Antrim Football Thread

[Hoof Hearted]

Would be unfair on sarsfields and Moneyglass to be promoted to div 1 to be now relegated to div 3 without kicking a ball !!
I agree leagues aren't great but make the changes for 2027, depending on next year's finishes.

[SoloAndGo]

Why would they be div 3? What you suggest is exactly what should happen now. Sars and Moneyglass both 1b or whatever it'll be called. Aghohill and Aldergrove both 2a etc

[Saffsof82]

The new county manager has meet with the top table, he wants the league structures to remain as is, thus very little pressure on county players to turn out in league games for their clubs. The issue is this current system , while suiting inter county football, is making a shambles of our club game,  16 team div 1!

[delgany]

Any changes will be discussed by Football Development Sub Committee and options shared with clubs to discuss & vote on. But I can't see any changes  being implemented before 2027.

[Milltown Row2]

Nothing is changing in 2026 leagues and championships.

Threads or club delegates won't make a matter. This is the view of the county operations manager. Clubs shouldn't have a voice in it. They should be told what the structures are and either pay in or jump out

Are you or have you ever been a club county delegate?

I'll break it down just in case

The clubs have a member that is allocated that job, it is on him to speak at the county meetings, with views that the club has, it could be mundane shite but coming to county conventions it generally had motions the club had decided on during their AGM's, back in the day it was regular enough, so they discussed lots of things but that could all have changed.

I'm sure delgany could enlighten us more on the modern set up.

But anything that is done is based on how it's voted, of course the county executive has an input but ultimately it's down to your clubs call.

I've put this forward for years but still we don't understand how it actually works and automatically give the county shite!

[SoloAndGo]

The new county manager has meet with the top table, he wants the league structures to remain as is, thus very little pressure on county players to turn out in league games for their clubs. The issue is this current system , while suiting inter county football, is making a shambles of our club game,  16 team div 1!

no harm to him but what does he know. A blind man could tell you the structure doesn't work.

[ck]

The new county manager has meet with the top table, he wants the league structures to remain as is, thus very little pressure on county players to turn out in league games for their clubs. The issue is this current system , while suiting inter county football, is making a shambles of our club game,  16 team div 1!

No county manager should be dictating to the county board. 16 team Div.1 is a sham and only the county manager wants to retain it for sole self interest. An 8 team Div.1 and Div.2 would be to the betterment of football in the county.

[delgany]

The County AGM is first week of December, motions & recommendations need to be with county about first week of November, so club executives ( or club agm) would need to be on the ball to have any thing  for consideration, at end of October.
Because county Exec have set up the Hurling & Football Development Sub Committees ( in bye laws) , all future discussion will be based there. Two football motions were refetrred to the FD Sub Committee.

[delgany]

The new county manager has meet with the top table, he wants the league structures to remain as is, thus very little pressure on county players to turn out in league games for their clubs. The issue is this current system , while suiting inter county football, is making a shambles of our club game,  16 team div 1!

No county manager should be dictating to the county board. 16 team Div.1 is a sham and only the county manager wants to retain it for sole self interest. An 8 team Div.1 and Div.2 would be to the betterment of football in the county.

The proposal for an 8 x team Div 1A & 1B was proposed two years ago and clubs wouldn't accept it! Turkeys & Christmas...& all that.!

[Milltown Row2]

As I said until the clubs decide then you are bate. Those in the room need a majority

Clubs are selfish and understandably will look after their own concerns

But ultimately whether the executive think their plan is best it can't go through unless there's is a majority from the CLUBS..

I'm literally bored of trying to explain that every year

[SoloAndGo]

Nothing is changing in 2026 leagues and championships.

Threads or club delegates won't make a matter. This is the view of the county operations manager. Clubs shouldn't have a voice in it. They should be told what the structures are and either pay in or jump out

Are you or have you ever been a club county delegate?

I'll break it down just in case

The clubs have a member that is allocated that job, it is on him to speak at the county meetings, with views that the club has, it could be mundane shite but coming to county conventions it generally had motions the club had decided on during their AGM's, back in the day it was regular enough, so they discussed lots of things but that could all have changed.

I'm sure delgany could enlighten us more on the modern set up.

But anything that is done is based on how it's voted, of course the county executive has an input but ultimately it's down to your clubs call.

I've put this forward for years but still we don't understand how it actually works and automatically give the county shite!

Sure the last reshuffle was driven by 3 men, 1 of whom was the county sec. The rest of us in the room would be better off saving the fuel money as anything recommend (of which there was almost nothing) fell on deaf ears. Why? Because Frankie and Co had a plan and they wanted it pushed through.

Two wiser men were given two options and told pick a or b and they pick the lesser of the two evils.

Nothing will change. There's no collective desire for change. Clubs are happy because it suits them ti have 16 teams in Div 1

It suits all teams for this current structure across all Divisions. It doesn't suit football but it does suit clubs

how does it suit all clubs? I can't see a single club it suits.

Cargin winning 14 league games and not winning the league. Playing majority of teams with their seconds is no preparation for championship.

Or Tir Na Og winning 1 game in 15 and staying up? 

The current structure doesn't benefit a single club. And for standard of football. Well...

[Milltown Row2]

The leagues have changed multiple times over many years and the standard of football at a county level hasn't changed.

There is no real effort from any club to win a league other than promotion, and the top teams do enough to stay up. Leagues at div 1 are for and always have been prep for the Championship

For the league to matter would mean it would have to have a bearing on championship, like automatic entry into the quarterfinals with a home tie.. other than that or something similar then you won't get top teams going all out.

Teams that have county players always have lads missing for most of the year, every year

[SoloAndGo]

Whether there is a desire to win a league or not, it benefits every club and every player to play meaningful competitive games all year round. Half the teams don't get out of second gear for 3/4 of the league fixtures. Who's that benefitting? The other half are battling to win 2/3 games to stay up. It hard enough to keep players motivated fo 9/10 months of the year never mind getting beat week in week out. 

County footballers are out in May. County players have a good half of league and championship.

It might not make the county team more competitive but it certainly makes individuals better footballers which you would assume improve the county team.

[Milltown Row2]

Look I get ya, but turkeys don't vote for Xmas

8 team leagues has merit.

But this place, here on the discussion board won't shift the ideas of clubs, and it is clubs that vote this in.

Possibly the view is, a rising tide lifts all boats.

The problem is this, a 'big' team could get relegated as for most of the season they've been without their top players, now you could incorporate playoffs but that hasn't went down well, you could have starred and non starred games, we did that before.

A top eight would be tight games all round so losing main players could be the difference.

Clubs be cautious

 

[SoloAndGo]

Absolutely right nothing will change based on this thread. But worth the conversation imo to get people talking and bring it to club reps.

The county boys missing is not an issue. They still play half a season and if that's your excuse to get relegated to 1b then it's just an excuse. Cargin won 14/15, Creggan 12/15, St Brides 11/15 all last season whilst missing boys for half the year.

And to be honest, missing county players or tightly contested games that are the difference is a much better alternative than what we currently have. A fiercely contested league that probably any 8 teams could win makes the league certainly more meaningful and attractive to supporters.

In regards to supporters who's interested in Creggan beat St Paul's or Aghohill by 30 points. A 1a, 1b every single game worth a watch imo.