The Lost Team

It isn't just at home that there is a player drain at the moment. Even if we exclude the winter exodus, we've lost a whole football team in the last couple of months. All the lads on this team were regulars so replacing them won't be easy. Such is life though and we wish all the lads well.

Goalkeeper - Brendan Lynch, Louth
Bob, as he became known, landed in Brussels shortly before the Belgium tournament last year. We had an embarrassment of riches in terms of keepers at the time so he slotted into the C team. He turned heads on the day making a number of excellent saves. By the Championship he was holding fort for the A's and continued to impress between the sticks. Gained notoriety for being the bus driver in Munich last year. He had to wait until his final tournament in Amsterdam in May to get his hands on some silverware and it capped a good year for him in the club. He returned home with his family at the end of May.

Full Back - Andrew Shorten, Cork
Along with Ricky and Mike, he was one of three lads over from Shannon on a years work experience. He gets named at full back but his versatility meant he played all over the place. That and bad timing went against him while he was here and so he never got a crack off the A's. When the opportunities were opening up, he was stuck with awkward hours but the fact he never established himself as an 'A' player was more down to circumstance than ability. Not a man to be intimidated by age either!!! He returns to complete his studies in Shannon.

Full Back - David Collins, Limerick/Offaly
Full back was the only place this man should have ever been allowed play and he should have paid more attention to the no kicking rule. Left for the outback in Oz.

Half Back - David Burke, Meath
Burkey arrived in time for the Rennes tournament in 2009 but had to slot into a team in disarray. He was a great addition to the backs as he defended strongly and distributed accurately. A quiet man off the pitch but on the away days you could knock a fair bit of craic out of him. He has returned home with his girlfriend.

Half Back - Killian O'Sullivan, Kerry
One of Sean Kelly and Kevin Keary's protégé’s. I didn't think we'd see him again after his first session when he was collapsed in a heap. The next couple were a struggle too but he stuck at it manfully. Became an ever present on the football and social scene and bowed out with a good performance down in Frankfurt. He returns to his studies at home.

Midfield - Johnny O'Riordan, Dublin
One of the true characters of the club. Was in Brussels on and off over the last ten years. Started out playing with the girls in 2009 and quickly got promoted to training with the lads. Led the march through the Ardennes last year and was lucky to survive it after getting the army lost. Always fifteen minutes late, no matter what time training was at (or any other event). He'd arrive, tog out and then start complaining we hadn't warmed up properly. If you let him onto the field without proper instruction, he could be a disaster. Give him a job and he could be masterful. He had an infuriating habit of shooting from crazy angles and equally annoying, when they went over, he would shout 'well done Johnny'. He heads to Nuremburg to work for Puma with his Cork girlfriend in tow. At least he is in safe hands.

Midfield - Alec Elliott, Dublin
I got to know Alec well when I was training FC Irlande as he was first team captain at the time. We'd have communicated regularly as trainer/captain and also played together a bit in defence for the firsts. He'd have been one of the key guys early on in terms of getting the FC Irlande lads on board with the G.A.A. and promoting it positively. Whether it be at half-back, midfield or half-forward you were always guaranteed 100% from the man. He leaves now on an adventure in the Southern Hemisphere with his fellow club mate Rosine. They are on a surprisingly short list of lasting Belgium G.A.A. relationships.

Half Forward - Ruairi Duffy, Mayo
Mayo are second only to the Dubs for garnering unrealistically lofty expectations. When they get knocked out of the Championship each year you nearly fell bad for them but you know in your heart that is better to put them out of their misery. Still, that eternal hope and optimism was crucial in the early life of the B team, which Ruairi and Johnny P worked so hard to establish. He leaves with that as his legacy and a nice little highlight reel of point shooting. Duffer moves back to Poland with his wife Ewelina.

Half Forward - Ricky Collins, Clare
Tall and rangy and able to take his points from afar. Great attitude to training. . Keep him out of the heat though. And bring plenty of massage balm for his cramping hamstrings. Didn't court controversy on or off the pitch so difficult to elaborate more. He just did the business. A natural forward and a loss all round. He returns to complete his studies in Shannon.

Full Forward - Eoin Sheanon, Dublin
A few simple lines wouldn't do the story justice. More to follow.

Full Forward - Mike Lucey, Kerry
From where I was standing, Mike was just another typical Kerryman; a bit surly and fond of throwing shapes. Because he was on nights, we didn't see as much of him as we did Ricky and Andrew so it took time to get to know him. He played on the C team in his sole appearance of 2010 in Maastricht and was off the pace. It was frustrating because he had obvious talent. 2011 was a complete turnaround though. A change of working schedule meant he has rarely missed training and he went straight into the A team from the start. He would have been a contender for the player of the tournament down in Frankfurt. Can take a score, pick a pass and track back. Good man for a session too, but don't expect more than the first verse in a sing-song.