FAUGHANVALE HOPING FOR A BRIGHT FUTURE

Regardless of Sunday’s result Faughanvale have a vision for their future.  In ten years they want to be back in the senior ranks challenging for the John McLaughlin Cup - named after one of their founder members.  The passport for that journey lies in the youth. 

It’s a bold statement but as Club Development Officer Conor Nicholl explains you need to have targets.  We asked him where he saw Faughanvale in the next decade.  “On Sunday an Ulster title would be brilliant.  For some boys in this club it has been years in the planning when you look at young boys we have in the team.”

“Our long term plan is to get back to senior.  Our ground is John McLaughlin Park and we want to take the John McLaughlin Cup here.  That’s what we want.  Is it going to happen? Well if it doesn’t it won’t be for the want of trying.  We are going for it.  If you don’t set a target you won’t reach it – that’s the long and the short if it.”

Nicholl has been involved in many roles in the club over the years but quickly plays down his input.  He paid tribute to the enthusiasm and drive of chairman Eamon King.  “Eamon is here most nights and does whatever needs done.  He works away in the background and porobably isn’t here because you boys [the media] are here.  That’s the sort of him.”

Nicholl is a reluctant interviewee but he had little option as he was coordinating the PR campaign with Declan McGuinness busy focussing on his playing role for Sunday.  Nicholl doesn’t mind – he is happy to do whatever needs done.

He also recognises others who have put the club where they are.  “We are 82 years old and we don’t forget the men who helped purchase our club grounds in 1981, they are still involved in our club but the next generation is where we want to go.”

The current senior team didn’t just appear.  There was planning there as well.  “We started a youth policy with Paul Bradley ten years ago – we took boys at U6 and U8 and ten of them young fellas now are part of our senior panel.”

“We had a lot of children and we saw there was an interest and that it was gaining.  We had always been able to field well at youth but had never gone that younger age before.  We had always been playing at U12 and U10 but it was then as a club we made a decision to go younger and start at primary school.”

Nicholl knows the youth end of the club well, he managed the minor team this year along with Shane O’Neill.  “In the minor ranks the likes of Sean Bradley, Michael Devine, Eoin McElhinney and Oisin Quinn – they were the start of it, they are our first batch through the system.”

The club’s path back to senior ranks took a speed wobble last year.  “We knew we had these young players coming through.  The plan was to consolidate our intermediate status and build for senior with the likes of Joe [Gray], Stephen and Ryan King.  We didn’t plan to be relegated but we made a conscious decision as a club that we weren’t going to lie down to this and since then it has been shoulder to the wheel stuff.”

Despite the senior team being in the spotlight the club’s social media channel is full of information of primary school coaching.  “We hope these children will filter into the plan for playing senior in ten years. At half time in the junior final we played U8 and U10 blitz. Our young players look up to our senior players.  They are their heroes and they too will want to fill that shirt.  The photo after the match had a load of children in it.”  These young people are part of the future but for now the Ulster Final is giving tremendous satisfaction. 

Nicholl concludes, “It’s the best season in clubs history without doubt. For Faughanvale to be in an Ulster final – to even say that.  Men down the years would have given their right eye for this.  Looking back we had high times in early 90s – playing division one against the Lavey team that went on to win the All-Ireland and we ran them close in league game.  Our teams then were doing well.  Now it’s about the young people, it’s the buy in and the support of the community.  Long may it continue.”

On Sunday the players will get their buzz when they run onto the pitch.  It is their high.  If the result goes to plan it will be a day to remember.  For those behind the scenes, for Conor Nicholl, Paul Bradley, Eamon King, Shane O’Neill and the many others keeping this bandwagon on the road – it will be every bit as sweet. 

 John McLaughlin’s journey to Faughanvale is for another day but nothing comes without dreams or planning and in that regard the ‘Vale are in safe hands.