Heary confident as new season looms

SOCCER NATIONAL LEAGUE: HEADING FOR two decades in the senior game, Owen Heary has seen his share of problems at clubs but few close seasons can have compared unfavourably to the one just ending for the 34- year-old Dubliner.

It is barely a week now since Bohemians resolved their ongoing difficulties with the bulk of last year’s squad while this year’s panel was still being assembled over the weekend when Killian Brennan and Ollie Cahill were signed. Tonight, the competitive action resumes with the visit of Portadown for the Setanta Cup game postponed from last week but after so much upheaval and with just two friendlies played by Pat Fenlon’s men so far, the media at yesterday’s Airtricity League launch were still unsure even what position Heary will be playing at Dalymount Park this year.

“Right back,” stated the club skipper confidently despite the arrival of Ger O’Brien, the former Shamrock Rovers, Derry City and Sporting Fingal player who can fit rather nicely into that slot himself. “Nah, Ger’s been playing in the middle of the park,” says Heary with a grin. “He’s the third best right back in the country and the fella who was second has gone to Australia (Brian Shelley) so there’s only me now.”

A switch inside, it is suggested, might not be such a bad idea as the years mount up – Heary, after all, has played more than 500 league games in a career that dates back to the 1993/94 season when he made his debut with Kilkenny City. He smiles again and dismisses the idea he will be beaten for pace even in a squad awash now with young players set to benefit from so many departures. “I’m beating all those young fellas in the runs,” he laughs. “I haven’t lost a race in something like 18 years.”

Apart, a Shamrock Rovers fan might reply, than that title race a few months back.

Heary, is keenly aware of that, though, and, somewhat remarkably, is insistent the aim during the coming months will be to challenge Bohemians’ cross city rivals at the top of the table again.

“There’s no point in going into a league season talking about finishing mid-table,” he says. “It defeats the purpose for me because I play to win things. We’ve a good enough squad and hopefully this year we’ll be up there challenging or thereabouts.”

It seems a tall order but Heary’s long record of success at Shelbourne and Bohemians certainly marks him out as one of the league’s real winners. Whatever happens, he says, he hopes this season will not be his last but there are still signs he is looking beyond the end of a career during which he has won seven league titles and a fair sprinkling of cups.

With Bohemians no longer full-time, Heary will be working part-time on the community development side of things at Bohemians while also managing the reserves. He is, he maintains, looking forward to spreading his wings a bit but first and foremost he will remain focused on life as a member of the first-team squad where he is still likely to be setting standards for others to follow.

“I suppose I’ll be doing the A team as well but to me I’m still full-time,” he says. “I’m still doing the bits during the day for Bohs and playing and training so to me it’s still full-time. I don’t treat football any differently, even when I was working I thought of football as full-time. Hopefully the young lads will think the same and will progress during the year. I think there’s a few exciting young fellahs who will be ones to watch.”

A handful will get an early chance to impress tonight against Portadown, not least because Liam Burns and Mark Rossiter are sidelined with hamstring problems. Heary is a little concerned the game might be coming a little soon for Bohemians who, he says, did well against Longford in a friendly last week before struggling against Cork. “Hopefully we can qualify,” he says, “but tomorrow will be mainly about getting a competitive match under our belts (ahead of Friday’s trip to Bray) because we’ve only had the two friendlies and no disrespect but neither of them were exactly 100 miles an hour.”

For the visitors, the game may not be a major priority either although having taken just two points from their last three league games and laboured to a cup replay win over Harland and Wolff Welders last week, a decent win would certainly represent a welcome bonus.

Cliftonville need only avoid a hefty defeat by St Patrick’s Athletic in Inchicore to be sure of their place in the next round having done the hard stuff last week in Belfast where they won 3-0 against Pete Mahon’s side.

Wallace happy with huge workload

MICK WALLACE said yesterday he will continue to manage five football teams despite having been elected to the Dáil over the weekend, writes Emmet Malone.

“Yes, I will,” he said. “The whole Wexford Youths project and my position as manager of the county teams – which involves all the clubs in the county – is important to the people of Wexford. So that’s part of my contribution to the community as well.

“But I’ll be giving the Dáil my best shot too. People are saying how are you going to find time to do everything but look, if you want anything done, you have to ask someone who’s busy. I make time to do things I think I should do. I’ll make time to do my work in the Dáil and I’ll still be able to do all the football, no problem.”