BY RYAN FERRY
SHAUNIE Bradley is eagerly awaiting the start of the League of Ireland First Division campaign on Friday night when Finn Harps head to Lissywollen to take on Athlone Town.
Harps have put in the hard work since December to get up to speed and are targeting a good start.
Legendary striker Kevin McHugh took over during the campaign last year from Darren Murphy and it didn’t go the way Harps had planned as they finished eighth in the season.
After a couple of underwhelming years, everyone associated with the Ballybofey club would love a year where there was something meaningful to chase and big crowds at Finn Park.
A good start would certainly help to build momentum and teenager Bradley is looking forward to the 7.45pm kick-off.
“Everyone is happy enough,” said Bradley, who will wear the number 44 shirt.
“I feel that we have had a very good pre-season.
“We got a lot of good work done so hopefully we can take that into the league now.
“We start on Friday night and it’s full focus on Athlone and then come Saturday and Sunday, it will all be about getting right for UCD and we will take it game by game from then.”
Pre-season can be challenging for players but Bradley is relieved to have come through it unscathed this time.
The Fahan man wasn’t so lucky last year but was keen to make his body more robust to deal with the demands of the training.
“I did some of the pre-season last year and then I pulled my hamstring.
“I recovered and played a couple of Under 20 matches and got back into the first team after that and have been up since.
“I think I just over did it. I don’t know if my muscles just weren’t ready for it at the time.
“I wanted to make sure I didn’t have the same problem this season.
“We had a month or two off after the season but our S & C coach Eoin Logue was sending us out exercises to do all the time.
“I just wanted to make sure I was in as good of a shape as it could be when we started in December.
“I’ve enjoyed pre-season. You get really tested and it shows you what it’s going to be like in the year ahead.
“There’s no point in doing it half-arsed and then expecting it will be the same in a game.
“There’s two sides to it. There’s the high-tech end and you get all the stats and the GPS readings but the main part for me is the old-style being out in the rain and training as hard as you can and just getting over the pain.”
Cork City have dropped down and replaced Dundalk in the league and that adds more travel on for Harps.
They also have long trips to Cobh, Kerry, Wexford and Treaty to contend with.
It leads to a schedule that wouldn’t suit everyone but 19-year-old Bradley is making it work.
“I’m just really focusing on football.
“I’m working in O’Flaherty’s Bar at the minute and that works well with the football.
“The travelling isn’t too bad. It’s just what needs to be done.
“I played with Harps at underage as well so I’m used to it at this stage. It’s just the norm at this stage.”
The Bradley name is synonymous with Finn Harps and Shaunie is following in the footsteps of his father.
Shane Bradley played 291 times for Harps and is regarded as one of the best defenders the club ever had.
His brother Damien also played at Navenney street while Shaunie is joined in the first team squad by his cousin Joel Bradley-Walsh.
Shaunie doesn’t remember his father wearing the blue and white but his father is always available to pass on advice.
“He rings me every day just – the same old.
“He just tells me to go out and keep the head and keep running.
“I don’t remember him playing for Harps.
“I remember him when he was with Letterkenny Rovers and they got to the FAI Intermediate Final in the Aviva.
“He retired from Harps the year I was born.
“I usually play up front but I don’t mind the defending part of it either.”
Shaunie Bradley, Lorenzo Piaia, Darragh Coyle, Josh Cullen, Conor Tourish, Max Hutchison, Joel Bradley-Walsh, Oran Brogan, Gavin McAteer, Shaunie Bradley, Idir Zerrouk, Aaron McLaughlin, Tony McNamee, Adam McDaid, Conor McGranaghan, and Max Johnston were all on the books last year and remain on board for the 2026 campaign.
Youngsters Ryan McConnell and Odhran McHugh have been named in the first-team squad as are new signings Bernardo Monteiro, Alex Fanle Nathan Lumingo, Daniel Lacerda, Temiloluwa Ajibola and Perrault Tokam.
Harps headed to England a few weeks ago and faced Wigan Athletic and Bolton Wanderers Under 23s and Bradley feels that trip has bonded the team together.
“It was very good now.
“It gave the new signings a good chance to settle in.
“It was also very professional when we were away and we got a lot out of it.
“I think it will stand to us and hopefully we can get to where we want to be.
“We played Sligo twice as well and Galway and we had a couple of in-house games too so it’s been good.”
Athlone finished bottom of the First Division last year, some 16 points adrift of Harps.
However, Bradley isn’t reading anything into that.
“It definitely will be a tough match.
“Like everyone else in the league, they will want to start off with three points.
“But we will just focus on ourselves and hopefully we can go out and prove that we are better than them.
“I’m sure there will be a lot of Harps fans down to watch.
“We can feel the buzz coming in now with the first game back and I’m sure the fans will feel the exact same.”
