Wallace looks to Italy to build platform for Wexford success

SOCCER/League of Ireland: Emmet Malonetalks to Mick Wallace as his Wexford Youths prepare to take to the national stage

Little enough about Mick Wallace's business exploits suggested his approach to taking his Wexford Youths side into the First Division of the League of Ireland would be entirely orthodox. Still, the Dublin-based property developer concedes onlookers have the right to be a little surprised he will spend the bulk of the week leading up to the club's first senior outing in northern Italy. Wallace, who visits his apartment in Turin as often as his many commitments here at home allow, chuckles at the suggestion his timing is less than entirely ideal.

"Sure, I have to learn how to manage a team somewhere," he says, "and where better than here, watching the likes of Juventus and Torino."

The Wexford man certainly likes to take in a big game whenever the opportunity arises. He tends to travel to major championships, is something of a regular at the likes of Champions League finals and takes in his fair share of Serie A games. And all the evidence tends to suggest he does take something back home with him for his decision to take his Wexford venture national follows many years of what would appear unlikely success managing the county's underage representative sides.

His own playing career spanned more than two decades with junior outfit Corach Ramblers. "We were a very ordinary side," he recalls, "all very passionate about it but just not very good."

His passion, however, persisted after his legs had given up the ghost and he came to really make his mark on the game after taking over as coach of the country's youth representative side in 1991. The job looked to be a rather thankless one as the annual Inter League Youth Cup was, somewhat predictably, dominated at that stage by teams from the likes of Dublin and Cork and other, more established regions.

In 1995, though, Wexford reached the semi-finals where they were beaten by Mayo while three years later they progressed to the final only to lose out to Sligo-Leitrim. Both defeats were, he says, "heartbreaking" but did at least persuade the sceptics that the county has what it takes to make an impression at what is probably the very highest level of the underage game.

When Wallace's teenagers next appeared in a final, just two years later, a team that included now Ireland senior international Kevin Doyle came out on top and while they lost out to an Eircom League selection in the title decider 12 months later they returned in 2005 to beat the same opponents and lift the trophy again.

Many would have settled for overseeing such fairytale success but Wallace, in a complete turnaround of the logic that has resulted in many league clubs establishing or acquiring youth sections in recent years, decided an outlet was required for those players who graduated from his side. Facilities were not a problem as he had already provided them and so, he says, "I sort of felt it (a League of Ireland team) would complete the set up there, that's why I decided to do it".

The result is a team based almost exclusively on young local talent which includes a couple of Doyle's team-mates from 2000 and six of the side that emerged victorious less than two years ago.

Wallace, a highly politicised figure, is possibly best known for the anti-Nice treaty and Iraq War banners that have adorned a couple of his building projects in the capital but he is also the man behind a string of well-respected Italian food outlets. But his work, as well as his ongoing commitments to youths teams, means he can't be quite as hands on as the league's other managers. However, with Pat Dolan (an acquaintance and friend since Doyle's move to St Pat's) and former Limerick boss Noel O'Connor (met through Dolan) each taking one session a week, and others pitching in too, he's satisfied the squad is well looked after. Friday's trip to Monaghan will, he accepts, be the start of a significant challenge both for him and his players but as always Italy will provide the inspiration both on and off the pitch.

"I've watched a lot of sessions over here (Turin) and, yeah, I tend to base things on the Italian approach," he says. "We've a very young side and the League of Ireland will be hard and fast for a lot of the lads but like the Italians we put a lot of emphasis on mental strength and it's served us well over the years . . . we've beaten a lot of better teams because we've had more between the ears and found more in our hearts than our opponents."

With no expensively recruited stars to build the team around and none of the locals, initially at least, even getting paid beyond modest expenses, it's a formula he's hoping will serve the new club well although his ambitions are, he insists, very much long term. Whether the "pride and passion" he promises are a recipe for success at this level, the rest of us will start to see from this weekend.