Former Virginia Blues player Peter Soden was as disappointed as anyone to see Ramor United suffer relegation in 2005. But he believes there's enough talent in the club to ensure a quick return to the top flight There's no mad panic to circle the wagons over Virginia way just a realisation that a real sleeves-rolled-up attitude is required if Ramor United are to achieve better things. Relegation is a word that hasn't been mouthed in the bustling town for a long number of years and long-time club member Peter Soden would rather it wasn't ever given air. But, like so many of those at the coalface, he is pragmatic and wise enough to accept that Ramor need to counter what happened in 2005 with a major dose of reality. "I feel the players that are at the club at the present time have to step up to the plate and give it a better shot in the coming year," the outgoing PRO states. "The potential is there and so is the ambition, I believe, but it's very important that they put their shoulder to the wheel for the league and championship in 2006. "All the structures are in place, a great committee and there's big plans to spend a lot of money in expanding the facilities so all we want now is some on-field success. "The members of the club feel that the current squad can make progress and success is to come then it'll surely come in 2006," Peter adds. Not someone given to taking a circuitous way around a direct question, Peter admits 2005 was a "very disappointing" year for Ramor but there were mitigating reasons. He reminds us that the senior team management had to make do without a number of key players with the likes of Ronan Keating and Paddy McNamee among them. "The team-management were working off a limited panel of players but, having said that, expectations were high at the start of the year - there's no denying that. "It's a young, talented panel with a lot of the fellas having won county underage titles in recent years but we thought results would have been better during the year." Ramor Utd aren't noted for harbouring gaels who have a penchant for living in the past or whingeing about how long it is since the halcyon days brightened everyone's mood Hope springs eternal of course and there is a belief swelling in the Meath-border town that new team-manager Gary Farrelly can kick-start a new, winning era for United. "Gary won several underage titles with a good few of the fellas who are now either on the senior team or who will be pushing for their places this year," Peter explains. "I think if anyone can get the best out of those fellas, Gary should be able to because he knows them so well and they have responded well to him in the past. "He (Farrelly) has a good team working alongside him too in Sean Cole, Eamonn O'Connell and David McDonnell so there's plenty of know-how there to tap into." It's clear that Peter rates the emerging crop of players at Ramor and he believes the form the local under 21 stock showed in 2005 is proof positive of the talent on hand. Last year, the under 21s reached the quarter-finals of the Under 21 championship and seemed set to reach the last four of the competition when leading St. Finbarrs. Unfortunately, the Kill/Drung/Drumgoon combination cashed in on some inexperience shown by the Virginia-based side to overhaul a three point deficit and claim the win. "I'd like to think that a large number of that under 21 team will be claiming their place on the senior side this year or at least pushing hard for a starting place on the team. "There are quite a few of those lads who have played football at county level with Cavan at various underage levels and there's no doubt they have the football in them." Certainly the names of under 21 county stars Peter Monaghan and Emmet Daly plus that of county senior Gareth Daly are more than recognisable around the county. But Ramor Utd have a host of other players who can be hugely influential in the coming year, not least the highly rated Anton Reilly who has tremendous potential. Like every club in the country, Ramor are determined to reach the summit and stay there and local gaels will tell you that when that happens it won't be a year too soon. Club members like Peter remember Ramor's all-conquering side of 1974 when the likes of Armagh ace Tom McCreesh was in his element and a dynasty looked likely. That dynasty never emerged and it was to be a further 11 years before the SFC title would be reeled in. The team of 1985 was destined for greatness, or so it seemed. "The '85 team was a fine side but they should have won more than just one championship because there were a lot of very good players in the club back then. "I think if that squad had won something in the nineties, maybe the same pressure wouldn't be on the current players to make another breakthrough," Peter opines. Certainly there has been a fair amount of the 'changing of the guard' in terms of player turnover at Ramor but management teams have come and gone regularly too. In the last three years, for instance, there's been three different management teams with the Gary Farrelly-led crew the latest to come on stream. "Maybe it's time for a bit of consistency in terms of holding onto our team-management and trying to build a bit of stability along the line," comments the erstwhile PRO. "The spirit in the camp took a knock following relegation but if the players can give their full commitment and the management remains in place for a couple of years . . . Peter believes that the new management team can steer the club back into division one on the back of a confident and winning start to the new season. "Last year the lads started the season quite well and I remember when we went to Terry Coyle Park and the lads should have beaten the Gaels that day. "It was the same in the championship when we met Belturbet - I thought we were the better team that day but came away with nothing to show for it." A former St. Pat's Corn na nOg team-captain, Peter has followed football a long time and as an ex-Virginia Blues and Civil Service (Dublin) player knows what's wanted. "I think to win anything you need a good bench, a good squad and I think it's vitally important that the club does its best for the Junior B lads to get them enough games. "We need all hands on deck this year to get us out of division two - it's terrible that for the last six out of seven years we've been in a relegation battle. "There'll have to be plenty of effort put in this year because there'll be nothing easy with the likes of Knockbride, Lacken and Kill also looking for promotion." Would promotion satisfy the yearning of the Ramor gaels, one wonders? "We'd love to bounce straight back but we'd want to aim a bit higher than that too and I'd be disappointed if we didn't make the quarter-finals of the championship too. "The team isn't a million miles away from giving the championship a right go of it and outside of Cavan Gaels, Gowna, Mullahoran and Kingscourt, there's nothing in it. "It's really up to the players at this stage and the commitment they're prepared to give the club in 2006 because it's not like there's a huge big step-up to make. "Overall I'd be optimistic that a lot of progress can be made this year." Tweet

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