BY DAIRE BONNAR
GWEEDORE United will go into the new season full of confidence and manager Stephen Cassidy is thankful for the ‘McFadden clan’ that has been pushing them on.
The side are one of the worst affected when it comes to the clash with the GAA and last year proved that as they got off to a poor start in the Division One having just been promoted, but kicked on and finished fourth.
Their start left them off the pace with the high flying trio of Letterkenny Rovers, Bonagee United and Donegal Town all having terrific starts, but with the first two now promoted, Cassidy is hoping his side can push on.
“When you look at the overall picture it was a tough league but we finished just outside the play-off and there would have been nobody hit harder in that league as me.
“Again this year I have 16 players with Gaoth Dobhair GAA and the senior, reserves and Under-21 teams all got to county finals and they’re dedicated GAA lads. Once it’s over, they’re dedicated to the soccer but the gaelic is a religion down our way.
“It did hit us but we had a good enough season, we got to the Ulster Junior Cup semi-final beating three Premier Division sides in Kilmacrennan, Castlefin and Fanad and we were the only (Donegal) team to beat Letterkenny Rovers.
“It is what it is and it has always been like that but once we get the full squad we’re as strong as anybody.
“We’ll let the table do the talking, last year’s results we beat some of the best teams in the Premier and with Letterkenny Rovers and Bonagee not there, it is going to be competitive with Milford and Castlefin coming down then Cappry and Donegal Town are always competitive.”
The league starts almost four weeks later this year and it may help his side get going, but Cassidy isn’t too worried so long as he has some of his trusted McFadden men to call upon.
“We’ve been blessed with the league being pushed back with the Brian McCormick Cup so it might give us a chance but we have boys who are always there.
“We’ve the likes of the McFadden clan, when you look at my squad I think there are 17 McFaddens. Young Brian plays a lot of soccer and he’s a super young player, Mark was my captain last year and unfortunately we’re losing him to Australia in a couple weeks.
“Ciaran is a senior statesman in the squad but he’s a great player, Conor works in Dublin but he’s an avid Gweedore United man and them McFadden’s are keeping us afloat, then Darren O’Donnell and Michael Mulhern who played with Glenea, there’s a good nucleus there without the GAA boys.
“The Doyles are a big factor in the club with Mark, Brian, Stephen and Gary, I call them the ‘Brinlack Brigade’ and we could nearly have a full team in Brinlack with all of them!”
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