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What will our fund raising drive be this year?

Will there be another Saffron Sweep or Race day?

My reason for asking is that I believe that we should be doing something every year and I have played an active role in promoting the previous draws. Also, I hope you don't mind me saying that Club Aontroma seem to bne very quiet - are they still in existence? Its just that I thought that they would be constantly organising events and initiatives to raise funds.

hoping to attend the game against queens tomorrow nite and was wondering what time it was at?

Lets draw a line under this transfer debate, the byelaw has been passed end of story, lets see what happens. I personally dont think it will deliver much without some outside encouragement given to clubs to improve what they are doing. My own club puts a big effort in at juvenile level but all the mentors find it hugely rewarding, some of those mentors never having kicked a ball or held a hurl in a game in their lives it should be said. All of us have children playing and all I can say is that any parent(particularly an ex player) who sidesteps getting involved with their children's hurling/f'ball, and ultimately club development, must be mad or have little or no interest in their chilren's personal development.
I would welcome the coordination of sharing of skills from the stronger clubs down to the weaker clubs and would happily play my part as no doubt would my fellow mentors . This does need to be co-ordinated from CB and ultimately those clubs who show no ambition pruned away like dead wood regardless of personalities or years in existence.

I just thought I'd write a response to this ridiculous statement "your wrong to say clubs dont want your kids, any child that has ever came to me wanting to play at my club have always been welcomed regardless of from which club they came or their ability"

So I'm wrong am I? When did you become the voice of your club?
You state that when any kid comes to YOU wanting to play for YOUR club they are welcomed, (by you i presume).

Kids come to you? Your club? well how come your committee agreed with Cushendall's proposal? Maybe you are part of the problem "welcoming" kids to YOUR club, Don't come on this site telling me that I'm wrong without the facts to back up your argument. Your club has voted and an agreement was made. YOUR club doesn't want to lose its own kids or take in any other clubs kids END OFF that was my assertion and i stand by it, you said I'm wrong, well how?

PS If you are from one of the two clubs who spoke out against the motion (but failed to vote) then can you not see that its clubs like yours that forced Cushendall to put forward their proposal.

There is a lot of subjective judgements being made about good clubs and poor clubs. Who is responsible for quality assuring / assessing that Antrim clubs are doing or endeavouring to do 'what' a GAA club should be doing? Club officers we know are supposed to be held accountable by the membership but groupings can hold on to positions of responsibility and little may change. Does some group/ committee / officers within the County have a role in looking at work/ standards within our clubs? Maybe this is already happening?
Clubman

just wondering since croke have passed rules for the minor teams. has there been a manager appointed?

poaching coveting? ive never and never would ask a child to leave his club to play for mine, but parents have brought their kids and told me they played for such and such but does not want to be their anymore for one reason or another,the main reason being lack of coaching and games, and then yes i was happy to have them play and enjoy themselves at my club, admittedly this doesnt happen very often but i wouldnt make an apology for helping a lad who just wanted to play games be coached and most importantly enjoy himself. i know you mean well and want this law on transfer to work, i just cant see that it will long term, numbers are hard to come by at juvenile and their are kids not coming from gaa background families taking up the sport and their decision on the club where their child plays now is vital because if they make the wrong choice then they are stuck with it BY LAW.

Walsh cup this weekend, where is it?

A few opinions, re the state of GAA in Antrim. At outset, I for one share the belief that Antrim fortunes can and will soon change for the better - albeit after a period of re-focus with concerted, sustained and consolidated remedial activity.
Examples:
[1]A sea change of attitude would be of benefit – with more people adopting a positive and constructive outlook; prepared to get personally involved with supporting and promoting Gaelic games at all, levels, throughout every club in Antrim.
[2] Disassociation with negativity - a deliberate and necessary step back or even away, from any identity or association with those who have their primary focus upon carping and fault finding. [‘Stinking thinking' eventually pollutes sound minds.]
[3] Perceptions - Try and see 'Gaelic association' through the eyes of a true Gael – As in, ''my club and my county'' and again take a positive attitude, towards supporting the struggle for greater performance and achievement on the field.
[4] Resources - Antrim has the raw material, in abundance, in the shape of good and potentially great footballers and fine hurlers [5] ‘Our footballers’ and ‘our hurlers’, in turn, need encouragement and appreciation, to further motivate them to out-perform, [Yes motivation does come from within - but it has to be triggered]
[6] To succeed players in turn must demonstrate total commitment with inordinate and sustained determination on the field of play. That, by default, entails an acceptance of rigid discipline and sustained hard training, with a ‘never say die’ attitude on the field of play.
[7] Constructive criticism is important but should be given its rightful place, more often quietly, on a ‘one on one basis’, where it can and should be used by Managers, mentors and trainers, as a process to eliminate identified weakness and thereby improve overall performance.
[8] A lot of our energy is all too often seemingly wasted upon ‘gutting each other’ on discussion boards and in ‘Guest book appearances,’ [sic]As such this more often achieves nothing of real worth.
[9] The ‘Press’ are made up of a mixed bunch of individuals – those with a genuine passion for Gaelic Games at one end, down to those who peddle lies and trash at the other end of the spectrum.
[10] ‘We’ have a big job to do in Antrim and as Gaels ‘we’ should collectively seek to find new ways, in common, to raise our county standards to where 'we' should all want to be. 'We' should be up-beat about our determined approach to the business of succeeding within Antrim.
Lawrence Smyth County PRO.

your wrong to say clubs dont want your kids, any child that has ever came to me wanting to play at my club have always been welcomed regardless of from which club they came or their ability, the transfer by law will stop players development simply because the majority of clubs dont put the time and effort required to develop them correctly and those that do put the effort in are now streets ahead,CLUBS SHOULD WAKE UP PUT THE TIME IN DEVELOP THEM PROPERLY AND THEN THEY WONT WANT TO LEAVE, DONT PUT IT IN AND YOU LOSE OUT ALL ROUND, I PUT IN COUNTLESS NUMBER OF HOURS SOMETHING I LOVE DOING, THE REWARDS ARE PRICELESS WATCHING YOUNGSTERS DEVELOP, HELP YOURSELVES DONT BLAME OTHERS FOR DOING WHAT YOU ARE NOT PREPARED TO DO.

Transferring the best young players from a lesser club to a club with pedigree is a massive mistake.

Players get better by playing with and against better players. how will small clubs imporve if their best talent is poached.

When i was an under age player, we went from U10 to minor being the 5th best team in southwest antrim league consistently. No one left to play for a better team because the parents in the club and the senior footballers of the time were willing to muck in, and as a kid you notice this. The players we would see kitting out for our seniors would be at our training sessions, some just there to watch. This made a huge difference to our team. We felt a sense of purpose to perform for these mentors.

At U21 level our team won their first championship, the clubs 1st U21 championship, we were rewarded for our endeavours...Because everyone pulled together.

Please could the narrow minded ???? who keep posting asking the same questions about juvenile transfers just read the previous answers, YOU CANNOT TRANSFER A JUVENILE UP TO AND INCLUDING MINOR. Why are you continuing to gripe and moan to the admin of this site. It wasn't their decision, it was ours (clubs) and if you were that interested in your kid's predicament then you should have brought the issue up with your club before the county convention as there's no point in doing it now.
If you think your kid isn't getting the right coaching at the club he is at then why don't you take up the challenge and coach the team yourself?
PS The club that your son wants to go to - don't want your son, they made that clear at convention by voting for the motion. So why would you want to send your kid to a club where he isn't wanted?

Congratulations to Ard-Eoin GAC's club president Jimmy Fennell who celebrates his 90th Birthday today. A player, administrator and true loyal servant to his club and county. Best Wishes Jimmy from all at Ard-Eoin GAC.

How's the centre of excellence coming along? What stage is it currently at?
I'd love to hear some upbeat news!

The stance taken by the clubs re the juvenile transfer issue is correct. Do any of those bleating on here about it realise that clubs 'poaching' players means that the jersey is being taken off one kid who probably played for that club all his life - to be handed to a newcomer who has been invited in by a greedy coach. Why should smaller clubs invest so much time coaching kids from u8 up for other greedy clubs to poach them at 16? - The end of the soccer like transfers is a good thing. If you feel that your club is failing the young players then get involved in the club and change it.