HOOPS’ premier plan

New Lurgan Celtic Manager, Colin Malone, front, with coaching staff, from left, Dixie Robinson, assistant manager, Ciaran O Kane, Tony Creaney and John Campbell, coaching team. INLM01-201

The Hoops announced a restructuring of the management and coaching staff this week with the highly experienced Malone joined by assistant manager Dixie Robinson while making up a strong team are coaches Ciaran O’Kane, John Campbell and Tony Creaney.

The club hope this wealth of experience and football knowledge will advance Lurgan Celtic to a new dimension. and believe it will convey an extremely strong message way beyond the boundaries of the local community.

Lurgan Celtic has accepted the challenge and feels the time is right, to go way outside old boundaries that have existed in the community and believe this venture will benefit both sides of the community. Lurgan Celtic is breaking down barriers and welcomes the support of the local community and will celebrate the positive message over the new year.

Malone, who has given a three year commitment to the club is delighted to be back in football. “Our target is to reach the Premiership,” said Malone. “We believe there are enough home grown players who can play at that standard. We are not that far away but first we have to stabilise and then aim for promotion next season. It can be achieved with a lot of hard work.”

The club have signed Conor Hagan from Glenavon with Niall Lavery and Declan McVeigh rejoining the club from Championship 1 side Loughgall whom they joined at the beginning of the season and several more additions are being actively pursued in a bid to strengthen what has been the smallest squad in the Championship 2 division.

The club policy on recruitment will be to target mainly local talent from both sides of the community. Lurgan Celtic have acknowledged that quite a few players from the locality have been plying their trade outside the town. It is felt this can be tapped into Lurgan Celtic. The club encourage all supporters old and new to get behind the club in this new era to establish Lurgan Celtic as a force in the Irish League.

John O’Neill, the club chairman, applauds his colleagues for their hard work behind the scenes over the last number of weeks to make this transition happen. “We are looking forward to the future with renewed optimism in what should be an exciting time for Lurgan Celtic,” he said.