Early 1980s a far cry from today as Islanders could easily field a ‘B’ team

A VALENTIA Young Islanders GAA report concerning a match of 1982 reads as follows:

‘ The Valentia Young Islanders completed the double – South Kerry League and championship winners – when they added the League title to their South Kerry championship success with a great victory over a gallant St Mary’s side at Sneem recently. Played in fine underfoot conditions, the game lived up to all expectations and provided some fine passages of exhibition football.

‘ The Cahirsiveen side put up a great fight and it was only in the final quarter that the islanders pulled out all the stops to win by a two point margin. This is the second year in a row for Valentia to pull off the double and so the kingpins South Kerry football take a well earned rest for the winter.

‘ The double winning team was: Danny Healy;Dermot Walsh, Gerard Lynch, G.G. O’Sullivan, John Gallagher, Michael Lyne, Nealie Lyne, Ger O’Driscoll, Fionán Murphy, Pat O’Connor, Seamus O’Connor, Michael Anthony O’Connell, Michael O’Donoghue, Brendie Murphy, Patrick Lyne.

‘However, the Valentia B team has one more game in hand and they play Keel B at Chapeltown on Sunday next at 2.30pm in the County League.’ Those were the days, of course when the Young Islanders had plenty of players. Such were the numbers available to Valentia that the B team regularly played league games as a curtain raiser.

In the halcyon days of the 80s when the Young Islanders were able to compete with and very often beat the best in the county, they had a big panel of substitutes, who due to the talent available were regularly without first team football. The B team was formed in that decade to accommodate those players. How times have changed.