Antrim Football Thread

[Gizzy15]

I hear Sarsfields have a motion in to change leagues structures. Division 1&2 to have 12 teams.

Can't imagine the wee man or Fitzy  agreeing to this.

Might not be a bad thing - more players playing at a higher level plus Division 3 had 3 or 4 teams who were steamrolling the rest so maybe better to get them shifted up as well.  I know that Co.Derry continue with their leagues without county players - maybe something to consider here.

+1 i think at the current moment it is a good idea Rasharkin V Mitchels/St Agnes' or even Eire og' will do no one any good

[Peileadoir]

Think Sarsfields motion was only about self preservation and not about the 'good of Antrim'. A 12 team league has not been thought out. At the minute Divisions 1 and 2 work well as a two way league ensures 18 games which given the amount of other code clashes and age group clashes is just about the correct amount of games. With 12 teams is it going to be a 2 way league with 22 games? Where do they fit the other 4 games into an already crowded fixture calendar? Or maybe they want top make it a 1 way 11 game season. That will really entice club players to keep playing. if they are talking about a split in the leagues or play-offs Sarsfields have not made any proposal on this issue and therefore as they have not fully though out their proposal it should be binned immediately.

[themac_23]

Think Sarsfields motion was only about self preservation and not about the 'good of Antrim'. A 12 team league has not been thought out. At the minute Divisions 1 and 2 work well as a two way league ensures 18 games which given the amount of other code clashes and age group clashes is just about the correct amount of games. With 12 teams is it going to be a 2 way league with 22 games? Where do they fit the other 4 games into an already crowded fixture calendar? Or maybe they want top make it a 1 way 11 game season. That will really entice club players to keep playing. if they are talking about a split in the leagues or play-offs Sarsfields have not made any proposal on this issue and therefore as they have not fully though out their proposal it should be binned immediately.

this is where i would kind of agree with you, the 2 leagues where games are likely to be called off are div 1 and 2, games where they aren't likely to be called off is div 3. Div 3 can prove a tough league to get out. taking Aghagallon out of the mix the rest of the top 6-7 could beat each other, at the bottom you had maybe 3 teams who were taking hammerings. for me the split in div 3 worked well, its actually the 1 league where the split does and can work.

[Gizzy15]

Think Sarsfields motion was only about self preservation and not about the 'good of Antrim'. A 12 team league has not been thought out. At the minute Divisions 1 and 2 work well as a two way league ensures 18 games which given the amount of other code clashes and age group clashes is just about the correct amount of games. With 12 teams is it going to be a 2 way league with 22 games? Where do they fit the other 4 games into an already crowded fixture calendar? Or maybe they want top make it a 1 way 11 game season. That will really entice club players to keep playing. if they are talking about a split in the leagues or play-offs Sarsfields have not made any proposal on this issue and therefore as they have not fully though out their proposal it should be binned immediately.

this is where i would kind of agree with you, the 2 leagues where games are likely to be called off are div 1 and 2, games where they aren't likely to be called off is div 3. Div 3 can prove a tough league to get out. taking Aghagallon out of the mix the rest of the top 6-7 could beat each other, at the bottom you had maybe 3 teams who were taking hammerings. for me the split in div 3 worked well, its actually the 1 league where the split does and can work.

Peileadoir what about after the 11 games you have a top half bottom half split, and hey ho you have another 5 games which coming nearer  championship will be more meaningful as it will be the top 6 playing against each other and same with the bottom 6. there is 16 games therefor decrowding your already crowded fixture calander

[theskull1]

Looking after their own interests and nothing more.

[themac_23]

Think Sarsfields motion was only about self preservation and not about the 'good of Antrim'. A 12 team league has not been thought out. At the minute Divisions 1 and 2 work well as a two way league ensures 18 games which given the amount of other code clashes and age group clashes is just about the correct amount of games. With 12 teams is it going to be a 2 way league with 22 games? Where do they fit the other 4 games into an already crowded fixture calendar? Or maybe they want top make it a 1 way 11 game season. That will really entice club players to keep playing. if they are talking about a split in the leagues or play-offs Sarsfields have not made any proposal on this issue and therefore as they have not fully though out their proposal it should be binned immediately.

this is where i would kind of agree with you, the 2 leagues where games are likely to be called off are div 1 and 2, games where they aren't likely to be called off is div 3. Div 3 can prove a tough league to get out. taking Aghagallon out of the mix the rest of the top 6-7 could beat each other, at the bottom you had maybe 3 teams who were taking hammerings. for me the split in div 3 worked well, its actually the 1 league where the split does and can work.

Peileadoir what about after the 11 games you have a top half bottom half split, and hey ho you have another 5 games which coming nearer  championship will be more meaningful as it will be the top 6 playing against each other and same with the bottom 6. there is 16 games therefor decrowding your already crowded fixture calander

i can see it from both sides tbh, the bottom half split didn't really work for the reason that there was no relegation and a shield finishing top of the bottom section, dont think any of the teams took this overly seriously and prob used this to try a few players out for champ and at the top Aghagallon had basically won the league already. but i think the race for 2nd was prob pretty decent.

will another year in div 1 do st theresas any good? would a rebuilding year not be good for Rasharkin? teams go up and down all the time, the fact that there are div 3 teams who aren't very good is irrelevant, Rasharkin and Sarsfields didn't do enough to stay in the division and have to take their medicine. My question would be are these 2 clubs sure things to go back up from div 3? Sarsfields spent a few years in div 3 before getting promoted so they know how difficult it can be. i would say clubs like Antrim, Glenravel Davitts and O'Ds will feel they can get promotion this season and if Ardoyne got a bit of momentum like they had at the end of last season they could push too, plenty of teams who would give Rasharkin and Sarsfields problems.

[Hectic]

For me there are too many spells from the season starts where no football is played.  Partly this is down to county fixtures.  I think there would be a benefit in continuing leagues when county players are missing.  Those teams with county players have the opportunity forced to give other players the chance to stake a claim for a place on the team while if it was on the basis of a 12 team league this would provide extra cushion against getting relegated.  Lets face it winning Div 1 is not a massive priority for the like of St Galls or the men from Toome at the beginning of any season - when St Galls were having winter campaigns they were giving key players a break during the early league rounds.  Someone mentioned St Teresas - debatable whether another year in Div 1 would see them be able to progress and put down an anchor but if it was easier to stay in a division some teams could benefit of getting a second year and push on.  Ballymena will play division 1 football next year with almost a generation of players having never played at that level despite having some very fine footballers in that time, not least Paul and Peter McCann, Sean McVeigh, Paddy Logan etc.  Would we as a county not benefit from having the potential for more players to play their club football at a higher level?  I also disagree with the analysis that a lot of teams will be in the mix for Division 3.  I would say now Rasharkin, Sarsfields, Glenravel and maybe Davitts will contest the top two places with Rasharkin and one of the others going up.  Again I think players from these teams would progress better if they were in Division 2.  Finally while I would support 12 teams in divisions 1 and 2 I would also align championships to these divisions.

[Hectic]

Besides I am not sure bringing this in would save the like of Sarsfields and Rasharkin.  If change was being brought in it should come the season after next so as everyone knows what they are playing for at the beginning of the campaign. 

[themac_23]

Besides I am not sure bringing this in would save the like of Sarsfields and Rasharkin.  If change was being brought in it should come the season after next so as everyone knows what they are playing for at the beginning of the campaign.

there def is scope for change, last year i think the county done the only thing they could do when div 4 was not going to be workable and yes it had flaws but worked to an extent. I agree though that if things are going to be changed it should be the following year, would Sarsfields have this proposal if it was another club going down and not them? if it is going to be done then it shouldn't be a safe guard for teams at the bottom of the above division, for example if it was agreed that the season after next there is going to be 12 teams in div 1 &2 and 10 in div 3 which also aligns championship that would be great. i would have it that the bottom 2 teams in div 1 and 2 play off with teams 3 and 4 from div 2/3. therefore making the league actually worth something at the bottom instead of complete dead rubber once the chance of winning the league is out of the question. 

[theskull1]

Was there not a proposal/motion at last years AGM which meant any league change proposals pushed through wouldn't take affect until the following year ..... could be dreaming

[Stillwater2]

I know that the Sarsfields proposal had been submitted before the completion of this years league.
I think debate is good.

[culchie11]

Recommendations and motions only ever come from clubs who are affected by the certain thi they aim to change! Cushendall club have a motion in regarding u21 hurling, St Galls about reserve football,etc.

It is every clubs opportunity to do so at county convention.

Division 2 was cut throat this year with any team from 6 that could have went down with 2 games remaining. That is why sarsfields motion has merit, someone mentioned Aghagallon ran away with div 3. So why is sarsfields motion deemed out of the ordinary. How hard would it be to fit another 4 games into the year, start 2 weeks earlier?! There are always dates for refixes pencilled in also.

Sarsfields 2nd proposal that all leagues should be completed before championship also makes sense as no one except teams needing points want games in October or November!

[JimStynes]

Rossa U-16s flying the flag for Antrim Football down in Paul Mc Girr tournament. Another good win today this time over the hosts. Final next Sunday. More signs that we have plenty of genuine talent to work with in the underage ranks. Go win it now.

Didn't Rossa win this already just a few years back?

Aghagallon won the south west championship and never got to play Rossa in the county final. Rossa may well have won but bit stupid from the county not to let the champions from both sections play off in the final. Only in antrim.

[JimStynes]

Keep the leagues the way they are but try wrap it up in July and run the championship in August -Sept. Would be great if there was a standardised league cut off for all of Ireland and give teams a proper off season. Under 21 championships, Ulster championships etc running over the winter is ridiculous imo. In saying that, it is bound to be a hard job sorting fixtures and keeping everyone happy. there will probably come a time when county players don't play for their clubs until they retire from county football, will make it much easier for sceduling a GAA season.

[Gizzy15]

Rossa U-16s flying the flag for Antrim Football down in Paul Mc Girr tournament. Another good win today this time over the hosts. Final next Sunday. More signs that we have plenty of genuine talent to work with in the underage ranks. Go win it now.

Didn't Rossa win this already just a few years back?

Aghagallon won the south west championship and never got to play Rossa in the county final. Rossa may well have won but bit stupid from the county not to let the champions from both sections play off in the final. Only in antrim.

i may be wrong here but i am near certin Rossa played an All County Final against All Saints this year which would suggest Ballymena won South west, or at least were selected by South West to compete in the final.