Antrim Hurling

[aontroim]

will the fixtures that are fixed for next wed go ahead as Antrim will be playing that sunday in the final. i doubt it very much double standards

How do you work out the double standards milltown? If Antrim had been playing this Sunday all relevant fixtures would have been called off tomorrow night / sunday.  Down clubs can't be fined by the Antrim board for not fielding - just an unfortunate side effect of them being part of Div 1, but I can see their point if they decide not to field against you, but as always a bit of common decency by telling you in advance would be nice.

[milltown row]

It's very simple the Down teams have been playing in the Antrim leagues for a number of years they are quality sides that have very high standards and have been a positive for Antrim, Down and Ulster hurling, do you agree? To then turn round and say that they must play their games without their main players is unfair, so when Antrim fixtures have been in place for a number of weeks it's ok to change them because Antrim is playing in the final!!!!

We might as well not let the Down teams in the Antrim leagues because we cant accommodate them

AONTRIOM you'd do well to take off your saffron tinted glasses,  i'm all for developing hurling in Antrim as much as the next guy and if the likes of the Derry and Down teams are able to compete with the Antrim clubs then that will only make us better, if we exclude them by making them play games without their main players then thats a step backwards

[johnneycool]

will the fixtures that are fixed for next wed go ahead as Antrim will be playing that sunday in the final. i doubt it very much double standards

Down clubs can't be fined by the Antrim board for not fielding - just an unfortunate side effect of them being part of Div 1.

Someone better tell our treasurer that as he's paid fines in the past for not fielding.

If Down and Derry hadn't of drawn the final would of been fixed for this sunday. With Antrim's participation would their county board of set up a full round of fixtures on the wednesday night? I'd of thought not. Whoever set that fixture for Ballycran knew in all probability that it won't take place. A bit of a silly decision.
From a Ballycran POV, I'm sure they'll inform the Down county secretary of the fixture and leave it up to him to speak to his Antrim counterpart to get the game called off. If the county secretaries fail to agree, Ballycran will more than likely bring up a team similar to what happened recently when the Down clubs had games the same day the county team were to play Dublin in a friendly. A compromise was reached which suited everyone barring the players who played two games in the one day.

[milltown row]

good win for us last night in Ballycran, in a game that i'm sure put the Down county lads under pressure we came through on a score line of 2.7 to 12 points, we stole the match in the end with a 21 yard free blasted into the net in injury time. Gary Savage and Simon Wilson were the only ones i noticed not playing although Wilson came on midway through the second half.

and it was double joy for the lads as we also won the reserve game. i'm a bit sore today

[aontroim abu]

and it was double joy for the lads as we also won the reserve game. i'm a bit sore today

thats cause you're too old. Give it up lad

[milltown row]

no danger!!  still got maybe a year or two left

[theskull1]

Whats the general feeling guy's of general standards in the club game at the minute? 

I wouldn't be too impressed with what I have seen to date this year (although its great now that the matches are there to be played). I believe this is in part down to years of neglect by our county board as sucessive county managers ruined club leagues in their quests to win all ireland titles  Clubs must also take a share in the drop in standards as the basic skill level and laissez-faire attitides of a some of the young players throughout the county leave alot to be desired. The right type of coaching must not have been carried out in enough clubs. One man looking after a bunch of young fellas is just a babysitter. Every team should have at least 4 mentors to push any team on. Clubs need to find more bodies to play their part and get standards up.

BTW
Dunloy beat Rossa last night 3-19 to 1-12. Don't believe Rossa are as bad as this scoreline might suggest going by skill levels anyway. There was just too many players who looked as if they could take it or leave it. 

[milltown row]

Skull the standard is far superior to that of 20 years ago without doubt, you only have to watch All Ireland gold. But yes Antrim teams seem to be way of the mark at club level with the likes of Ballyhale or Toomevara, and the likes of those teams. I hope with the way things are going at the minute the leagues will get better we have played all our games regardless of exams, fall outs and people working, yes we need to win games to stay in the top division and the standard has dropped for us as we need our full squad out to compete with the big teams, hopefully come August we will be stronger.

Skull I have to say that the team we brought down to your place last Sunday had 6 seniors on it we tried to make a fight of it but with the current state of affairs at the minute within our club that's all we could muster that day, unlike last night when we had 30 players down in Ballycran for senior and reserve (we won both)
At the minute you seem to flying accuracy is there and depth in your panel, I would not take too much out of beating a team unless it's close to full strength

Regarding coaching the kids I've been doing it for a long time and the babysitting factor is common we just don't have enough parents who where past players involved to take these kids. The kids we do have are capable of stuff I could only do after years of going to training so they have the ability. The only difference is that they are not tough enough, mentally. 

regarding your win last night did Rossa put up a fight early on or just collapse?  some teams just give up too early in hurling

[North Antrim]

Well lads hows things goin. Was working in England for the past 2 weeks. Just back yesterday. Antrim into Ulster final cant wait to see it

Hows the clubs shaping up??

Dunloy have threw up a couple of big scores....

Cushendall - havnt started really yet

Loughguile - hard to know wot to make of them this year

Any comments

[PlayWithTheWind]

anyone hear the goings on with gort na mona and glenravel lastnite?

[Square Ball]

anyone hear the goings on with gort na mona and glenravel lastnite?

Read a few of the comments on the hoganstand discussion board. Awful stuff altogether. It doesn't surprise me in the slightest though. A team should be able to travel to a game knowing that their possessions are safe in the changing room. I heard one lad had £50 stolen and another a phone. A dirty shower of cnuts that would do that. I hope that Gort na Mona take responsibility to investigate the matter. The signs that clubs have in their changing rooms saying that the club take no responsibility for the loss of possessions etc is a load of dung. If they want to have home games they have to make sure players/managers/referees possessions are safe during the game. If this continues, clubs should refuse to travel to their pitch for games and the county board should make them play all games away from home.

Dirty scumbags, were the changing rooms not locked?

[aontroim]

Last night must have been the night for incidents then, as there were several in ballymena at their div 3 game v Aggie's. Some fairly brutal sledging after the match was abandoned by ref, leaving an Aggies member in hospital overnight. hopefully his injuries aren't too bad, and the guilty player or players are given appropriate punishment.

[Noname]

i agree hardstation, i think clubs should be held resposible for the theft of visiting teams posessions.  How hard is it to make sure changing rooms are locked after a team goes onto the field.

[Orior]

Apologies for my ignorance on this matter, but what competition will Antrim be in this year?

[aontroim]

Antrim are in Liam McCarthy (tier 1) this year as a result of winning the Christy Ring last year. Guaranteed a few games in the group stages at least after the Ulster C'ship Final.