Antrim Football Thread

[Cnoc Bán]

Interesting to see how they get on with that myself.

I'm not sure of the numbers they have for any underage structures in the area but i hope its a success for them. I applaud their ambition at the club to make it work and build a future as well.

I wish other clubs would show that same ambition and look at hurling/football/camogie/ladies football in their clubs where its not present. Stick your traditions in the bin and see a bigger future for your club.

The old 'oh we dont play football here' stinks of fear and change.

I do appreciate where some structures at underage might be struggling you cant just introduce another code which could kill one completely off but it can be planned for - starting at fundamentals etc and working its way. You might just find that more people would bring their children along with more options.

Are the majority of clubs across the county not providing all 4 codes now?

Id definitely not say the majority. City clubs are quite good for it tbf. North Antrim only Glenravel/Ballymena/Naomh Eanna.

How do you get clubs playing hurling / clubs playing football in areas that have little to no interest in it?

In the same way that Cargin have introduced Camogie & Handball in recent years.
You make a start. Perhaps a small one to begin with and see where it goes.

I think Cargin starting camogie will have/has a negative impact on Ahoghill camogie.

There would have been a crossover between the two with Ahoghill not playing lgfa so I would think in the enxt few years we will see a detriment to Ahoghill as a result.


In the same way Portglenone starting lgfa might have an impact further down the line on Moneyglass and Cargin.

It would definitely impact Cargin's underage lgfa teams if the PG1 girls decided to go back to their parent club.

[Spike]

That sounds more like hope than realism.  They all have good numbers at underage from the under 8s upwards.   

Ahoghill and Moneyglass are slowly merging into the one club with a mixture of footballers, hurlers, camogie players and lgfa players now all interwoven so cant see the camogie or lgfa numbers affected. Ahoghill dont have youth boy football teams so their numbers boost moneyglass.  Its the new Sean Stinsons model which will keep ahoghill senior football existing but at underage they'll be known as moneyglass.


 

[Saffron71]

Some clubs are fighting to just exist. Mitchells had years of getting hockeyed in football league and now just do south antrim league which tbh is fair enough. Larne would struggle for numbers so two adult sports a stretch. I'd say Carey, Cloughmills and Armoy the same. A lot of ones in the Glens have zero interest in football either and I do mean zero.

Ballycastle despite a lot of effort have struggled to keep the football going.

Fair play to Cloughmills for trying to branch out.  It seems to be working for them in the lfga.  However, I wouldn't be so sure about men's Gaelic Football given the amount of clubs surrounding them like Dunloy, Ballymena, Glenravel and Rasharkin who all field in Football.  They would most likely be dependent on their own senior hurlers, Loughgeil ones and others from Armoy, Ballycastle or Carey.  Although despite Dunloy winning the senior championship on Sunday past, they don't currently field a reserve team expect in the reserve shield (3/4 matches at most).  So you might find a few Dunloy ones who played underage Football wanting to play senior football so you never know.  I suppose all they can do is put it out there and hope for the best.

[bigleesy]

As for what I've heard Carey and Loughgiel have previously put out football teams but due to key players getting injuries that jeopardised hurling seasons so they quickly folded.

I'm most interested to who outside of Cloughmills current senior hurlers will play for the men's team.

I understand that the u16 and minor teams will be majority loughgiel anyways

[skillstar93]

I remember Glenarm had a team for a couple of seasons , probably in around 2005

[Saffron71]

As Dunloy have shown and other clubs like slaughneill and Eire Og, Ennis have shown playing both definitely compliments either sport.  However, those clubs all have huge numbers.  When you at that Dunloy team, yes almost all are dual players but they're all mostly in their 20's.  The only dual player above 30 is Nigel Elliott.  The point I would make is if you have the numbers and there is the right mix of age range and underage coming along below the surface then a club playing both is a no brainier.  For the likes of Carey and Glenarm in the past they wouldn't have massive numbers for their senior hurling team and to field in football they probably relied on their hurlers playing football to simply field.  And with low numbers and possibly older squads the likelihood of injuries is a lot higher in clubs like these and it's more likely to impact on their hurling team's ability to field as well. But as I say it's worth a try anyway.

[paddyjohn]

I remember Glenarm had a team for a couple of seasons , probably in around 2005

Ballymoney had a team the same year.

[marty34]

I remember Glenarm had a team for a couple of seasons , probably in around 2005

Ballymoney had a team the same year.

If from Ballymoney, what GAA team would you play for?

Is there still a secondary school there?

[Saffrongael]

I remember Glenarm had a team for a couple of seasons , probably in around 2005

Ballymoney had a team the same year.

If from Ballymoney, what GAA team would you play for?

Is there still a secondary school there?

Our Lady Of Lourdes ? Is it still on the go? Years ago would have taken from Dunloy and Loughgiel but that's a long time ago now.

[paddyjohn]

I remember Glenarm had a team for a couple of seasons , probably in around 2005

Ballymoney had a team the same year.

If from Ballymoney, what GAA team would you play for?

Is there still a secondary school there?

Dunloy or Coleraine?

Ballymoney played in the OLOL school pitch.

[Milltown Row2]

I remember Glenarm had a team for a couple of seasons , probably in around 2005

Ballymoney had a team the same year.

If from Ballymoney, what GAA team would you play for?

Is there still a secondary school there?

Dunloy or Coleraine?

Ballymoney played in the OLOL school pitch.

Took our thirds when I coached managed played! We played Ballymoney on that pitch! Thankfully we found (eventually, as before mobiles) it, it was the size of a kids pitch which suited us lol! Think there was a Scottish fella looking after them and they had lads that never played before!

[general_lee]

Saw an old county final programme on Facebook the other day from about 20 years ago - Ballycastle, Ballymoney, Mitchell's in Junior championship. McDermott's in Intermediate. All gone

[Na Glinntí Glasa]

I helped Ballymoney out at the start when they were getting going. I only intended to help them train and get going but managed to play for the first season - despite not wanting to!

I did play in their first ever game they won 

I rem us playing in the semi final of whatever championship it was they entered back then and that did me as it was a complete shambles if I'm honest. You had lads who were all more soccer interested and had no sense of care for the team.

It was a novel idea for a while but it was doomed to fail as it had no local support. The local community were actually scared of what it could bring onto them from the loyalists within the town.

[imtommygunn]

That's what east belfast go through too. Pathetic.

McDermotts been gone a good while but I remember them playing in division one. I suspect no coincidence that Mitchells bit the dust with Gilly McIlhatton passing.

Round my age at minor they had the CHB for a very good antrim minor team. I think he was Maguire from memory?

I played Ballycastle a few times over the years. Joe Cassidy did a lot of good work with them for a while.

[Na Glinntí Glasa]

It was a few seasons before they fell off and stopped taking part. The lack of numbers and people to get things going each year hurt them.

They needed a massive bit of help but it didnt come which was a pity for them as there was a lot of fellas who wanted it to do well.

But, there was more who just flitted in and out when they could be arsed to train or play which didnt help them.

I think it might of been Ballymena thirds who they beat the first game? I know i somehow scored a point that game from half back lol. We def ran Antrim close up in their home ground earlier that season but you were relying on the stronger lads to play who played soccer to have any chance.

The Kearney brothers all played at one point, i rem Oran being there as well as Liam. Think Oran was still at Linfield at the time?