Antrim Football Thread

[Newbridge Exile]

I wish people would stop referencing the u20 team as if they were this exceptional team.  They lost to a average donegal team who lost heavily to derry.  There hasn't been a 'decent' antrim youth team since 06 if truth be told

Not sure 11 5 is considered overly heavy

How many from play?

7 from 11 from play for Derry (who were without Eoin McEvoy & Lachlan Murray ), Donegal had an ultra defensive set up the whole game

[Sportacus]

If we had the best 30 footballers in Antrim on a panel, the best coach around coaching them, where would we be? Our history suggests probably not much further forward than where we are now. Division 2 maybe if all the stars alligned?

If you did all the 'system' stuff - everyone behind the ball, win it back, pass it laterally - you could be a hard to watch high Div 2.  That's what Derry have done.  With a better player base they've squeezed an Ulster title out of it which has delighted their fans but their project is going to run out of road.

[Rawhide]

What else would the purpose of the project be other than to win. D4,D3, D2 and now into D1, with an Ulster title, an All Ireland semifinal and most importantly a young team to be backboned with more quality youth coming. Wtf is your idea of a 'project'?

[realisticsaff]

What else would the purpose of the project be other than to win. D4,D3, D2 and now into D1, with an Ulster title, an All Ireland semifinal and most importantly a young team to be backboned with more quality youth coming. Wtf is your idea of a 'project'?

Play well for spells against opposition then eventually lose.

[Sportacus]

What else would the purpose of the project be other than to win. D4,D3, D2 and now into D1, with an Ulster title, an All Ireland semifinal and most importantly a young team to be backboned with more quality youth coming. Wtf is your idea of a 'project'?

I said the project is going to run out of road.  Everything that can be achieved has been achieved, congratulations on that.  But Gallagher's system will only take you so far and I predict that the star will fade as people get frustrated by the style of play and a belief that the tremendous young footballers in the county can achieve more if they were unleashed rather than locked into a robotic system.  Let's see what happens.

[imtommygunn]

No matter what though the life he has put back into Derry football is remarkable. It wasn't in a good place (at county more than club).

We have won about 4 games in 40 years in ulster(a couple of draws too) so I don't think we can turn up our noses at a "B" competition. It will be interesting to see where we go from here. Maybe it will be a disaster or maybe it won't but it's the level we should be playing at and it's the level that will give us competitive games to it'll be interesting.

[NatSoSaff]

As a half and halfer (Antrim & Derry), it is ridiculous to me to see comments belittling Derrys rise and drawing comparison to Antrim. It shows the complete state this thread has become. Criticising Gallaghers 'system'. Give your heads a wobble and go and watch football matches rather than spout second hand trash you try to pass off as your own. There used to be half a dozen or so sensible and balanced posters on here, now it's the sensationalist brigade.

Anyway. Predictions tonight:

Cargin +7
St.Johns + 5
St.Galls + 3
Creggan + 7
Aghagallon + 5
PG1 + 8

[realisticsaff]

Fergal Hogan retiring from refereeing because he didn't feel he got enough of the games he deserved 😂. Who knew referees had such big egos 😳

[Sportacus]

As a half and halfer (Antrim & Derry), it is ridiculous to me to see comments belittling Derrys rise and drawing comparison to Antrim. It shows the complete state this thread has become. Criticising Gallaghers 'system'. Give your heads a wobble and go and watch football matches rather than spout second hand trash you try to pass off as your own. There used to be half a dozen or so sensible and balanced posters on here, now it's the sensationalist brigade.

Anyway. Predictions tonight:

Cargin +7
St.Johns + 5
St.Galls + 3
Creggan + 7
Aghagallon + 5
PG1 + 8

If we don't like Rory Gallagher's style of play and think ultimately it has its limitations, are we not allowed to say so?  I thought this was a forum for debate and airing views.

[realisticsaff]

As a half and halfer (Antrim & Derry), it is ridiculous to me to see comments belittling Derrys rise and drawing comparison to Antrim. It shows the complete state this thread has become. Criticising Gallaghers 'system'. Give your heads a wobble and go and watch football matches rather than spout second hand trash you try to pass off as your own. There used to be half a dozen or so sensible and balanced posters on here, now it's the sensationalist brigade.

Anyway. Predictions tonight:

Cargin +7
St.Johns + 5
St.Galls + 3
Creggan + 7
Aghagallon + 5
PG1 + 8

If we don't like Rory Gallagher's style of play and think ultimately it has its limitations, are we not allowed to say so?  I thought this was a forum for debate and airing views.

Unfortunately not bud. Unless it's positive you can't voice an opinion.

[geezer]

To call Derrys style of play puke football is lazy. Go back and watch Dublin when they dominated. Always had plenty behind the ball. All worked tirelessly for the team. The difference is that Dublin had 6 quality forwards with more in reserve. Everyone just turned a blind eye to it as they had outrageously good forwards. Derry have Mcguigan. The rest are good but could you rely on the rest to get consistent scores if mcguigan was injured? No.

IMO, gallaghers style if perfect for what Derry have. Tough, physical runners who can break lines at will. Ciaran Mcfaul back in the fold will only add to it.

[Milltown Row2]

Fergal Hogan retiring from refereeing because he didn't feel he got enough of the games he deserved 😂. Who knew referees had such big egos 😳

I don't think its down to ego to be fair, if lads were getting games without having passed the recent fitness test it would show that the selection process is not following the correct procedure at that level. The interview below gives a different view to your post

Three-time All-Ireland hurling final referee Fergal Horgan has announced his retirement from inter-county refereeing with immediate effect due to "lack of appointments" in recent years.

The Tipperary official, who oversaw the 2017, 2020 and 2021 All-Ireland deciders, confirmed his retirement in an interview with Tipperary Mid-West Radio this evening, citing his annoyance with the current appointments process.

Horgan, who also took charge of the Kilkenny-Clare AI SHC semi-final last July, claimed that Munster officials were losing out and amid what he suggested was a drive to promote referees from Leinster and Connacht.

Officials from Galway and Leinster were in the middle for the recent Allianz Hurling League Division 1 semi-finals and final.

Horgan also suggested that some referees had recently been handed games despite failing fitness tests.

"It's disappointing from my point of view," he said. "I've worked hard over the past few years and haven't got the appointments from Croke Park that I thought I should have got.

"No one has a right to get any match I suppose but in the last few weeks, we've seen referees getting appointments that didn't pass the fitness test. That's not going down well with referees."

Horgan's last game at national level was the Division 1 meeting between Waterford and Antrim on 26 February. He also refereed Cork's win over Limerick in round one.

He insisted that his decision was final and that he felt there was not enough support for GAA referees.

"I did love refereeing. But I couldn't see why anyone would take up refereeing, unfortunately. At the top level you get no support.

"Referees are very uneasy. I'm one of the referees that have stepped away. It's a big decision for me to step away.

"I know for a fact that a lot of the referees in football and hurling are not happy with the way things are going at the moment. I can see why. Personally, I think it's a farce what's going on there.

"I'm 100% finished. I'm at ease now. I got no contact from Croke Park the last few weeks and that just shows me where I stand."

[paddyjohn]

Would Rory Gallagher be given time to work in Antrim? Andy McEntee has been here for 6/8 months and already a few people what rid of him.

I honestly don't know what people want. McEntee comes with an experience CV at a high level. The flip side was Enda McGinley, no managerial experience at inter county level and some other people wanted him away.

I've no allegiance to anybody but I think some people on here need to give their head a wobble ffs.

Take the City V Country debate outta it and play the ball and not the man.

[antrimman667]

Plain and simple big names always start come championship having no track record of producing the goods in big championship games. different management same old antrim. what even is the incentive to train for antrim 5 times a week to be put on the bench for championship, different if it was Derry in the Fball or Limerick in the Hurling.

[Milltown Row2]

Could be worse, could be Leitrim