Antrim Football Thread

[Hectic]

I'm not really arriving at any conclusions - just observations unless you count highlighting sub standard referees as a conclusion.

Nor am I justifying abuse but a poor refereeing performance will frustrate those in attendance. Personally I don't believe shouting at a poor referee will make them any better.

That's interesting about the shouting when frees are about to be hit. So basically shout as much as you want when a lad is hitting a free as long as it is not directly aimed at him.

Maybe I should be congratulating teams fully exploiting that loophole now you have clarified.

If the free taker gets put off by shouting it is the players fault and needs to be stood down from the role.

But if a referee is making a balls of his job suck it up.

[Milltown Row2]

Take it up and do a better job, its handy sitting on your arse firing comments on a social board, anonymously I might add. Lads are trained at the initial course, need to have passed the rules tests and fitness tests to do the championship games.

I'd happily sit with you and see who knows the rules and who's fitter..

As for your snowflake free taker if he's put off at players on the pitch speaking/shouting to other players to watch the post or left a bit or hands in the air, he'd need to find a quieter game like chess

There are more poorer performances from the players and management at games than the ref to be fair

[Hectic]

Ah the classic comeback of 'you do the job'.

And then a good dose of whataboutery (poor performance of players and managers).

😂😂😂👍

[Milltown Row2]

Ah the classic comeback of 'you do the job'.

And then a good dose of whataboutery (poor performance of players and managers).

😂😂😂👍

So that's your get out of talking codswallop?

Fire abuse but actually no plan of action, gotcha

[Hectic]

'Fire abuse' is a bit of a reach.

All the funnier coming from someone using the term 'snowflake' a little while ago.

[playwiththewind1st]

This nonsense about the Antrim referees resurfaces on this board, every single year, without fail.

The ones that are doing it at least had the balls to put themselves forward for the role.

Like everything else in life, you'll get people who are very good at the job & some who maybe could do with a bit of improvement.

I am not sure if it's still in place, or not, but after I packed up the refereeing, I did go out & do referee assessments, for a while, which was an effort to give referees some useful feedback, from a live match situation.

However, just remember that without the current cohort, there wouldn't be that many games played & I think people should be mindful of that, when commentating on the officiating.

[Milltown Row2]

This nonsense about the Antrim referees resurfaces on this board, every single year, without fail.

The ones that are doing it at least had the balls to put themselves forward for the role.

Like everything else in life, you'll get people who are very good at the job & some who maybe could do with a bit of improvement.

I am not sure if it's still in place, or not, but after I packed up the refereeing, I did go out & do referee assessments, for a while, which was an effort to give referees some useful feedback, from a live match situation.

However, just remember that without the current cohort, there wouldn't be that many games played & I think people should be mindful of that, when commentating on the officiating.

There are 'assessors' but again that can be improved along with everything else..

It's not easy, that's for sure, lads scrutinizing everything, thinking they are doing it on purpose because they are from certain clubs and making wild accusations here and there, the absolute madness of calls from sideline on rules that they have got completely wrong, I could go on but that's what comes with it and those that actual put their hands up and give it a go I tip my hat off to them for being strong enough to step over the line..

I've been saying every year, think I'll step away, but, for all of the first 40 minutes of the game, its not bad lol..

[Na Glinntí Glasa]

Having done ref for a few underage hurling games and then senior camogie games (only as a last min option as no ref there) it is really hard to do.

I get that people see things on the other side of the tackle and they roar and shout demanding a foul yet you cannot see what in hells name they are gowling about. Its really hard to get it all right and even if you did a decent job you still get someone giving you a bit of stick for missing something.

I did it with no linesmen, umpires etc and your just relying on folk to do it right.

MR2 is correct, there are plenty of people who can find the problems but have never stepped onto a pitch to referee so much as an U12 game.

It is def enjoyable to do, and you do need to be pretty fit to keep up with whats going on but you also need a really thick skin to listen to the constant abuse from over the wire and within it.

[imtommygunn]

Just look at the scrutiny from the weekend football games. Even the munster final in hurling where a lot would argue the fella enforced the rules. You can't really win.

[JimStynes]

My wife is from South Armagh and we'd have spent a lot of time down there over the years. Dundalk would have been the go to place on nights out. A town with a lot of connection to Belfast.

What a brilliant achievement for Louth today. An inspiration for any county with not only what they are achieving ant  senior but underage also.

They've also never had their own home ground  but that's not held them back. I haven't been to their centre of excellence but it seems to be well supported within the county.

Football means a lot more in Louth than it does in Antrim.

[BigGreenField]

Louth have been on this road for 15 years, they've focused on coaching standards at club level and having six county pitches for development work , they've only gone for the big shiny stadium recently.

Strikes me that because Louth centrally made the focus helping coaching standards in clubs it then led to good coaches being willing to help at county underage.

It ain't comparing apples to apples between Louth and Antrim but they've done a lot that Antrim can learn from.

Antrim are making progress but Casement is a distraction and not a reason or excuse for not tackling the rest.

[Na Glinntí Glasa]

Yet we have clubs at under age level not play their SW or NA games in each code because of development squads being out on a Saturday - because they wont play without their best players.

Three/four lads away on a Saturday can mean a game cancelled and no one gets a game. Development? what development? maybe for the 3 lads away to play games but the other 16/20 players get no game time.

I wonder in these counties do they put the county above their clubs?

I know for me personally club is first and first only. The county teams are a second team you choose to use your own time to play for but sadly now its become the other way about for some.

I could see past this had our development squads shown something of a spark over the years but they haven't and if anything its not improved an ounce. So whatever strategy we are doing it doesn't work.

[marty34]

I think Louth is a good comparsion with Antrim.


In reality, Dundalk and Drogheda are big soccer towns. Both have huge populations, especially Drogheda. It's 30mins on the motorway to Dublin and  has very good rail connections.


Both Dundalk FC and Drogheda UTD are in the LOI in a 10 team league table.


The current senior team's campaign should help Louth GAA if they can keep it moving forward over the next 3/4 years.

[Hectic]

Good coaching in clubs coupled with raw material.

I'd imagine finance is the main obstacle to county coaches being in and around clubs plenty.

But what would it take to at least come in and work with groups and set out some sort of season development plan, training plans etc on a case by case basis?

Some clubs or teams within clubs might feel they don't need it but a lot could benefit.

Parents are essential everywhere but they are often also a weakness.  End up following teams and learning the true requirements for each level as they go.  Need more than that.

[EOC1923]

Good coaching in clubs coupled with raw material.

I'd imagine finance is the main obstacle to county coaches being in and around clubs plenty.

But what would it take to at least come in and work with groups and set out some sort of season development plan, training plans etc on a case by case basis?

Some clubs or teams within clubs might feel they don't need it but a lot could benefit.

Parents are essential everywhere but they are often also a weakness.  End up following teams and learning the true requirements for each level as they go.  Need more than that.

By County coaches do you mean Gerard McNulty? top coach but not sure if he is attached to any of the development squads. If so I agree, Owen Doherty with the minors is very good, but other than that the 'county' coaching looks pretty abysmal to me. Dads taking teams and bringing 3-4 of their own clubs sub standard players in to their set ups. I seen a club who are bottom of their league with 4 players in a county squad! Was talking to a Derry coach who met Antrim on their travels somewhere at games this year at one of the Dev squad ages and the reports back were that our set up from the top down to the squad itself was a total shambles.
For me Antrim need to invest in placing a High Level coach at in each of their development squads. Otherwise you get what we are getting now, and that is total crap. Parents will always be taking club teams, its the way it is, but county teams - come on lets get real!!