Antrim Hurling

[milltown row]

i heard only two people turned up the other night.

Queenie was one of them 

as for winning nothing your right. i can only recall winning intermedate and Junior hurling Championships, never the big one but sure my club in its 100 years never has. are we all failures then?

I'm off to the local hardware store, life's not worth living if i don't win big ears

sorry for being negative Queenie, I'll be more positive like

i see my stalker is back with more misinformation.


I've encouraged all my club players to participate in the SA team. Jim Nelson has received a poor turn out from all the clubs available to his team. now run off Queenie


MR thats BS,allegedly you,vie purposely discouraged participating and Jim knows it, get a grip!  Hurling behind the scenes in your club is totally discriminated against and you know it! They pay lip service to Hurling when by this stage the club should have had at least 2 Cs hips IMO, so to answer your idiotic question covering your ass by shifting it to the collective yes! you are all failures. One cannot deny the fantastic achievements of the football and a credit to the club for its continued success,and long may it continue to set standards from grass roots, however Hurling is a very poor relation!

A fantastic opportunity to help hurling in Belfast which is on its knees, has been destroyed by small minded people like yourself who have not the forsight or intellectual ability to see past the petty indifference's and really do something historic and constructive for once. You and others have denied the hurling people of Belfast a fantastic opportunity to get behind what I and  lots of other people felt was a golden chance to help unite hurling in the city! Stalker, Christ you seem to have a high opinion of yourself and your position on this board, stick to the bookies MR and less of the History lessons! Of course this will be all about you, and some of your colleagues will rally to your defence on the board, the fact remains a great chance to do something in the city has been lost, and all you can contribute is telling us 2 people turned up! Nelson deserves more respect and commitment, and you and others have seen that he has got neither.

again Queenie your misinformed i was with Jim on a training course at Casement and we discussed at length the SA team and the players who could play for it. in fact i gave him names of other player who i believe would bolster that team. i was also talking to Jim at a Challenge game I'd arranged (due to the lack of foresight of the the county to arrange proper league games) and again we talked about it.

i challenge you to meet and talk about your BS remarks and establish where you got your shite information.

but you are a stalker. As for my colleagues on this board!!! i don't know anyone on this board nor do i wish to. people have their opinions and say them others will either agree or disagree. some are in jest and others have a sting behind them.

get off your high horse and talk some sense sometime and stop your fascination with me. I'm flattered but get over yourself

why dont you go back a few pages and you'll see the names of players i i'd said would make a good SA team

[Queenie]

Talk is cheap MR, you challenge me! Maybe some of your team members mis-heard over a few pints, barstool talk! Fascination, Jesus that hi opinion strikes again, phrases like charliton!!!!, two-faced, backstabber i could go on. A history lesson for u, in Ancient Sparta those that shouted the loudest used to win the argument, the best defense is attack, I'm not singling you out,however  don,t come on this board and act that you are fully behind something that privately you have expressed a total distaste for. Have the B**** to stand up and type what you really think and are expressing privately that,s all i ask. Our are you just worried about your street cred on the board.

I,d say Jim listened you talked and he took a pinch of salt. He has forgotton more than you will ever hope to know about the game, you gave him the names of players, Jesus MR you really do need help, you instructing Jim

[milltown row]

i was at the first training session Jim took at Corrigan Park. there was Galls men there and 3 StPauls men and 1 McDermott's man and A Lamhs player.

so was my club at fault? Where was all the Sarsfields men the St Teresa's men and all the other clubs that should be pushing themselves into this team?

Even the better st Paul's players did not even turn up and support Jim (a fellow clubman) that night nor anyother night.

players from the team expressed their private views to me about this team, i will not discuss them here with you but i will meet you (should you like) to iron out your problems with the issues you have with me. you can PM me if you like.

what team members informed you? and i don't have 'street cred' nor do i seek it

also i never came on here and said i knew more than Jim Nelson, he asked me about players in the club who'd be willing to play.

what date do they play Cushendall?

[Queenie]

i was at the first training session Jim took at Corrigan Park. there was Galls men there and 3 StPauls men and 1 McDermott's man and A Lamhs player.

so was my club at fault? Where was all the Sarsfields men the St Teresa's men and all the other clubs that should be pushing themselves into this team?

Even the better st Paul's players did not even turn up and support Jim (a fellow clubman) that night nor anyother night.

players from the team expressed their private views to me about this team, i will not discuss them here with you but i will meet you (should you like) to iron out your problems with the issues you have with me. you can PM me if you like.

what team members informed you? and i don't have 'street cred' nor do i seek it

also i never came on here and said i knew more than Jim Nelson, he asked me about players in the club who'd be willing to play.

what date do they play Cushendall?

MR I don,t have the problem, however your offer to meet intrigues me? I am asking myself should i bring the footstool? So that we discuss the issues F2F, suffice to say the real people know the truth, and i think your defensive posts say it all. I would give the board up, you probably are doing yourself an injustice in the long run, i hear your not a bad spud, and on the discussion that you offered, grow up Mismatch of the year, put it back in your trousers, justifies my previous comments "Idiot". Belfast hurling this year has lost its best opportunity to lift itself, and at least you can say that you where part of that.

I will take my leave, all that needs to said on my part is done, i hope that sometime in the future someone can lift Hurling in the City. North Antrim seem to be doing it and they deserve the credit thats due them, the town won,t get an easy game and hopefully that will prove my point, and stick to people who killed it in the city.

[milltown row]

you've offered nothing and can't back any of your claims up. your reluctance in meeting me for a discussion is strange, I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts on why Belfast hurling is in the dolldrums.

I've worked for many years with other committed hurling men in NaomhGall to continue with the Caman sport. but your view is that because we win football championships handy enough that we should just forget about it? I've travelled the length and breadth of the province with juveniles playing in tournaments encouraging parents that hurling was a safe and great game. i don't have to prove to anyone about my involvement in promoting hurling in Belfast.

you stated that we needed to unite hurling in the city. do you think that Rossa and the Johnnies would unite? i spoke many years ago to a Sarsfield's man who's brother is hurling referee and we talked about a belfast hurling only club. all the pro's and cons surrounding it. we finished up with that it would have to be started from scratch I.E under 6's and with a view come senior they would be challenging for honours.

i cant make out your angle here. is it St galls you have a problem with, me personally (but you don't even know me) or the fact that Belfast hurling is not great at the minute? I'll let you into a secret. Belfast hurling has been poor for years. pretty good at juvenile but come senior we have lost all the quality players to the big ball game.

I'm interested in what is it you do that promotes hurling in the city. Queenie don't leave so soon. season is only starting

[slow corner back]

Offaly giving Antrim a serious hiding 1-26 to 0-12 at present. We are in complete and total freefall.

[orangeman]

Offaly giving Antrim a serious hiding 1-26 to 0-12 at present. We are in complete and total freefall.

It finished 1-28 to 0-13, Antrin finishing with 14 men ( not sure who got the road ).



Saffrons 'saved' by DRA verdict 

Offaly's Odhran Kealey battles with Antrim's Aaron Graffin
Antrim's All-Ireland Hurling relegation play-off against Offaly appears to have been rendered meaningless following a marathon DRA meeting on Friday night.

BBC Sport understands that the DRA is recommending that there will be no relegation from the Liam McCarthy Cup following appeals from four counties.

The DRA is believed to have ruled that Ring Cup winners Carlow be promoted into a 13-team Liam McCarthy Cup.

Antrim v Offaly is going ahead on Saturday with Clare facing Wexford.

However, while the GAA released a statement on Saturday morning saying that the play-offs would go ahead, it now appears that there will be no relegation.

That is providing Congress ratifies the DRA's verdict.

The Saffrons, Offaly, Clare and Wexford submitted an appeal calling for Saturday's two matches to be halted because of the relegation controversy.

All four counties attended the DRA meeting in Dundalk and the gathering didn't break up until 0230 BST on Saturday morning.

Antrim will be without Neil McManus and Neil McAuley on Saturday.

Both players booked holidays for this week some time ago as the original fixture schedule had the Saffrons with a weekend off.

Shane McNaughton and Karl Stewart were ruled out of Antrim's last game clash against Laois for similar reasons.

McManus' absence from the Parnell Park game is probably an even bigger blow.

The Saffrons believed that there were promised three seasons in the Leinster Championship at last year's Special Congress and believe that they have been hoodwinked.

The losers of Saturday's play-offs are then scheduled to meet with the losers dropping out of the top tier next year with Christy Ring Cup champions Carlow replacing them.

Antrim joint-manager Sambo McNaughton acknowledged that it would be an "understatement" to say that the loss of McManus and McAuley is a huge blow.

"The match was put back a week and the boys had booked holidays," said McNaughton.

"We have tried to get around it but they are coming under the usual pressures so we're going to be without them."



CJ McGourty was dropped from the Antrim football squad in late March
McNaughton remains sceptical about the play-offs, venturing that he cannot see the likes of Clare, Wexford and Offaly playing Christy Ring Cup hurling next season - if results go against them over the next couple of weeks.

"The powers that be will be hoping that we lose our next two games so that we can be relegated.

"I mean, are they going to let Clare be relegated and having only four teams in the Munster Championship next year? Not likely."

But while McNaughton is disenchanted at how the county has been treated, he is calling on the Saffron squad to show their true ability after a largely disappointing 2009.

"If we play to our ability, then we can give Offaly their fill of it although it would still come down to the puck of the ball and the odd break here and there.

"They beat us by five points in the league and there wasn't that much in it that day.

"But we need to get out and compete right from the off."

In addition to the absence of McManus and McAuley, Antrim have also made a number of other changes from the disappointing defeat by Laois.

Shane McNaughton and Karl Stewart return while CJ McGourty is also recalled to the attack after playing in the previous game against Dublin.

Those losing out include Cormac Donnelly and PJ O'Connell.

Eddie McCloskey switches to replace McAuley at wing-back while Michael Herron is preferred to Sean Delargy at midfield.

Offaly will be without injured forward Joe Brady while Rory Hannify is also said to be a major fitness doubt.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Antrim: R McGarry, K McGourty, N McGarry, A Graffin; C Herron, J Campbell, E McCloskey; M Herron, K McKeegan; D McKillop, K Stewart, J Scullion; S McNaughton, P Richmond, CJ McGourty.

[Fairhead]

That was a hard afternoons viewing in Parnell Pk. Minors outclassed 4.23 to 0.10 by what looks like a superb Galway team. Galway were a big team with excellent hurlers all over the pitch and in particular there no.6, 9, 11 and 13 to mention a few. There was a skill gap there but what struck me was the way Galway used their size; they rarely lost 50 50 tussles and dominated in the air especially in their half back line. They also read the game better, anticipated breaks and played at a higher pace. Which of course leads to the question how to get Antrim teams up to the pace? Who ever comes up with the answer to that in Antrim will be the man!!!

As for the senior game it was nearly a mirror image of the minor; Offaly are a bigger more athletic team, totally dominate in the and could take scores when they had to. Graffin again was the only man that offered any real resistance or quality. A dissapointing day.

[Minder]

Why were Mc Manus and Mc Auley on holiday with a match today? Before anyone says it was allocated as a free weekend in error a weeks drinking on holiday isn't great preparation for upcoming matches, it just doesent seem to happen in counties that are serious about winning.

[slow corner back]

The question is why are all these players taking holidays in July instead of August or September ( when was the last time Antrim hurled into September?) nthey cant take holidays in August or September in case they miss club championship so they organise the holidays round their priorities.

[orangeman]

Terence McNaughton and Dominic McKinley - Thank you. You did your best.

Will these lads stay on ?

[the colonel]

yeah HS its sad, I would have been behind the two guys from the outset but I think them going is the best thing possible. TBH I don't believe they had their heart in the 3rd year as opposed to other years.

but thanks anyway and all the best for the future

[theskull1]

I keep saying it every year. Why do we not concentrate on get our club game strong again before we start expecting a capable county team. All this time effectively wasted when it could and should be put to better use from a long term perspective. Of course Antrim admin wouldn't have a word of it 

[imtommygunn]

Woody has stepped down already sure. I don't know much about sambo personally but the word on the street is that he wouldn't put himself in a position where only he is accountable so doubt he'd stay on...

So what skull - disband the county team? We should be relegated to christy ring where we deserve to be and we should try to develop our players at that level. We have games in division 2 against better opposition which will help us.

[theskull1]

Its the time and effort and expense dedicated to preparing the County team I have the problem with ITG. This whole notion that we learn from playing matches down south just doesn't stack up and hasn't for nearly 20 years. Players need to be developed from the ground up not thrown into the deep end like I believe they are currently to sink or swim. An improved coaching base in all clubs, a good development structure aligned with proper focus on good local competition is far more important than taking a punt year in year out on panels which just aren't at the right level because of poor coaching, development structures and poor leagues to expect anything other than the odd good result.