THE FRONT DORE WE’VE DONN IT FOR BOSS
Club always the priority for former county hero Kevin on brink of historic title
KEVIN CASSIDY insists his club medals with Gweedore mean more to him than anything he ever won with Donegal.
The 37-year-old, who famously missed out on an All-ireland under Jim Mcguinness in 2012, is enjoying a late flourish to his football career.
After winning his third county title – a first since 2006 – he was superb in Gweedore’s Ulster semi-final win over Crossmaglen to tee up a first ever provincial decider against Scotstown at Healy Park.
“We dream about bringing county titles here, we witnessed what that was like a few weeks back after a 12year absence,” he says.
“But to bring an Ulster title back, I can’t even think about it – because it’s that big.”
‘Cass’ won Ulster in
2011, a Division One league title in 2007 and two All-stars in an inter-county career cut short at the end of 2011 after a falling out when manager Jim Mcguinness.
It never soured his memories of what he achieved with Donegal – but insists the club has always been his first love.
“I’ve always been honest about that, the club has always been my first preference,” he revealed.
“I’ve had some massive days with Donegal and some great memories and great times.
“My first club championship (in 2002) and the last one a few weeks ago means more to me than anything I did with Donegal or Ulster.
“We live and breathe football here and at national school all we want to do is play for Gweedore. Don’t get me wrong – we give our heart and soul for the county – but it’s really all about that green jersey.”
The club won an Ulster U21 title in February and the number of young players already on the senior squad is in double figures.
With talented youngsters like Cian Mulligan and Daire O Baoill – who bagged a hat-trick against Cross – to add to the experienced bunch, the underdogs will be dangerous opponents for a fancied Scotstown. “We went through a spell where we didn’t achieve as much as we wanted and now we’re back at the top table, we want to make the most of this,” added Cassidy.
“We’ve been hit hard with emigration and things aren’t great workwise around Gweedore but football brings everyone together. You see the younger ones watching us training at this time of year and hopefully they grow up thinking this is the norm, that’s the real goal out of it.”
Cassidy didn’t dare hope Gweedore would get this far, but always expected the four-in-a-row Monaghan champions to make it.
“I’m not just saying it but I’d tipped them long before we won our Championship or they won theirs,” he insists. “They’ve been there, done that, and when you play in an Ulster final you’re not going to get it easy. If we’re beaten and so long as we give a good account of ourselves we’ll have no problem.” HE might be a ‘blow-in’ but Kieran Donnelly lives close enough to Scotstown to know exactly what winning an Ulster title would mean.
The ex-fermanagh forward (below) lives in Brookeborough, less than 15 miles away from the club he now manages and has led to the last two of their fourin-a-row Monaghan titles.
“I went to school in Roslea before St Michael’s (in Enniskillen) and there’s such a close connection between it and Scotstown that I grew up hearing all about the great sides they had in the past,” says the club boss.
“I still live in Brookeborough and down the road there’s a sign saying ‘Scotstown 13’ so it takes me no time at all to get there and I’m enjoying every minute of working with these boys.
“They know well about the teams that won Ulster club titles in the 1970s and 1980s but they are just focused on their own history and their story.”
Scotstown have often struggled to break down well-drilled defences like Coleraine in the semi-final – but Donnelly insists they still found a way.
“Coleraine were so good tactically on the ball and we have had to break down mass defences at times but we have showed good composure and got over the line each time,” he added. next month. “Boxing has always been part of the Olympics. It would be devastating and very sad if we lose our Olympic status.”
Yesterday’s statement from the IOC will be seen as kicking the can down the road in their ongoing battle with the AIBA who have been in a permanent state of turmoil since Rio 2016.
The IOC Ethics Committee asked Rakhimov not to run for the AIBA Presidency, but the Uzbek, who has denied any criminality, ran for office and was elected by a wide margin.
Former Irish head coach Billy Walsh, now chief seconds with the USA, said: “If it comes to a situation where boxing is going to be put out of the Olympics Games because of one man. If he loves boxing he should take a sidestep and allow the sport to continue.”