Antrim Football Thread

[Milltown Row2]

none of this answers the question originally ask, who gets promoted from junior alongside the Aggies, will Laochra and Pearses be made play a playoff at this stage?

I would reckon gorts will get another reprieve with their friends in high places working it out for them.

The right thing for Aggies is to go to a new Div 3 (of 4) with clubs wishing to enter reserves (starting in div 4) allowing 4 divisions. One of the challenges of only 3 divisions is the step to the next division is too high, 4 makes much more sense and would let teams consolidate and progress.

Reserves should though stick to their own championship as to do other wise would kill junior and a lot of intermediate clubs.

I've always thought key to making the league competitive is to have it act as seeding for championship, would put some pressure on with county lads being missing but not a total end of the world with a low ranking.

Ultimately though this is putting lipstick on the Christmas dinner, until the quality of coaching in clubs (on a broad based basis) goes up and retention rates go up then it's pissing in the wind.

but happy to kill groups of reserve players from stronger clubs by keeping it the same. Not just Cargin but 2-3 others in same situation. Players deserve a meaningful season, reserve leagues are beyond a joke and Antrim County boards promise to improve them hasn't came off its remained just as bad and getting worse. Likes of Cargin, St Brigids or Porglenone reserves joining Div 3 will only improve the division.

They have their own championship, I'm all for reserves playing in the leagues it works well, teams in lower end going to the likes of Cargin Portglenone can only raise the levels in trying to beat a 'bigger' team, if ya know what I mean.

Same goes for the hurling..

[SoloAndGo]

none of this answers the question originally ask, who gets promoted from junior alongside the Aggies, will Laochra and Pearses be made play a playoff at this stage?

I would reckon gorts will get another reprieve with their friends in high places working it out for them.

The right thing for Aggies is to go to a new Div 3 (of 4) with clubs wishing to enter reserves (starting in div 4) allowing 4 divisions. One of the challenges of only 3 divisions is the step to the next division is too high, 4 makes much more sense and would let teams consolidate and progress.

Reserves should though stick to their own championship as to do other wise would kill junior and a lot of intermediate clubs.

I've always thought key to making the league competitive is to have it act as seeding for championship, would put some pressure on with county lads being missing but not a total end of the world with a low ranking.

Ultimately though this is putting lipstick on the Christmas dinner, until the quality of coaching in clubs (on a broad based basis) goes up and retention rates go up then it's pissing in the wind.

but happy to kill groups of reserve players from stronger clubs by keeping it the same. Not just Cargin but 2-3 others in same situation. Players deserve a meaningful season, reserve leagues are beyond a joke and Antrim County boards promise to improve them hasn't came off its remained just as bad and getting worse. Likes of Cargin, St Brigids or Porglenone reserves joining Div 3 will only improve the division.

I do agree with you. I think for the most part the reserve leagues are OK. But as you say you've a few clubs who are just too good and would be benefit playing a higher standard.

[Caesar]

The current reserve leagues are not fit for purpose. They are a waste of time for everyone. Teams are not graded on merit or ability, so most matches are uncompetitive and meaningless. How can we expect young players on the fringe of senior teams to commit to a full season of training for only a small number of meaningless, one-sided games. And we talk about retention. Integrating reserve teams into the senior league structure is the only viable solution.

[SoloAndGo]

The current reserve leagues are not fit for purpose. They are a waste of time for everyone. Teams are not graded on merit or ability, so most matches are uncompetitive and meaningless. How can we expect young players on the fringe of senior teams to commit to a full season of training for only a small number of meaningless, one-sided games. And we talk about retention. Integrating reserve teams into the senior league structure is the only viable solution.

Completely disagree with you. Bar a handful of games with Cargin and Portglenone most games were competitive. Div 1 was won by a point and Div 3 was won by a point.

This is why a small number of clubs could be entered into Div 3.

The main issue is the amount of unfulfilled fixtures.

[JimStynes]

The current reserve leagues are not fit for purpose. They are a waste of time for everyone. Teams are not graded on merit or ability, so most matches are uncompetitive and meaningless. How can we expect young players on the fringe of senior teams to commit to a full season of training for only a small number of meaningless, one-sided games. And we talk about retention. Integrating reserve teams into the senior league structure is the only viable solution.

Totally agree. A proper structured league would be much better.

[Round or stuffed]

none of this answers the question originally ask, who gets promoted from junior alongside the Aggies, will Laochra and Pearses be made play a playoff at this stage?

Would either want to go up? Gorts will want Div 2 status

This is probably likely to happen. Both Pearses and Laochra wouldn't stand a change in Div 2 unfortunately.

ah lads you're joking, why even have promotion/relegation at all in this instance, this has happened now two years in a row

[Na Glinntí Glasa]

the reserve leagues are a waste of time for all concerned. They ditched them in the hurling because of this.

Now they play competitive games where the younger players can get some decent game time against senior sides.

You can only improve if you push at a higher level. Sitting doing the same thing year after year wont improve players in second teams.

[SoloAndGo]

none of this answers the question originally ask, who gets promoted from junior alongside the Aggies, will Laochra and Pearses be made play a playoff at this stage?

Would either want to go up? Gorts will want Div 2 status

This is probably likely to happen. Both Pearses and Laochra wouldn't stand a change in Div 2 unfortunately.

ah lads you're joking, why even have promotion/relegation at all in this instance, this has happened now two years in a row

This just highlights the issues with current league structures.

It's a bit of joke teams can opt to stay up/not get promoted. But can't see how it would benefit Pearse's or Lochra in current structure.

[Caesar]

https://www.irishnews.com/gaa/gaelic-football/who-makes-your-team-seamus-maloney-picks-his-best-antrim-team-of-the-last-25-years-34KT3ESHTJHORB2W7QQFDKPCOM/

Maybe one or two changes but to be fair, it's not a million miles away

[Milltown Row2]

https://www.irishnews.com/gaa/gaelic-football/who-makes-your-team-seamus-maloney-picks-his-best-antrim-team-of-the-last-25-years-34KT3ESHTJHORB2W7QQFDKPCOM/

Maybe one or two changes but to be fair, it's not a million miles away

Put it up for us poor people

[Saffrongael]

https://archive.ph/lfpcr

[NorthAntrimSaff]

We cant compare reserve football and hurling. Most football teams have reserve. There are really only around 5 (reliable) reserve hurling teams

By reliable i mean entering the leagues year on year

[EOC1923]

We cant compare reserve football and hurling. Most football teams have reserve. There are really only around 5 (reliable) reserve hurling teams

By reliable i mean entering the leagues year on year

Yeah there is 5 in the football Div 1 as well who play all their games and don't concede most of them.

[Delgany 2nds]

It is unreasonable to compare Hurling and Football as like for like. The hurling leagues are supplemented by the Down clubs. There are a contingent of really strong hurling only clubs with 1 reserve team in Div.2 and in Div.3 - the top 2 were Reserve teams.
In reality there is a massive gap between all the football  teams in Div 1 & 2 and the teams in Div 3.promotion from Div 3 can take a number of years to transition to Div 2 standards and the current Div 3 teams just haven't got the resources and players to do so.
As EOC says only 5 Div X 1 Reserve teams field regularly, so this would be the very reason that they should be standalone Reserve leagues, as it would make a mockery of Div 3 ,if teams failed to field on a regular basis.

[Spike]

would it not be sensible to allow the 5 Div 1 teams who can regularly field reserve teams to have a choice whether to enter the senior leagues in Div 3 or stay in a reserve league?  everyone wants to push on so why penalise a club who are attempting to be progressive