GAELIC GAMES CHAMPIONSHIP '09:THE COMMITTEE responsible for setting Gaelic Games fixtures must constantly repeat the mantra, "You can't please all the people all the time." In relation to Antrim supporters this weekend that's certainly the case.

Liam Bradley may also have been humming Bob Marley’s Get Up, Stand Up at football training all year but he felt obliged to point out his, eh, disappointment at the perceived lack of consideration for Antrim supporters this weekend.

In the case of trying to please all the people, Antrim got the short straw.

For those with undying loyalties to the Saffron cause in both hurling and football an overnight stay in Dublin, or a cheaper sojourn in Offaly, may be required this weekend.

The hurlers draw battle lines for their future at Parnell Park in Dublin on Saturday afternoon against Offaly in a relegation play-off with, it should be noted, their minors on the undercard. Twenty-four hours later the footballers go to work against Kerry in the fourth round of the football qualifiers in Tullamore.

“It seems like an obvious one to put us with the hurlers,” said Bradley, a passionate Derry man who has helped Antrim make their football breakthrough this summer.

“For the Antrim supporters’ sake at least. It seems like no consideration was taken for the supporters.

“The president of the GAA came up to Belfast last year and was talking about a strategy to promote the GAA in inner-city Belfast.

“Well, this team has done more to promote the GAA in this city than the GAA have done in 10 years.”

For all their admirable achievements in making the Ulster final last Sunday, Bradley concedes that up to “five or six” of his players failed to perform, especially in the opening 12 minutes when Tyrone surged 1-4 to 0-1 clear.

Kerry will hardly be less ruthless in Tullamore.

“It’s something they have to learn very quickly. Conceding 1-3 (and then 0-4) without reply means you are playing catch up and that doesn’t work against Tyrone. It meant we had to leave gaps at the back and they were exploited.

“Basically, we have six days to learn or they will get a hammering.

“I think five or six guys suffered from stage fright. That means other guys had to do extra work but in the second half we were as good as Tyrone.

“We also spilled too much ball in the tackle and our half-forward line probably showed too much respect to the likes of Philip Jordan, Davy Harte and Ryan McMenamin.”

They met up on Monday night for a pool session with Bradley happy the opportunity to meet Kerry in the championship in July should mean nobody will be complaining of fatigue.

“It’s hard to come off a provincial final defeat and perform in six days but not for this match. They will all be ready.”

He refuses to take confidence from the recent unconvincing performances of Kerry, instead, using the question to compare their stuttering progress to Tyrone who made a similar uncertain run to glory through the qualifiers last season.

Still, Kerry were poor against both Longford and Sligo?

“No, I don’t buy into that. Kerry have done enough to win both games. They are making a similar impression to what Tyrone did last year when they were lucky to beat Westmeath and struggled against Mayo. Then it came together in the latter stages.

“I think they are learning as they go. They remain a very formidable team – the aristocrats of Gaelic football if you will. It will be a special day but we must forget about all that.

“We know we let ourselves down against Tyrone. I expect more heart and determination from the lads this time.”

Still, it has been a ground-breaking summer for Antrim football?

“Yes. If you told me seven months ago that we would contest an Ulster final against Tyrone and then be playing Kerry in the qualifiers I probably would have jumped at it.

“We set out to be promoted into Division Three, then we looked at reaching the Ulster final, and now we want a game in Croke Park. It’s just a pity Croke Park is closed this weekend as it would be great to see Wicklow and Antrim both playing there.”

The two teams that contested the 2007 Tommy Murphy Cup final in Croke Park with an insulting 12.15pm throw-in.

“It just shows where they have come in so short a time.”

The task now is to make sure they don’t go back to where they came from too quickly.