28 March 2010
The prolonged and rousing applause, from a large turnout of supporters in Casement Park tonight, speaks volumes for the progress of senior football within Antrim County. With the St Galls, [All Ireland club title winners,] players back to the fold and Antrim senior footballers consolidating their poll position with another convincing win over Louth, these are indeed changing times. I however, will have to be more diligent, in my choice and order of words tonight, in the knowledge that there is always a ‘cute hoor’ lying in wait, ready and hoping to pounce on any inadvertent slip-up that I might make. A perfect example was in my commenting upon our failure, last week, to put Offaly to the sword. Precisely, it was when I alluded to a perceived weakness on the day, in mid field. My simple omission of the word ‘around, as in ‘’around mid field,’’ left the door wide open to an opportunistic attack with the spurious accusation that I was picking on two individual players, who technically represent the Antrim mid-field, on paper at least.
The very nature of the human element and make up of all athletes, amateur and professional alike, essentially impacting upon all competitive team games, including Gaelic games, is such that any and all players will have their ‘off days’, unannounced and unexpected and on any given day. For that reason alone, it ill befits anyone to criticise or condemn a player for having an off day. It is in fact seldom that everything comes together on any one occasion but when even 10 or 12 team players have a good game we can expect to see some outstanding displays of both skill and stamina. Tonight was such a night, certainly the first twenty minutes, when Antrim football simply excelled. Ultimately 2 Goals and 12 Points to 2 Goals and 6 Points was a convincing win for Antrim.
Within Antrim we now have arguably one of the strongest panels ever witnessed. We have some exceptionally gifted players; of that there is no doubt. But we also have an unprecedented number of hard working and all but tireless panel players, who are dedicated to serving their county with distinction; we cannot overlook this factor, in terms of its contribution to our overall sense of county pride in our identity as Gaels and the attendant feel good factor; the honour of being on that panel is now at an all time high. To come from Division 4 to Division 3 and then win promotion, directly on to Division 2, in the space of less than 12 months, represents a lot of collective effort and no small amount of credit is due to those who held the fort and kept the home fires burning, as St Galls went about their unfinished business of winning All Ireland honours.
There was plenty of evidence on display tonight to convince even the most cynical supporter and even the sceptic should feel obliged to admit that there has been some thing of a root and branch reform taking place within Antrim senior football; we are certainly getting there. Under the careful management and guidance of Baker and team, this journey will continue, as it must, for there is still a way to go. Competition for places on the starting 15 will of necessity be stiffer now but that should not be allowed to deter anyone, for all too often it is the quality and tenacity of those reserves that is crucial to continuing success. Every Panel player counts and again every panel player is worthy of lasting respect, for their vital role in restoring both the pride and the dignity to Antrim senior football.
Lawrence Smyth Antrim county PRO.
