The break-up of the team that brought unprecedented glory to Stabannon in the 'nineties has hit the club hard. Once masters of all they surveyed in the Wee County, the Parnells surrendered their senior status at the end of 2005 (after 15 incredible years in the top flight), taking their place in intermediate ranks for the first time since the IFC breakthrough of '89. Midfield powerhouse Colin Quinn reflects on another difficult year for the Green & Gold, who found themselves in a protracted battle against demotion to junior ranks. It doesn't rain but it pours. Isn't it always the way? More accustomed to sunnier climes since taking their place amongst Louth's football elite in 1990, Stabannon have been finding out recently that if it's tough at the top then it's even tougher when you're NOT at the top. Fact is, 2006 was the worst year that Stabannon could possibly have chosen to return to intermediate ranks, with half the middle grade destined to drop to junior as part of a major championship reshuffle. Stabannon were in Division 2A. They had one possible route back to senior football - winning the intermediate championship - but a disappointing group campaign soon put paid to this plan. There was no promotion via the league. Six of the eight teams in 2A would retain their intermediate status; the bottom club would be automatically relegated; and the team that finished second-from-bottom would face the runners-up in Division 2B in a promotion/relegation play-off. After exiting the championship, Stabannon found themselves looking over their shoulders, in a battle to avoid relegation for a second successive year. The season dragged on into an interminable mire and, as the time of sending 'Wee County 2006' to the printers, the issue had yet to be resolved. But Stabannon were in trouble and needed to find one or two big performances very quickly to save their skin. Themselves and St Nicholas had been down near the foot of the 2A table all year. Naomh Malachi were also down there in early December but the Courtbane men were immune as they had won the IFC and were moving up to senior ranks. Thus, the best Stabannon could hope for was to finish above the Nicks and force their way into a winner-takes-all play-off against Sean McDermotts (runners up in 2B). If they finished below the Nicks, Stabannon would slip to junior. No-one could guess how things might transpire but there was no denying that the former kingpins were in a precarious position… Colin Quinn, who won a Joe Ward medal with the club as a youngster back in 1999, admits that '06 was another disappointing year for the Stabannon men: "We were after coming down from senior so we thought we'd do quite well at intermediate level. We gave ourselves a good chance of bouncing back and hopes were high that we could turn the corner, but things never worked out that way," the inspirational midfielder confirms. Certainly, it would never have entered anybody's mind that Stabannon would find themselves in a battle against relegation to junior fare. At the start of the year, they looked eminently capable of a comfortable top-six finish in 2A and an opening-round Group A IFC victory over Naomh Fionnbarra suggested that everything was going to be just fine. But - Stabannon had made a poor start in the league and struggled to get themselves up and running. Before they knew it, the alarm bells were ringing and the relegation threat was real: "Training went downhill and everyone was disappointed that we couldn't get a few wins on the board," says Colin. "There's definitely the makings of a good team there, but we have a very tight panel now and if anyone is away on holidays or injured it's a big loss. We can't really afford to be missing any of our players anymore. There's not much youth coming through and we need everyone available if we're going to compete properly. Because of the limited numbers we have at our disposal, it really is an uphill battle…" The fixtures (or lack thereof) hardly helped either. Yet again, an entire summer was allowed to pass by with barely any football played at club level. "We started training in January or February and still had six league games remaining in October," Colin relates in a tale all too familiar to club footballers in the Wee County. "There were months during the summer when we didn't have any games." It's hardly a major surprise that some lads lose interest under those circumstances. "You'd have to feel even sorrier for the county lads," says the Stabannon clubman. "They're kept going all year around. Once the league, championship and Tommy Murphy Cup were over, they still had a lot of club football to play and county training was starting again for 2007. It's a lot to ask and you couldn't blame anyone who got a bit sick of it." Times may have changed and Stabannon may have to re-set their sights accordingly. However, the optimism of old is never far away and Patrick Butterly's charges approached the 2006 campaign full of determination. "We thought we would go back up and that was our goal, but it just never happened for us," says Colin. "We had a lot of draws early on and never got any momentum going. If we'd managed to get a win near the start of the season, it would have given the team a boost. As it was, we couldn't lift ourselves and the longer we went without a victory the more difficult things became. A couple of good results would have given the lads more conviction and self-belief, but the year never started for us." Stabannon opened their 2006 IFC programme with a 0-10 to 1-6 defeat of Naomh Fionnbarra at nearby Castlebellingham in mid-June but their Seamus Flood Cup hopes were dashed by successive defeats at the hands of Naomh Malachi (2-10 to 0-11) and Dundalk Gaels (1-13 to 0-10), both of whom emerged from the section to take their places in the knockout phase. Indeed, those two clubs won all three intermediate trophies between them in 2006. While it was by far and away the most difficult section in the intermediate grade, Stabannon were nonetheless bitterly disappointed not to make a greater impression, especially after such an ideal start: "The win over Togher seemed to set us up nicely but I don't know what happened against the Gaels and Naomh Malachi," Colin reflects. "Though we'd started badly in the league, we went into the championship as a different team, with a much more determined approach. We had good intentions and I still don't know how it all went wrong. We weren't going to let anyone walk over us and we gave it a good shot." Given that Stabannon supporters were spoiled with four SFCs in the 1990s, the current side has a lot to live up to. Are they under pressure to deliver? "Things have gradually gone backwards since the county final appearance in 2000 and that team has disintegrated. There were expectations for a couple of years but I think people realise that we don't have the same talent now and that it's going to take us some time to re-establish ourselves. When the victories dried up, some lads lost interest and the numbers at training dropped. We're drawing from a very small population, with only about 100 or so houses, so it's difficult at the best of times. But we have some good underage players and hopefully within the next five or six years we'll see something from Stabannon again." Colin Quinn was 17 when he burst onto the Stabannon first team in 1999 and he duly collected a SFC medal in his first year, as Kilkerley were ousted in the county final. Stabannon surrendered their crown when the Blues pipped them in the final the following year and they have been in transition ever since. Colin represented the county at minor level and was on the senior panel for a few years at the start of the current decade, only to see his intercounty prospects severely disrupted by a series of injuries, including a dislocated shoulder (twice) and cartilage trouble. He was a real driving force for the club throughout 2006 and could yet feature again at county level if he manages to get himself fully fit and injury-free. With new dressing-rooms and training lights in place (as well as a very decent playing surface), Stabannon are lacking neither in terms of facilities nor tradition. They might be on a bit of a downer at present, but they will be back. Sooner or later. Tweet

Most Read Stories