Antrim Football Thread

[Milltown Row2]

Ulster GAA tv is streaming the dunloy game I think.

In fact so is the Moneyglass game.

Definitely?

I was going to head down, over the worst of this cold/flu but wouldn't wish this on anyone! So might just put feet up and watch

[Hoof Hearted]

Ulster GAA tv is streaming the dunloy game I think.

In fact so is the Moneyglass game.

Definitely?

I was going to head down, over the worst of this cold/flu but wouldn't wish this on anyone! So might just put feet up and watch

Yes definitely, wasn't originally but it is now.

[HTownlad]

Surly folks we can see that the coaching roles are extremely limited in their impact.

Honestly, what's been done that past 10 years? It's always falls to clubs

Gaelfast was a failure.

The fact we have amalgamated teams who should in their own right be wanting to compete at A Grade is nothing to applaud.

Leitrim have a 3rd of the population of west belfast hence why they need to amalgamate.

Schools like Donegal and Sligo are low population schools who've come together to compete! There's no way St Mary's, Rathmore, St Mals need to combine to play A football

I'd understand maybe La Salle who've fell away over the years, All Saints combining but really those teams who are forming that amalgamated team should have their own ambitions to compete.

You can't tell me kids in Knock or the likes are completely off kilter from what we'd get in Rathmore?

Ps it's not the coaching officers fault, it's the role it's self....Paddy Kelly has tried his best

It would be nice to see the job description from for the role. It should have one and a very specific one at that

[Duine Inteacht Eile]

Surly folks we can see that the coaching roles are extremely limited in their impact.

Honestly, what's been done that past 10 years? It's always falls to clubs

Gaelfast was a failure.

The fact we have amalgamated teams who should in their own right be wanting to compete at A Grade is nothing to applaud.

Leitrim have a 3rd of the population of west belfast hence why they need to amalgamate.

Schools like Donegal and Sligo are low population schools who've come together to compete! There's no way St Mary's, Rathmore, St Mals need to combine to play A football

I'd understand maybe La Salle who've fell away over the years, All Saints combining but really those teams who are forming that amalgamated team should have their own ambitions to compete.

You can't tell me kids in Knock or the likes are completely off kilter from what we'd get in Rathmore?

Ps it's not the coaching officers fault, it's the role it's self....Paddy Kelly has tried his best

It would be nice to see the job description from for the role. It should have one and a very specific one at that

Outside of one year in A, Knock play B football. I don't remember them ever winning a B.

Though I probably agree with your wider point. Having schools capable of competing in the MacRory is a sign that the feeder clubs are producing players and is an indication of progress. The "exposure to this level" is massively overstated IMO, especially when it has been manufactured. The important bit is still missing. I mean, we've had "exposure to that level" at county minor every year since time began and it has yet to kick us on an inch.

However, I don't see it doing any harm either.

[SaffronSports]

Ulster GAA tv is streaming the dunloy game I think.

In fact so is the Moneyglass game.

Definitely?

I was going to head down, over the worst of this cold/flu but wouldn't wish this on anyone! So might just put feet up and watch

If youre ordering the match, i think if you do it via the Moneyglass link it has an option of 13 for the double header so better to take that option than just 13 for the Dunloy.

I was hoping to go but have a thing in Belfadt until 3.15 so looks like streaming it might be better as would miss a good bit of the first game.

[HTownlad]

Surly folks we can see that the coaching roles are extremely limited in their impact.

Honestly, what's been done that past 10 years? It's always falls to clubs

Gaelfast was a failure.

The fact we have amalgamated teams who should in their own right be wanting to compete at A Grade is nothing to applaud.

Leitrim have a 3rd of the population of west belfast hence why they need to amalgamate.

Schools like Donegal and Sligo are low population schools who've come together to compete! There's no way St Mary's, Rathmore, St Mals need to combine to play A football

I'd understand maybe La Salle who've fell away over the years, All Saints combining but really those teams who are forming that amalgamated team should have their own ambitions to compete.

You can't tell me kids in Knock or the likes are completely off kilter from what we'd get in Rathmore?

Ps it's not the coaching officers fault, it's the role it's self....Paddy Kelly has tried his best

It would be nice to see the job description from for the role. It should have one and a very specific one at that

Outside of one year in A, Knock play B football. I don't remember them ever winning a B.

Though I probably agree with your wider point. Having schools capable of competing in the MacRory is a sign that the feeder clubs are producing players and is an indication of progress. The "exposure to this level" is massively overstated IMO, especially when it has been manufactured. The important bit is still missing. I mean, we've had "exposure to that level" at county minor every year since time began and it has yet to kick us on an inch.

However, I don't see it doing any harm either.

I'd agree

With regards to the coaching posts
If we had a JD for the post we could probably see what the remit is, the responsibilities, the chain of command, the actual influence and the expectation.

I hate for this to sound like it's a dig at Paddy, it genuinely isn't.

I personally haven't seen connection or progress. Minors chinned regularly, u21 did perform well in previous years but this year was a mess (albeit it was a new management team in and their first go at that level)

These posts should be posted online (via Antrim website) and maybe we might get more interest rather than go through committees!

Stick them up and let someone who's not on the email thread go through their club and say "stick my name in for it"

[Milltown Row2]

Surly folks we can see that the coaching roles are extremely limited in their impact.

Honestly, what's been done that past 10 years? It's always falls to clubs

Gaelfast was a failure.

The fact we have amalgamated teams who should in their own right be wanting to compete at A Grade is nothing to applaud.

Leitrim have a 3rd of the population of west belfast hence why they need to amalgamate.

Schools like Donegal and Sligo are low population schools who've come together to compete! There's no way St Mary's, Rathmore, St Mals need to combine to play A football

I'd understand maybe La Salle who've fell away over the years, All Saints combining but really those teams who are forming that amalgamated team should have their own ambitions to compete.

You can't tell me kids in Knock or the likes are completely off kilter from what we'd get in Rathmore?

Ps it's not the coaching officers fault, it's the role it's self....Paddy Kelly has tried his best

It would be nice to see the job description from for the role. It should have one and a very specific one at that

Outside of one year in A, Knock play B football. I don't remember them ever winning a B.

Though I probably agree with your wider point. Having schools capable of competing in the MacRory is a sign that the feeder clubs are producing players and is an indication of progress. The "exposure to this level" is massively overstated IMO, especially when it has been manufactured. The important bit is still missing. I mean, we've had "exposure to that level" at county minor every year since time began and it has yet to kick us on an inch.

However, I don't see it doing any harm either.

I'd agree

With regards to the coaching posts
If we had a JD for the post we could probably see what the remit is, the responsibilities, the chain of command, the actual influence and the expectation.

I hate for this to sound like it's a dig at Paddy, it genuinely isn't.

I personally haven't seen connection or progress. Minors chinned regularly, u21 did perform well in previous years but this year was a mess (albeit it was a new management team in and their first go at that level)

These posts should be posted online (via Antrim website) and maybe we might get more interest rather than go through committees!

Stick them up and let someone who's not on the email thread go through their club and say "stick my name in for it"

This may sound crazy, but maybe we just ain't good enough and with even the best coaches in place wouldn't make any difference.

We live in a club bubble, due mainly to poor county success, so seeking success is best achieved through the club..

Lads are not prepared (in my view) to do what's necessary.. live breathe eat sleep GAA.. we will develop cracking footballers but not great teams..

The mindset isn't there, is that a two way street? Hard to tell but the effort required to raise the standards is a collective commitment

It's handy though to have an anonymous swipe at people's efforts on the internet...

Was there a timetable/program of development team that was going around a while back that showed sessions S/C and so on

[BigGreenField]

Lots of things can be true at once

Standards at juvenile in Antrim have got higher., still not as good as other counties.

Doesn't take much of a difference for county minor teams to concede a big score.

A culture of s and c has taken hold in progressive clubs, a lot of lower division clubs don't. It hasn't really taken hold in the schools and the concept of in season S&C is not there yet in schools.

Soccer remains a major draw and route for player loss, particularly in the city - until Antrim begin to win things or even draw big crowds to create a goal this will remain the case. Often the most talented players being lost.

Too many teams operating a model of being reliant on a couple of strong players to carry them through , coach the fringe and development players and the strongest will have a platform to get better again, the average is as important as the peaks.

There is progression - the revolving door of winners of leagues and championships at u16 and minor in the county would point to that, it isn't static. Paul's, Portglenone, Brigids, Dunloy, Galls, Creggan, Cargin and to a lesser extent Endas are all putting in the yards. Being reflected in knock out snr fixtures. Likes of Sarsfields, LD, Lisburn putting coaches into primary schools, all basics all needed. Loads of other clubs doing this. Gaelfast has sown seeds at primary, they have bugger all budget versus the need.

Lot of clubs have patchwork improvement reliant on individual coaches, coaching the coaches remains the need, raising standards, focusing in development and not winning juvenile matches. Consistency across ages, Portglenone probably the role model in this.

There is strong demand for players to want to play for county squads, certainly at the younger age grade, if anything the programme needs expanded.

At older grades academic pressure is an issue particularly in the city - no Gaa pass to get back with demand for grammars exceeding supply.

Facilities, gym access and pitch availability are a major issue. Getting city kids to a match is an issue (travelling in rush hour around or out of the city on a weeknight to get to a match is a farce).

Clubs need to continue to get on the road to matches outside Antrim, benchmark and develop, happening in parts.

The schools amalgamation is an attempt to light a fire/raise standards in training, exposure to McCrory really means exposure to the 5-7 years of performance development needed to compete at that level - no secret sauce, just consistency. Probably a short cut and I'm not convinced it's the right thing to do.

Lots of effort happening to move the wagon to be applauded, lots more needed and thought of what that looks like - it ain't a one or two person job to fix Antrim football. Personally clubs should have a rating for quality of coaching (doesn't need to be published, clubs will shout from the rooftops if they get a good score)

Lots to be positive about and a crap load left to improve , at some point it'll all be an overnight success.

[Spike]

It's hard not to despair at the lack of foresight regarding schools football.

It is not solely about the exposure to a higher standard of football at McCrory level which of course is part of the solution

It also critically about the exposure to a culture within the school among the staff and pupils.  These Grade A schools collectively value the competition and the status and pride it gives to them as players and alumni. From an early age they talk, live and breathe football and carry that on with them into adulthood.

A key aspect in a lot of cases there is usually a keen rivalry with another relatively local school which fuels competition further.

St Louis needs a St benedicts as a riva.  without that there is no edge. You can be poor without consequences.

In belfast Rathmore, st malachys, st marys and knock need to be taking swipes at each other.

It is a positive note antrim have taken to target 3 schools geographically but they need to at least double that.  Rivalry drives competition especially from Principals looking advantages and kudos

Amalgamations are the sounding bell of a problem. I have concerns about the future of clubs like ahoghill, armoy  and others.  More has to be done such as small sided leagues perhaps to keep these clubs going.

[HTownlad]

The answer still lies in reducing the number of clubs on the city (albeit people won't agree)

Remove the senior argument for one min
 that's a different story

Assume for one second this was to play out:

Two clubs amalgamate (just like the schools)
You have one less pitch
30 kids instead of 15
Two sets of coaches at the one session
More numbers
More fun
More quality across the levels (ie instead of having 3 outstanding players you'd have 6 and likewise instead of having 3 who are not as developed you'd have 6) 

If we think the amalgamation at schools beneficial to city games......

[Saffrongael]

Moneyglass getting beat out the gate

[Milltown Row2]

Moneyglass getting beat out the gate

Huge step up for them against a team as experienced in Ulster competition and playing div1?

The flukey goal and not taking what chances they had was always going to hurt..

As for the next game.. pitch looks greasy and the wind blowing towards the road will provide some drama...

[Spike]

The answer still lies in reducing the number of clubs on the city (albeit people won't agree)

Remove the senior argument for one min
 that's a different story

Assume for one second this was to play out:

Two clubs amalgamate (just like the schools)
You have one less pitch
30 kids instead of 15
Two sets of coaches at the one session
More numbers
More fun
More quality across the levels (ie instead of having 3 outstanding players you'd have 6 and likewise instead of having 3 who are not as developed you'd have 6) 

If we think the amalgamation at schools beneficial to city games......

It's not the number of clubs in belfast its how the playing population is apportioned between the existing clubs.  South Antrim Gaa need to be doing more

[Saffrongael]

The answer still lies in reducing the number of clubs on the city (albeit people won't agree)

Remove the senior argument for one min
 that's a different story

Assume for one second this was to play out:

Two clubs amalgamate (just like the schools)
You have one less pitch
30 kids instead of 15
Two sets of coaches at the one session
More numbers
More fun
More quality across the levels (ie instead of having 3 outstanding players you'd have 6 and likewise instead of having 3 who are not as developed you'd have 6) 

If we think the amalgamation at schools beneficial to city games......

It's not the number of clubs in belfast its how the playing population is apportioned between the existing clubs.  South Antrim Gaa need to be doing more

What do you mean ?