Catholic United Magazine - Issue 2 by CatholicUtd

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Editor: Rob Lilley Assistant Editor: Andy Wilkins Writers: Rob Lilley, Andy Wilkins Design: Rob Lilley Contributors: James Paviour, Simon Thomas, Peter Dudley, Scott W Photography: Offside Photography © Catholic United Football Club. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of the copyright owners. Every effort has been made by the editors to ensure the accuracy of this publication; the editors cannot accept responsibility for errors or omissions. In the interest of independance and impartiality, some features in this publication may have been written by third party contributors. Any opinions expressed therein are the views of the writers themselves and not necessarily those of Catholic United Football Club CONTENTS A QUICK CORNER HUNGRY & COMPETITIVE MIKE SCOT’SPATRICKTHOMASSAMMUTKEARNEYKEARNEYINEUROPE.... 2 6 16 22 10 20 A small introduction from media manager Rob Lilley. Small bites, titbits......nothing major to chew on Simon Thomas on pre-season, opening league games and new blood...... Captain Mike Sammut talks about the past, present and future Midfielder Tom Kearney surpassed 200 appearances and discusses his CUFC career The third of the experienced club men who brings up his thoughts on how things have changed at t Andy Wilkins wants more Scottish teams in Europe, he explains why.....

We also continue our affiliation with Lurgan Celtic, a team who share our core values and who also play in the famous green and white hoops. Its been a pleasure reaching out to Frankie and the team there, and long may this continue. Clubs at our levels should associate together and share in each others exposure and on/off the field news and other media activities.

Simon and Tom have recruited well and the new members of the squad seem like they have been there for a few seasons. I honestly think that they will be here for season’s to come and that would be a great Fromthing. a media front, we have the VEO camera and we’re still working out the kinks. I’ve personally had a couple of calls to VEO as it is not as clear cut as they make it out to be. We’ll get there, that’s for sure, and we’ll make it the investment that we hoped it would be. The recordings we’ve got have been good but livestreaming is where we are obtaining assistance from VEO. We’ll still produce highlights and ensure we get better at making these as professional as we can, so that everyone get’s to as much gameplay, goals and other incidents after each game.

See you soon, y’all....yee ha.....

June Winners Robbie Revill - £100 John Flanders - £50 Louis Godwin-Green - £25 Email on how to support the club secretary@catholicutd.co.uk

It’s been a great start to the season on the pitch and working as closely as I do with the team from a media perspective, I can honestly say that the morale is as good as it has been for a while now. The team appear to have bonded well and the competition for places is where it should be. The results have come from hard work and good football and the team look like they are up for the battles ahead.

As you read this though, I will be sunning myself across the pond, in South Carolina, wrestling with crocodiles and seeing the sights as the nearest Walmart. I’ve got my camera, but I could never put anyone through that imagary!!

COYBIG Rob MediaLilleyManager

There were quite a few games where it was noticeable that we weren’t quite as fit as we should be at this level, and although we were competing, we looked lethargic. Pre-season we’ve worked hard without the ball to improve our fitness levels and I must say not a single player has been negative about it. They have all bought into the training sessions and their mindset has been spot on throughout. We knew that we needed to freshen up the squad, and losing experienced players only added to the need. The new players have been superb. They have fit in very well, and it’s always important to strike the right balance in all teams. Personality and attitude is a big thing in football and the lads have given us a new lease of energy which is very pleasing.

They came up to the Premier as champions of Division 1 so they were clearly going to be full of confidence and enthusiasm.

As difficult as the conditions were, I think we managed the game perfectly. We didn’t let them dictate the pace, and we were superb both in and out of possession. The way we were passing, it was pleasing on the eye on a very tricky, fast and dry pitch. We took the sting out of the game with three quick goals and managed the game to prevent them getting back into the match to secure the points. We had to play what was in front of us as we didn’t know the type of football they played, being newcomers in the division. It was extremely pleasing to bring on both Harrison and Liam and see them both score. Having the strength in depth all of the team is important as the season is long and player availability plays such a huge part to consistency of performance. The hardest thing for any manager with a squad like ours, is keeping everyone hungry and enjoying matches, but when you are winning games of football, everyone is happy and eager to be part of it.

We’re hungry

competitive

Players have all bought into the training sessions and their mindset has been spot on throughout

So only two games into the season and we’ve managed to grab 6 points from 6. It’s the start we wanted, the start any manager would want to a However,season.

something we noticed toward the end of last season was the fitness of the squad.

We were handed Toby FC as our first game and we knew it was going to be tricky. They wer physical and with the conditions as they were, on one of the hottest days on record, we knew we had to control the game.

and

I don’t think we’re the finished article, as we’ve still got 3 or 4 players out injured or unavailable. There will never be a time when every player is fit and available to give me the kind of headache every manager hates, but yet craves. I guess these are famous last words!!

Looking at the league and the performances in the opening games, I think Hutton and Rayleigh Town are going to be the teams thereabouts come the end of the season. With what they are doing on the pitch, including what they are doing off it, with the new ground shares etc, they are moving in the right direction. I’m certainly looking to cause a stir this season, especially with the squad we have, I think we’ll play our part in a competitive division as usual.

Simon Thomas

In our second game, we made it hard against Canning Town because we were missing the chances which should have put the game to bed early. I’ll certainly give credit to Town as they stayed in the game all the way to the end. However, I’ll also give credit to my squad that day because they didn’t drop their heads and continued to create chances. They saw out the game superbly and as I have always said, a one-nil victory is probably the hardest and toughest result in football. We will take each game as it comes and remain competitive in every game we play this season. Our intention, nothing but win the game, it’s simple. We’ll suffer ups and downs just like every other team, but when we lose it won’t be a case of us laying down as I’ve witnessed previously. The hard work we have put in, can’t be broken because we have lost the ability to fight and dig in deep till the end.

Every week I say to the lads that if you a shirt, it is down to you to keep it. One bad performance could cost you, but I’m fair and honest to all of the players because this is a squad game. Ultimately the manager who manages his squad the best, by getting the best out his players, keeping them competitive amongst each other and keeping them competing to the highest ability on the pitch, will be in with a shout at the end of the season. This is where Tom and myself will be doing our utmost throughout the season.

Official Media Partner

CUFC IS SUCH ME!CLUBSPECIALATO Skipper Mike Sammut discusses the past, present and future....

I’ve been at Catholic United for a number of years now and it is such a special club to me. It’s so hard to put a finger on what makes it special, perhaps its history, or perhaps the people involved down the years. We’ve been very lucky to have so many great people on and off the pitch who have done, and continue to do so much. Before I joined Catholic, I’d floated around a number of clubs, but we’ve now had a number of players who’ve played a lot of games for the club, and that shows just how great the club is.

Rob Lilley, our media manager, continues to work so hard to promote the professionalism within the club, keeping everyone informed of latest news and other articles of interest. I hope Rob doesn’t delete this out of modesty.

Over the years I’ve seen a lot of changes both on and off the pitch. I’ve got to say, the biggest change has probably come from the media side. It is truly fantastic how a piece of history that was known within the club was able to be exposed and spread by social media. The connection we have with Celtic, our kit and club colours, and with the wonderful Celtic supporters who have taken us to their hearts, is phenomenal.

The famous hooped shirt is well known around the Southend region and I’ve been lucky enough to have played alongside some great players in that shirt. I played with Louis Godwin-Green briefly before and he is without doubt the best keeper I’ll have ever played with. Both Kearney brothers are superb footballers and we’re good friends outside of football too. Everyone remembers the character that was Harley Kee, who made everybody laugh, pretty much every game, and he was so good on the ball. For me though, Dan Trenkel remains my favourite player. He used to give me such a hard time when I first joined but his standards were so high, that he guided and motivated players around him to improve and get to those same high standards. It motivated me to play well, and play well consistently. He could play anywhere across the pitch and be the standout player. He understood positional play so well and I think during his career he has helped so many young players coming into football.

Debut - 20th February 2016 Appearances - 195 (12 as substitute) Cards Yellow - 9 Red - 1 Goals - 18 STATISTICS

I look ahead with the squad we have, I

I’ve also been lucky to play under a number of managers. Each have had their own man management style and of course, their own way of playing on the pitch, but I think the Pavs/Trenkel duo was Theyfantastic.wereyour typical ‘good cop / bad cop’ combination. They were front foot play in the opponents half, defend high and I loved it. The teams I was part of could play football, but we didn’t mind a scrap either. If think we have a good balance. There’s a good group of say experienced rather than old players at the club. Tom Kearney and myself have played a number of games for Catholic Utd and are approaching 30 years old. We’ve also got Aaron Baldwin, Pat Kearney, Louis Godwin-Green and Carl Read who have also played a number of games and try to bring young players through. We aren’t going to play well as a team every game, and sometimes it won’t be pretty but sometimes you just have to grind it out, as we did against Canning SimonTown. and Tom work so hard for the club. Getting players in is getting harder and harder. Since covid and Step 6 being introduced, players are hard to come by. Simon has a like-ability and football knowledge, the new players have brought a freshness. Everyone at training is eager to get in the team and Iimpress.alsothink the new batch of players we have,, can be competitive for the club for years to come. I won’t name them all, but experienced players such as Pat Kearney, Louis Robinson, Frank Craik will hopefully remain at the club and in Tom Elliot, I honestly think he is superb and very much the future of the club. In Aaron Clark, Ben Burrows etc, they have come in this season and brought with them a competitive desire and long may that stay and bring more success to the club.

The satisfaction I’ve received in football is obviously from winning trophies. At the level we play at, we’re in it to win it, not just play football with friends. From the Essex County Cup, the EOFL Premier Division to the Anagrams Trophy, I play football for enjoyment and to win.

I’ve played against some very good players too. I was given a man-marking job to do on George Saunders when he was at Kelvedon and you could see how good he was. He turned professional such was his talent. Suley at Buckhurst Hill was always a tough battle and last season, we played against Basildon Town, who had a midfielder who I’m going to admit I can’t remember the name of. He was superb, very gifted and we followed each other on the pitch, but he definitely had the upper hand. Naturally as a team sport, there is always something funny to reminisce about. Looking back, there have been a number of great moments, Ed Collis and Ellis Sands going through a window, Winter Wonderland Tom Kearney lasting an hour. To this day, Dan Trenkel, Milton Keynes away, screaming at James Paviour for a sub, still makes me laugh when I think about it.

IT’S A NICEAROUNDNICEREALLY,FORMULASIMPLEIT’SBEINGPEOPLE Midfielder Tom Kearney discusses his love for the club and the positive impact of the new players......

It’s hard not to get disillusioned by what football has long since become, as you look down from the top, but Catholic United gives me a sense of worth in an environment that makes being part of this club so special. It’s a simple formula really, it’s nice being around nice There’speople.been a few changes over the year, which is natural, but the most important change for me has to be moving the clubhouse from Westcliffon-Sea Cricket Club to Belfairs Golf Club. I never want to use a gas heater ever again!!

Catholic United hasn’t just been a huge part of my footballing career, but life in general since I was persuaded by lads at school to join the youth team in 2004. Having played through the age groups, the natural progression to adult football came in 2010 when Tim & Chris Knight put me straight in the first team squad. Despite only three years away at university, starting the following year, I’ve thankfully been able to maintain playing at that standard. It ended up becoming my club.

STATISTICS

In terms of the biggest, it has to be the level of coverage & interest surrounding the club on social media. As a player, it gives a level of professionalism that wasn’t there when I first started playing & it still amazes me there are people from all corners taking some form of interest in us.

Seeing him develop on the pitch both physically & tactically to cement his position at right back makes it even more special.

Debut - 21st September 2013 Appearances - 203 (26 as substitute) Cards Yellow - 4 Red - 0 Goals - 51

On the pitch I’ve played alongside some great players, some great people. It would be amiss of me not to mention my younger brother Patrick, but only partly for the obvious connection. Coming into the squad in 2014, Patrick had undoubted ability on the ball yet probably didn’t feature as much as he wanted that first season.

Michael Sammut is another player & one I’m so glad was convinced to join the Hoops. Having played junior football, then onto school football for five years at St Thomas More alongside Michael, it felt right that we’d one day play together again. He has been a tremendous servant to the club & has a lot left to give.

My own game has adapted overtime to a central role as the legs have slowed down & hopefully keeps me playing at this level for a long time yet.

Also within the squad were lads I’d played with previously - Ronnie Bridges, Mark Baptist & Dale Sands, and everything gelled together so well. It was also the season where teams above began to take notice of Catholic United as we made an impact in both cup competitions; reaching the County Cup final & the League Cup quarter-final only to fall to Premier Division sides Kelvedon Hatch (2-0) & Wadham Lodge (3-1 AET) respectively.

There’s also been a few players I’ve played against who I wouldn’t want to play against very quickly. However, I’m dreadful with names so I won’t name any. In terms of teams though, I wasn’t too disappointed when Buckhurst Hill gained promotion to the Eastern Counties Football League last summer. We could never manage to get the better of them.

Despite winning the Premier Division in 2018 & multiple cup successes, I will always look back most fondly at the 2014-15 season in Division Three. It was the first season with James Paviour (Pavs) as manager & the club finally managed to get out of what was then the bottom division as champions having gained entry to the Olympian League in 2008. There was always a generic perception that Division Three was the toughest league to gain promotion given new clubs would have to start from the bottom of the Olympian pyramid, but Pavs completely shook up the side & altered the mentality on the pitch. I’d never played in a team with such togetherness, albeit mainly established at the bar. Travelling from Wanstead each weekend, Craig Roberts captained the side from centre back whilst new recruits Matt Hambleton & Sean & James Foy added some much needed experience & quality.

If I look back at management and who I’ve played under, whilst it only lasted a season – a very successful one at that, I enjoyed Pav & Dan Trenkel’s management pairing in 2017-18. Both complimented each other extremely well; Pav was the ultimate man manager that had you running through brick walls whilst Trenks gave us invaluable knowhow on the pitch. We played dynamic, effective football with a talented squad that bought into the fundamental application of any successful side. Of course there were alterations to systems & personnel based on our opponents, but the basics were unchanged; an aggressive press, willing runners, stubbornness in defence & capitalising on set-pieces.

As a senior player, I feel it’s now my responsibility to help the young lads feel comfortable on & off the pitch plus making them aware of the standards we expect of players at this club. I was in that position 12 years ago & helps to put myself in their shoes every so often. I really appreciate the effort Simon has put in to recruit new players over the summer. A major frustration for many years has been availability & the gaffer has sought to rectify that by bolstering the squad in all areas. You could tell from preseason the energy & quality was high & we’ve taken that into our opening fixtures as the results have shown. We know we’ve consistently underperformed in the league in recent years, therefore it’s imperative we get back to mounting a serious title challenge for the first time in five years. The early signs are promising for the season Doahead.Ithink the new guys in the squad can carry the mantle of becoming the next batch of players to play for the club for as long as I have? I do, but in terms of longevity I would say this could be more aligned to existing players within the club. If I was look at the Reserves’ team for the Junior Cup final last season, I believe there is a core of youngsters who are more than ready to be called upon having had their introduction to adult football for the past couple of seasons. They’ve had a taste of success, & aside from being a great bunch of lads who have bought into the very essence of the club, I hope they can showcase their quality when called upon & become mainstays for many years to come.

I’ve really enjoyed facing Basildon Town over the years; you could always guarantee a really tough, yet enjoyable, fixture so it was somewhat bittersweet when they too secured promotion last season. The introduction of the new Step 6 league had been long overdue in order to bridge the progression to the Essex Senior League (Step 5). However with more clubs opting to ground share to meet regulations should they be afforded the opportunity come May, I feel the standard of the Premier Division will only be diluted further.

It is officially the first time since 2007/08 that three Scottish teams will have participated in the main stages of Europe’s international competitions. Though unofficially, it will have been the first time ever in the current format of the Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League that three Scottish sides will be playing European football for six weeks at least. But, however you look at it, Scottish football has come a huge way since the debut 1955-56 European Cup campaign in which Hibernian managed a run to the semi-final of the inaugural competition, only to lose to runners-up Stade De Reims.

Hibs, to this day hold the record of being the first team from the British Isles to partake in European competition, partly because they had floodlights installed at Easter Road and because they were also invited at a time when league positions didn’t matter. Mind you, it could be argued that, a top 4 spot in the English Premier League secures this.

Assistant Editor Andy Wilkins writes about Scottish teams in Europe and how football needs it

Hello everyone and welcome back to my column this fantastic Catholic United magazine. It only feels right to get straight into my subject this month, Scotland being represented in European football competitions by three clubs this season.

Russia’s coefficient will no doubt be dropping further, due to a prolonged absence in Europe almost similar to that seen by English clubs from 1985-90 with the Heysel Disaster.

Hibs have been absent from Europe’s top tier international competition ever since. They have never been able to replicate the success but hopefully the day will come again for the Edinburgh side.

Scot’s Europein- I want more of it.....

It could be argued that Rangers were the reason why Celtic were given the automatic place into the group stages of the Champions League over the past two/ three seasons, given their cup runs in Europe didn’t see them progress further than their Glasgow rivals. Yes, it played a part, but Celtic were given a hand by Russia being barred from European club competitions, whilst it continues its war against Ukraine.

This season has seen Motherwell and Dundee United fall away in the qualifying stages of the Europa Conference League whilst Rangers and Hearts have had to guide through a passage of qualifiers into the Champions League and Europa Conference League respectively.

Cities across Britain including that of Scotland deserve European football on a regular basis, and as we see Scottish football hit heights internationally with the national team once again, it’s only fair the clubs take up some of the opportunities on offer in European competition as well.

Personally, as a lover of Scottish football over that of English football, I see many positives from having more Scottish sides in European football. More sides in Europe means a bigger chance of a better standard of players coming over to play in the league alongside a bigger opportunity to sell. Hopefully this would lead to new audiences which in turn could see an improved tv deal being proposed in due We’vecourse.seen so many players who have used Scotland as a place for development before hopping south of the border into the Premier League, and whilst it is inevitable that the riches of England will tempt players, the lure of European football will equally lure players from England to Scotland in due course if this trend carries on. The fact is, right now there are seven English teams taking part in European competition, which is a huge rise in English dominance in the international game since the 198590 Heysel disaster induced ban on English teams. Only two sides entered European competition in 1990-91. Skip forward 10 years, and seven teams represent England in European competition. This was primarily helped by the dominance achieved by the likes of Manchester United who continued their dominance during that period. The recent Champions League draw saw Celtic drawing Real Madrid and RB Leipzig with Rangers drawing Liverpool and Ajax. Glasgow will be a hotbed for European football. Hearts are waving the flag for Edinburgh’s representation and are set to welcome the Italian giants of Fiorentina and Turkish side Istanbul Basaksehir.

If all three Scottish clubs make it through to the knockout rounds of their respective European competitions by the end of November, that in itself will be a testament to how impressive the Scottish clubs are improving after years of fading away into obscurity and decline over the last decade.

It’s safe to say that Scottish football doesn’t have the best of tv rights deals. Sky Sports showed only 41 out of a possible 48 games(as per their deal with the SPFL) in 2020/21 and they still had 13 games available to screen just before the start of the split in April with only six matchdays left. Hopefully with Scottish football being represented by more teams on the European stage, it might mean that we get a better tv rights deal for all involved.

However, there is no doubt about it. It’s clear that both Celtic and Rangers are miles ahead of the rest of Scottish football thanks to their worldwide fanbases and the money brought in from European competition which outweighs that gained in the SPL. But, if we want to see a more competitive Scottish Premier League, then the money from European competition could come at a vital time for clubs across the pyramid and it could work as a better alternative to clubs bringing in funds instead of selling their best young players south of the border.

As an old traditionalist, I long to see the days of Leeds, Newcastle, Aberdeen and Nottingham Forest in European football once again. The same could be said of the likes of further European sides like Parma, Lazio, Stade Reims, Deportivo and Hamburg.

Thank you for reading and I wish you all the best.

Andy

THE CLUB HAS PLAYPLACEENJOYABLEBEENALWAYSANTO

Patrick

Kearney tells of his early CUFC career and his views on how the the club stands at the moment......

On the pitch I’ve been honoured to have played alongside some great players. From starting my first full season with my brother Tom, it was like he was playing a different game to everyone else at times. Dan Trenkel and Louis Godwin-Green joining was great for the club, what with their quality & experience. I’ve made good friends with Ellis Sands and Harley Kee, and they were great players within their own right. I can name a few more, Mike Dean, Mike Sammut, Bradley Vaughan, but there are so many more. I guess at this point I’d like to say that if others had paid me what Ellis, Harley, Sammut and Vaughany have, you might have got a mention!!!

Players I’ve played against? There are plenty of very good players in the Olympian League. The league is so competitive. One moment that does stand out would be Kelevedon Hatch’s, Mike Daniels. He scored a rocket against us in our first Premier Cup Final. He was a good player with a great left foot. I reckon I could count this as the best goal I’ve seen us concede too. I honestly don’t think you can look past the clubhouse on a Saturday night for a good laugh! We’ve been entertained with clubhouse golf & cricket, speed pool & Eds Bets to name a few classics. A stand out moment would be a former player, having a wrestling match with a former linesman/physio and an incident involving a sliding door #ifyouknowyouknow Again, looking back, I think winning the Essex Olympian Premier was a great achievement, and for me personally. It was our first season in the division so that made it even more special. To win it how we did, with games to spare, an obscene number of clean sheets!

From when I started in the youth side, Catholic United always seemed to have good teams, and moving into the mens team, I’ve always given 100% and thankfully have done well. The club has always been a fun and enjoyable place to play and there are a lot of great people around the club. I’ve made some good friends at the club and its always a nice way to spend your Saturday’s. I’ve seen a few changes on and off the pitch, and over the last few years we’ve had a few different managers. I think this has been the biggest change for me. From Pavs bringing me into adult football (after a few texts), the team being so successful & with Trenks coming in alongside, then taking over. With a couple managers after I feel like Simon has steadied the ship again and got the team performing like we should.

I think winnin the Premier Cup against a strong Harold Wood side, whilst we were competing in the EOFL Division 1 comes a close second…

Debut

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Playing under Pavs in the first couple of years and then Dan Trenkel joining him were great years. We had a good core of players that knew each others games so well, which only helped Pavs and Trenks when they were fielding their lineups and their tactics. Everything seemed to click, good managers, a good group of players who were extremely competitive. We won a lot of games and trophies together. Just don’t ask Pavs what his win percentage as Catholic manager is, as you will get the answer to the exact decimal! As I look ahead, the EOFL Premier will always be competitive. Playing in this league is great experience, and despite some players believing they can step up to the Olympian Premier, it certainly does sort the men from the boys. It is a great stepping stone to bigger and better leagues and teams, for those who see football as a possible career, to earn from. At our level, you get to know teams, players, style of play, just like any other division. What I think is also key is enjoying the game and your fellow team mates. Having a good laugh at training and again before matches on Saturday’s is something I think every player should experience. I certainly do.

I’m really liking what Simon has done with the team over the summer. The signings he’s made are ones that we’ve been needing & it’s made everyone step up to fight for their places. We had a tough pre season which Simon knew we needed to get back to levels we know we’re capable of.

13th Sept 2014 Apps

sub) Goals - 20 STATISTICS

There’s no one better to learn off than Si, as an player at a high level with great experience. If we can keep this squad together for the season, I’ve no doubt we’ll have a good season with the quality we We’vehave.got some great youngsters at the club, that I’m sure will play for a number of years and win trophies. They’re a great bunch of lads who are great to play with, so hopefully like a lot of us, they’ll enjoy the club and continue to make it a success.- (20

26 Official Allegiance Club Team photo by Chris Totten LURGAN CELTIC FOOTBALL CLUB Sharing club values of being open and inclusive to all, to encompass and represent all members in the community and society in which we operate

LURGAN CELTIC

returned to commence preparations for the new season ahead in early July, and with a host of pre-season games lined up, they were keen to ensure that they got up to full speed in advance of the league commencing in midAugust. The club introduced a reserve team over the summer and managed by Shea Duffy and Martin McGuigan they were soon adding names in numbers as they confidently gathered a squad that would complement not only the first team but also push for progression and honours in the reserve league. Senior management duo Michael Smyth and Donie McCourt, strengthened the squad with the additions of talent in the form of Cahal Judge, Caolan Campbell and Sean Montgomery, whilst also bringing some youngsters into squads for pre-season. Pre-season is more about getting game time in the legs and on-pitch systems and partnerships cemented in advance of the competitive action and with some changes in personnel from last season in the early outings, the team came out on the losing side against both Laurelvale and St Marys to scorelines of 1-2 and 2-4 respectively. They finally got their first win when they travelled to Cookstown to face Killymoon Rangers, and McAlinden and captain Lavery bagged doubles, whilst last years player of the season Toman got the other goal in a 5-1 victory.

As we continue our friendship with Lurgan Celtic, they’ve agreed to send us columns for our monthly magazine and we are more than happy to keep everyone up to date with the going’s on across the Irish LurganSea.Celtic

Tullyvallen handed out another defeat with a 4-2 win over the Hoops, a game where striker Reynolds got both goals; before things clicked for Celtic against Scarva Rangers, where they bagged 9 goals in a 9-1 win. They followed this up with victory over Windmill Stars (3-0), St Matthews (3-1) and local neighbours Goodyear FC (5-1) to round off the pre-season fixtures.

Throughout pre-season Reynolds had been to the forefront on the goal trail, with McAlinden, Withers, Gilmore and Lavery also prevailing with goals. Young full back Magee had come into the side and performed extremely well in his appearances, as did new arrivals Campbell and Judge in midfield, and Montgomery in defence.

IIs awaited the Hoops in the next round and a squad with an excellent blend of experience and youth, played their part in an excellent match that hung in the balance for large portions of the game. Celtic started in menacing fashion and with Withers in fine form, the team raced into a 2-0 lead with less than half an hour played. Rathfriland struck back just before the interval to give them a foothold back into the game, and with Celtic struggling in the second half to find any fluency, Rathfriland drew level and threatened to take the lead, and the place in the next round of the competition.

The competitive season kicks off with cup action in the form of the Gerald Kennedy Cup in early August, and Celtic were drawn at home to Rossowen in their opening fixture. The tie was to prove tricky from the outset and the visitors caused concern by taking the lead in the contest, and in so doing provoking a reaction from the Hoops. Thankfully, Celtic fought their way back into the tie and upon getting level, they soon took the lead and from this point on, there was only going to be one winner. Gilmore was excellent and scored a hat-trick from midfield, whilst captain Lavery continued his fine pre-season scoring form by hitting another double, with the scoring completed by striker Reynolds who hit the sixth goal for Celtic in sealing a 6-1 win to progress to the next Rathfrilandround.Rangers

Fortunately for Celtic, a combination of resolute defending and dogged determination from the attack-minded players, saw first the excellent Crawford head Celtic into a late lead, before Toman lobbed the keeper in injury time, to nail a semi-final spot much to the relief of the home

Thesupport.semi-final was an intriguing match up between Ballyoran and Lurgan Celtic, and both sides harboured serious ambitions to not only make the final but also land the trophy. It proved to be keenly fought out between two closely matched sides, although Celtic struck first when McAlinden headed into the Ballyoran net from a teasing corner kick. Despite having other opportunities, the game only had the one goal on the scoresheet into the second period, although Ballyoran had improved and were proving more threatening than they had done so in the opening

Theyhalf. eventually drew level from an excellent strike from distance, and with Celtic having a goal strangely disallowed and subsequently being reduced to 10 men following the dismissal of Crawford, it looked as though it was not going to be Celtic’s day. To the teams utter credit though they dug deep, and in testing warm conditions, they refused to accept the potential of defeat and regained the lead when Toman struck from the penalty spot, before McAlinden sealed a final spot for Lurgan Celtic when he turned and fired a third goal in the latter stages. The final will see Lurgan Celtic face Newry Celtic on Friday 16th September.

September brings entrance into both the Marshall and Junior Cup competitions, as well as the final to the Gerald Kennedy Cup, so further league fixtures will be split between the end of August and end of September.

6. Growing up who was your all-time favourite player? Zidane / Faustino Asprilla

9. Toughest individual opponent you have faced? Over the years we always seemed to draw Glenavon in the Mid-Ulster cup and I spent most of those games tracking Conor Walsh into our box. He was the hardest, as I never got a chance to play as he kept me facing my own net for most of the match.

Skipper - Niall Lavery

Club captain and stalwart of the club; Niall ‘Buckshot’ Lavery has been instrumental in some of the great times associated with the club in the past and hopefully going forward. Having started out at the club, he also played for several Irish League clubs as well as in the Irish League with the wee Hoops. A talented midfielder, he can also play in defence and has been to the fore in pre-season on the scoresheet. Here we put Niall in the hotseat and find out more about the guy in the Number 6 shirt!

29 Life in Division 2 in season 2022/23 kicked off on Saturday 20th August with an away trip to Glenavy Youth. The club hoped to kick start the campaign with a win and despite a cagey opening quarter, where neither team could get a real foothold in the game, Celtic’s Toman scored the opening goal of the league campaign to put the Hoops in front. Other chances came and went and Glenavy offered threat on the counterattack, but the introduction of winger Douglas for Celtic in the second half helped re-ignite the game for the visitors. Strike duo Withers and Reynolds both bagged a brace of goals as the Hoops ran out convincing 5-0 winners to get the league up and running with 3 points on the board.

7. Which teammate would be voted off Love Island first and who would win? Not sure who would be 1st voted off as we’ve a few headers, but Conor mccann would 100% win it.

8. Best player you have played alongside? Big Raymond Fitzpatrick. A club legend. Any time we played together you just knew on good days or bad even if he only got one chance he’d score.

3. Who has had the most influence on your career? Ciaran O’Kane. Started off with him as my school football manager aged 11, signed for him at Celtic at 16 and played under him for 10+ years. A top 4.manager.Bestmoment on a football field? Must be when we won the Bob Radcliffe cup in 2011, because of how much the cup means to the club. However leading the team out with my little boy and girl for my 1st cup final as captain will top that on the 16th of September.

5. Favourite other football team? Glasgow Celtic but still follow Newcastle as I grew up following them

1. Goals for the season ahead? For the season is to win the league. We’ve targeted a few cups that we feel are winnable. Personally my goals are to stay fit and get on the scoresheet more often.

2. Favourite band or musician? Oasis

Manager Eamonn Kearney reviews the reserves great start to the season following promotion..... 30 RESERVESREVIEW

Starting the league season against Hashtag United Dev, a team who have progressed through the divisions with us, a 1-1 draw was a fair result despite having good chances early and late to win the game. A fantastic goal from Dom O’Kane had the team ahead but an equally great strike gave Hashtag United a share of points.

After an unbeaten pre-season against a range of opposition, the reserve side have started the season unbeaten in August. Despite losing influential players to retirement and to the first team as part of club progression, the team recorded wins against teams in the premier division and division 1, leagues above where the team will play this year after back to back promotion saw us promoted to Division 2.

September sees games against local rivals Old Southendian and Shoebury Town in the league as well as the reserves debut season in the Essex Premier Cup following the Essex Junior Cup win last season.

In the final game of the month, the first win of the season was secured with a 3-0 victory away at Rayleigh Town. Two goals in the first 25 minutes from Franklin Craik, returning from injury, set the side up for their first three points of the season. An excellent strike from Ben Burrows after some good build up play from Adam Sargent secured the points early in the second half. The side defended well and kept a valuable clean sheet.

SATURDAY 13th AUGUST

Local sports blogger and Yellow Advertiser contributor Scott joins us in this issue to review the opening games of the Olympian Premier. Scott, like Pete Dudley, are great friends of the local clubs and we are happy to have them writing for our magazine.

Elsewhhere, Bishop’s Stortford Swifts grabbed a 2 – 0 triumph over Sungate at Silver Leys. Jamie Dicker and William Morris secured the points for the home team there. Old Southendian also started with a win as they defeated Springfield 2 – 1 at Garon Park 3G. Nico Dubouchet and Jack Lelliott scored one goal each for Altan Ali’s team to overturn Arinze Ossai’s goal for Francesco Zabotti’s team. Other results on the day were Runwell Sports’ 1 – 1 draw with Galleywood and Canning Town‘s 3 – 1 success over Shenfield AFC.

32 Prem Review

Hello & welcome to the return of the Essex Olympian League round-up articles for the 2022-23 season. I will endeavour to compile these as often as I can during the season, though just as an advance notice that they may not be done weekly. This week, we look the action in all six divisions, as the new EOFL season began in earnest. As usual we begin with the top-tier, and in a season of change which includestwo new names to the division (Toby & Runwell Sports) and a few clubs moving into ground-shares at Senior grounds, we start with Hutton‘s 2 – 1 victory over Rayleigh Town at Tilbury’s Chadfields. Stalwarts Will Marlowe and Stephen Judge got the important goals there as Matt Singh’s side began their new era well. Catholic Utd also began their new season well with an impressive 5 – 1 success at newcomers Toby. Aaron Baldwin started his season with a treble, with substitutes Harrison Day and Liam Oliver also notching at Toby’s new venue – the Nursery Sports Ground in Ramsden Heath.

Saturday 22nd August, and Rayleigh Town got a fine 4 – 0 victory over Toby at Concord Rangers’ Thames Road. Harry Talbot got a fine treble with George Vile’s penalty securing the points. Leigh Ramblers began their 125th Anniversary season with a good 3 – 2 win in their local derby at Old Southendian. Tom Franks got a brace while stalwart Ryan Lowe got the other goal. Mattias Tonking and Jack Lelliott both notched for OS there.

The two other matches were narrow wins for the home side. Firstly, Catholic Utd defeated Canning Town 1 – 0 at Len Forge, with Louis Robinson the goal-getter. Also at Chadfields, Hutton had a goal from substitute Jude Keeling to thank for a 1 – 0 win against Kelvedon Hatch. Hutton lead the table after a 2 – 0 victory at Bishop’s Stortford Swifts. The Reds have only conceded one goal in their three matches so far, of which they have all won. Galleywood were held 1 – 1 by Kelvedon Hatch at Melbourne Park 3G. Bradley Taylor netted for the hosts, but Chris Denham replied for Hatch as they took a point. Both teams are in mid-table, having yet to win so far this term.

All the best Scott SATURDAY 20th AUGUST SATURDAY 28th AUGUST

At Chelmer Valley High School, Springfield also drew 1 – 1, with Leigh Ramblers. Replacement Antony Connor got the goal for Franco Zabotti’s team. Other results in the division were Canning Town‘s 2 – 1 win over Sungate in Beckton and Toby got a massive win in their new surroundings in Ramsden Heath, as they prevailed 6 – 2 against Runwell Sports.

34 True C O L O U RS We bring our historical photographs to life with an all new AI coloursation & restorer program. Images have been rendered from black and white or colour and enhanced to improve the image. All images we publish each month may only have been published in local newspapers but remained in our archives since then.

Front Row: G.Cave, T.Foley, J.Askew, J.Hurley, D.Britt, I.Britt Back Row: W.Hurst, J.Pye, I.Walker, T.King, T.Mimpress, S.Nichols, B.Wain (Com.)

Our victorious 1966 Walton Cup winning team.

L to R: Glen Foy, Martin Britt, Chris Sexton, Tony Cotgrove, Kevin Wall, Keith Exley, Paul Marsh (current)

There was limited information available for this cutting but we managed to get some minor colourisation and removed some noise to make the image a little clearer.

It’s not very often you get an image of all chairmen of a football club together. This was already a colour image but had a lot of noise. We’ve managed to remove the noise and soften the sharpness.

36 WHAT’S IN Home Shirt £24.9922/23 Green Training Shirt 22/23 £24.99 Fluo-Green Training Shirt 22/23 - £24.99 JOMA Champion V Warmup - £17.86 JOMA Crew IV Training £15.53 JOMA Hobby Polo £24.99

37 STORE JOMA Campus Manager Shirt - £17.86 JOMA Quarter Zip £16.76 JOMA Iris Rain Jacket £16.15 JOMA Supernova II Hoodie - £26.31 JOMA Everest Coat £33.39 JOMA Crew IV Hoodie £29.59 Prices are for adult sizes & does not include delivery charges Visit www.sxsports.co.uk for more products and to place your order

SPONSORSHIP PLAYER We’d like to thank all of our player sponsors for your support this season Louis Godwin-GreenHomeStuartMarshall PaulAwayMarsh Patrick VedranKearneyHomeDeranja AVAILABLEAwayTO SPONSOR LouisPKRobinsonHomeElectrical Services AVAILABLEAwayTO SPONSOR Jack Leech ChrisHomeClark (Twitter @Chrisclark1975) AVAILABLEAwayTO SPONSOR Ben BurrowsHomeWilliamMcCluskeyTwitter@lucky280274 Away MHS Radiators Tom Elliott Home Ellen Flanagan Away Ellen Flanagan MikeHailSammutHomeCesarWhatsApp Group Wishaw Bhoys Twitter @theblairthing AVAILABLEAwayTO SPONSOR TomTommyKearneyHomeandMechelle Timms Twitter @TommyTshell AVAILABLEAwayTO SPONSOR

Carl Read AaronHomeBloxham AVAILABLEAwayTO SPONSOR Joe O’Kane TwitterMrsHomeHC@mrscee68 AVAILABLEAwayTO SPONSOR AaronTwitterOffsideClarkHomePhotography@offsidephot Away Square One ServicesElectricalLtd Dan Regan Home Square One ServicesElectricalLtd Away Square One ServicesElectricalLtd HarrisonPaulDayHomeMarshall Away JamesStewartWarderHomeandLiam Murray (Lincoln) Away Frank Craik TwitterMattHomeHanan@HananMatt CrystalclearAwayLeisure Limited AaronMedwayBaldwinHomeEmerald 67 Twitter @67Medway AVAILABLEAwayTO SPONSOR AVAILABLE TO SPONSOR AVAILABLE TO SPONSOR If you are interested in sponsoring a player, please contact the club at secretary@catholicutd.co.uk

SEASON 2022/23

All the best Vedran Deranja

Since then, I’ve always sat waiting for the Catholic Utd results on Saturday and love hearing about what is going on at the club via the website and on social media. It’s really exciting reading about the players of which the club seems to attract players from a higher level. In the 2018/19 season I managed to watch Catholic United for the first time, in a cup match against Clapton. It was a great experienced and it showed, back then, just how far the club had come since the first time I started Thisfollowing.season, with Simon Thomas at the helm, I’d like to see Catholic Utd back where we belong, at the top of the league and pressing for promotion to the new Step 6. I truly believe this is where we should be playing. Once at that level, it would be great to see the team in the hat for the FA Cup at last.

CROATIAFROMWITHLOVE

I started following the EssexBhoys at the end of the 2013/14 season, when, after a difficult season, we finished 7th. I’ve felt for every season since then I’ve felt it has been getting better for CUFC. I was part of the Croatian Catholic Futsal League and I started to look for similar clubs and organisations in Europe, and that’s when I stumbled upon Catholic United.

I live in Croatia, within the capital city, Zagreb. I am a huge fan of non-league football, both in Croatia and in the UK. My local team, Slavan Gruda, play in the fourth Croatian league, the Dubrovnik County League. They’ve celebrated their 100th Birthday in recent years.

OUR SPONSORS #ESSEXBHOYS www.catholicutd.co.uk WE ARE PLEASED TO RECOGNISE THE OFFICIAL PARTNERS OF CATHOLIC UNITED FC If you would like to know more about how to become a sponsor, please contact the club secretary@catholicutd.co.uk