Antrim Football Thread

[Spike]

yes though it still wouldn't amount to a must win game.  If Dunloy are going well St Brigids wont phase them especially with the Biddie's traditionally weak mindset.

Hopefully Antrim have learned from last year and we dont see any of the manipulation of the draws again.

[belfastsaff]

its only the semi finals were the confusion begins. Its clear and set in stall that the winners of Cargins group will face second placed in St Bridgets group. i would have it as close to a must win game as possible as whoever wins that will have one foot in the semi finals. plain and simple.

St Bridgets are without a doubt capable of beating anyone on their day despite mindset issues. However I suppose if you had St Bridgets transfer strategy you would need to be capable....

[Around the glens]

Probably costing the same as what the cargin and creggan management are,hearing M O B getting £25k alone in dunloy,something similar to what Bradley is getting in ballymena but AS players are funding that,and probably half off what the county Over 40s management are getting 😉

Stop the fool chat, MOB on 25k?
He's on 50k and a house being built up the bridge road...

[AllStar15]

Surprised at what Dunloy did to St John's - what's the story there? Know a lot of talent in Dunloy but I thought St John's would be tooled up for Championship?

Cargin I suspect are doing a Kerry on it and easing themselves in gently and letting the 'challengers' get excited about group performances.

Ballymena appear to have had disciplinary issues over recent games in league, league playoffs and now championship - what is going on there?

Good win for Ahoghill. Always seem to be able to pull out results when needed. Which adds to the surprise that they have opted for relegation.  Maybe fancy an Intermediate championship for that group before they hang up the boots? Aghagallon hard to figure as they should have a serious core of players just now.

Think it could be the group 3 games that will be worth attending next round for a bit of everything.

It's only a surprise to those not paying attention. Johnnies were slow on the uptake when other city teams were ploughing into their underage systems. LD are the same. Pauls were in a similar boat about ten years ago or more and some good men put a lot of hard work in to get them where they are now.

[Hectic]

Jesus things really are bad in the City then.

What are we talking, Paul's, Brides and maybe Galls 'ploughing into their underage systems'?

Endas seem to have some good underage teams but not even senior now.

[AllStar15]

I'm not interested in getting in to the City v Country chat but when you are at the sharp end of division 1 you can't afford a barren spell of youngsters coming through for any period of time.

[Spike]

I'm not interested in getting in to the City v Country chat but when you are at the sharp end of division 1 you can't afford a barren spell of youngsters coming through for any period of time.

Is this part of the result of those years they weren't able to field a minor team a few years ago?   

St Brigids appear to have good minor and u16 team. Current St Pauls minors look to be decent, St Johns ok but maybe Lamh Dearg are the ones to slip down the pecking order?

[Hectic]

I'm not interested in getting in to the City v Country chat but when you are at the sharp end of division 1 you can't afford a barren spell of youngsters coming through for any period of time.

What's it got to do with country teams?  Beyond St Endas playing in SW and being more visible to country teams?

It's just a sad state of affairs if a club of the stature of St John's is taking a hammering from a team not even rated #1 in the group.

Especially if it is, as you say, due to having little coming through for a number of years. 

Which I read as the weekends result being a true measure of where they are at as opposed to a huge number of absentees or the like.

[AllStar15]

I'm not interested in getting in to the City v Country chat but when you are at the sharp end of division 1 you can't afford a barren spell of youngsters coming through for any period of time.

What's it got to do with country teams?  Beyond St Endas playing in SW and being more visible to country teams?

It's just a sad state of affairs if a club of the stature of St John's is taking a hammering from a team not even rated #1 in the group.

Especially if it is, as you say, due to having little coming through for a number of years. 

Which I read as the weekends result being a true measure of where they are at as opposed to a huge number of absentees or the like.

Apologies, I thought the City comment was a reoccurrence of the City Country debate that pops up here every so often.
Yeah that would be my reading of it too. It wasn't just minor teams they weren't putting out it was nearly the whole way up through. LD struggling for years too often joining amalgamations. They really struggle for numbers at 16/18 too and have a high age profile at senior.

[Duine Inteacht Eile]

For all that, a full strength St. John's make short work of St. Paul's IMO.

[AllStar15]

I agree but it wont be like that in 3-5 years

[Saffrongael]

I agree but it wont be like that in 3-5 years

Total guesswork in fairness

[Duine Inteacht Eile]

I also think St John's have better quality in the 18-25 age bracket.

[Caesar]

Apologies if this is a naive question, but why are so many city teams are struggling at underage? I appreciate there's more distractions in urban areas, but hasn't that always been the case? And surely many city clubs would have the benefit of larger populations? You'd think there'd be enough players to get a team on the pitch anyway.

[paddyjohn]

Who is MOB?