Alan Cawley

[RockofGibraltar]

Looks like he'll join us on loan tomoro

From Eleven-a-side.ie:Longford Town manager Alan Matthews is interested in raiding the playing roster of former club Shelbourne for midfielder Alan Cawley.

The Sligo-born star has been unable to win a regular place in Pat Fenlon’s side since joining from UCD 18 months ago.

And with Alan Reynolds on the brink of joining the champions from Waterford United, Cawley’s future at Tolka Park looks decidedly bleak.

The 23-year-old former Leeds United and Sheffield Wednesday man is believed to be keen on a loan move to Flancare Park, where he would be expected to challenge for a first-team place sooner rather than later.


From Breakingnews.ie:


Longford Town boss Alan Mathews looks set to snap up Shelbourne midfielder Alan Cawley on loan when the transfer window opens tomorrow.

Sligo-born Cawley joined Shelbourne from UCD last year but has failed to earn a regular place in the side and now looks set for a loan move to Flancare Park.

Longford Town boss Alan Mathews spoke to Shelbourne’s Pat Fenlon about the move last night and the deal should be hammered out by tomorrow



Not a bad signing, will add a bit more depth to the midfield with europe coming up and all

[Longfordian]

Good deal if it happens. Need a striker now too to replace Lavine and we'll be set

[town73]

Good deal if it happens.

Is there a midfielder on the way out?

[Sonic]

Great news but dont we need a GOOD striker!! Thats gotta be on top of Matthews list

[Longfordian]

Is there a midfielder on the way out?

Didnt hear anything about it no. Just heard about Lavine really

[Bosco]

Good signing,a left winger and a striker is what we need do!!!

[Martinho II]

good signing imo. if my memory serves me right did he score against us for ucd a two years ago on the last day of the season when college won 2-0 and got relegated.

[Schumi]

He did yeah. I've never cared less about a goal we've scored, listening to the radio more than watching the game at that stage. :(

[pineapple stu]

Quality goal though...Takes down (crap) kick-out, goes past two defenders, rounds the keeper and slots home...

[Bosco]

and then did a little dance if i remember correctly.....

[CollegeTillIDie]

and then did a little dance if i remember correctly.....
Well it didn't matter and he was first one out the door when we went down..... Judas b***ard! :mad:

[Slash/ED]

Decent enough player. Technically he is superb, he has as good a touch as you'll find anywhere and he is a great passer. His problem is he's very light so you he'll never be a top central mid fielder, and not quick enough to be an effective winger, but he has talent. If you put him in central mid field beside someone who can do all of the physical stuff for him he'd be very good.

[silentbob]

Correct me if im wrong but is he not very similar in all aspects to kirby?

[fosterdollar]

Correct me if im wrong but is he not very similar in all aspects to kirby?

Not necessarily a bad thing. Kirby's p!sses all over most of the midfielders in the league imo. I really enjoy watching him play.

[pineapple stu]

and then did a little dance if i remember correctly.....
That's right! :eek: Took off his jersey and did a wee dance in his string vest!!! Claimed afterwards it was a thank you to the UCD fans...though I can think of plenty better ways to say thanks!

[Rory H]

a fantastic player....we were all hoping we could tempt him home at the start of the season

he played in an u21 game vrs rovers earlier this season and was a joy to watch....great signing for ye

[Dillo]

Good signing alright. We need an improvement on the left side of midfield.

[student]

Cawley changed the match against Longford when he came on. He was excellent.

Having seen him play plenty of times at UCD his best position is in the middle of the park. He is absolutley superb at dropping deap and getting possession and starting attacking moves (He is similar in style to Alonso in that way). His first touch and passing are excellent and his set piece delivery is as good as anyone else's in the league.

However he does have his bad points. He is quite weak defensively. He can't tackle and he is afraid of his life to head the ball. that is why he has been used as a winger. However when he does play there he likes to come inside, and link up with his midfield rather than take players on like Kirby.

On another note, i am sick of him being called a Judas ******* by ucd fans. UCd were relagated to the first division and Cawley recieved an offer to turn full time professional with the league champions on significantly increased wages. I certainly cant blame him for taking up that offer.

[pineapple stu]

On another note, I am sick of him being called a Judas ******* by UCD fans. UCD were relagated to the first division and Cawley recieved an offer to turn full time professional with the league champions on significantly increased wages. I certainly can't blame him for taking up that offer.
:confused:

Nobody's called him a judas *******. In fact, this thread has nothing but praise for him. Anyone who leaves UCD is a judas - that's not necessarily a Reynolds-esque dig. He did leave UCD in slightly acrimonious circumstances too - and subsequently launced legal action to prevent the club from getting a transfer fee for him. I'd advise a bit more research on your facts before coming out with sweeping statements like that.

[student]

Well it didn't matter and he was first one out the door when we went down..... Judas b***ard! :mad:

i think you'll find Pineapple that someone did call him the above.

Maybe YOU should do your research before you come out with sweeping statements like that.

PS: apologies to the longford fans for getting into this on your part of the forum.

[CollegeTillIDie]

i think you'll find Pineapple that someone did call him the above.

Maybe YOU should do your research before you come out with sweeping statements like that.

PS: apologies to the longford fans for getting into this on your part of the forum.

I make no apologies for giving a player that epithet when he leaves the club in the Lurch to spend a year in someone else's Under 21 team.
If he is a success at Longford so much the better... it is close to home for him anyway he is from Sligo.

[Schumi]

On another note, i am sick of him being called a Judas ******* by ucd fans.
Any former player who takes a court case to do the club out of money to which it's entitled deserves it.

[pineapple stu]

I think you'll find Pineapple that someone did call him the above.

Maybe YOU should do your research before you come out with sweeping statements like that.

PS: apologies to the longford fans for getting into this on your part of the forum.
Meh...fair enough. :o

The legal case still stands though. Most UCD fans acknowledge that he was a great player, but taking your former club to the High Court isn't likely to go down well.

[student]

Look lads i'm not trying to say Cawley was an innocent party in all this, i just think calling him a judas ******* is over the top.

I've been to many a UCD game in my time and i know yourself and the lads call every former UCD player Judas on his return to Belfield. However in fairness to you the vast majority of the time its done tongue in cheek in a good natured way, and not in the spitefull manner in which it occurs at some other clubs.

As a casual follower of UCD i of course was disappointed to see Cawley leave UCD as well, becasue he was a great footballer and on pitch entertainer.

However as far as i know (and i could be wrong here but my source is pretty good) alan did show a lot of loyalty to UCd during that season along with a number of other players. They took a 15 % pay cut a 1/3 of the way during the season becasue of a cash shortage at the club. this was despite football being his only source of income.

as for the high court injunction i cant remember all the exact details about it, but i do believe that cawley wouldnt have been allowed play for shelbourne or play football at all if he didnt go to court. and when football is all you know and your only income then sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures (measures that im sure alan wouldnt have liked to have taken)

[pineapple stu]

Look lads I'm not trying to say Cawley was an innocent party in all this, I just think calling him a judas ******* is over the top.
I agree, actually. Although having said that, it's only the one person who's actually calling him that with any sort of animosity.


However as far as I know (and I could be wrong here but my source is pretty good) Alan did show a lot of loyalty to UCD during that season along with a number of other players. They took a 15% pay cut a 1/3 of the way during the season because of a cash shortage at the club. This was despite football being his only source of income.
Who is your source on that? That sounds fairly unlikely. Granted, gates were probably down (though not hugely) because we were doing rubbish, but gates make up a relatively small percentage of our income, and we're usually among the best clubs in the league for living within our means. We didn't even sack Doolin that year because we couldn't afford to, despite the fact that we equally well couldn't afford not to.


as for the High Court injunction, I can't remember all the exact details about it, but I do believe that Cawley wouldnt have been allowed play for Shelbourne or play football at all if he didn't go to court. and when football is all you know and your only income then sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures (measures that I'm sure Alan wouldn't have liked to have taken)
a) Cawley, as far as I know, would still have gotten paid while he wasn't registered, so the income doesn't come into it.
b) Cawley's problem should have been with Shels for screwing him around, not with us for asking for what was ours by right.

[Macy]

Can youse take this to the UCD forum, as I actually doubt Town fans care whether he's a judas to you or not :D

btw If a player had done that to us, then he'd be a judas imo. :D