Antrim Football Thread

[belfastsaff]

The loss of key players have killed us for the past 3 years. Getting more players back and getting a few younger lads in has been off huge benefit

I think we are of a higher standard than Division 2. We are playing some great football this year. I hope we can win the championship this year but you know yourselves, championships don't always work out as planned.

Wouldn't get ahead of yourself division 2 is division 3 in old money.

[inabsentia]

The loss of key players have killed us for the past 3 years. Getting more players back and getting a few younger lads in has been off huge benefit

I think we are of a higher standard than Division 2. We are playing some great football this year. I hope we can win the championship this year but you know yourselves, championships don't always work out as planned.

Wouldn't get ahead of yourself division 2 is division 3 in old money.

Div 1 = 16
Div 2 = 10
Div 3 = 8

So if you're top of div 2, you're just in the top half of clubs in Antrim

Absolute farce of divisioning

[playwiththewind1st]

It certainly is.

I think we should definitely try a 34 club Division 1 structure for a while & see how it goes.

[Caesar]

It certainly is.

I think we should definitely try a 34 club Division 1 structure for a while & see how it goes.

18 Div 2/3 clubs outnumber the 16 in Div 1. Throw in the hurling clubs who couldn't care less but still get a vote and that motion has a chance

[thegladiator]

You can only play the hand as it's dealt and that means it doesn't matter about old money. It is what it is now.

Now I wasn't involved in anything previous but at the end of the day, why would those who voted for the change in divisions now look to change it again?

I know there's talk of 1A &1B next year but are your Rossas/St Johns/Dunloy going to vote to bring their team down a division?

It might not bother them too much if they can still play senior championship, after all the leagues are pretty pointless aside from for the 4 at the bottom in relegation playoffs. As always, it can depend on who is in the relegation spots. We have recent history of favourable restructuring just when the county chairman and his vice chairman's club are due for the drop after all which brought us to where we are now.

[Christmas Lights]

4 divisions

11 x teams D1
11 x teams D2
6 x teams D3
6 x teams D3A

D1 play senior championship
D2 play intermediate championship
D3 and D3A play junior championship

Junior football at the moment is very weak so would need split. These 4 divisions would be very competitive I feel. 

May Take a year or two for clubs to find their level but so be it.

A 16 team D1 for a 34 team county is a farce. Makes a mockery of intermediate and junior leagues.

[bannside]

12, 12 and 10 would be better.

Last 4 go into relegation play offs from divisions one and two.

Would leave every match very competitive.

Top two straight into a league final.

One up and one down.

Top 4 in league get graded for following years cship...makes league games more meaningful.

Only 11 games in Div 1 and 2 means start a six weeks later and clubs get county players back six weeks earlier.

Bit longer winter break for amateur players.

County under 20s not under as much pressure to line out for clubs in Feb/March....should increase player availability to county under 20 squad instead of players being influenced to stay and fight for their club senior jersey.

[thegladiator]

Disagree with the longer winter break for amateur players part, the leagues will be wrapped up by early july,championship round robin in august (3 games),by mid September we'll  likely  have 12 teams in the semi finals of championship (4 each in senior, inter and junior) and 22 teams not having a game until april/ may of the next year going by the above. So the majority of teams will play 3 games in 8 or 9 months from july before the next season starts. I don't think that will encourage players to make our games their priority when they can play soccer,rugby or whatever sport and get 25/ 30 regular games a season from September to may. For me, our season is too compressed and our leagues should also run on after championship finishes.

[Christmas Lights]

12, 12 and 10 would be better.

Last 4 go into relegation play offs from divisions one and two.

Would leave every match very competitive.

Top two straight into a league final.

One up and one down.

Top 4 in league get graded for following years cship...makes league games more meaningful.

Only 11 games in Div 1 and 2 means start a six weeks later and clubs get county players back six weeks earlier.

Bit longer winter break for amateur players.

County under 20s not under as much pressure to line out for clubs in Feb/March....should increase player availability to county under 20 squad instead of players being influenced to stay and fight for their club senior jersey.

12 is high even looking at the tables just now the max I think would be 10

10 across Div 1 senior CShip
10 Div 2 Inter
12 Div 3 but split into 6 junior A and 6 junior B championship

Wouldn't have the relegation tussles either
Bottom two down top two up

If the inter/junior winners of championship don't get promoted in the league then the second place team stays in that Divison and they are bunny hoped by the championship winners and they move up in both league and cship.

Does anyone else feel the leagues are very long

Which 2 clubs are you telling to fold up and forget about it?

[Gaels1789]

Went to watch the two neighbours play tn in pg1,

Pg1 3:23
Moneyglass 2:21

Great game to watch for a neutral but by god pg1 lucky tonight, moneyglass must've been crippled by injuries but they didn't play like it

Pg1 missing 4/5 starters to but I'd be worried come crunch time

[bannside]

Dont go worrying too much Gaels. Huge match for MG, meaningless run about for PG1.

Sean Boyd and Aidan McErlain impressive for Moneyglass, pace and ability to play at a higher level, imo.

[Gaels1789]

Dont go worrying too much Gaels. Huge match for MG, meaningless run about for PG1.

Sean Boyd and Aidan McErlain impressive for Moneyglass, pace and ability to play at a higher level, imo.



Maybe tryna ruffle a few feathers 😂

Yea and Stephan Kelly very impressive

[bannside]

You mean you knew I would bite, lol. Yea Stephen up there with Boyd and McErlain for best on view.

[bannside]

Fair play to Creggan who won the league in a hack canter. Definitely team to beat, but the closing pack not that far away.

Also its worth noting how Wicklow were impressive on Saturday. Makes our inability to see the job through against them last week even more painful, but at same time, we werent beaten by a bad team!

[BigGreenField]

Boyle sports (don't gamble kids)

Cargin 5/2
Dunloy 3/1
Creggan 4/1
Portglenone 9/2
St Brigids 9/2
Aghagallon 8/1
Lamh Dhearg 11/1
St Galls 12/1
O Donovan Rossa 14/1
St Johns 33/1
All Saints 40/1
Tir Na Nog 66/1
Sarsfields 100/1
Con Magees Glenravel 100/1
Moneyglass 150/1
St Pauls 150/1