Though they didn't set the world alight, things still went pretty much according to plan for Lacken in 2002. First-team manager Terry Brady is one year into his Three Year Plan, a plan designed to establish Lacken as genuine senior championship contenders. Judging by the encouraging performances seen in '02, they are very much on course. They dynamism and progressiveness that epitomises Lacken GFC in the embryonic stages of the third millennium AD is typified by forward-looking new chairman Peter Galligan (whose development plans for the club are wholly admirable) and manager Terry Brady. Terry is a full-time GAA coach, employed directly by Cavan County Board to imbue expertise and professionalism into the schools and underage scenes in Cavan. He was appointed manager of Lacken at the club's AGM in 2001 and immediately put in place a Three Year Plan. There was no point going for a quick fix. Instead, Terry set himself a target of bringing football in Lacken on to a new level, an achievement which would be of much greater long-term significance and value to the club. Lacken acquitted themselves competently in '02 and Terry was unequivocally re-appointed boss for another term. So far, so good. Reflecting on his debut year in charge of the team, Terry admits: "I said when I got the job last year that I wasn't going to make any ridiculous or unrealistic promises. The first thing most managers do when they come in is promise to deliver a senior championship, but I told them it wasn't going to work like that. We had to be patient and set about building a team. "Lacken got to the semi-final in 2001 and were beaten by Cavan Gaels by four points in Breffni Park - but we lost nine of that team in the meantime. It was obvious that building had to be done. I had eight minors last year, so I knew we might have a struggle on our hands. But, they did really well for lads so young and hopefully they can take it on a step further in 2003." By holding onto their senior status, Lacken assured themselves of Division One league football next term. They also won the relegation shield, which is a County Board trophy in its own right. Lacken picked up no points from their three games in Section One of the senior championship, but this statistic masks the fact that they put in some stellar performances. Terry puts up his hand and holds himself partly responsible for the first-round defeat at the hands of Kingscourt: "We lost that one because of my naivety. We had been playing in Division Two and I thought we'd be lucky to get out without getting hammered. As it turned out, we could have beaten them, with a bit more conviction. "We should have beaten the Gaels in Cornafean as well. We led all the way and they only got on top in the last ten minutes. We had two golden opportunities to win that game late on but our inexperience showed. "Against Knockbride in Breffni Park, we were ten points down in the second half and I brought on four minors. We scored seven in a row and ended up losing narrowly, despite scoring a respectable 1-15. That was the story of our championship: we lost all three games by very small margins, simply because of inexperience on the players' behalf and mine. But it's all part of the learning process. "We were the only team in Cavan - apart from Gowna - who gave the Gaels a game, and that speaks for itself. Overall, I was delighted with the way we played. Everything went exactly as I wanted it to go." The success or otherwise of the campaign can be measured by the fact that after his summary of the season at the AGM, Terry wasn't asked a single question from the floor! They also played well in the league, showing a marked improvement upon their 2001 league form and suggesting that perhaps they are capable of holding their own in the top flight. Terry revolutionised training in Lacken, introducing novel and visionary (as well as totally practical) techniques and methods to the training ground. The response from the players was phenomenal - "The way they trained was unbelievable." The manager incorporates as much ballwork as possible into training at all times and is a great believer in varying the drill to keep the lads interested and make training enjoyable rather than a chore. A measure of his success in this regard is that he never had less than 15 at training all season - even though 14 of the panel are based in either Dublin, Galway or Sligo! "The training was certainly different than what a lot of clubs in Cavan would be used to. We never did one lap of the field all year and we were the fittest team in Cavan. Training has to be enjoyable as well as beneficial - and it was. "If the training methods aren't enjoyable, players will either be unhappy or will drop out. The Cavan minors had a good team last year but they were running five miles through a forest in Virginia at nine o'clock on Sunday mornings and I really don't know what that's got to do with playing football or how it could possibly improve their technical ability on the field..." As a full-time coach for Cavan County Board, Terry recently completed the first Level II course to be held in Ulster. He is highly regarded for his fresh approach to training and has never been afraid to incorporate ideas from different walks of life into his team/player preparations. He recalls how he never attended a solitary session himself when playing for Mullahoran 25 years ago; but conversely never missed training while playing semi-professional soccer in England, France and Germany. The English-born coach admits, furthermore, that he has adopted virtually all his coaching strategy from soccer. He strives to instill patience and technique into the players but adds: "The most important factor if one is to be successful at any sport or in any walk of life is sleep. Players need to be alert and sharp. Their minds must be focussed. But if they haven't had sufficient rest, then they can't concentrate and mistakes will creep in. "That's very difficult to get into players in this country though. I've lived here for eight years and the drink culture and the late nights are just unbelievable. A lot of footballers don't even know what rest is! I urge players to go home for a nice hot bath and relax after training and to chill out for the night, but the inclination is to go for a few pints. It's madness. I know it's an amateur game, but when they put so much into it, they should behave more professionally." Though he was born in England, Terry lived in Cavan from he was 13 until he was 21. He played for Mullahoran all that time and won an intermediate championship. He also played soccer with Cavan Town, Mullingar Town and Longford Town before his semi-professional career took him to the continent. He is the most enthusiastic coach one could ever hope to meet, quipping: "It's what I do" At present, he coaches at 13 schools, manages the Cavan U14s, coaches the Cavan U16s, and manages Lacken. He also took last year's Lacken minor team from U13 level through to U16 and had most of those same lads at his disposal again last year when taking over the (predominantly minor) senior team. "The first thing I said when I took over the team was that I intended to be here for three years and that they wouldn't win the senior championship that year, and they wouldn't win it the following year [2003], but that they might win it in the third year. That's what I thought was a realistic objective and that's what we're working towards now." What's the target for this coming season then? "All I want them to do is to finish in the Top Six in their division and get to the quarter-finals of the senior championship . . . anything after that, I would be absolutely delighted with. If we can achieve that, the guys - who are now a season older and wiser - will be doing really well. "I know without doubt that the players are good enough to reach the targets I set for them. So, if they do it, I'll be happy with them - if they don't, I'll be unhappy with myself. I will have failed in my role as a coach. "The most pleasing aspect of the 2002 season for me was the Cavan Gaels game and the manner in which my players kept their discipline, stuck to their game plan, and played the Gaels on the wings. We played them at their own game and we outplayed them. I told them to 'keep the ball, attack, and make them defend'. That's exactly what they did and they were a credit to themselves. "I don't subscribe to any of this 'Walk Into Them' rubbish. Obviously, you do need a certain amount of aggression - both physical and mental - but you need to combine that with finesse. At the end of the day, it's all about playing football and that's what this Lacken team does best. "Lacken had lost a lot of players from the previous year and the team that competed in 2002 was so young that they really did themselves proud. They were one of the youngest sides in the county and they played some great football. "They also had an excellent minor team and it was the first time in the history of Lacken that they had a minor team playing in Division One. Eight of those minors [who won the U16 championship in 2001] were playing senior football and they came along in leaps and bounds as a result of that. "Things are definitely going according to plan so far. Everyone is prepared to listen and learn and the underage arm of the club is also performing well. From what I've seen so far, I'm greatly encouraged and there's every reason to believe that this exciting young Lacken team will more than hold its own in 2003." No doubt they will. Tweet

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