Flan O Briens FC

Edwards picks up the ball down the left hand side he weaves between two players first to the right then to the left the crowd sensing something special are upstanding in anticipation as Edwards un-leaches a shot that beats the keeper at his near post. A chorus of voices from the 300 in attendance gives out a huge almost deafening cry of “Yeah” with the other half shouting, “Get in”!!!

Jerry Edwards or ‘Jez’ to his team mates had just succeeded in putting the game out of reach from their opponents Kingsmead to make a final score reading 3-1 to Flans O’Briens thus providing the team and all associated with it their first piece of cup final silverware in the clubs 4 year history.

The proudest and probably most nervous spectator inside the ground lending his vocal chords to the cause was Myles Gallagher the founder, the sponsor, the owner and the landlord of Flans Public House and Football Club to whom we dedicate the cup win too. This was an achievement he envisioned back in 1998 and actually could have happened in last years final between the same two sides only on that occasion Flans went down to the same score line, but my inside sources tell me that last years defeat was down to the fact that they didn’t have a keeper. See what a year makes now that they have one, it makes all the difference and my sources tell me he’s a bloody good one too.

 If you’ve played football on a Sunday morning you can totally understand the commitment involved running a team and playing for it. So for you people I wont ramble on to much but for the people who haven’t and are usually still encased in that drunken haze that’s floating just above your pillow at that time in the morning, let me tell you it takes a lot of determination, will power and love for the game to claw yourself out of bed to make your rendezvous with the other lads come rain or shine, breezy or gale force.

Choosing a manager with that same enthusiasm isn’t easy either so Myles had to be sure in picking the right one, that man was Dave Hurst.

Hursty as he’s affectionately known as set about scouting for the right lads who would gel together and play for each other and….pledge alegionance to the Green and White Hooped strip !!! Can you imagine how difficult that was going to be after all Myles is the boss at the end of the day and so what if he’s a loyal, maniac Celtic supporter, if he’s buying the kit every year then it’s the Celtic hoops or its back to the drunken haze !!

Hursty recruited many players from teams that were folding due to the lack of interest and commitment I mentioned earlier, it also helped him sleep at night. Dave is as honest as the sea is blue, the world is round you name it he couldn’t live with himself if ever he was accused of poaching “Wot Dave Hurst…Nahh”!!!

So that’s sorted then, now it’s the male bonding and building of team spirit time which in any level of team sport is a must I mean who the hell wants to get out of bed on a Sunday morning to play with a bunch of losers that you don’t even get along with. I’ve always said its better to play together and argue together as mates then it is as strangers. The social side of it is always important to any team building so to have your boss as a landlord and your manager a devout Blackthorn worshiper your always going to be on to a good thing. Now don’t be going off to mis-intepratate that last line we’re not a team of pissheads here we’re serious about our football. Ok that’s that done with.

As we outstretch our arms to proudly slide the hoops over our well toned, pre-season trained torsos we sit there preparing ourselves with the usual banter that happens between mates before the game (as we have done since our first game back in the old division six which we won and gained promotion) rubbing the deep heat into our thighs and calves we know we’ve come along way since then when we see our final league position in the FIRST Division.

“How proud we should be” was the essence of Hurstys pre-match talk before we walked out on to the pitch to claim our first, and it wont be the last, Cup final trophy.

For me personally if the new season is as good as my first with Flans then bring it on.

Written By Sean jenkins (Flans 1^st choice keeper) Email : joshuabono@hotmail.com

P.S  Winners are welcome.