure we can trust him. U21s as has been stated. For me it is also a low that Ballycastle got relegated. They were a team I thought could shake the "big three" which could only have been good for our game. League tables don't lie but I thought with U21 record they were a lot better.

[maxpower]

Club

Highs: Completion of Sports Academy

Lows: Performance in Semi Final of Championship, possibly the worse in Championship in a decade, but was typical of the inconsistent nature of our season, capable of being brilliant capable of being awful, see one week, beat Ballycastle by 25 points, lost to ballycastle by 12 points

County

High: Credible performance v a good Offaly team, and an underrated Cork side, good victory against Dublin, pleasing seeing Shorty put the previous year out injured to go on and captain the team

Low: League was there to be won, but Antrim finished closer to Div3 than 1. 

[Milltown Row2]

Any news about league structuring out there?

Hearing ten team leagues again!!!