Antrim Football Thread

[Round or stuffed]

none of this answers the question originally ask, who gets promoted from junior alongside the Aggies, will Laochra and Pearses be made play a playoff at this stage?

Would either want to go up? Gorts will want Div 2 status

This is probably likely to happen. Both Pearses and Laochra wouldn't stand a change in Div 2 unfortunately.

ah lads you're joking, why even have promotion/relegation at all in this instance, this has happened now two years in a row

[Na Glinntí Glasa]

the reserve leagues are a waste of time for all concerned. They ditched them in the hurling because of this.

Now they play competitive games where the younger players can get some decent game time against senior sides.

You can only improve if you push at a higher level. Sitting doing the same thing year after year wont improve players in second teams.

[SoloAndGo]

none of this answers the question originally ask, who gets promoted from junior alongside the Aggies, will Laochra and Pearses be made play a playoff at this stage?

Would either want to go up? Gorts will want Div 2 status

This is probably likely to happen. Both Pearses and Laochra wouldn't stand a change in Div 2 unfortunately.

ah lads you're joking, why even have promotion/relegation at all in this instance, this has happened now two years in a row

This just highlights the issues with current league structures.

It's a bit of joke teams can opt to stay up/not get promoted. But can't see how it would benefit Pearse's or Lochra in current structure.

[Caesar]

https://www.irishnews.com/gaa/gaelic-football/who-makes-your-team-seamus-maloney-picks-his-best-antrim-team-of-the-last-25-years-34KT3ESHTJHORB2W7QQFDKPCOM/

Maybe one or two changes but to be fair, it's not a million miles away

[Milltown Row2]

https://www.irishnews.com/gaa/gaelic-football/who-makes-your-team-seamus-maloney-picks-his-best-antrim-team-of-the-last-25-years-34KT3ESHTJHORB2W7QQFDKPCOM/

Maybe one or two changes but to be fair, it's not a million miles away

Put it up for us poor people

[Saffrongael]

https://archive.ph/lfpcr

[NorthAntrimSaff]

We cant compare reserve football and hurling. Most football teams have reserve. There are really only around 5 (reliable) reserve hurling teams

By reliable i mean entering the leagues year on year

[EOC1923]

We cant compare reserve football and hurling. Most football teams have reserve. There are really only around 5 (reliable) reserve hurling teams

By reliable i mean entering the leagues year on year

Yeah there is 5 in the football Div 1 as well who play all their games and don't concede most of them.

[Delgany 2nds]

It is unreasonable to compare Hurling and Football as like for like. The hurling leagues are supplemented by the Down clubs. There are a contingent of really strong hurling only clubs with 1 reserve team in Div.2 and in Div.3 - the top 2 were Reserve teams.
In reality there is a massive gap between all the football  teams in Div 1 & 2 and the teams in Div 3.promotion from Div 3 can take a number of years to transition to Div 2 standards and the current Div 3 teams just haven't got the resources and players to do so.
As EOC says only 5 Div X 1 Reserve teams field regularly, so this would be the very reason that they should be standalone Reserve leagues, as it would make a mockery of Div 3 ,if teams failed to field on a regular basis.

[Spike]

would it not be sensible to allow the 5 Div 1 teams who can regularly field reserve teams to have a choice whether to enter the senior leagues in Div 3 or stay in a reserve league?  everyone wants to push on so why penalise a club who are attempting to be progressive

[Na Glinntí Glasa]

We cant compare reserve football and hurling. Most football teams have reserve. There are really only around 5 (reliable) reserve hurling teams

By reliable i mean entering the leagues year on year

The reason for that was the decline of the reserve leagues. Many moons ago when i played reserve hurling we played constantly in the reserve league.

The three Down clubs, Loughgiel, Cushendall, Ballycastle, St Johns, Rossa, Dunloy all played in the D1 reserve league back then. It was constant, competitive and played before the senior league games. 

Two seasons ago the reserves played 2 games in the league. No clubs wanted to play a reserve game midweek so there was less and less games played. Once they removed the league games before the senior fixture they started to cancel the games.

[NorthAntrimSaff]

I dont think entering them into Div 3 is the answer either. Hurling reserve teams divisions were selected. In my opinion the top 4 reserve teams would finish top 4 in 3. One up one down etc etc the actual junior teams would not be happy

[Milltown Row2]

We cant compare reserve football and hurling. Most football teams have reserve. There are really only around 5 (reliable) reserve hurling teams

By reliable i mean entering the leagues year on year

The reason for that was the decline of the reserve leagues. Many moons ago when i played reserve hurling we played constantly in the reserve league.

The three Down clubs, Loughgiel, Cushendall, Ballycastle, St Johns, Rossa, Dunloy all played in the D1 reserve league back then. It was constant, competitive and played before the senior league games. 

Two seasons ago the reserves played 2 games in the league. No clubs wanted to play a reserve game midweek so there was less and less games played. Once they removed the league games before the senior fixture they started to cancel the games.

Going back a few years we played div4  won it, div3 won it snd had a junior title with that reserve squad. Was a great building block for those lads that came through to the senior teams, young Gallagher mcgourty and Co all played in those teams.

Was scrapped when South Antrim wanted to promote the Southy league more, as the reason we played in the leagues was the Rossa's and Johnnies played reserve league which left the teams and standard poorer, they came back and it was a good aul battle on a Monday night..

The reserves need respect, I've done a few reserve games in football and unfortunately it's not great..

Did enjoy the Sundays away or at home playing in front of the seniors, we'd be in the bar few scoops and come out and watch the seniors!

[NorthAntrimSaff]

I think its more attractive for some to play before the Seniors..go in get changed and pull on a sub top and be part of that too. Its also more attractive for some to play on the friday night and go on the beer on saturday.

The minors now on a Sunday obviously has a major impact on this

[asaffgael]

The reserve leagues have fell away! Anyone who was involved will agree! There is so many unfulfilled fixtures it makes it hard to commit to.

I believe being entered in div 3/4 is the answer but it can't be at the same time as the senior team. Ultimately everyone wants to watch their own team so it's not fair to have a reserve team playing at same time in different location