Fulham Irish fairytale heads for
a happy ending
 Fulham
Irish v Killala
All-Ireland Junior Football Championship Quarter-Final
Charlestown, Co. Mayo, January 13, 1.30pm
The Fairytale continues for Fulham Irish as they tackle Mayo Junior Champions
Killala at Charlestown on Saturday in the biggest game in the West London
club’s short history.
Liam Barry’s men carried all before them to win the London and British
Championships and will fancy their chances against a Killala outfit lacking
any real star names.
The Mayo side will be relying heavily on the Hannick brothers —
Ruari and Marcus. Ruari is a Mayo senior panelist while Marcus was part
of Mayo’s All-Ireland U-21 winning team in 2006.
Fulham Irish’s chances of recording an historic victory in their
very first year in existence were boosted by the recent decision by the
London County Board to allow 14 players to transfer to the club. While
none of the 14 are certain to start on Saturday manager Barry believes
that the added strength in depth which the new players have brought to
the panel has boosted everyone at the club.
Barry said: “We have talented and hard-working players who deserve
their success. We did a fitness programme over the Christmas period, which
they stuck to, and we hope to have the same basic panel of players for
the match against Killala.”
Liam is aware that British club football teams don’t have a great
record against Irish opposition but he is confident that Fulham Irish
can change that with victory on the Mayo-Sligo border.
Crucially the manager feels that his team will be unaffected by the fact
that they must play in Ireland.
He said: “To win the British Championship we have had to play matches
in Manchester, where we have gone up there and stayed overnight, so the
players have a routine for that and I don’t think that will be a
disadvantage to them.”
With the manager in confident mood and with a full squad to choose from
the men from Fulham Irish will believe a place in the All-Ireland semi-final
is possible and who would bet against the Fulham fairytale continuing?
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