Antrim Football Thread

[Saffsof82]

So if the group games were one match against each opponent, and then the knockout stages were tightened up on the timeline to run immediately after, would that not be a good format?

[paddyjohn]

Championship is championship. It should be straight open draw knockout, no back door and no seeding.

I agree. Antrim were put out of the championship at the beginning of July. There is plenty of time to get games in before starting the championship mid September. You could nearly play another league ffs.

Why the group stages needed to play each other twice when it was only once in hurling is beyond me too.

So the paid managers get more money. 😉

But you're correct in what your saying.

[toby47]

I enjoyed the group stages and it shakes out the best teams for the quarter-final run in.  I'd rather have a prolonged championship than a prolonged league.  What is the player view?

There's a difference in prolonging a championship with more games & prolonging it with 7 week breaks like some teams got.

[Sportacus]

All fair points and you can't beat knockout football.  Im just saying I personally enjoyed it and it was an opportunity to bring the kids to a few extra games which had a bit of profile which is always important.   I'd think long and hard about alternatives before changing it too much.

[EOC1923]

On football alone (hurling not my concern )
U20 Championship played from late March - 2nd week in May. Truly a disaster where U20s was placed this year, needs a rightful place in calendar, so after Ulster U20s finishes club U20s should start.
Sen and reserve League football starts Mid April with one round minus any county players, county players re-joining squads before July. Play another round of league games with county players then straight into a knockout championship, completed by early October. 14 teams in this years senior championship four dates required to complete a knockout championship (Prelim, Quarter, Semi, Final)

[Saffsof82]

U21/U20 Championship has been a disaster for years. Saturday afternoon slot doesn't work. Timing has to be spring time after the county u20 season is over and collger and uni football finished.

[Kickham csc]

The big problem in Antrim is that hurling and football is seriously promoted in both clubs and the county. That's a big problem.

Creggan, Tir na Nog, Ahoghill, Rasharkin, Ballymena, Dunloy, Glenravel, St Johns, Rossa, Sarsfields, St Galls, Gort na Mona, etc will all have dual players trying to win both championships.

This is a major challenge to the county on how to run championships for football and hurling in a tight window.

One solution is direct knockout to free up the weeks etc, but if you have county players only coming back in July / August, you minght only see your county players play one game in the year

It is a tough problem to crack

[stiffler]

Portglenone 8/13 this weekend, any word if an appeal is going in for delargys straight red ?

[Calm Down]

Interesting from what I hear that the linesman who made the call against Delargy on Sunday past is reffing this Sunday

quote author=stiffler link=topic=21.msg2082589#msg2082589 date=1635269619]
Portglenone 8/13 this weekend, any word if an appeal is going in for delargys straight red ?
[/quote]

[Calm Down]

Worse again PJ and someone hold RC down for when he reads this but I have just heard that the man who caused the mayhem in the first PG1 v Ahoghill game is on the line

[rogercasement]

Sean Laverty is a very good ref, he has the guts to make the big calls and doesn't get bullied easily. If it wasn't for his input on Sunday Roberts would have totally lost the run of the game or more than he did! I would be surprised if the red wasn't overturned. 8/13 if true is an awful price and would indicate that Aghagallon are better than even money, I'd have some of that.

Don't get me started on that other clown if he is on the line!

[Calm Down]

So are you suggesting RC if Sean did make the call for Delargy on Sunday that it is the correct call and therefore the red card should not be overturned? Or is he only a good ref who makes the big calls and doesn't get bullied as long as it's in PG1's favour?

[Calm Down]

And just to be clear I rank Sean in the top 3 refs in the county

[bannside]

Sean Laverty made the call based on what he saw. I watched the incident several times and I don't fault Sean, it looked bad. Now here's the reality. ND was watching the match with me, and explained how both his legs were trapped under Marc Jordan. He had literally no where to go. I'm hoping Marc Jordan would confirm that, they are both two honest players that know each other well.

Niall has played many hundreds of competitive matches for club school university and county, and never got a red card, ever. I hope justice is done, but wouldn't be relying on video evidence, that looked bad at first glance.

Whatever way it works out all you expect from refs is fair play and consistency. Most of the times you will get that.

[rogercasement]

I'm gonna be honest and say I didn't see what happened it was the other side from where I was. I was too busy trying to figure out how the hell it resulted in a free against us after the initial incident where it all began. It was a free because Paddy C wanted it to be a free!