GRATTAN UTD MAY 2000

GRATTAN UNITED




Grattan United youths, who take on Casement Celtic in this evening's Youths One League Cup at Turner's Cross (7.00pm), are following in a proud tradition: next season, Grattan will celebrate their 75th anniversary.



The current youths squad has come from Grattan's close working relationship with Nu-Farm Schoolboys Club and is managed by Martin Cambridge and Martin O'Leary.



Grattan's treasurer Don O'Leary is delighted with the progression of the relationship over the past couple of seasons: "It is our intention to keep the arrangement going as it benefits both clubs. It certainly provides us with a great source of talent and two of the current team, Timmy Long and Eoin Kiely, have been selected by the AUL Inter-league manager this season".



Casement, already crowned first division champions, will probably start as favourites this evening but Grattan, though they may lack experience of Turner's Cross, are a big game team. They have already beaten Casement in a crunch league tie and have registered a great cup win over Temple Utd, the premier champions.



O'Leary also reports that developments are continuing on their grounds: "As you know, O'Neill Park is named after our president Denis O'Neill and we have made great strides there recently. Just three years back it was wasteland. Now we have developed a reasonable playing surface, provided temporary dressing rooms, and erected perimeter fencing".



He says the bulk of their finance comes from the weekly Lotto draw. It is held every Monday night at Pat O'Sullivan's Bar where Frances and Michael Byrnes are great supporters. The youths benefit from support by Duggan's Glass.



The work of fund-raising never stops according to the busy treasurer: "We presently have an application for funding from the Dept. of Sports under the Sport Capital Programme 2000. The outcome of this will dictate the pace of future developments at O'Neill Park where the completion of the fencing and the erection of permanent dressing rooms are our main targets. We would also like to give credit to our local TDs who have been very supportive of the development".



Grattan Utd also run a junior team and had their biggest taste of success in 1996 when they defeated Togher Rovers in the final of the AOH Cup. This season, joint managers Pat Caulfield and Derry Barrett have been building a handy side in One A and one that will be challenging for the title next season.



Denis "Dinny Pop" O'Neill is the current president and Tony Hyde is vice president. The current committee consists of George Murphy (chairman), Joe Lynch (secretary), Don O'Leary (treasurer), Eddie O'Riordan, Frank Geaney, Gerry Moynihan, John Chambers, Kevin Moynihan, and Mick Murphy.