LEESIDE FEB 2002

LEESIDE FOCUS




There is a familiar name in goal for the Leeside Premier side these days. Young Ray O'Connor has taken over the position once occupied with some distinction by his father of the same name. Kieran Mullins, who impressed for Leeside in the Jubilee AOH win last summer, is now in Australia and young Ray has been give his chance.



There has also been a change at management level. John Shine, the AUL Manager of the Year last season, has had to step down due to work commitments and has been replaced by Gerry Holland who is being assisted by Denis Cambridge.



Holland has been a terrific captain for Leeside and was unlucky to miss out on the AOH last season because of injury. Gerry skippered the Leeside A team to two 1B titles, two County Cup triumphs, a Mossie Linnane success and to the championship in Premier A.



The full A panel, much the same as last season, is: Ray O'Connor, Micky Coughlan, Tommy Gettings, Conor O'Leary, Jimmy O'Sullivan, Wayne Barrett, John Corcoran (captain), Steven Walsh, Frank Walsh, Kieran Murphy, Craig Donnelly, Jeremy O'Sullivan, Frank Horgan and Derek Delea. The squad is regularly supplemented with players from the B team.



Leeside had a poor start to the season and won just one of the first five league games. But they have since won six in a row and are now top of the standings. There was also major disappointment in the early stages of all the major cups: the Munster and FAI Junior and particularly in the AOH where they were beaten by Passage.



The second string, managed by Ger Delea and John O'Sullivan, are currently second in 1B. After the disappointment of losing in the semi-final of the St Michael's Cup, John and Ger are looking forward to having a good run in County Cup, a cup that has visited Little Island more than once.



Leeside also field a third junior side and they are more than holding their own in AUL 3B. Managers Kenneth Walsh and Colm Twohig are doing well with a blend of youth and experience.



Chairman Denis Cambridge says that last season has to go down as the best in the club's history because of the AOH win: "It was our third final in four years and we lost the previous two. To win it in Jubilee year made it even more special."



"The season was crowned for us when John Shine won the Manager of the Year Award, a great honour for him and also a great honour for the club. It was the second time in four years that it came to us as Richie Keating won it previously".



The honours didn't stop there. Willie Cogan was awarded Administrator of the Year at the Cork Schoolboys Annual Awards Night. Leeside's own awards went to Conor O'Leary (A team Player of the Year), Edward O'Mahony (B Team), Nick Charalambus (C team) and Wayne Barrett (Clubman of the Year).



Leeside have been long time supporters of the AUL Oscar Traynor Cup side and it was no surprise that they gave John Shine their blessing when he was asked to take over the league team. Cambridge, who assists John with the AUL squad, says; "John is longer involved with the day to day running of the club but he still keeps in contact and Leeside are delighted with the success he is having with the AUL." Three Leeside players, O'Leary, Jeremy O'Sullivan and Craig Donnelly, are on the AUL panel.



Donnelly is of course the leader of the Murphy's Stout Golden Boot with 12 league goals to his credit. He has scored eight in other competitions and six for the Oscar Traynor side.



The big club, sponsored by Harbour Point, Elm Tree, O'Callaghans (Glanmire) and Pepsi, has embarked on what Cambridge terms "a twin track approach to progress". "The first part is to maintain and enhance our status as a top Premier club. To do this we have to develop new coaching skills and, to this end, some of our younger players are attending courses."



"The Schoolboys committee, led by Martin O'Neill, Gerry Ryng, Kieran and John Hayes, are working hard preparing future teams and coaching them in the best traditions of the club."



Cambridge says the second track is to provide proper facilities: "At the rate the club is expanding, we need more pitches. At present, we are in discussions with the Little Island Community Association with a view to developing playing fields in the Carrigrenan area and we are hopeful of a successful outcome."



Cambridge's colleagues at Leeside are Jim O'Sullivan (secretary), Cathal Kelly and Edward O'Mahony (joint treasurers), Brian Cashman, Willie Cogan, Derek Delea, Gerard Delea and Gerard O'Mahony. O'Sullivan gets married soon and his colleagues wish him all the best. Further info on the club is available at their website in yahoo.com; just put Leeside in the search box and go.



Leeside were founded in 1968 and honours to date include: President's Cup (1985), League 2(86), AUL 1B and County Cup double (1991), County Cup (1994), Youths 2A (1995), AUL 1B and County Cup double (1997), Premier A, Second Division Youths League and Cup double (1998), Teddy Healy U17 League Cup (2000), AOH Cup (2001).