Dundela shine light on a possible first foray into top flight
DUNDELA head coach Bryan McCarroll believes the famous east Belfast club should consider the possibility of moving into the top flight of Irish League football for the first time in their history.
McCarroll’s comments come when Dundela are enjoying a fabulous season in the Championship, with only big spending Larne ahead of them, and in a month when Wilgar Park hosted its very first floodlit fixture.
After much hard work and fundraising, there was great pride at the club last week when Dundela played Ards Rangers in a friendly under the lights. That was a rehearsal for next Tuesday when the second placed Duns are scheduled to host their first competitive match with floodlights in operation against Portadown at ‘the Hen Run’.
It’s remarkable to think that Dundela, despite being one of the most well known names in Northern Ireland football, have never featured in the top tier since being formed in 1895.
Ambitious McCarroll, proving himself to be a fine coach, feels the time has come to assess the possibility of a move up for a club that has won the B division 11 times and the Steel & Sons Cup 10 times.
The Duns have lived in the shadow of Glentoran in east Belfast but can lay claim to one of the most astonishing Irish Cup triumphs in the competition’s existence in 1955, defeating top flight Glenavon 3-0 in the final.
To play in the Premiership, every team needs a licence covering elements such as infrastructure, stadium and management personnel, so Dundela would have to fulfil those requirements.
If they did and, say they finished where they are now or per- haps in the future in the Championship, they would be involved in play-offs to be promoted.
It would be a massive call for the board to take those next big steps, but McCarroll says there would be no harm in investigating such a scenario.
“Obviously a lot of work would need to be done to achieve that on and off the pitch, and ultimately the decision would be down to the committee and board, but I think it would be worth considering making that move,” explained McCarroll, who arrived at Wilgar Park in the summer.
“We have to look at moving the club forward, and if the way to do that is to aim for promotion it is something we ought to assess.
“We now have floodlights, and the club’s first competitive game played under the lights will hopefully be against Portadown in a re-arranged league fixture. That’s progression.
“When I first came there was talk about surviving in the league, and obviously that’s the number one priority but I think, touch wood, we are past that at this stage this season and for me you change goals as a campaign progresses.
“Our players have been brilliant. The Larne situation is hard to compete with due to the money being invested there, but if you take Larne out we are doing really well. We have players who want to play for Dundela and are committed to what we’re doing.”
One of those is Jordan Hughes, who has been magnificent in the Championship this season, though he is set to miss tomorrow’s game at improving Ballinamallard due to injury.
Larne host PSNI, Portadown go to Limavady, Ballyclare are at home to H&W Welders and Knockbreda travel to Carrick (all 3pm). There is a 2pm start for Loughgall against Dergview.
Q AEugene McGeehan at Santos was a big mentor of mine, and he was a teacher at the old St Patrick’s Primary School in North Queen Street. He was a big Derry City fan. I played for the school team and Santos, with players mostly coming from the New Lodge area of Belfast. It folded and I moved on to Star of the Sea. From there I eventually got a few trials at Coventry, Wolves and Celtic, where I signed as a 16-year old. I always loved boxing but my mum never allowed me, fearing it would ruin my good looks. I always played football in the street and had a ball at my feet. If I didn’t have a ball I would kick a can around in the playground. It was Derek Dougan who invited me to trials with Coventry and Wolves but once Celtic showed an interest that was it.
Q AWhat are your early football memories? As a boyhood Celtic fan, were you living the dream?
I was there for five years and it was probably the best five years of my life. I was a Celtic fanatic and it was a dream come true. I was lucky enough to work with Willie McStay, a great guy who is now chief scout on the youth recruitment side. I made great friends and played at every level up to the first team. The late Tommy Burns gave me my first professional contract and the memories are fantastic.
Q ADid you have any problems settling in?
The first seven months were tough but I had a good family background. My mum Anne, who sadly passed away five years ago, was a strong-willed person and an unbelievable source of strength to me as I grew up. I think there’s a large element of luck involved when you’re a player looking to make it across the water. At that time Celtic wanted to stop Rangers winning nine titles in a row and there were many managerial changes. The club had a great youth set-up but the boys weren’t getting first-team opportunities. After I left, a new rule came in saying you had to have a certain number of Under-21 players in the squad, then Kenny Dalglish came in and I was very good friends with his son Paul, who I shared a room with. I’m a great believer in ‘if it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be’ but my chance didn’t come. I was playing for Northern Ireland Under-21s and Jimmy Quinn asked me down to Peterborough. I didn’t settle, and within two years I was back in Northern Ireland. Maybe I should have stayed at Celtic but the experience of the ups and downs of football helped set me up for life.
QHow hard is it for our young players to make it as a professional?
AI do some work with Jim Magilton in the Northern Ireland set-up and there was nothing like that when I was a kid. I think there’s a better education for the young players in Club NI and we are seeing the benefits of it with players staying longer across the water. I didn’t know what to expect at Celtic. You need to be mentally strong, and if we can make our lads better prepared for that it will give them a better chance.
After returning home you then joined Ballymena United. How did you feel?
AThe love for football was still there even though I felt a bit deflated. Nigel Best was manager and I enjoyed my football even though we struggled on the pitch. Kenny Shiels came in as manager and we didn’t see eye to eye and I moved on to Newry. Every Irish League club I played for I enjoyed my time there. Probably playing in front of 37,500 fans at Ibrox in a Reserve game. We drew 1-1 and I got sent off in the first half after a second yellow when I tackled (Gennaro) Gattuso, who was making his debut. He was a big attraction. Big John Convery was sent off as well. You can take the Irish boys nowhere!
Q AWhat was your best moment as a player? What has been your toughest moment in football?
When I was Cliftonville coach and we lost the Irish Cup final to Glentoran in 2013. We were on for the treble and that