The hurling once again failed to deliver at the weekend and it was hard to listen to Sambo McNaughton who was obviously pained by the fact that Antrim had been mauled for the second week running.
Sambo is a proud hurling man who gave it everything when he took to the field and who has put a lot into Antrim hurling since his retirement but he was at a loss to bring any sense to the tankings his side had just suffered.
I thought he was being too hard on himself and the hurlers, they are playing at the wrong level and they can't and won't improve just by turning up against the big boys.
I thought GAA's most important programme the Sunday Game was again poor on the state of hurling in the country.
There was the usual polite silence about the fact that Laois and Antrim had just been destroyed and shouldn't be playing at this stage of the competition.
It's like no one wants to talk about the elephant in the room.
Hurling was the loser this weekend and there is an onus on headquarters to come up with a system which gives us a competitive All-Ireland series and which places the second tier of teams at a level where they can compete.
Showing posts with label Antrim. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Antrim. Show all posts
Monday, 7 July 2008
Friday, 4 July 2008
Davy Fitz not for real
Davy Fitzgerald obviously has a sense of humour when he says that Antrim are getting ready to throw the kitchen sink at his Waterford team in the qualifiers following the Saffrons' 26-point defeat at the hands of Galway last weekend.
I know that managers can't allow their teams to get complacent and Davy Fitz is going to be at the helm of Waterford for the first time but this type of codology puts me up the walls.
Antrim are not at the races on the national stage and nor will they be in the foreseeable future.
We don't play regularly enough at the level required to compete with any of the top teams and that goes for all our underage teams as well as the seniors.
When it comes to the Liam McCarthy Cup the record books don't lie, we have been to two finals in the last 100 years and were slaughtered in both of them and we have been on a downward spiral since the '89 team's last hurrah against Kilkenny in the '91 semi final.
If Antrim were to beat a Waterford side which has won three Munsters and a National League in the last six seasons it would be the biggest shock since David beat Goliath.
One of the problems I feel for Ulster hurling has been the fact that everyone is too well mannered when it comes to speaking about Antrim or Down on the All-Ireland stakes.
No one down below wants to say out loud what they think about the true state of northern hurling, they have too much respect for the people trying to promote the game than to hurt their feelings.
It's about time someone like Davy Fitz said "Antrim are crap, we're going to use them for target practice for the forwards before we get down to more serious business and if my side don't win by a hatful of points then I'm out of here".
There is nothing more likely to inspire northern hurlers than to be told they should not be at the top table, not this year mind you, but it might just bring a bit of steel into the efforts to promote the game up here.
Being patted on the head for turning up is probably more insulting than telling the truth that we don't at this stage belong up there with the elite.
I know that managers can't allow their teams to get complacent and Davy Fitz is going to be at the helm of Waterford for the first time but this type of codology puts me up the walls.
Antrim are not at the races on the national stage and nor will they be in the foreseeable future.
We don't play regularly enough at the level required to compete with any of the top teams and that goes for all our underage teams as well as the seniors.
When it comes to the Liam McCarthy Cup the record books don't lie, we have been to two finals in the last 100 years and were slaughtered in both of them and we have been on a downward spiral since the '89 team's last hurrah against Kilkenny in the '91 semi final.
If Antrim were to beat a Waterford side which has won three Munsters and a National League in the last six seasons it would be the biggest shock since David beat Goliath.
One of the problems I feel for Ulster hurling has been the fact that everyone is too well mannered when it comes to speaking about Antrim or Down on the All-Ireland stakes.
No one down below wants to say out loud what they think about the true state of northern hurling, they have too much respect for the people trying to promote the game than to hurt their feelings.
It's about time someone like Davy Fitz said "Antrim are crap, we're going to use them for target practice for the forwards before we get down to more serious business and if my side don't win by a hatful of points then I'm out of here".
There is nothing more likely to inspire northern hurlers than to be told they should not be at the top table, not this year mind you, but it might just bring a bit of steel into the efforts to promote the game up here.
Being patted on the head for turning up is probably more insulting than telling the truth that we don't at this stage belong up there with the elite.
Tuesday, 1 July 2008
McSparran on the right track
Antrim chair John McSparran has rowed in with his views on the state of hurling calling for more National League games for what I term the 'intermediate' sides.
McSparran knows he is on a beaten docket when he goes to Congress later in the year but his proposals do have much merit and they wouldn't exactly give those making the fixtures a headache if the GAA is prepared to use a bit of imagination.
McSparran knows that counties like Antrim, Offaly, Dublin and Laois won't make the breakthrough to being genuine contenders unless they can play more regularly at a standard which allows them to progress.
I don't think that McSparran's proposals go far enough as I believe the provincial championships need to be scrapped too as they serve no one well bar maybe the coffers of the Munster board.
However, I don't see anyone rushing to take that one on.
McSparran knows he is on a beaten docket when he goes to Congress later in the year but his proposals do have much merit and they wouldn't exactly give those making the fixtures a headache if the GAA is prepared to use a bit of imagination.
McSparran knows that counties like Antrim, Offaly, Dublin and Laois won't make the breakthrough to being genuine contenders unless they can play more regularly at a standard which allows them to progress.
I don't think that McSparran's proposals go far enough as I believe the provincial championships need to be scrapped too as they serve no one well bar maybe the coffers of the Munster board.
However, I don't see anyone rushing to take that one on.
Monday, 30 June 2008
Leinster not an option for ailing hurling
I see Sambo McNaughton has called again for Antrim to be allowed to play in the Leinster championship.
Sambo is right when he says that Antrim will get no better playing in the Ulster championship and the Saffrons have continued to slip out of contention at national level as the Ulster championship falls further and further behind.
Once I would have agreed with Antrim playing in Leinster as they would be sure to get competitive games as long as they didn't meet the Cats.
However, I think that it has gone beyond competing in Leinster.
It's a long time since the Leinster hurling championship was worthy of the name, it is a one-horse race and the only chance any one else has of winning it is if the Cats field the camogie team.
None of the other sides in Leinster are even competitive on a national level.
In the qualifiers, which will take place over the next couple of weeks, Laois, Offaly and Dublin will all be beaten by Galway and the Munster sides while Antrim will get a bad beating in Waterford who now have something to prove under their new boss Davy Fitzgerald.
I think the malaise in Antrim hurling can't now be fixed by playing in the Leinster championship but by playing instead in an intermediate championship made up of those sides just outside the top tier.
It's only when the Saffrons can prove to be too good at that level that they should move up to take on the titans.
Where I do agree with Sambo whole heartedly is that the status quo is not an option, hurling needs a change, there are too many meaningless games, which the public now avoid like the plague, and no one could argue that standards have risen outside hurling's heartlands.
Doing nothing other than going through the motions can only lead to the game going backwards and no one can want that, can they?
Sambo is right when he says that Antrim will get no better playing in the Ulster championship and the Saffrons have continued to slip out of contention at national level as the Ulster championship falls further and further behind.
Once I would have agreed with Antrim playing in Leinster as they would be sure to get competitive games as long as they didn't meet the Cats.
However, I think that it has gone beyond competing in Leinster.
It's a long time since the Leinster hurling championship was worthy of the name, it is a one-horse race and the only chance any one else has of winning it is if the Cats field the camogie team.
None of the other sides in Leinster are even competitive on a national level.
In the qualifiers, which will take place over the next couple of weeks, Laois, Offaly and Dublin will all be beaten by Galway and the Munster sides while Antrim will get a bad beating in Waterford who now have something to prove under their new boss Davy Fitzgerald.
I think the malaise in Antrim hurling can't now be fixed by playing in the Leinster championship but by playing instead in an intermediate championship made up of those sides just outside the top tier.
It's only when the Saffrons can prove to be too good at that level that they should move up to take on the titans.
Where I do agree with Sambo whole heartedly is that the status quo is not an option, hurling needs a change, there are too many meaningless games, which the public now avoid like the plague, and no one could argue that standards have risen outside hurling's heartlands.
Doing nothing other than going through the motions can only lead to the game going backwards and no one can want that, can they?
Monday, 16 June 2008
Ulster experiment should be wound up
Antrim have limped through the Ulster championship seeing off Down and Derry but by no means looking like they are at least a division better than their Ulster rivals.
The Saffrons struggled to see of a Down side missing Magic Johnstone and the improvement needed in less than a fortnight to even put it up to high flying Galway seems beyond them.
Sambo McNaughton remains as honest as ever and one Eff didn't wait on another when talking to the press after the game.
McNaughton knows that a repeat of Sunday's performance against Galway will end in tears and Antrim will be left licking their wounds after another heavy defeat.
To be honest I fear for our lads in a fortnight's time.
I believe they will raise their game a notch as the over familiarity and the fact that the Saffrons were going for their seventh Ulster in a row in what is now a meaningless championship obviously has taken some of the fire out of the contest.
Down are working hard to develop the game outside its Ards base and there are some signs of hope in South Down and with the efforts of the Bredagh club in south Belfast to promote the game.
It could be another five years before the county side sees the full benefit of this but if this doesn't work the game will die in the county.
The base the Ards teams have drawn off in the past has narrowed considerably as the day of the big hurling family producing three and four brothers for the local side is gone and falling school numbers tell their own tale.
The Ulster experiment of all nine counties competing added a little interest to the season but on its own did little to lift the standard of play, indeed it added to the mediocrity.
All the Ulster sides outside of Antrim should be playing in the lesser competitions and while the aspiration to have a fully contested Ulster championship is indeed a noble one the hurling authorities need to look no further than Leinster to see the effect a poor championship can have on the game.
The Saffrons struggled to see of a Down side missing Magic Johnstone and the improvement needed in less than a fortnight to even put it up to high flying Galway seems beyond them.
Sambo McNaughton remains as honest as ever and one Eff didn't wait on another when talking to the press after the game.
McNaughton knows that a repeat of Sunday's performance against Galway will end in tears and Antrim will be left licking their wounds after another heavy defeat.
To be honest I fear for our lads in a fortnight's time.
I believe they will raise their game a notch as the over familiarity and the fact that the Saffrons were going for their seventh Ulster in a row in what is now a meaningless championship obviously has taken some of the fire out of the contest.
Down are working hard to develop the game outside its Ards base and there are some signs of hope in South Down and with the efforts of the Bredagh club in south Belfast to promote the game.
It could be another five years before the county side sees the full benefit of this but if this doesn't work the game will die in the county.
The base the Ards teams have drawn off in the past has narrowed considerably as the day of the big hurling family producing three and four brothers for the local side is gone and falling school numbers tell their own tale.
The Ulster experiment of all nine counties competing added a little interest to the season but on its own did little to lift the standard of play, indeed it added to the mediocrity.
All the Ulster sides outside of Antrim should be playing in the lesser competitions and while the aspiration to have a fully contested Ulster championship is indeed a noble one the hurling authorities need to look no further than Leinster to see the effect a poor championship can have on the game.
Friday, 30 May 2008
Hurling fixture a sick joke
You can't exactly accuse the Ulster hurling authorities of pulling out all the stops to promote the championship despite having nine counties plus London competing this season.
Is there anywhere else in the country that a championship hurling match would be played at eight pm on a Sunday night?
We will be able to play spot the crowd at what is after all an Ulster championship semi final between the province's top team Antrim and Derry.
Now I know the game was refixed because Derry are also playing in the football earlier that day in Ballybofey where their All-Ireland pretensions will be put to the test but in the day of computer generated fixtures I wonder how no one realised until this week that we were going to have a clash between the football and hurling championships.
Derry Donegal was always going to be on live television too and it beats me why no one seemed to notice.
The truth is that despite the fanfare surrounding the relaunch of the championship no one is that interested in it.
It is the only championship in the country more predictable than the Leinster hurling championship, ie Antrim will win it again unless we have a tragedy on the scale of the Munich air disaster, but the quality of hurling is second rate.
However, even players at the lower levels deserve a chance to play in front of a decent crowd and at a time of the day where they won't need radar to spot the sliotar.
I will in the meantime continue to long for Antrim to be allowed to play in the Leinster Championship where at least we might get a championship match worthy of the name.
Is there anywhere else in the country that a championship hurling match would be played at eight pm on a Sunday night?
We will be able to play spot the crowd at what is after all an Ulster championship semi final between the province's top team Antrim and Derry.
Now I know the game was refixed because Derry are also playing in the football earlier that day in Ballybofey where their All-Ireland pretensions will be put to the test but in the day of computer generated fixtures I wonder how no one realised until this week that we were going to have a clash between the football and hurling championships.
Derry Donegal was always going to be on live television too and it beats me why no one seemed to notice.
The truth is that despite the fanfare surrounding the relaunch of the championship no one is that interested in it.
It is the only championship in the country more predictable than the Leinster hurling championship, ie Antrim will win it again unless we have a tragedy on the scale of the Munich air disaster, but the quality of hurling is second rate.
However, even players at the lower levels deserve a chance to play in front of a decent crowd and at a time of the day where they won't need radar to spot the sliotar.
I will in the meantime continue to long for Antrim to be allowed to play in the Leinster Championship where at least we might get a championship match worthy of the name.
Thursday, 22 May 2008
Questions on St Gall's pull-out
Like everyone else in the county I'm just wondering why the four St Gall's players have all opted out of the Antrim panel for the Tommy Murphy Cup.
Now I want to make it clear from the start I wouldn't get up out of bed to watch a Tommy Murphy Cup match.
I think it is meaningless in its current format.
After all it is the very worst teams in the country who we have just watched playing each other in the National League Division 4 earlier in the year and it doesn't really turn me on wondering who has improved on the poor league form.
Now if the second tier competition maybe included the bottom 16 sides where there is a chance for your team to improve there might be some merit, even then I don't really know if I could be bothered.
However, I'm just wondering is the St Gall's pull-out is connected with the club championship where St Gall's have shown a lot of ambition in recent seasons or have these players just been playing too much football?
Or are they headed to America for a summer's football?
There was some speculation after Sunday's game that some players were so confident of as championship exit that they booked their holidays in advance.
Bit surprised though at CJ and Terry O'Neill, the first because he is still learning his trade at inter-county level and the second because he is finding it difficult to break into the team and hold down a regular spot.
Suppose we would all like some answers about why the players have pulled out although it won't have me rushing out to buy tickets for the Tommy Murphy anyway.
Now I want to make it clear from the start I wouldn't get up out of bed to watch a Tommy Murphy Cup match.
I think it is meaningless in its current format.
After all it is the very worst teams in the country who we have just watched playing each other in the National League Division 4 earlier in the year and it doesn't really turn me on wondering who has improved on the poor league form.
Now if the second tier competition maybe included the bottom 16 sides where there is a chance for your team to improve there might be some merit, even then I don't really know if I could be bothered.
However, I'm just wondering is the St Gall's pull-out is connected with the club championship where St Gall's have shown a lot of ambition in recent seasons or have these players just been playing too much football?
Or are they headed to America for a summer's football?
There was some speculation after Sunday's game that some players were so confident of as championship exit that they booked their holidays in advance.
Bit surprised though at CJ and Terry O'Neill, the first because he is still learning his trade at inter-county level and the second because he is finding it difficult to break into the team and hold down a regular spot.
Suppose we would all like some answers about why the players have pulled out although it won't have me rushing out to buy tickets for the Tommy Murphy anyway.
Sunday, 18 May 2008
Deja vu for the Saffrons
Feeling a huge sense of deja vu tonight after Antrim's defeat today at the hands of Cavan at Casement Park.
Like on so many occasions in the past 30 years, Antrim came up short when it was needed most.
After a poor start they played their way back into the game with some patches of good football only to concede a soft goal right before half time to let Cavan back in the lead.
The game was won and lost immediately after half time however when there was only two points between the sides.
Antrim missed a couple of chances and kickable frees and when the Breffnimen realised they were off the hook they opened up a six-point lead with Seanie Johnston torturing the Antrim defence.
We just don't have a forward of Johnston's class.
Young CJ McGourty for example flatters to deceive, wants the ball in space all the time while Johnston gets down and gets dirty to win ball when he shouldn't as well as reading where the crumbs are going to come from.
The game quickly turned into a damp squib and Antrim increasingly played like headless chickens, carrying the ball forward into poor positions, shooting when the easy pass was on and the forward movement was pretty poor.
Micheal Magill did make a difference in the second period giving Antrim at least a little physical power in the forward line.
Felt sorry for Antrim boss Jody Gormley today because he hasn't got a lot at his disposal to work with.
That's us condemned to the Tommy Murphy once again and all in all the season has already been a step backwards.
Our nerve went when promotion from the poorest league in football was there for the taking and that lack of confidence showed again today when some of our players realised the game was there for the taking.
So we have failed on all our pre-season targets, promotion from Division 4 and an opportunity to win a home championship game against another Ulster side who are struggling to keep up with the provincial pace setters.
Donal Keogan's team however, can now look forward to at least two more games in the championship.
Johnston's performance continues a run of great form and with McCabe as versatile as ever they will be a physical tough side to beat.
They won't win anything but no one will enjoy playing them.
There are no signs in the short term that our misery will end in Antrim, however I do believe that the current county board is attempting to address years of complacency and no one is under any illusion that an Antrim revival is anywhere close on the cards.
Wonder what Micko's doing next year?
Like on so many occasions in the past 30 years, Antrim came up short when it was needed most.
After a poor start they played their way back into the game with some patches of good football only to concede a soft goal right before half time to let Cavan back in the lead.
The game was won and lost immediately after half time however when there was only two points between the sides.
Antrim missed a couple of chances and kickable frees and when the Breffnimen realised they were off the hook they opened up a six-point lead with Seanie Johnston torturing the Antrim defence.
We just don't have a forward of Johnston's class.
Young CJ McGourty for example flatters to deceive, wants the ball in space all the time while Johnston gets down and gets dirty to win ball when he shouldn't as well as reading where the crumbs are going to come from.
The game quickly turned into a damp squib and Antrim increasingly played like headless chickens, carrying the ball forward into poor positions, shooting when the easy pass was on and the forward movement was pretty poor.
Micheal Magill did make a difference in the second period giving Antrim at least a little physical power in the forward line.
Felt sorry for Antrim boss Jody Gormley today because he hasn't got a lot at his disposal to work with.
That's us condemned to the Tommy Murphy once again and all in all the season has already been a step backwards.
Our nerve went when promotion from the poorest league in football was there for the taking and that lack of confidence showed again today when some of our players realised the game was there for the taking.
So we have failed on all our pre-season targets, promotion from Division 4 and an opportunity to win a home championship game against another Ulster side who are struggling to keep up with the provincial pace setters.
Donal Keogan's team however, can now look forward to at least two more games in the championship.
Johnston's performance continues a run of great form and with McCabe as versatile as ever they will be a physical tough side to beat.
They won't win anything but no one will enjoy playing them.
There are no signs in the short term that our misery will end in Antrim, however I do believe that the current county board is attempting to address years of complacency and no one is under any illusion that an Antrim revival is anywhere close on the cards.
Wonder what Micko's doing next year?
Friday, 16 May 2008
League does matter now
Love the way that people are saying this week that league form doesn't matter.
Of course it is losers in the league who are protesting that league form doesn't mean anything.
Players and mentors from Antrim, Wicklow and Roscommon have all said in the last 24 hours that the league is meaningless.
I beg to differ and so do the statistics in recent years.
There was indeed a time when the league was no guarantee of success at inter county championship level, back in the day when at least three rounds of the hurling and football championship started pre Christmas right after the All-Ireland series was over.
However, since the league has been played off in the same calendar year as the championship it has increasingly become a barometer of the form of the top sides when the championship starts.
The league semi finalists are increasingly to be found in the latter stages of the championship.
Already in this decade Kerry sides and Tyrone won league titles before going on to All-Ireland success and even this year can anyone deny that Kerry and Derry will be in the final shake up and can anyone even conceive that a winner of the Liam McCarthy won't come out of this year's hurling semi finalists of Kilkenny, Cork, Galway and Tipperary?
As for Antrim, they might just manage to beat Cavan but that's as good as it will get and even then I can't see them beat the Breffni men.
Roscommon? Forget it they are as bad as their relegation suggested.
Wicklow, only the Micko factor and the fact that Kildare are struggling suggests that they are in with a chance of even one victory.
These days if you can't cut it in the league then you are going nowhere.
Of course it is losers in the league who are protesting that league form doesn't mean anything.
Players and mentors from Antrim, Wicklow and Roscommon have all said in the last 24 hours that the league is meaningless.
I beg to differ and so do the statistics in recent years.
There was indeed a time when the league was no guarantee of success at inter county championship level, back in the day when at least three rounds of the hurling and football championship started pre Christmas right after the All-Ireland series was over.
However, since the league has been played off in the same calendar year as the championship it has increasingly become a barometer of the form of the top sides when the championship starts.
The league semi finalists are increasingly to be found in the latter stages of the championship.
Already in this decade Kerry sides and Tyrone won league titles before going on to All-Ireland success and even this year can anyone deny that Kerry and Derry will be in the final shake up and can anyone even conceive that a winner of the Liam McCarthy won't come out of this year's hurling semi finalists of Kilkenny, Cork, Galway and Tipperary?
As for Antrim, they might just manage to beat Cavan but that's as good as it will get and even then I can't see them beat the Breffni men.
Roscommon? Forget it they are as bad as their relegation suggested.
Wicklow, only the Micko factor and the fact that Kildare are struggling suggests that they are in with a chance of even one victory.
These days if you can't cut it in the league then you are going nowhere.
Thursday, 15 May 2008
Gormley, brutally honest but off the mark
You have to give it to Antrim boss Jody Gormley, only days before we face Cavan he has stated we should be playing in a properly run second tier competition.
Talk about brutal honesty, much as Gormley's message to the Antrim faithful is one of doom and gloom he's right.
We, like the Tyrone hurlers, are probably not serious about playing in the championship, after all we blew promotion from the division of no-hope, Division 4, by falling to the might of the Waterford footballers who wouldn't beat their hurlers at the big ball game.
I agree with the concept of an Open Draw for the All Ireland which Gormley supports but I have to take issue with his comments that we could win the Connacht championship if we were allowed to play it.
No we wouldn't.
We are nowhere good enough to beat Galway or Mayo in championship football and would find it hard to overcome Roscommon and Sligo even when they are not at the top table.
We would beat New York, even Leitrim did that.
But to claim that we could compete in Connnacht is nonsense.
Bring on the action as everyone seems to lose the run of themselves in the build-up.
Talk about brutal honesty, much as Gormley's message to the Antrim faithful is one of doom and gloom he's right.
We, like the Tyrone hurlers, are probably not serious about playing in the championship, after all we blew promotion from the division of no-hope, Division 4, by falling to the might of the Waterford footballers who wouldn't beat their hurlers at the big ball game.
I agree with the concept of an Open Draw for the All Ireland which Gormley supports but I have to take issue with his comments that we could win the Connacht championship if we were allowed to play it.
No we wouldn't.
We are nowhere good enough to beat Galway or Mayo in championship football and would find it hard to overcome Roscommon and Sligo even when they are not at the top table.
We would beat New York, even Leitrim did that.
But to claim that we could compete in Connnacht is nonsense.
Bring on the action as everyone seems to lose the run of themselves in the build-up.
Ulster championship building to an anti-climax
Did anyone watch the Ulster hurling championship games last weekend? I have to admit that I still don't get it.
Last week it was Tyrone against Fermanagh, this week it's London against the Red Hands.
Does it matter, does anyone care.
Let's face it the only benefit to Ulster might be that if London get knocked out early enough we won't have the farce of them playing in Ulster semi finals.
I don't see the much boosted Ulster championship as the way forward for hurling in the province.
I would love to think it will get better over seasons, but to be honest I don't. I believe it will still be between Antrim, North and South.
Down are gone, Derry are hanging on by their fingernails and given another revival in football hurling will slip further behind.
If we are serious about making the championship more competitive should we not create a couple of amalgamated teams, Down, Monaghan and Armagh say, and the rest of the province outside Antrim.
Amalgamated teams have worked in club leagues, the Sean Stinsons minor experiment between Portglenone and Ahoghill in the mid '90s have been the catalyst for the advance first of Portglenone and now Ahoghill in Antrim.
We are just simply building to an anti-climax when these Cinderella sides get slaughtered by Antrim, who in turn will get the guttie at the hands of Galway!
Last week it was Tyrone against Fermanagh, this week it's London against the Red Hands.
Does it matter, does anyone care.
Let's face it the only benefit to Ulster might be that if London get knocked out early enough we won't have the farce of them playing in Ulster semi finals.
I don't see the much boosted Ulster championship as the way forward for hurling in the province.
I would love to think it will get better over seasons, but to be honest I don't. I believe it will still be between Antrim, North and South.
Down are gone, Derry are hanging on by their fingernails and given another revival in football hurling will slip further behind.
If we are serious about making the championship more competitive should we not create a couple of amalgamated teams, Down, Monaghan and Armagh say, and the rest of the province outside Antrim.
Amalgamated teams have worked in club leagues, the Sean Stinsons minor experiment between Portglenone and Ahoghill in the mid '90s have been the catalyst for the advance first of Portglenone and now Ahoghill in Antrim.
We are just simply building to an anti-climax when these Cinderella sides get slaughtered by Antrim, who in turn will get the guttie at the hands of Galway!
Tuesday, 6 May 2008
Mixed feelings on Ulster experiment
Have to say I have very mixed feelings about the decision to allow all the Ulster sides to take part in the Ulster Championship this year.
I know all good things have to start somewhere and while realistically the Ulster title comes down to Antrim at this point in time, I refuse to believe that even Derry or Down are at the races right now, the hope is obviously that if teams compete at this level they will eventually improve.
I don't think this is the case at all. Remember the short lived Connacht championship experiment of the '90s, the GAA had to stop it after a few short years because Galway were running up scores more in common with the Australian cricket team at their finest.
There is no doubt that the early rounds in Ulster will be keenly contested but when the minnows come up against Antrim, Derry or Down then we are going to need umpires and allow mentors to throw the towel in when their teams have soaked up enough punishment.
I think the answer lies not in opening up the Ulster championship but the continued development of the game in the traditional base in the North first and foremost to up standards and to build on work in the smaller counties.
I wish the Ulster Council well with the experiment but I feel it's doomed to fail and it will be a real chore for Antrim to play the couple of meaningless games to secure the title.
I know all good things have to start somewhere and while realistically the Ulster title comes down to Antrim at this point in time, I refuse to believe that even Derry or Down are at the races right now, the hope is obviously that if teams compete at this level they will eventually improve.
I don't think this is the case at all. Remember the short lived Connacht championship experiment of the '90s, the GAA had to stop it after a few short years because Galway were running up scores more in common with the Australian cricket team at their finest.
There is no doubt that the early rounds in Ulster will be keenly contested but when the minnows come up against Antrim, Derry or Down then we are going to need umpires and allow mentors to throw the towel in when their teams have soaked up enough punishment.
I think the answer lies not in opening up the Ulster championship but the continued development of the game in the traditional base in the North first and foremost to up standards and to build on work in the smaller counties.
I wish the Ulster Council well with the experiment but I feel it's doomed to fail and it will be a real chore for Antrim to play the couple of meaningless games to secure the title.
Tuesday, 22 April 2008
Problems much more deep rooted than Gormley
Distracted since Sunday about Antrim's tame performance which cost them a chance to escape from the bowels of Division 4 football.
Another year condemned to playing London, Kilkenny and even the 'mighty' Waterford who blew away what looked like certain promotion for the Saffrons is hardly an appetising prospect.
Already there is some discontent among the natives about Antrim boss Jody Gormley who only a couple of weeks ago some saw as being the Messiah of Antrim football.
Well I have to admit to being no fan of Gormley, last year Antrim played some of the most negative football I have seen for long many a day against Derry in the Ulster championship at Casement Park.
They seemed interested from the start only in keeping the margin of the defeat down and made little effort other than a brief flurry before half time to try and go and win the game.
The Antrim defenders were out in front of their markers, great says you shows ambition, the only problem was that they were faced back towards their own goal staring hopefully into the eyes of their opponent hoping for a clue about where they intended to make their run.
I honestly don't know is it possible to tell something about the flight of the ball by looking straight into someone's eyes, maybe you can be trained to catch the reflection of the ball in there, but it seemed all about stopping the man running rather than getting their own hands on the leather.
I thought to paraphrase Spillane, puke football at its worst and I said at the time there is no future in that.
However, I don't subscribe to the notion that Gormley is to blame for where Antrim football is at the moment. I wish the only problem was to find a new manager who would take us to the promised land but we are not even anywhere near it.
Much more needs to be done in the coaching of our youngsters, only a few progressive clubs are really working at it, that's why St Galls and Cargin are so far ahead of the pack and why Gorts have become a force to be reckoned with.
Our biggest weakness however is in the colleges.
When I was a young footballer Belfast boasted two good college teams, St Malachy's and St Mary's. Under Derry star Phil Stuart St Malachy's reached successive Rannafast finals, won the MacRory Cup and lost the Hogan Cup to three goals in the last eight minutes while St Mary's too were knocking on the door to success until the mid '70s.
Today St Malachy's is a soccer and basketball school, St Mary's are still in competition but not at the races and I think the fact that we have had no success at Corn na n-Og, Rannafast or MacCrory Cups is a big factor why there are so few Antrim lads on either of the Queen's or UUJ Sigerson sides.
Many of the top county footballers in the country cut their teeth in these schools, colleges and university competitions, it gives them experience of a different level of football, of pressure games, the type of game which Antrim flaked in on Sunday.
The days when dedicated teachers in these schools are going to promote the games unsupported are over.
If we are to progress in Antrim the county board and the clubs are going to have to find a way to develop our young players in the schools, and not just in the two big grammar schools, but throughout the secondary level if we are to be able to compete again at the top level.
That's a big project which will take a lot of time and commitment but it beats waiting on a manager to take us out of Division 4.
Another year condemned to playing London, Kilkenny and even the 'mighty' Waterford who blew away what looked like certain promotion for the Saffrons is hardly an appetising prospect.
Already there is some discontent among the natives about Antrim boss Jody Gormley who only a couple of weeks ago some saw as being the Messiah of Antrim football.
Well I have to admit to being no fan of Gormley, last year Antrim played some of the most negative football I have seen for long many a day against Derry in the Ulster championship at Casement Park.
They seemed interested from the start only in keeping the margin of the defeat down and made little effort other than a brief flurry before half time to try and go and win the game.
The Antrim defenders were out in front of their markers, great says you shows ambition, the only problem was that they were faced back towards their own goal staring hopefully into the eyes of their opponent hoping for a clue about where they intended to make their run.
I honestly don't know is it possible to tell something about the flight of the ball by looking straight into someone's eyes, maybe you can be trained to catch the reflection of the ball in there, but it seemed all about stopping the man running rather than getting their own hands on the leather.
I thought to paraphrase Spillane, puke football at its worst and I said at the time there is no future in that.
However, I don't subscribe to the notion that Gormley is to blame for where Antrim football is at the moment. I wish the only problem was to find a new manager who would take us to the promised land but we are not even anywhere near it.
Much more needs to be done in the coaching of our youngsters, only a few progressive clubs are really working at it, that's why St Galls and Cargin are so far ahead of the pack and why Gorts have become a force to be reckoned with.
Our biggest weakness however is in the colleges.
When I was a young footballer Belfast boasted two good college teams, St Malachy's and St Mary's. Under Derry star Phil Stuart St Malachy's reached successive Rannafast finals, won the MacRory Cup and lost the Hogan Cup to three goals in the last eight minutes while St Mary's too were knocking on the door to success until the mid '70s.
Today St Malachy's is a soccer and basketball school, St Mary's are still in competition but not at the races and I think the fact that we have had no success at Corn na n-Og, Rannafast or MacCrory Cups is a big factor why there are so few Antrim lads on either of the Queen's or UUJ Sigerson sides.
Many of the top county footballers in the country cut their teeth in these schools, colleges and university competitions, it gives them experience of a different level of football, of pressure games, the type of game which Antrim flaked in on Sunday.
The days when dedicated teachers in these schools are going to promote the games unsupported are over.
If we are to progress in Antrim the county board and the clubs are going to have to find a way to develop our young players in the schools, and not just in the two big grammar schools, but throughout the secondary level if we are to be able to compete again at the top level.
That's a big project which will take a lot of time and commitment but it beats waiting on a manager to take us out of Division 4.
Sunday, 20 April 2008
Cleaned out by the might of Waterford!
A couple of weeks ago I wrote Thank God it was the Waterford footballers who stood in the way of Antrim winning promotion from Division 4 as if it had have been hurling we wouldn't have had a chance.
Well, the mighty Waterford footballers came up to Casement Park and cleaned us out leaving our promotion hopes in ruins.
I don't think anyone else in the country gets it why we are struggling so badly with one of the biggest pools of players in the North.
I mean Division 4 football, the standard is absolutely awful but the problem for us is that a couple of the sides coming down will keep us down there for at least another year to come.
I am sick to the back teeth reading about the progress we are making in football's nether regions, we are not in Division 4 because we are too good.
Unless we are honest about where we are we ain't going anywhere.
Oisin McConville (above) recently wrote that he believed we were lazy or didn't want to work for success, it's hard to argue against that for as a county we seem to have given up trying to be better.
I grew up in an era where we weren't exactly feared in Ulster but we were respected, it seems so long ago, it is so long ago, and I don't see us going anywhere for some time to come!
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