The club history for 2010 season

Once again Sean Teague was at the helm with his able band of helpers. Of course there were some who felt we would be out of our depth but the players themselves and the vast majority of our of our club people had the belief that we could hold our own. To everyone’s credit this was the case. First of all in the Ulster league we competed well and had good preparation for the real business.

When the league fixtures were published we knew we had a series of difficult matches at the beginning. However we gave a good account of ourselves in these early games and very little more in the way of scores would have given us a number of points from those early games. As it was our first 2 points from draws with Dromore and Omagh could also very easily have been wins. As it worked out we went 10 games league and championship before we had our first win. That was of course the vital victory against Cookstown, followed by wins over the Moy, Kildress and Galbally. And finally we secured safety in the last match against Killyclogher.

Our championship ended in defeat to Galbally in a game which we had every chance of winning. In the overall picture of the year winning the league match with Galbally was a much more important victory.

A number of things stand out from the years performances. Generally we were good in keeping opposition scores down. At the other end we did not score as much as we could have in a number of games and put ourselves under immense pressure to secure enough points. Our home record is not good. We only won 3 points at home and 9 away. A better return at home would see us in the top bracket. However we have been there and survived which was the aim at the start of the season. Our team is generally young and we now know that the potential is there to reach a higher level. Lets go for it.

Reserve Men

Our reserve team had a reasonable year given that we expected that a number of the senior teams would have very strong squads at this level. With the exception of a couple of clubs this was not the case. Indeed it was probably disappointing the commitment some of the other clubs put into the reserves. Our team gave a reasonable showing on most occasions. Again this was a learning experience and this is a place where players can improve. This is important because to progress at senior level we must develop a big panel of players who can slot into the senior team when needed.

County Representatives

On the Mens side the club was well represented at County level. At Under-21 level Danny McDermott represented the Club. Highlight of the year goes to John and Cathair McCullagh on their being members of the County Minor team which succeeded in bringing home the All Ireland title. Congratulations to both and also to John on winning the Man of the Match in the All Ireland final. At under 15 County Development squad level we had Sean Fox and at Under 14 Development squad level we had Seamus Warnock, Aidan Clarke and Gavin Slane. This is a great opportunity for these players to play at the top level and learn with the best. Keep it up and this is a target for others to follow.

Club Development

While the playing activities are what interest most people behind the scenes much other activity takes place. The fuel which enables the club to function is finance and if we compare the club to a vehicle for example we must always maintain it, sometimes improve it and when the family gets bigger get a bigger vehicle. The basic running costs of a club are now huge around £50,000 per year or £1,000 per week. On top of that not a year goes past goes but upgrading or improving of some sort is needed. This past year this was the extension to the Dressing Rooms and Hall all of which was necessary when you see how many are in a dressing for any team for any match. Now we also have our fully equipped gym also completed. Thankfully good financial management over the years has meant that nothing is committed without funds being available therefore nothing is wasted in paying interest.

Thanks are very much due to the people from our Parish who continue to support us in our endeavours. It is interesting to note that our Gate income has increased substantially showing the benefits of senior football and the increased support from our own people.

At last years AGM we introduced the new role of Development Officer. Fiona Teague accepted the responsibility and has been involved in a heavy programme of work. By its very title one of the major items was to have a consultation involving club members and members of the wider community. This consultation was organised in March by Fiona and facilitated and a finalised document produced. This has provided the basis for our Club plan which is a great piece of work and gives us a programme to work with over the next few years. This work has also taken the form of researching sources of funding and making appropriate applications. The funding applications to date have enabled us to have a very up to date gym and also a health and well-being programme. A full report is available separately and it is vital to bring it through in its entirety. Thanks go to Fiona for a very important piece of work.