Monaghan sprouting in the right direction
Monaghan sprouting in the right direction
RUNNING an Eircom League club in GAA heartland is not an easy task, especially if you started from scratch just 25 years ago, but this afternoon Monaghan United will take a major step forward.
FAI Chief Executive Fran Rooney is heading up the N2 to officially open Monaghan United's new €1m training facility at Century Homes Park. It features three new pitches, all built to the same standard as the club's Eircom League surface, plus a four-pitch floodlit astro-turf park complete with dressing rooms.
The astro park is a joint venture with a local commercial group and will soon be generating another source of regular income for the club to go along with social club, the lotto, gate receipts and sponsorship.
It's a far cry from 25 years ago when a group of men that included Jim McGlone, Eddie Murray and Paddy Turley founded a club that was playing in the League of Ireland First Division just five years later.
When they entered the League, they were leasing Belgium Park, a quaint amphitheatre situated behind a stone wall on the N2 heading north out of Monaghan. Legend claimed it was called Belgium Park because Belgian refugees from the Second World War had settled in that part of town, growing brussels sprouts in the field.
After a few visits from the likes of Derry City it was patently clear that the club had no future in Belgium Park, even though it was central. So, the club bought land just off the Clones Road on the edge of town at Gortakeegan and unveiled ambitious plans to build a football centre there.
It's been a slow but steady process since. The pitch and clubhouse were the first components, soon followed by a stand, which was paid for when the supporters club raised €156,000.
Two years ago a decision was taken to finally finish the complex and €700,000 was raised locally to be put alongside Government grants of €300,000. The result is that Monaghan now have a range of facilities that are the envy of most Eircom League clubs.
There is still work to be done as the club covets a UEFA A Licence and they can now turn their attentions to meeting the strict criteria needed to gain one. They already fulfil a lot of it as their excellent under-age set-up testifies. The club fields seven under-age teams, ranging from 11 to 16, in the Dundalk & District Schoolboys League and the SFAI Cups. In addition, they have 200 kids under 11 playing each weekend in their mini-leagues.
Since Monaghan United's arrival on the national scene 20 years ago the county's influence has spread. One of the club founders, Eddie Murray, is a member of the FAI's Board of Directors and chairman of the FAI's International Committee. Sean McCaffrey, a former manager of the club, succeeded Brian Kerr as the international youth team manager while former Monaghan GAA star Ciaran Murray has been the chartered physiotherapist to the senior international team for the past eight years.
Barnsley manager Paul Harte has been pushing the international claims of striker Barry Conlon, a native of Carrickmacross, all season, although the honour of being the first Monaghan man to win a senior international cap fell to Clonesman Jonathon Douglas when he came on as a sub in the friendly against Poland last April.
Douglas played for Monaghan United when he was 16 and his performances saw him included in the Ireland squad which won the European U-16 Championship in Scotland later that year.
"Jonathon's success is a source of great hope to local youngsters and the new training facilities will help them become better players," says club PRO Eamonn White.
Already, promising local players like Paul Whelan, Jim Murphy, Paul Shiels, Michael Treanor and Brendan Kerley are in and around Mick Cooke's first team squad and there's more on the way.
"We have come a very long way in 25 years and we now have the foundations in place so that over the next 25 years Monaghan United can become competitive in the Eircom League and be up there in the Premier Division," says White.
Last Saturday's 8-1 hammering in Cobh suggests Monaghan have a lot of work to do on the field but today's ceremonies will show that off the pitch, they are definitely top of the league.
Gerry McDermott
Bootroom
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Christ above lads ... take it easy there will ye ?? Any excuse to have a cut off someone !! :)
Monaghan Sprouting in the Right direction
It is a fine wee ground and clubhouse and a credit to them.
The real MUFC are not one of the clubs usually mentioned as having serious financial problems. Despite the fact their average attendance is just in three figures and some of their most loyal supporters are cattle in the adjoining field. :D
They have been creative with their fund raising initiatives : attractive prize draws including one with first prize of a trip to Old Trafford to see ManUre in action. second prize should have been two trips.... :D
The club house is regularly used for social events in the Monaghan area like christening receptions, 21st birthdays, special wedding anniversary parties etc. These all add up to keeping the good ship MOn U F.C. afloat.
Many another First Division club could take a leaf out of their book.
P.S. as regards Belgium Park the Brussels Sprouts reference was made by an RTE Radio commentator when they played Derry at home in an F.A.I. Cup tie there. The commentator( I think it was the veteran Philip Greene) was asked about the name of the venue , he said judging by the state of the pitch it must have been because they used to grow brussels sprouts in it. The first World War Story appears to be accurate about the prisoners being caught in Belgium. It also had the unique quality of having a poorer view from pitchside than from the adjacent car park which was above it. So most people stayed in the car park and did not pay in to the ground.
