February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
“Not having crowds at the game ruins the game,” he said. “The junior games clash with the FAI fixtures. There are hundreds of players out there playing every Sunday and they should be watching the semi pros.”
David “Rocky” O’Brien, who was playing for Cambridge Boys FC Under-17, disagreed.
“The game is for everybody,” he said. “Ireland has one of the most potential junior games in Europe, and it will eventually pay off. The League of Ireland will get stronger, and 20 years from now we will begin to hold our own in the early stages of Europe.”
Johnson, the youth coach, wanted young players to excel. He wanted to give them the right environment. O’Brien finished his pint and left the Sea Point House early to get rest for the upcoming weekend when Cambridge would defend their Cup against archrival Home Farm Boys.
“Rocky is probably the best schoolboy player around,” Johnson said. “He is going to make it at the very least here in Ireland. The only thing that will go against him is his size. He may be a bit too light to go across the water. But a player I think that will do extremely well is Paul Doolin.”
At the time Doolin and O’Brien played for the Dublin Select Team, which Johnson was involved in. “Doolin is a tremendous ball winner and when he gains possession he gives off the simplest of passes that sets his team up to keep the ball,” Johnson said. “I think Paul might go on in the game, although I think Rocky has more potential.”
When both players were picked up by Billy Young to play for Bohemians, Doolin didn’t waste any time making crunching and game-winning tackles in the middle. His work rate was second to none in the League. Within one season he had a reputation for having one of the best engines in the league. Rocky showed flashes of his schoolboy brilliance, but the demands on working at such a high rate took away from him his natural ability to read the game. O’Brien now manages in the Leinster Senior League 20 years on and Doolin manages Drogheda United, who are at the summit of the Eircom League.
O’Brien remained with Bohs for many years. His double against Rangers in Europe caught many a scout’s eye. He did get a tryout for Oxford. He eventually had to give up the game up undergoing knee surgery. “Soccer Scene” caught up with him back in July. While he loves coaching, he is also dedicated to keeping his own business afloat. He was off to the country to meet his family after putting in some overtime in the office.
“Perhaps missing the last good few years of my playing career didn’t help me go on to coach and manage at the highest level,” surmised O’Brien. “But I’ve been lucky to have made it with Bohs and the semi pro game here in Ireland. There are hundreds of players who could have done better, or made it, as they say, I was just lucky.”
No doubt O’B is rooting for Doolin, who has turned things around for Drogheda United. Doolin played until he was 39 and became one of the most respected players in domestic football. He left Shelbourne this time last year and managed to keep UCD from relegation. When he took over UCD they were struggling.
It didn’t take long for Bohemians to recruit Doolin, but once it fell through, Drogheda pounced on an opportunity. The Drogs are a point ahead of Shels. Doolin has created an atmosphere in County Louth that is reminiscent of the early 1980s at Windmill Road. United Park was hopping back then when Drogheda was runner up in the league and League Cup winners. There is also a small history of winning the First Division and runnersup from 1988 to 2003.
For Eddie Johnson, it’s no surprise to see Doolin succeed. It’s been very much a distinguished career for Doolin, having won five league championship titles and seven cups since his early Bohs days. He played for Shamrock Rovers, Derry City, Portadown and Shels with returns to Derry, Shels and Portadown. “A wrench to walk away from playing,” is how Doolin described his retirement. But that is very far from his mind as he approaches the closing stages for the Eircom title.
Drogheda has gone nine games unbeaten. Although Shels have two games in hand, United are in fine form. They have also beaten Shels already this season and may have a psychological advantage over the Reds when they meet in October for a 6-point game. United’s board have told Doolin there is no more funds to buy more players, so it’s do or die from here on in, and Doolo is at his best in these circumstances. He has instilled belief in the club and their supporters. Nevertheless, Drogheda knows they are up against a Shelbourne side that grows more professional with every stride.
Shelbourne’s loss in Spain by Deportivo La Coruna in the Champions League has not stopped the Eircom League side from soaking up the sun as they rally to take home yet another premier title. They also have an important date with Lille in the Uefa Cup. The focus is on European football. But Doolin will know that such experience on the continent is going to widen the gab for Shels in the long term. A title would be nice for Doolin’s Drogs, but European qualification is wwhat his side needs, and they seem to be heading that way. The Drogs have come a long way since losing their first three games. Paul Doolin may not have made it across the water, but his soccer career is still not over. In fact, it has just begun.