*Avenue Utd Chairman Gearoid Mannion with new manager Adrian Walsh & joint assistant manager Oliver Fitzpatrick.
ADRIAN WALSH is to take over from David Russell as the new manager of Premier Division champions Avenue Utd.
Walla who joined Avenue’s first team as coach for what was Russell’s last of six seasons in charge was ratified by the club committee this week to take on the top job.
Former Chairman of the Clare District Soccer League, Oliver Fitzpatrick will remain involved as joint assistant manager with Eoin Slattery continuing in his role as part of the management team focusing on analysis. Walsh confirmed he hopes to make three more additions to his ticket including a joint assistant manager and goalkeeper coach, “all of these will be persons outside the club so we are freshening it up”
Ennis native Adrian will be the side’s main coach. The club is also expected to add to their squad as they begin their quest to win three Premier Division titles in a row.
Long-serving winger Mark Roche a four-time Premier Division winner has confirmed he will not be part of the squad when they resume preparations ending a thirteen year career with the club’s first team while defensive midfielder Dylan Barry has relocated to New York City.
On potential new signings, Walla said, “The merry go round will be the merry go round, we’ll be okay with what we have but we are looking to add to it, we’ve got nothing over the line in terms of new players yet, I’ve a few players in mind and I’m looking to add more quality, some lads will depart and we’ll replace them”.
Taking on the role of manager was not a difficult decision, he said. “I had to ask the boss my wife (Amelia Sheridan) first but it wasn’t difficult, she is avenue through and through, she’s from Marian Avenue so my brotbhers in law have always been slagging me when I was with other clubs to get involved with Avenue. When I was asked to take over I was anxious to make it work, I’ll be double-jobbing for a part of the season as I’m Head Coach of the Treaty Utd U14 boys team but we’ll make it work”.
In the club’s first season in the CDSL (Div.2 1983-84) the Avenue panel comprised exclusively of players from Marian Avenue and Steele’s Terrace and included seven sets of brothers; Caseys, Mounseys, Purtills, McMahons, Connellans, Lyons and Guilfoyles. Walsh’s mother in law is a Guilfoyle which creates the link.
Speaking to The Clare Echo, the former Lifford FC boss admitted it wasn’t until he worked up close with the Avenue side that he appreciated the quality they have. “I went in as a coach into the unknown, it is a real competitive dressing room but you don’t know until you’re involved and working with them on a weekly basis, it’s only then that you see the quality there with McGann, Na, Dylan Casey, Jack Ryan, Jack Dunleavy and Owen Hadden they are quality ball players mixed with the likes of Seán O’Callaghan, Conor Mullen, Elias Kunz and Tiny (Eoghan Thynne). Some of them should really be playing in the League of Ireland to be honest but you want to be working with quality players and that was a big draw for me to be coaching top quality players”.
Within the club the belief remains strong that they can make a big breakthrough outside of the county. “I’m involved with the Avenue Utd U9s in the academy, it is a huge club with outrageous numbers, I’m hoping we can try create a link and provide pathways to the first team. You could have a future international in the academy or you could win a Munster or FAI but my mantra is always performance before the result, I won’t be ranting or raving about winning or losing a game but I do want to win, I am competitive and the dressing room is competitive. Cockhill Celtic was a big game last season and we gave a big display so the lads know they can beat the best teams in the country, for the last two years we’ve knocked out the FAI Junior Cup champions and this year the teams that beat us went on to win the Munster Junior Cup and lose the FAI Junior Cup final so we can’t really complain with how we’ve done. It was a good season, we won the league in the most competitive season from all my time involved in Clare soccer and it will be competitive again next season in Clare, that is what you want, you focus on getting out of Clare first and then it gets even more competitive”.
