Antrim Hurling

[Fear Bun Na Sceilpe]

Dunloy should win the senior Championship. Intermediate - as per usual anyone could win it. Just look at last year. Creggan or Sarsfields for me. Cushendun a good outside bet. Glenarm for Junior.

Two stand out fixtures are Dunloy v Cushendall and Creggan v Sarsfields.

Dunloy
Glenariff
Glenarm

[breakingball]

Wouldn't disagree with this

Championship predictions

Senior
Rossa vs Ballycastle - Rossa by 5
St Endas vs Loughgiel - Loughgiel by 10+
Dunloy vs Cushendall - Dunloy by 3
Randalstown vs St Johns - St Johns by 10+

Intermediate
Armoy vs Ahoghill - Ahoghill by 7
Gort Na Mona vs Carey - Carey by 6
St Galls vs Glenariffe - DRAW
Creggan vs Sarsfields - Sarsfields by 5
St Paul's vs Cloughmills - Cloughmills by 3

Junior
Lamh Dhearg vs Ballymena - Lamh Dhearg by 3
Rasharkin vs Davitts - Rasharkin by 6
Glenravel vs St Teresa's - Glenravel by 5
Loch Mor dCais vs Glenarm - Glenarm by 10+

[imtommygunn]

So far that's a pretty good set of predictions. Impressive getting the draw right. Still some results I don't see on intermediate.

[Milltown Row2]

So far that's a pretty good set of predictions. Impressive getting the draw right. Still some results I don't see on intermediate.

Yeah the draw is some call, by all accounts a fair result.

[Jonkunlon]

Think Creggan v Sarsfields is the only one missing: 3.19 to 0.18 in favour of Kickhams. Creggan clearly finished messing about in the league and straight into Championship mode with aplomb.

St Paul's sucker punched Cloughmills ......9 in it for Cloughmills at half time.

[Minder]

So far that's a pretty good set of predictions. Impressive getting the draw right. Still some results I don't see on intermediate.

Yeah the draw is some call, by all accounts a fair result.

Any chance of a scoreboard ? 

[Milltown Row2]

So far that's a pretty good set of predictions. Impressive getting the draw right. Still some results I don't see on intermediate.

Yeah the draw is some call, by all accounts a fair result.

Any chance of a scoreboard ? 

I'd be happy with new changing rooms first

[ck]

It is great to see another club wanting to grow, but is there not a wider question needing to be asked when we are seeing more and more clubs amalgamating up through the ages groups. Clubs that would be considered to be well established clubs and cant even get 15 of their own kids out to field a team?

does this not exacerbate this specific situation even further?

The work is just not being done at underage to keep young people interested. Based on the Belfast population alone there should be far more clubs, not less.

[Tyrdub]

It is great to see another club wanting to grow, but is there not a wider question needing to be asked when we are seeing more and more clubs amalgamating up through the ages groups. Clubs that would be considered to be well established clubs and cant even get 15 of their own kids out to field a team?

does this not exacerbate this specific situation even further?

The work is just not being done at underage to keep young people interested. Based on the Belfast population alone there should be far more clubs, not less.

Then why are there so many amalgamated clubs at underage level?

[Milltown Row2]

It is great to see another club wanting to grow, but is there not a wider question needing to be asked when we are seeing more and more clubs amalgamating up through the ages groups. Clubs that would be considered to be well established clubs and cant even get 15 of their own kids out to field a team?

does this not exacerbate this specific situation even further?

The work is just not being done at underage to keep young people interested. Based on the Belfast population alone there should be far more clubs, not less.

Then why are there so many amalgamated clubs at underage level?

I honestly think its easier to amalgamate than put the effort in and find the kids to be involved. If you have 12 kids and 12 kids from another club sure that's a team ready made with two coaches from each club at the ready. 

Now I'm saying that and we have a team mixed with another at juvenile hurling, and great hurling lads looking after it, I can go back a few years and I remember looking after our underage, Id at least three age groups for under 12, I'd lads at 9 10 and 11 all looking to get on, I was doing this by myself, running tournaments and heading to tournaments, the thought never entered my head about joining up with someone else, so I just ploughed on with that crowd, produced 4 or 5 seniors from that set up, one who have went on and played in Croke Park for the club in a hurling final and the other 4/5 have played in a county hurling final.

People look for success quicker, stick and develop what you have, you can't compete every year, the bigger picture is enjoyment 

[johnnycool]

It is great to see another club wanting to grow, but is there not a wider question needing to be asked when we are seeing more and more clubs amalgamating up through the ages groups. Clubs that would be considered to be well established clubs and cant even get 15 of their own kids out to field a team?

does this not exacerbate this specific situation even further?

The work is just not being done at underage to keep young people interested. Based on the Belfast population alone there should be far more clubs, not less.

Then why are there so many amalgamated clubs at underage level?

I honestly think its easier to amalgamate than put the effort in and find the kids to be involved. If you have 12 kids and 12 kids from another club sure that's a team ready made with two coaches from each club at the ready. 

Now I'm saying that and we have a team mixed with another at juvenile hurling, and great hurling lads looking after it, I can go back a few years and I remember looking after our underage, Id at least three age groups for under 12, I'd lads at 9 10 and 11 all looking to get on, I was doing this by myself, running tournaments and heading to tournaments, the thought never entered my head about joining up with someone else, so I just ploughed on with that crowd, produced 4 or 5 seniors from that set up, one who have went on and played in Croke Park for the club in a hurling final and the other 4/5 have played in a county hurling final.

People look for success quicker, stick and develop what you have, you can't compete every year, the bigger picture is enjoyment

We's struggle for numbers more years than not and regularly would be delving deep into the next agegroups down to get 15 on the field, for instance our U17's will have eight U15's on it later this evening. That's the reality of small rural clubs year on year but what I tell our coaches when we meet a team made up solely 16 and U17 yo's  is that there's not a lot you can do about how a 14 or 15yo performs against a 17yo so long as our 17yo's are the best hurlers on the pitch then never worry about the scoreboard..

[Milltown Row2]

It is great to see another club wanting to grow, but is there not a wider question needing to be asked when we are seeing more and more clubs amalgamating up through the ages groups. Clubs that would be considered to be well established clubs and cant even get 15 of their own kids out to field a team?

does this not exacerbate this specific situation even further?

The work is just not being done at underage to keep young people interested. Based on the Belfast population alone there should be far more clubs, not less.

Then why are there so many amalgamated clubs at underage level?

I honestly think its easier to amalgamate than put the effort in and find the kids to be involved. If you have 12 kids and 12 kids from another club sure that's a team ready made with two coaches from each club at the ready. 

Now I'm saying that and we have a team mixed with another at juvenile hurling, and great hurling lads looking after it, I can go back a few years and I remember looking after our underage, Id at least three age groups for under 12, I'd lads at 9 10 and 11 all looking to get on, I was doing this by myself, running tournaments and heading to tournaments, the thought never entered my head about joining up with someone else, so I just ploughed on with that crowd, produced 4 or 5 seniors from that set up, one who have went on and played in Croke Park for the club in a hurling final and the other 4/5 have played in a county hurling final.

People look for success quicker, stick and develop what you have, you can't compete every year, the bigger picture is enjoyment

We's struggle for numbers more years than not and regularly would be delving deep into the next agegroups down to get 15 on the field, for instance our U17's will have eight U15's on it later this evening. That's the reality of small rural clubs year on year but what I tell our coaches when we meet a team made up solely 16 and U17 yo's  is that there's not a lot you can do about how a 14 or 15yo performs against a 17yo so long as our 17yo's are the best hurlers on the pitch then never worry about the scoreboard..

Exactly ....

[burdizzo]

In the past I would have agreed, Milltown, that amalgamating is the easy - and worse - option. However, having been involved at underage myself, and in a club that DID amalgamate at underage, there's another side. On our own, we had barely had enough, and were always in the bottom half of the 'B' leagues. Now we have players from a nearby football club (who have no adult hurling outlet), and we're got to an 'A' championship shield final. So, it's about raising standards, too - and simply having numbers in the field at training can help in that regard, as well.

[imtommygunn]

It is great to see another club wanting to grow, but is there not a wider question needing to be asked when we are seeing more and more clubs amalgamating up through the ages groups. Clubs that would be considered to be well established clubs and cant even get 15 of their own kids out to field a team?

does this not exacerbate this specific situation even further?

The work is just not being done at underage to keep young people interested. Based on the Belfast population alone there should be far more clubs, not less.

Then why are there so many amalgamated clubs at underage level?

I honestly think its easier to amalgamate than put the effort in and find the kids to be involved. If you have 12 kids and 12 kids from another club sure that's a team ready made with two coaches from each club at the ready. 

Now I'm saying that and we have a team mixed with another at juvenile hurling, and great hurling lads looking after it, I can go back a few years and I remember looking after our underage, Id at least three age groups for under 12, I'd lads at 9 10 and 11 all looking to get on, I was doing this by myself, running tournaments and heading to tournaments, the thought never entered my head about joining up with someone else, so I just ploughed on with that crowd, produced 4 or 5 seniors from that set up, one who have went on and played in Croke Park for the club in a hurling final and the other 4/5 have played in a county hurling final.

People look for success quicker, stick and develop what you have, you can't compete every year, the bigger picture is enjoyment

We's struggle for numbers more years than not and regularly would be delving deep into the next agegroups down to get 15 on the field, for instance our U17's will have eight U15's on it later this evening. That's the reality of small rural clubs year on year but what I tell our coaches when we meet a team made up solely 16 and U17 yo's  is that there's not a lot you can do about how a 14 or 15yo performs against a 17yo so long as our 17yo's are the best hurlers on the pitch then never worry about the scoreboard..

JC maybe you should amalgamate with some of your neighbours  I am sure Portaferry / Ballycran (delete as appropriate) would be glad to have you 

[Jonkunlon]

This isn't exact and I'm sure there are others, but in West Belfast alone there is:

Lower Falls  (2 clubs)
Upper Falls (1 club)
Glen Road (1 club)
Shaws Road (3 clubs)
Monagh Road/bypass (1 club)
Andersonstown Road (1 club)
Springfield Road  (0 clubs)
Stewartstown Road (1 club)
Finaghy Road (0 clubs)
Whiterock Road  (2 clubs)
Hannahstown/Old Springfield Road (1 club)

Would less clubs mean more clubs fielding 15 at under age? Given that many playing members are families with historical ties to the club, as opposed to players who live in the area (of which there are some). It's not clear cut.