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Back from the brink
 This
time last year they were on their knees, a Senior Championship club in
name only; players and members were drifting away.
But 2007 has seen a renaissance for the St. Finbarrs club in Coventry.
The club from the Holbroke area of the city have a rich history, winning
numerous county titles since they were founded in the 1950s.
However the decline of Irish immigration to Coventry hit the club, the
supply of players dried up and a decision was made last year to drop down
to the Intermediate grade where they could allow their young team to mature
fully.
Now unbeaten in all competitions in 2007, the underage structure which
the club had put in place over many years has started to pay off.
The players they have brought through the club since they were teenagers
have become the backbone of the side which is challenging for a rapid
return to the top-flight of Warwickshire football.
It was felt by many in St. Finbarrs that their young team would not receive
enough time to develop in the Senior Championship, so they dropped down
to the Intermediate grade and the victories have started to flow.
Events off the field have taken a turn for the better as well, with work
currently in progress on the Finbarrs’ new £2.2million clubhouse
and sports centre development.
The decision to develop their facilities was taken after the club realised
that it was not possible to extend their existing ground any further.
They sold their former facility for £1.1million and embarked on
a massive fundraising initiative to raise the rest of the money needed.
So at a time when British GAA clubs face many new and difficult challenges
and developing an underage structure is seen as the holy grail, the St.
Finbarrs club offer a model which many other British GAA clubs ought to
follow.
Meanwhile in the Warwickshire Senior Football Championship at the weekend
Erin Go Bragh showed that they would be serious Championship contenders
with a 2-20 to 1-2 defeat of St. Barnabas.
That secures Go Bragh’s place in the semi-finals alongside defending
champions Roger Casements, John Mitchels and Sean McDermotts.
For full coverage of all of the weekend’s GAA action in Warwickshire
see page 61. |
