Antrim Football Thread

[Milltown Row2]

We play in the divisions with our senior teams, hurlers and footballers .. they should also be played in the junior championship also, a reserve cup is not something to aspire to.. If a second team wins it they can't enter the Ulster championship, which is fine

[imtommygunn]

I would agree with this. Some reserve teams far too strong for others but in divisions would level themselves out. I've played in this setup a lot over the years as reserve was my ceiling and I always thought it was pretty good. Never understood why they moved away from it.

[country bumpkin]

Cargin under-15s endured another 'failure to field' night .....all county juvenile competition is a failed enterprise IMO.....

[Milltown Row2]

Cargin under-15s endured another 'failure to field' night .....all county juvenile competition is a failed enterprise IMO.....

There were 20 teams playing last night... wouldn't say that's a failure, games shouldn't be conceded they should be rearranged..

[Cnoc Bán]

Cargin under-15s endured another 'failure to field' night .....all county juvenile competition is a failed enterprise IMO.....

There were 20 teams playing last night... wouldn't say that's a failure, games shouldn't be conceded they should be rearranged..

Unfortunately you just run out of time to get fixtures rearranged.

We have had a rubbish summer with games for our u15s, where we had 3 games cancelled in July due to other teams not fielding.

I appreciate that it is that time of the year with holidays etc, but last night St Teresas to their credit travelled up to us with 13 players and their coaches said it was more important to get the lads a game rather than not bothering because they didn't have the full compliment of players.

Worst this summer was St Paul's, who were at home for our game at the end of June so that wasn't likely affected by holidays.

We travelled up there with 16 players to be told that none of them were there as they had all travelled to their Div 1 game in Aghagallon.

They didn't even have the decency to tell us they weren't going to be there before we travelled, the coaches weren't even there, it was their u11s hurling coach told us as they had the pitch booked for the time our game was to be on.

They never bothered to field for our home fixture either. Why have 2 teams if you don't want to give them all games just when you don't think the result is going to be favourable?

Is the point not about getting the weaker players games???

O'Donnells didn't field in either game against us either which was a pity as we'd never played them before at this age.

Lamh Dhearg didn't travel to us either although they at least tried to reschedule.

So you end up with too many games to be refixed as they all need played before championship.

Plus for every refix, you need a referee to reschedule and i am sure you know that doesn't always suit.

Looking at the Div  table, I do feel for those Cargin players, as with all of those games cancelled they have likely cost themselves a stab at the league win.

[Milltown Row2]

Cargin under-15s endured another 'failure to field' night .....all county juvenile competition is a failed enterprise IMO.....

There were 20 teams playing last night... wouldn't say that's a failure, games shouldn't be conceded they should be rearranged..

Unfortunately you just run out of time to get fixtures rearranged.

We have had a rubbish summer with games for our u15s, where we had 3 games cancelled in July due to other teams not fielding.

I appreciate that it is that time of the year with holidays etc, but last night St Teresas to their credit travelled up to us with 13 players and their coaches said it was more important to get the lads a game rather than not bothering because they didn't have the full compliment of players.

Worst this summer was St Paul's, who were at home for our game at the end of June so that wasn't likely affected by holidays.

We travelled up there with 16 players to be told that none of them were there as they had all travelled to their Div 1 game in Aghagallon.

They didn't even have the decency to tell us they weren't going to be there before we travelled, the coaches weren't even there, it was their u11s hurling coach told us as they had the pitch booked for the time our game was to be on.

They never bothered to field for our home fixture either. Why have 2 teams if you don't want to give them all games just when you don't think the result is going to be favourable?

Is the point not about getting the weaker players games???

O'Donnells didn't field in either game against us either which was a pity as we'd never played them before at this age.

Lamh Dhearg didn't travel to us either although they at least tried to reschedule.

So you end up with too many games to be refixed as they all need played before championship.

Plus for every refix, you need a referee to reschedule and i am sure you know that doesn't always suit.

Looking at the Div  table, I do feel for those Cargin players, as with all of those games cancelled they have likely cost themselves a stab at the league win.

So lets get back to the regional boards and run them off separately or look at the timetabling, refuse teams putting in 2 teams...

The problem with the first one is you'll end up with mismatches all over the show and possibly less games, so not really too competitive, the second one is difficult in that when do you play these games?

If its a problem due to holidays then have a 4 week window in the summer that games are not played, get as many games played in after Easter and allow for a month for exams, come in after 1st week of August and run them through to the start of Championship..

The third one is simple, no second teams, if you have a big set up then arrange friendlies and enter tournaments or arrange tournaments to facilitate these lads..

[Cnoc Bán]

Cargin under-15s endured another 'failure to field' night .....all county juvenile competition is a failed enterprise IMO.....

There were 20 teams playing last night... wouldn't say that's a failure, games shouldn't be conceded they should be rearranged..

Unfortunately you just run out of time to get fixtures rearranged.

We have had a rubbish summer with games for our u15s, where we had 3 games cancelled in July due to other teams not fielding.

I appreciate that it is that time of the year with holidays etc, but last night St Teresas to their credit travelled up to us with 13 players and their coaches said it was more important to get the lads a game rather than not bothering because they didn't have the full compliment of players.

Worst this summer was St Paul's, who were at home for our game at the end of June so that wasn't likely affected by holidays.

We travelled up there with 16 players to be told that none of them were there as they had all travelled to their Div 1 game in Aghagallon.

They didn't even have the decency to tell us they weren't going to be there before we travelled, the coaches weren't even there, it was their u11s hurling coach told us as they had the pitch booked for the time our game was to be on.

They never bothered to field for our home fixture either. Why have 2 teams if you don't want to give them all games just when you don't think the result is going to be favourable?

Is the point not about getting the weaker players games???

O'Donnells didn't field in either game against us either which was a pity as we'd never played them before at this age.

Lamh Dhearg didn't travel to us either although they at least tried to reschedule.

So you end up with too many games to be refixed as they all need played before championship.

Plus for every refix, you need a referee to reschedule and i am sure you know that doesn't always suit.

Looking at the Div  table, I do feel for those Cargin players, as with all of those games cancelled they have likely cost themselves a stab at the league win.

So lets get back to the regional boards and run them off separately or look at the timetabling, refuse teams putting in 2 teams...

The problem with the first one is you'll end up with mismatches all over the show and possibly less games, so not really too competitive, the second one is difficult in that when do you play these games?

If its a problem due to holidays then have a 4 week window in the summer that games are not played, get as many games played in after Easter and allow for a month for exams, come in after 1st week of August and run them through to the start of Championship..

The third one is simple, no second teams, if you have a big set up then arrange friendlies and enter tournaments or arrange tournaments to facilitate these lads..

Yes i agree with a lot of that.

I would still be in favour of the all county, maybe i didn't make that clear before.

I think it is great for our lads to get up and play the Belfast teams, rather than just playing the same 4 or 5 teams all year.

ok i know some of the Belfast teams maybe don't see the same attraction in maybe having to travel to Rasharkin or Dunloy on a Thursday evening hence the number of no shows in away games, but they should still be going with the ethos that game time for the lads is the most important thing.

There is definitely a break needed in July, I am involved with lgfa and camogie and they stopped over July which made sense.

The 2nd teams one is a bit of an issue.

I want to see every young player get game time and without a 2nd team, some of these players will rarely ever get playing, which isn't fair.

I know some of the 2nd teams in Div 3....well one in particular and it is easy to see from the scores of their games over the season, field Div 1 players in some of their games, if the Div 1 team isn't playing that evening.

That shouldn't be allowed as it is only preventing their actual Div 3 players from getting game time.

So if you have two teams, the Div 1 players should be graded at the start of the year and then you know those 2nd team players have a fair crack at getting game time.

If the Div 1 team can't field for some reason then so be it. But i am sure a greater effort would be made to get a team out from their panel of graded players, if it wasn't just that they are doing it at the expense of the 2nd team.

[imtommygunn]

Personally I thought the regional boards worked well. I honestly think with mid week games etc you shouldn't be asking kids, especially during school time, to do journeys which could result in maybe 2 hours of traveling in an evening. The closer games, geographically, work better.

Maybe you could do quarter finals or semi finals and shields and stuff across the county so as the two boards would "mingle" for a handful of games a year too.

I would agree with the July off thing.

[Cnoc Bán]

Personally I thought the regional boards worked well. I honestly think with mid week games etc you shouldn't be asking kids, especially during school time, to do journeys which could result in maybe 2 hours of traveling in an evening. The closer games, geographically, work better.

Maybe you could do quarter finals or semi finals and shields and stuff across the county so as the two boards would "mingle" for a handful of games a year too.

I would agree with the July off thing.

to be fair, the lgfa underage does that.

All sw games and then there are 2 all county blitzes during the year.

the evening games maybe don't affect us as much as we are central to everywhere, only aghagallon is one that we don't look forward to.

no offence to the aghagallon lads on here!!

[imtommygunn]

Yeah I always remember Aghagallon being the long haul.

Yeah randalstown central so you're grand.

[Milltown Row2]

Yeah I always remember Aghagallon being the long haul.

Yeah randalstown central so you're grand.

Ballycastle have they juveniles playing in the leagues?

[Saffsof82]

Cargin under-15s endured another 'failure to field' night .....all county juvenile competition is a failed enterprise IMO.....

There were 20 teams playing last night... wouldn't say that's a failure, games shouldn't be conceded they should be rearranged..

Unfortunately you just run out of time to get fixtures rearranged.

We have had a rubbish summer with games for our u15s, where we had 3 games cancelled in July due to other teams not fielding.

I appreciate that it is that time of the year with holidays etc, but last night St Teresas to their credit travelled up to us with 13 players and their coaches said it was more important to get the lads a game rather than not bothering because they didn't have the full compliment of players.

Worst this summer was St Paul's, who were at home for our game at the end of June so that wasn't likely affected by holidays.

We travelled up there with 16 players to be told that none of them were there as they had all travelled to their Div 1 game in Aghagallon.

They didn't even have the decency to tell us they weren't going to be there before we travelled, the coaches weren't even there, it was their u11s hurling coach told us as they had the pitch booked for the time our game was to be on.

They never bothered to field for our home fixture either. Why have 2 teams if you don't want to give them all games just when you don't think the result is going to be favourable?

Is the point not about getting the weaker players games???

O'Donnells didn't field in either game against us either which was a pity as we'd never played them before at this age.

Lamh Dhearg didn't travel to us either although they at least tried to reschedule.

So you end up with too many games to be refixed as they all need played before championship.

Plus for every refix, you need a referee to reschedule and i am sure you know that doesn't always suit.

Looking at the Div  table, I do feel for those Cargin players, as with all of those games cancelled they have likely cost themselves a stab at the league win.

No sympathy for you, yous entered an u15 Div3 league when you should have been in div 2. A wee handy league title for the coaches. Teams are not fielding to you because they are fed up with this . Div three is a very weak league for clubs doing brilliantly to get a team out, Tir na nog should not be in it.

[JimStynes]

Yeah I always remember Aghagallon being the long haul.

Yeah randalstown central so you're grand.

How do you think we felt growing up having to travel from aghagallon every week! It would suited us much better to play in the North Armagh league until u16 level. We'd have to only travel 2/3 miles and have about 10 teams to play within that radius of Lurgan. Such a slog doing that every week! I actually think Armagh have went the same way as antrim though and have a division 1, 2 and 3 from u13 or u15 upwards.

[Spike]

Lots of Pros and Cons about an All County League. from a quality standpoint it is undoubtedly better but the premier issue is usually logistics and trying to get 20 kids who cannot drive a vehicle, up and down the county numerous times over a season.  perhaps the best way is a compromise with an 'end of league' round robin in August.  The July break seems to work well.   Was the cancellation of numerous matches one of the reasons St Enda's shifted over to the South West?   

All kids need football and how best to accommodate that needs looked at.  no point in having two teams if the good players in Team 1 come and go as they please into the weaker team.  The win at all costs mentality is detrimental to player development.  Kids wont improve and are more likely to quit if they are not getting game time

[EOC1923]

I would go back to South West and South Antrim leagues. There was definitely less games conceded in the past. An all county Championship in the last month of the season to finish.