Antrim Football Thread

[Hoof Hearted]

Very sad to hear about Eamonn Downey
A former neighbour growing up but a big dunloy man most of his life.
Was an ever present on county finals day, leading the teams in the parade with his bagpipes.

[paddyjohn]

He was a gentleman HH. One of the real good guys.

May he RIP.

[Gaels1789]

We won't hold our breath.

Anyone know what game/games if any, are being streamed this weekend?

Tee'd up for Marys/Casements game on the Saturday and Cargin/Galls on the Sunday


Surely someone better to do streaming than that Quinn man his commentary would put u to sleep doesn't even know the rules

[Gaels1789]

So we compromise the quality of our senior championship by putting dross like moneyglass and sarsfields into each group to make up numbers

And then we say scores and points against them dont really count?

What a joke. 

Our flagship event reduced to Go Games


Both stayed in div 1 avoided relegation, (thus far,
Both team in the hardest groups  no mention of St Paul's on worse score difference than moneyglass in a much easier group,

Or Glenravel and tnn struggling in the easiest group of the lot.

Very easy to pick on the newly promoted teams

[Swsaffs]

This year is probably the most wide open championship I recall.

A bit fanciful maybe....but imagine this for a scenario in a few years...

Top 10 clubs
Two leagues of five - Four matches each...there would be no room for error. Every game cship edge to it.

Matches Friday Sat and Sunday so crowds would be large. A lot of 50/50 games...

No QFs.

Top two only in each group go into semi finals, A v D and B v C

Semi final matches played over 2 legs, home and away.

Final.

7 matches to win it. (6 atm)


Better quality.
Better crowds.

league format??

1a top 8 teams in league this year

1b bottom 8 teams this year



Everyone plays eo once then goes to a split.

1a and top 4 in 1b go to senior championship

Bottom 4 to go intermediate.


Bottom goes straight down 2nd bottom plays second in div below


Just a thought

[YoungSaff]

I don't think the championship has been that bad this year !

You will always have your top teams and bottom teams every year. The format is actually fine however a few double headers etc would be good to boost attendances and create an atmosphere. Any game I've attended this year tend to have a bit of bite to it with the loosing team tending to stay in the game until the final 10/15 where experience and a bit of squad depth helped pull them away.

 After the groups it will heat up obviously as it is do or die then and I think there might be a few surprises on the horizon!

[Hectic]

Cargin went 3 years and then took a rest for Creggan to step in.

Went another 3 years before another rest with Dunloy stepping up.

All this format and competitive chat is lovely (and probably exciting in some places) but it's a few years yet before Cargin are due another breather.

I would try and strengthen the Intermediate and Junior though as they have been a terrible standard since we went 16 team Senior.

[NatSoSaff]

I don't think the championship has been that bad this year !

You will always have your top teams and bottom teams every year. The format is actually fine however a few double headers etc would be good to boost attendances and create an atmosphere. Any game I've attended this year tend to have a bit of bite to it with the loosing team tending to stay in the game until the final 10/15 where experience and a bit of squad depth helped pull them away.

 After the groups it will heat up obviously as it is do or die then and I think there might be a few surprises on the horizon!

Moneyglass pumped by 12 in both games, likely to be pumped by even more in their last game.

Sarsfields sitting on -62 score difference after 2 pumpings

Rossa pumped by 20 points by half a Dunloy team

St Pauls pumped by 22 at the hands of Ballymena and 10 by PG1

TNN pumped by 14 by half a Dunloy team


Cracker of a championhsip mate! 

[imtommygunn]

No suspension for Michael McCann. Big boost for cargin.

[bannside]

Only right to be fair.

Saw the video. There was a lot going on...and the officials missed a lot more than they they thought they saw!

[EOC1923]

Only right to be fair.

Saw the video. There was a lot going on...and the officials missed a lot more than they they thought they saw!

A very apt description BS, couldn't of summed it up any better

[Dunsilly King]

I was at the game, saw the videos etc, the ref and his officials were a disgrace, and thats me as a Creggan supporter. That ref needs to hunted from a serious game of football. Just unacceptable. Moneyglass lost a lot of local respect with their behaviour.  Men have to go to work the next  day, thats the bottom line. Disgusting stuff from Moneyglass. If it was one off accident, no problem, it happens, what unfolded was deliberate.

[Would ye whist]

Seems the people in authority, McCague thinks different as the ref is doing the big game this weekend Ports v Aghagallon

I was at the game, saw the videos etc, the ref and his officials were a disgrace, and thats me as a Creggan supporter. That ref needs to hunted from a serious game of football. Just unacceptable. Moneyglass lost a lot of local respect with their behaviour.  Men have to go to work the next  day, thats the bottom line. Disgusting stuff from Moneyglass. If it was one off accident, no problem, it happens, what unfloded was deliberate.

[YoungSaff]

I was at the game, saw the videos etc, the ref and his officials were a disgrace, and thats me as a Creggan supporter. That ref needs to hunted from a serious game of football. Just unacceptable. Moneyglass lost a lot of local respect with their behaviour.  Men have to go to work the next  day, thats the bottom line. Disgusting stuff from Moneyglass. If it was one off accident, no problem, it happens, what unfolded was deliberate.

This level of physicality and boil overs happen every other county regularly I don't see the issue. Have you seen the Tyrone leagues and championship!? Understandably if someone is properly hurt like Tomas was but from what I was told this was accidental ? At the same time in any video I have seen both teams were getting wellied into each other which was quite refreshing to see I think Antrim football is far too soft and letting a bit of physicality go won't do teams any harm.

[Dunsilly King]

punching some one in the face to shatter a checkbone whilst he hadn't the ball and the ref 5m away not awarding a red card is acceptable to you. Or another Cargin player requiring 5 staples on the back of his head as a result of a moneyglass player attacking him off the ball is acceptable to you. Thats not physicality mate, its not in tackles, its thuggery.