JUNE 2005
GERDIE
SIGNS UP
Gerard McMahon has agreed a new one year deal to play for Tommy
Kincaid next season. McMahon is a true Glenavon man and a firm fans'
favourite. The club has rewarded his loyalty by granting a testimonial
year.
Gerard is excited about playing in the premier league again with
Glenavon and can't wait for pre-season training to begin - so much so
that he's begun his own pre-pre-season training!
Tommy Kincaid is pleased to have McMahon signed up again.
"Gerard is a real professional. He gives me so many options, the
players look up to him, and his football is a delight to watch."
DEEGAN
IN, DELANY OUT
Tommy Kincaid continued his squad building this afternoon by signing
defender, Chris Deegan, on a one-year deal. The 26 year old was
previously with Coleraine, Peterborough and Lisburn Distillery and
represented Northern Ireland at U17, 18 and 19 levels. Tommy Kincaid
said, “I’ve strengthened our strike force and now need to tighten us
up at the back if we are to compete in the Premier League. Chris is
someone I know I can count on and he brings a wealth of experience.”
Tommy Kincaid has reluctantly made striker Derek Delany available to
other clubs. “Derek came in and scored some important goals for us.
Unfortunately I have to work with the budget given to me and, when you
bring some in, you have to let some go. I know that Derek understands
and I’m sure that he will get fixed up with another club very soon.”
DICKSON
IS MOURNEVIEW BOUND
Mark Dickson has decided to wear a Glenavon shirt at Mourneview Park
next season. The striker, a target for other clubs, will sign a two year
deal for Tommy Kincaid when his contract with Larne expires this summer.
This will be the second time that Dickson has signed for Tommy
Kincaid. Kincaid took the striker to Larne when he signed him from Newry
Town. Previous to that the young Dickson had spent some time at
Northampton Town. “The lad did a great job for me at Larne and it’s
no secret that I wanted him to join me at Glenavon last year. Mark is
ambitious however and wanted to stay in the premier league, and I can
understand that. This year he wants a new challenge and he knows that we
are ambitious too, so he is excited about joining the set up at
Mourneview Park.
“We have lined up a very potent strike force. Marty Verner scores
goals, Mark Dickson scores goals and Aidan McVeigh, who has agreed to
re-sign, scores goals!”
McVEIGH
RE-SIGNS
Aidan McVeigh, whose goals did so much to help Glenavon back to the
premier league, has re-signed for the club. He will line up with new
signings Marty Verner and Mark Dickson in a forward line which Tommy
Kincaid believes will score goals, goals and more goals. “It’s an
exciting set of strikers and I’ll be demanding a return from them.”
McVeigh will renew his friendship with another new signing, Aaron
Black, who he shared a house with for two years while both played in the
Scottish league with Ayr United. “Aaron’s a good lad. He’s big,
strong and good on the ball. He has excellent vision and I can certainly
see him fitting in and providing service to the strikers.”
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Aidan McVeigh signs a new contract at Glenavon
accompanied by 16 month old son, Tiarnan, Colin Forsythe and
Tommy Kincaid |
BLACK
AND BLUE
Tommy
snaps up Caribbean kid
By John Flack, Sunday
Life
29 May 2005 PREMIER Division new boys Glenavon last night unveiled
their second major signing ahead of their return to top flight football
in the new season.
Former Northern Ireland U18 international and Ayr United defender
Aaron Black put pen to paper after a season in the Caribbean.
And Marty Verner, the Bangor striker and top First Division scorer
with 29 goals last season, has signalled he will move to Mourneview from
Clandeboye Road when his contract expires next month.
Black, son of former Inver Park boss Johneen, played for W Connection
in Trinidad and Tobago but has swapped the heat and humidity to be
closer to his Larne home. The 21 year-old six-footer explained: "I was very impressed by
what Glenavon's manager Tommy Kincaid had to say and he has the
reputation of being a good coach.
"The facilities at Mourneview are first class and it's a very
professional set-up. Glenavon like to play a passing game and that style of football
appeals to me."
Black hasn't ruled out a return to the professional game having
enjoyed his time in Scotland and the Caribbean.
He added: "I'd relish the opportunity if the right offer came
along but now I just want to concentrate on doing my best for Glenavon.
"Our aim is to challenge for a European spot next season and
Tommy's also keen to sign a few more players.
"It will be a bit of a change from Trinidad, of course, but the
heat out there made it quite difficult. The standard was quite high,
though, with four or five internationals in the team."
Glenavon boss Kincaid, working his way through a signings wish list,
nevertheless insisted: "Other Premier Division managers have been
quoted as saying this club has a lot of money to spend on players but
that's simply not the case.
"One of them actually wanted to sign Aaron but he turned them
down even though they were offering more than we were.
"That says a lot for the lad who has joined us for football
reasons and not for the money. That's the sort of player I want at the
club and I think it sends out the message that we mean business next
season.
"We are ambitious but realistic and we are interested in signing
other players but only if the terms are right.
"Aaron comes highly recommended and we sought out a lot of
opinions and they were all positive. He's six foot two and he's a
stylish defender who likes to play the right sort of football."
Kincaid is also excited about the capture of Marty Verner from
Bangor.
He added: "He scored 29 goals for them in the First Division and
I'll be expecting more of the same from him."
Mourneview Park is currently undergoing a facelift as one of the
venues for the upcoming European Under 19 Championships.
Almost £300,000 is to be spent on upgrading the pitch and changing
area, thanks to Sports Council funding under the Safe Stadia scheme.
Kincaid is obviously anxious to have a team to match...
FOOTBALL
FOR ALL
Glenavon Football Club was represented at recent ‘Equity
for all’ training held in the Wellington Park Hotel, Belfast. David
White of Concept II delivered the training, on behalf of the IFA, to
safety representatives of Irish League clubs and Raymond Flanagan and
Winston Armstrong attended on behalf of Glenavon.
The seminar was designed to follow up at Irish League
level the very successful ‘Football for All’ programme at
international level, spear-headed by Michael Boyd. Glenavon Stewards
also provide security at Northern Ireland international matches and are
conversant with the vision, concept and delivery of a secure environment
for football fans.
Glenavon Chief Stewart, Raymond Flanagan, said, “The idea was to
challenge us to consider how we can ensure and improve the reception we
provide to visitors to our grounds of every creed, colour and religion.
There is a significant immigrant population in the Craigavon area and
Glenavon would hope to attract many of them to Mourneview. The stewards
have responsibility for the safety of all spectators at our club and we
want to ensure that all visitors to Glenavon feel welcome. We have a
very capable group of Stewards and appreciate the assistance which our
supporters always give us.”
Club chairman, Roy Ferguson, complimented the work of the Stewards.
“Our Safety Officer and Stewards have the full support of the Board
for the work that they do week in-week out, and we applaud the forward
thinking behind this recent training. I would like to place on record
our appreciation to the IFA for the continuing safety awareness training
provided. We are also aware of, and appreciate, the time and commitment
to spectator safety given by our Stewards, as well as the financial
contribution that they make to the club and to local charities.
JOHNNY
MONTGOMERY
"Great
To Be Back In The Top Flight"
Johnny Montgomery is looking forward to making a return
to the Premier League with Glenavon. The 31 year old, who stepped down a
division last autumn to aid the Mourneview men’s promotion bid, is
sure to be a key player for the Lurgan Blues when the 2005-06 campaign
gets underway. "It is great to be back in the top flight,"
said the Dungannon-based lorry driver. "Another season in the First
Division would have been disastrous. Quite apart from the financial
ramifications, it would have been bad for morale right through the club.
But now that everyone knows that we are going to be playing Premier
League football again in September, I think that it will create a lot of
interest at supporter level."
Glenavon marked their return to the Premier League
– and an historic promotion/relegation play-off success – with a
fine 2-1 victory against Crusaders at Seaview. "That was the team’s
best performance since I returned to Mourneview last November,"
said Montgomery. "Whilst we have played better football in other
matches, the quality of our defending and the commitment that the lads
showed made it a memorable display. Even though Crusaders have struggled
in the Premier League this season, they have still been quite formidable
at home. Last Friday night we outfought them all over the pitch and
thoroughly deserved the result. The only disappointment was that we
failed to win the tie in normal time."
Montgomery, who had a spell with Glenavon from August
2000 to November 2001, expects Tommy Kincaid to strengthen his squad
during the summer. "Although we have some very good players, I feel
that we need one or two bigger lads to help us compete physically,
particularly at the back and in midfield," Johnny added. "Most
successful teams have a high proportion of six footers. Look at
Portadown and Limavady United or even Lisburn Distillery. If we can make
ourselves more robust in the critical areas I fancy us to do well next
time."
KINCAID
AGREES TWO-YEAR DEAL
Glenavon Director of Football, Colin Forsythe, has announced that the
club has approved a new two-year agreement with Tommy Kincaid.
Negotiations have been ongoing since TK secured premier division
football for Glenavon next season and the deal has the full support of
the Board of Directors. “I’m delighted to have secured Tommy’s
continued involvement with the club. There’s a lot of pressure at
Glenavon and I can’t argue with that – we all want to win. Tommy has
proved that he has what it takes to be a winner and now that the manager
is in place we can turn our attention to speaking with players in order
to organise a squad for the pre-season. Club captain Johnny Wright
recently said, “The players want to play in the premier league, we
want to play for Glenavon and we want to play for Tommy Kincaid.” We’re
pushing ahead on all fronts. These are certainly exciting times for
Glenavon supporters, directors…and players and we’re all looking
forward to the start of the new season”.
Reserve
Team is Back
Glenavon has promoted Brendan Grimes to Reserve Team Coach
with Neil Reid as his assistant and Philip Cowen has been
recruited from Glentoran to become Third Team Coach. Wayne
McMeekin, Wilbert McFetridge, Allen Quinn and Stephen Best remain with
the first team squad.
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