Cobh Sport

 Interview with Charlton Athletic goalkeeper Cathal O'Hanlon, native of Cobh. 

We caught up with former Springfield Ramblers goalkeeper Cathal O'Hanlon who's currently plying his trade at English Championship side Charlton Athletic. He speaks about life as a footballer, sport in Cobh and gives tips to young players who want to make it in England

You've been at Charlton Athletic for almost two years now, how are you getting on?

To be honest, my time here has been very tough. I have struggled with quite a few injuries. In two weeks time I will be getting my fourth operation in the space of a year and half, so I have been pretty unlucky. But after each setback, I have come back strong . It's just been unfortunate with the amount of injuries.

What's the life of a full-time footballer like? 

Once again it's a very tough environment. People tend to think that it is a great lifestyle and each day will be brilliant playing football but it is very competitive. You cannot slack off in the slightest or you will lose your place, so you cannot get too complacent. But It does have its rewards if you work hard and focus on what you set out to accomplish. Those rewards can progress you on as a footballer and help you in your career.

Was it hard leaving Cobh and your friends and family?

Yes it was very hard. Homesickness did play it's part during my 2 years here, but I did get over it and it did prepare me for living away from home. This is good to have if you're looking to play football abroad permanently. Home will always be there though and it is great to get home whenever I can, to see my family and friends again.

There are a few other Irish lads with you in England. Does that help?

Yes it does, it's a huge help because of the cultural background. These lads are going through the same experience as me so it is always good to help each other out whenever we can. Over the last 2 years I have become great friends with them, it's crazy to think it's all coming to an end in just a few months time, but I know where ever we go we will keep in touch.

Cobh has quite a tradition of producing good goalkeepers. Why do you think this is? 

This is very true!  Alan Smith is with Rangers and doing very well and then you have the up and coming Dave Coffey at Springfield Ramblers  who is doing exceptionally well with both his club and country! For me the person who made me the goalkeeper I am today is my dad Willie O'Hanlon. He's helped out with the majority of goalkeepers in Cobh and I'm sure it's not just me who has him to thank for progressing us as goalkeepers.

Do you think football in Cobh is in a good place at the moment?

I think Cobh has so much potential in football.  It has always had a good footballing background and has produced so many great players and can still produce more and more great players,. It's just a pity that the funding for Cobh football is not the best, especially at senior level because it would help progress football in the town hugely.

If you could improve football in your home town what would you do? 

I would try and progress players on so they can reach up to the senior level and help Cobh get their name back on the map for football. I know players mainly aim for the English "dream" but it would be great to see players wanting to represent their town and try to progress them to the best possible level.

Do you keep an eye out for results at home while you're over in Charlton?

Always. I love keeping up to date with what is happening sport wise in Cobh  but anything in general that is happening in Cobh I like to hear about. I'm always hoping to hear good news of course and it is mainly good things that I'm hearing!

Do you have any tips for young players who want to make it over to England? 

 Yes quite a few actually. Make sure that if you get the chance to go to England you have a good think about what you mainly want. Do not go into this half-heartedly and certainly do not be doing this because of the "money" and "fame". To get to that level you need to put your head down and work and work very hard because as I said before the rewards you can get out of it are huge.

 Don't be afraid to express yourself over there. Do not feel as if you have to be a sheep and do what all the others are doing. You want to get noticed so do things a bit differently, on the pitch of course. They love confidence in a young player. Someone who's not afraid to take on a challenge. That will help your chances a lot.

 And finally enjoy it, because if you don't enjoy it then it will be very hard to cope. Don't approach football as a job, approach it like you did playing for Cobh or Cork or whoever you played with, play with a smile on your face and you will get the best out of yourself.

Where do you think you would be if you hadn't ended up at Charlton? 

I'd probably be playing with Cobh Ramblers or Cork City u19's. Who knows I could have ended up at a different English club. Either way I would of been happy, once I'm still involved in football at a good standard I will be happy.

Finally, where do you want to see your career going in the next few years?

Hopefully playing somewhere that has a good professional standard of football. Good options as well as England could be the Airtricity League back home, America, Spain etc. There are plenty of options and places I could end up but it doesn't matter to me where I end up. as long as  I'm fit and playing football with a smile on my face then I'll be happy. 

Thanks Cathal and best of luck in your career wherever it takes you. Here at Cobh Sport, we'll be bringing  you more interviews with Cobh's best sport stars and more so keep an eye out!

 Cobh Ramblers Season Preview

Cobh Ramblers are no longer the new team in Irish football and the honeymoon period is well and truly over. The Rams were the most entertaining side to watch last season. Their 28 league games featured an astonishing 96 goals last year but this year is all about stabling the ship. 

Former manager Dave Hill had to leave the club just three weeks before the season began as he was offered a permanent position with the FAI. This is not ideal preparation for the new season but u19 boss Martin Cambridge has come in on an interim basis. 
With only one full pre-season game under their belt (A 2-0 loss to Douglas Hall in the Munster Senior Cup) along with half a game against local rivals Cork City, the side may be lacking in match practice ahead of the new campaign. The weather was not kind to Cobh over the past few weeks, with friendlies against Limerick and Midleton both called off. The players have looked eager and talented in training however. There seems to be a desire amongst the players to go even further this year.

The squad is not hugely different to last season's. There have been some departures though. Young striker Kynan Rocks has joined Waterford United. Experienced defenders John Meade and Brian Fitzgerald have also left the club. The biggest loss though is Davin O'Neill. The veteran striker has retired after his long career in the claret and blue. This will be a big blow as O'Neill was always capable of something magical and he will be sorely missed.
Midfielder Mikey O'Shea is back at the club after finishing his military duty. Experienced centre back, Damian O'Rourke has also joined the club. Some of the current u19 squad have also been promoted to the senior set up with Jonathan Creamer, Chris McCarthy and Keith O'Flynn amongst others set to feature.
 There may be some more new additions at the club yet so don't be surprised if Martin Cambridge has a few more tricks up his sleeve before the season begins!

First up for the Rams is a Saturday night home tie against newly formed Shamrock Rovers "B" on March 8th. This is the first ever game featuring a reserve side in the First Division and should be an entertaining game with both sides looking to get off the mark early.
After that it's a trip to the South East against Wexford Youths. Not much has been expected of either side this year but both will be looking to upset the critics. It is a good opportunity for Ramblers to pick up some away points early in the campaign.

Next up is the longest trip of the year. The Rams must travel to Ballybofey and face Finn Harps. With new Harps boss Olly Horgan in charge, this will be no easy game for Cobh as they look to avenge their FAI Cup loss last year.

March 29th sees Longford Town travel to St Colman's and if it's anything like last year's two 4-3 thrillers then we're in for a treat! Longford are one of the favourites for the title this year and three points here would be a huge boost for the Rams.

The following week sees the first game with newly formed Galway FC. The Tribesmen have looked solid in pre-season and it will be another tough game on the road. Ex-Cork City boss Tommy Dunne has put together a quality side and it won't be easy.

The first Munster derby takes place on April 12th as Waterford come to town. The last time the Blues came to Cobh, two goals from Davin O'Neill denied them a play-off place. With ex-Rams Conor Meade and Kynan Rocks playing for Waterford and former Blue Craig Burns playing for Ramblers, this will definitely be a cracking tie. 

There will be no easy games in the First Division this year and Martin Cambridge will be looking at the first two games to get off to a good start. After that is a huge trip to Donegal along with games against the three favourites. They will be difficult games but as they showed last season, the team can beat anyone on their day.

With all of last year's young players having a year under their belt, the side looks better prepared this season overall. Individual losses will take their toll but as a unit the squad looks more capable to compete. A win on the road is a must this season, if only to increase morale. It was one thing they failed to achieve last year and they will hope to improve on this. Expect more entertainment at St "Goalmans" park this year, as we've become accustomed to. 

This season is still about building the club and getting back where it belongs. It'll be a long road getting back but all at the club are working tirelessly behind the scenes to get there. Promotion is not a realistic aim with such a young squad and small budget. In terms of positioning a sixth place is realistic with anything else being a bonus. Some good cup runs would also be a nice boost for the club.
Hopefully the people of Cobh will get out and support their team this year. It won't be easy but it'll definitely be a entertaining.

Top 5 Moments of Cobh Sport 2013

 2013 was another very good year for sport in Cobh, as the town continues to punch above its weight. We'll look back on just a few of the highlights from 2013!

1.  Ramblers' Return: The return of League of Ireland Football to the town was a great occasion. There were magnificent wins over Longford, Mervue and Salthill amongst others and it's hard to pick out just one game but the opening day 5-0 win over Wexford Youths in March gets the nod. Goals from Conor Meade (2), Alan O'Flynn, Martin Deady and Jonathan Spillane really announced their comeback to the big time! 
2. Cobh Pirates u17's had a great season which saw them reach the final of the South Munster Cup. Unfortunately they were defeated by a very strong Clonakilty outfit but they produced some excellent performances to reach the final and can be extremely proud of their efforts.
3. The Cobh 10 Mile Road Race goes from strength to strength as once again hundreds of people took to the streets of Cobh in aid of the Irish Cancer Society back in April. It was a great occasion for both participants and spectators and is an event the whole town can be proud of. 
4. Springfield Ramblers u15's won the Cork Cup in Turners Cross back in May. A solitary strike from Adam Horgan gave them the win over Mallow to the delight of the Springfield fans. It continued the fine tradition of underage football in Cobh.
5. Last but not least, Cobh Camogie Club won the County Summer Cup in August as they defeated Charleville 2-6 to 1-7. It was a terrific win for the team and a great end to their season. 

  9 signs you’re a sports fan from Cobh...

There’s no doubt that Cobh people love their sport. From Ramblers to Roy, Puc Fada to Pirates, here are some signs that you love you’re one of them!

1.    You’re on a first name basis with either Roy or Sonia. You remember when Keano was a young lad in the Ramblers’ midfield and you’ve seen Sonia running out the back of the Island for years (You always claim you’ve passed her out once or twice!)

2.    You haven’t missed the “Poc Fada” in years! No Christmas would be complete without the annual St Stephen’s Day tradition (You’ve lost a fair few sliotars down through the years though!)

3.    You’re always there when that random sporting celebrity turns up in Cobh for some reason. From David Haye to Brian Kerr, you were there and have the picture to prove it!

4.    You remember the night Ramblers won the First Division in 2007. You were one of the hundreds who travelled up to Athlone. Kevin Murray’s goal will go down in history and the celebrations after will never be forgotten!

5.    Every summer during Wimbledon, you dust off your tennis racket and become the next Andy Murray out in Rushbrooke. We all do it!

6.    Your soccer skills are all down to those endless days on the greens around Cobh! You’ll never forget the “World Cups” on Spar Green or the “5-a-sides” in the Tech. The games finished when whoever owned to ball had to go home though!

7.    You’ve played at least one GAA match for Cobh! Everyone has had their day in the yellow and green even if it was only when you were ten! There was always a great laugh on the buses though!

8.    Cork only won the Liam McCarthy in 1999 because Derek Barrett was on the team. You also claim to have beaten his team in the Street Leagues back in the day!

9.    No weekend is complete without going to a match of some sort on the Island! Whether it’s watching the J1’s up in Pirates or heading down to see Wanderers, you have to get your weekly fix of sport!

Hope you enjoyed these and there’ll be plenty more articles to come on Cobh Sport!

 Interview with Davin O’Neill

In our first interview for the Cobh Sport website, we spoke with Cobh Ramblers legend Davin O’Neill. He gave his view on his Rams career and also what he thinks of Cobh sport in general

You've continued the great O'Neill footballing tradition in Cobh for the past few years, what makes football in Cobh so special?

 Well, I think the fact that we have a facility like St. Colman’s Park and a club from the town playing at a National Level makes football here a bit more special than in other towns. 

Do you think sport in Cobh is in a good place at the moment?

  Facility wise, I think sports clubs have improved over the last 10 years and that is essential in maintaining and improving standards on the pitch. You only have to take a spin on any Saturday morning to see that. Soccer, rugby, GAA, tennis, golf, rowing and lots of other sports are in full flow.

If you could do one thing to improve sport in Cobh, what would it be?

  Invest in equipment & facilities where it's needed. 

What was your favourite memory while playing for Ramblers?

It has to be hearing that final whistle go up in Athlone in 2007! It was the last game of the season and we had to win it to win the league. We should have lost that game by 2 or 3 goals easily, the crossbar saved us a few times, but Kevin Murray scored eventually and we won the 1st Division. Great night!!!

Have you noticed a change at the club now since you were last involved in 2008?

 Not much only the people involved really. I'd like to see the pitch get a lot more attention to get it up to the standard it used to be at.

Where do you see the club in 10 years time?

   Providing there's sponsorship on board and good structures in place then there's no reason why we can't compete for another 1st Division title.

 Do you have any advice for young Cobh footballers who want to play at a high level?

 Just keep at it, no matter what level you’re playing at. I was playing with Cobh Wanderers when Stephen Henderson asked me to come up to Ramblers to try it at that level. 4 years later I was on trial at Sunderland, who were playing in the Premier League at the time. You don't know what's around the corner!

 What are your plans for next season? 

 I haven’t decided what I'm doing regarding football yet. There’s still lots to think about so I'm just going to enjoy Christmas and see then in the New Year.

Lastly, Cobh teams have always managed to punch above their weight down through the years. Why do you think this is? 

I don't know, maybe it's the general ethos of teams from here. We all have that rebel spirit in us!

Thanks to Davin O’Neill for doing the interview with us. Hopefully you liked it and we would love to hear your feedback! Keep an eye out for more interviews and features right here on Cobh Sport!