BRIDEVIEW UTD JAN 1994

In 1983, the Cork AUL County Cup was won by a team that wasn't from Cork at


all but from the West Waterford town of Tallow. That team, Bride View United,

were completing a double as they had also emerged as champions in AUL League

Two.



Bride View, who recently celebrated their 21st, were founded in 1972.

Membership cards were produced and went on sale at 25p each. A total of 190

local people joined the club in that first year.



A full set of jerseys was brought for œ22.00. Then the question was asked?

Who is going to wash them? Founder member Leonard Fraser asked his mum and

she has recently celebrated twenty years of jersey washing.



After a summer of friendlies the new club decided to apply to the AUL for the

very practical reason that Cork City was some twenty miles nearer to Tallow

than Waterford. The entry fee of œ12.00 was paid up and Brideview eagerly

looked forward to their first season.



None more so than the seven who made up that founding committee: Desmond

McCarthy (a cousin of former international skipper Mick, who was at the same

time learing his football in Barnsley), Joe Tobin, Tony Coughlan, John

Russell, Maurice Tobin, Leonard Fraser, Pat Coughlan. They were soon joined

on the committee by the O'Connor brothers, Denis and John.



The season began with a Division Two Shield derby, away to Youghal. Bride View

won 5 - 4 with this team: T. Daly, M. Tobin, J. Russell, B. Sheehan, P.

Henley, M. Hogan, Liam Fraser, J. Cashman, Leonard Fraser, D. O'Connor, and E.

Condon. Sub used: J. Tobin.



When the Shield was completed, Bride View were allocated a place in Division 3

where they stayed for the next five seasons. In 1973/74, Fermoy man Pat

Noonan was appointed player-manager and the club went on to benefit from his

experience and skill.



Promotion came, under Noonan's guidance, in 1976 /77. United, won 16 and

lost just three of their 20 match programme. Then they started a five year

stretch in Division Two. The first season was a tough one. Just four league

matches were won but a certain Micky Curley caught the eye with a 23 goal

contribution.



It was downhill for a while but things began to improve in 1981 with five sets

of brothers contributing to the team spirit. The glory days of 1982/83 soon

arrived.



There wasn't a home loss for the entire season. From Saturday, September 25th

to Wednesday May 18th, the team was unbeaten. Teams to fall to the Waterford

raiders included Leeside, Barrackton, Douglas Hall Utd, and Grattan.



The high scoring outfit picked up œ150 in the AUL Harp Lager Golden Goals

Competition on their way to becoming League and Cup winners. The victories

would compensate Leonard Fraser in some measure as he missed the on-field

action due to a broken leg. His brother Ray, now associated with Youghal, was

the successful manager.



The County Cup campaign began with a win over Killeady. Kanturk were the next

victims. They got a bye in the third round before beating Coachford in the

fourth, Lakewood Athletic 3 - 1 in the quarter-final.



Then followed a thrilling well attended home semi-final game against

Buttevant, the newly crowned third division champs. Buttevant had the nerve

to go ahead after Micky Curley had opened the scoring. But Bride View had the

last word. They equalised in the second half and Curley went on to hit the

winner.



The Town Park, Mallow, was the venue for the final. Philly Curley put the

visitors ahead. Back came Mallow. In the second half, Pat O'Sullivan headed

on a corner kick and returned emigrant Stephen Curley headed in the winner.

AUL treasurer John O'Sullivan didn't get much chance to make the usual speech

as the cup was grabbed from his hands by enthusiastic Tallow folk and lifted

high in the air along with skipper Timmy Sheehan.



The huge Tallow contingent noisily set out for St Catherine's Hall where the

celebrations went on until dawn. They were continued during a wedding that

Saturday and into the following week when a video (rare enough at the time) of

the match was shown in the Bracken Bar in West street.



Team: Kevin Tobin, Sean Pratt, John Sice, Pascal Prescod, Timmy Sheehan, Pat

O'Sullivan, Tommy Pratt, Connie Curley, Stephen Curley, Micky Curley, and

Philly Curley. Subs: Gerard Hogan and Pat Sheehan.



The Cork AUL and the County Cup were left behind in 1986 as Bride View lent a

hand to the development of the by now official Red House League. No longer

did they have to make the long journeys to Cork City and beyond. The memories

linger on and you can get all the details in Pat Coughlan's celebratory book

for the 21st anniversary. It is called Too Young to Vote.



Twelve year Micky Curley was certainly to young to vote when the club was

founded but not to young to make an impact. As captain of the Under 14 side

that defeated Lismore in the Festival Tournament, he collected the first ever

soccer medals for the Tallow club.



Six years later, Curley made history again as he gained an Irish cap, playing

against Wales at Richmond Park. Curley was the first and, to date, only

tallow man to represent his country in any sport at any level. Millwall's

Mick McCarthy calls Curley a fellow international in the foreword to the book.



The young Curley was a fixture on the Bride View junior teams and his scoring

exploits were soon noticed. He was chosen to play for the AUL Youths against

Waterford in 1978 and scored no less than six goals as Cork won 8 - 1.



The league officials were furious when Curley failed to make the national side

for a visit to France and it was these protests that led to him being capped

against Wales. Curley went on to play League of Ireland with Waterford and

Cork United before settling down to manage Bride View Utd from 1989 to 1992.