BALLYVOLANE FEB 07

SPOTLIGHT ON BALLYVOLANE




Ballyvolane, who celebrate 37 years in football this season, are going from strength to strength. They

field two strong junior teams in the AUL. The A side play in Premier A while the B side are in AUL

1A.



They have traditionally been a one team club but decided at the 2002 annual general meeting to enter a

second side. Chairman Derek Mellerick became player-manager of this side and it proved quite

successful.



Meanwhile, a few different managers came and went with the first team and met with limited success

though, in 2003, they finished runners up in 1A under Derek Long. It was a different story with the B

team as they were progressing rapidly. In their very first season, they won promotion from the third

division. In the next season they reached the finals of both the Saxone and City Challenge but had the

misfortune to lose in each but bounced back in 2005 to earn promotion from the second division.



Now they had two teams in the first division. Mellerick went back to take over the first team who were

playing in 1B. They finished third in the league and won the City Challenge Cup. It was Mellerick's

fifth City final. He was successful in 1998, 1999 and 2006 and lost out in 1986 and 2004.



Tony O'Donnell, who shared in most of those City cup successes, was now guiding the second string

and, in his first season, they finished runners up to Springfield in 1B. With the restructuring of the AUL

Premier Division, Ballyvolane A took their place in Premier A while O'Donnell's lads moved sideways

to 1A.



Michael Lynam is secretary/treasurer and has the assistance of Declan Mellerick in this dual role.

Others on the committee include Ger O'Riordan, Kevin O'Shea and John O'Driscoll. They are indebted

to Bernard Murphy (of Murphy's Rock) who is their main sponsor and they are also helped by Woodwise and Martins Foodstore in Glenheights.



This year's Premier panel has been reinforced by the promotion of Steven O'Keeffe, Kevin O'Shea and

Ger O'Riordan from the B team. The other members are: Ger Condon (keeper), Kevin O'Keeffe, Paul

O'Callaghan, Steve Byrne, Dave Keohane, Jeremy Lettice, Niall Guiton, James O'Shea, Peter Nugent,

Brendan Nyhan, Dave Keane, Roy Hanover, Dave Hickey, John O'Driscoll (captain) and last season’s

top scorer Martin Cronin (30 goals).



There are also a few new faces in Tony O'Donnell's B squad who are going well in the league.

Disappointed not to make progress in the St Michael's Cup, Tony will be hoping to make an impact in

the City Cup this season as Mellerick's team, because of their promotion to Premier, will be unable to

defend the title.



Ballyvolane B panel: Shane Hurley (keeper, James Burke, Paul O'Keeffe (captain), Cormac long,

Philip Murphy, Liam O'Riordan, John Magee, Adrian McDonnell, Keith Keane, Timmy long, Darren

Lynch, Philip Keane, Steve Hackett, Roy Kelly, Dave Buckley and Paul Galvin.



The teams train two nights a week, at the Glen Complex during the winter evenings and on their own

pitch at Whites Cross when light permits. Manager Mellerick is optimistic about the future: "Our aim is

to get up to the top Premier League by the time our 40th anniversary comes around in three years time. If

we consolidate this year and build from there, I firmly believe that we can do it."