Antrim Football Thread

[SlemishSoldier31]

I think this is the worst standard of championship I have seen in Antrim for as long as I can remember. A decent run and bit of momentum by any of the top 4/5 clubs would get you close to the final in Antrim these days. Very little quality on any team that I have seen so far.

We made a complete balls of the LD game. Cruising with 10mins left and somehow get beat. Adam getting injured right before the PG1 game was a disaster too. But we are still a good bit behind the level we were at a few years ago. Hopefully another winter will help a few of the young lads and we have a decent age profile.

With Aghagallon having met Sarsfields, Lamh Dhearg and Portglenone it isnt hard to see how you came to this conclusion. You havent met either of the two clear favourites Dunloy or Cargin or even St Brigids. Il agree to a certain extent that the championship is a worse standard but letting 16 teams enter it when 8 max are worthy of a place is the main issue but that's been covered on here numerous times.
Joe Cassidy loved that PG1 result yesterday, its taken the heat completely off what he has done at Creggan and that is stick them firmly in reverse gear!

Take the teams you mentioned. Dunloy, Cargin and St. Brigids. In my opinion they wouldn't get near the Cargin teams from the recent past and obviously no where near the St. Galls teams. They're the best of a bad bunch. Hardly a player in Division 1 that you could get excited about. And yes, 16 teams is stupid. That's an easy fix.

Seann Elliot, Conhuir Johnston?

They're 2 of the ones I thought of. One or 2 potentials on St. Brigids team and the likes of Molloy on Dunloy. But bad job when you can hardly think of half a dozen properly quality footballers in a whole championship. You'd have had 5/6 in your Cargin teams alone! Still some of them playing now well into the twilight of their careers too! Antrim football is as poor as it's been in a long long time.

Whats the craic with Johnston, barely kicks a ball all year for antrim and flying in club championship

Him and likes of loughran are needed going forward for antrim, ryan murray looked hungry yesterday

Rumours mcaleer is gone, he had a good championship for AS

We really need ball winning and ball playing midfielders

Yes I believe big P has hung the boots up for the county and will just be playing for our lads from next year onwards. Will be a great boost to have him in the squad for a full season as he was flying in championship.

[Sportacus]

We're all to blame for the standard of refereeing.
Many clubs have used every trick in the rule book to get players out of a suspension, leaving refs looking stupid.
Every club has morons who slabber at refs from start to finish.
Many clubs haven't tidied up their own players disciplines.
Very few of us get involved in admin to try to improve allocation of fixtures, spot up and coming refs etc - it does seem to be the same faces every time.
And the rule book itself doesn't help at times as decisions are open to interpretation.

So, anyone with any wit might be interested in refereeing, but then they'll cop themselves on and give it a miss.
The inevitable result is you're left with a tiny cohort, many with small man syndrome, who are on easy street and generally the standard just endlessly deteriorates.

[belfastsaff]

What a weekend of sport. Attended Corrigan there yesterday and understand Casements frustrations. The officiating did not do them any favours what so ever, but id like to ask BS... What do u expect? Though at the end of the day, they only have themselves to blame. Shocking game management from both the players and their management. There was a stage, the game was crying out for someone to settle it down and Casements line made double sub subs from what i can remember. I can only assume the men they have injured must have had serious injuries, as their was better quality on the bench than there was on the field.

Though i have to say, i am extremely pleased that we have a semi finalist which opted to stay in house for management. Its becoming a thing of the past, though the passion and pride that Rossa brought to that game, i felt could have only been driven from clubmen who it meant something to. Rossa wernt given a chance going into that game, so a huge congratulations to all involved with them.

Im sure mcgleenan and co's expenses would be very hard to justify for another year following that embarrassing result. Casements must be at a crossroads what they do next.

Lucky Casements 17 wasn't sent off

[bannside]

I unreservedly apologise for losing my discipline yesterday and apologise to anyone who I may have offended.

Thats twice over a long period attending games...I had a similar outburst in Carrick on Shannon when Leitrim hosted Antrim about 8 years ago.

Not proud of it and will endeavour to ensure there is no repeat.

For the record, never at any stage was my vent directed at anyone from Rossa.

[Gaels1789]

I unreservedly apologise for losing my discipline yesterday and apologise to anyone who I may have offended.

Thats twice over a long period attending games...I had a similar outburst in Carrick on Shannon when Leitrim hosted Antrim about 8 years ago.

Not proud of it and will endeavour to ensure there is no repeat.

For the record, never at any stage was my vent directed at anyone from Rossa.

Apologising for a bit of raw emotion after 80 mins of ups and downs. I wouldn't be apologising, things happen nothing came of it.

Park it and move on lads

[paddyjohn]

I unreservedly apologise for losing my discipline yesterday and apologise to anyone who I may have offended.

Thats twice over a long period attending games...I had a similar outburst in Carrick on Shannon when Leitrim hosted Antrim about 8 years ago.

Not proud of it and will endeavour to ensure there is no repeat.

For the record, never at any stage was my vent directed at anyone from Rossa.

Sack cloth and ashes BS.

Park it and move on. We've all been there and likely will be again.

[PólAointroim]

I caught all the senior games except the game in Corrigan at the weekend and would have to say probably Dunloy were most impressive albeit the opposition was questionable but with a couple of big names still missing they cruised through the game without much fuss.
Cargin similarly impressive on what has to have been a really off night from the league champions. They looked void of any sort of structure or plan.

St Brides were probably lucky to sneak through in the end up but they left the field absolutely livid with the officials and their management made their feelings clear.

On that note I agree with other posts regarding the state of play with those officiating these big games (I would hate to see the lower levels lol). The ref in Cargin made a fair few mess ups and not for the first of the years championship season either. Hopefully they review and improve for the semis.

And before anyone says it, I know there is a typo in my tag name - fat fingers fo ya!

[Spike]

Dont be worrying about it BS.  We've all said worse

[YoungSaff]

I'm going to say it.

If you think you can do better, there's a shortage of referees and I'm sure could all do with your expertise.

Yep! Big shortage in younger referees too once this generation goes we could be in bother, Young McNally from Creggan Is the only one I know of.

[AllStar15]

I'm hearing a proposal for moving to 1A and 1B will be brought forward in the winter, but with championship staying the same 16 team format similar to Armagh.

I'm not sure that addresses the real issues bar masking the gap during the league.

[Christmas Lights]

Should be division 1, 2, 3A and 3B given the current levels of the clubs / teams.

There are not 16 clubs that should be considered division 1 senior football clubs right now.  It will take maybe 2 to 3 years for everyone to find their level but so be it. Quite incredible and only in Antrim will clubs dictate what division they will be playing in.

[Spike]

Is naming it 1B just to soften the egos that they aren't in Div 2?

we need an 8 team championship. perhaps 10 to give a chance to an intermediate team coming up.  it cant go on like it is, the hard decision should have been made to put all of those clubs in the champ relegation battle into the intermediate championship.

[paddyjohn]

I'm going to say it.

If you think you can do better, there's a shortage of referees and I'm sure could all do with your expertise.

I agree but refs need to be held accountable for their decisions. Those penalties at the weekend were shameful to award.

[Spike]

The standard isn't great but the level of abuse is getting worse. Some refs don't help themselves though until players,  management, officials and supporters calm it down there wont be a large uptake

[PólAointroim]

My point was not an intentional attack on referees. They are not to blame largely, they must be being let down by the county and the administration. There are a fair few referees in Antrim (or there were) who when reffing you didnt leave the field talking about which is what the game needs. Why they are not involved is beyond me.

On the point of abusing referees, a moot point for me as I have no dog in the fight at senior. I disagree with it but as you say Spike, its arguably worse than ever.