Category: Albion Greats

ALBION GREATS – JOHN GALVIN

Name: John Galvin

Age: 39

Position Played: Midfield, Defender

Boyhood Team: Man Utd

Favourite Player(s): Eric Cantona & Roy Keane

Albion Highlight: League Win ‘93/’94 & Cup Win ‘99

Best Player Played With: Harrington Brothers & Larry Austin

Hopes for Albion Future: Premier AUL in next few years

Most memorable soccer moment of all time: David O’Leary penalty in 1990 at the World Cup

I Love the Albion because: Local lads, playing for the craic!!

 

John Galvin, better known to his team mates as “Gally”, was the linchpin of Albions Midfield for the 90’s & 00’s. Gally captained Albion to promotions in both the West Cork League & Cork AUL along with a League Cup in ’99. He was best known for his crunching tackles and is still regarded by his ex team-mates & Albion enthusiasts as one of the best players to don the red & white of De Courcey Albion. John now spends his days looking forward to once again making his famous crunching tackles on the new crop of Albion players.  

 

ALBION GREATS – Patrick O’Donovan

Every few weeks we add a new member to our “ALBION GREATS” hall of fame. This week its the turn of flamboyant ex player/manager Patrick O’Donovan. Pictured above in his Albion heyday, O’Donovans golden locks were used to dazzle the opposition.

Name: Patrick O’Donovan

Age: 43

Position Played: Striker, Midfield, Right Full

Boyhood Team: Liverpool, Cork City

Favourite Player(s): John Caulfield – Biscuits, Sammy Lee

Albion Highlight: Founding Club

Best Player Played With: Francis Harrington, Neilus Murray, Liam Twomey

Hopes for Albions future: I hope the lads get rewarded for all their effort, ie: Cup Final or Promotion.

Best Soccer Moment of all time: The year Cork City won the league last, especially beating Shels at the cross.

I Love Albion because: It’s a choice not a given!

 

Patrick O’Donovan was one of the founding members of the new Albion, founded in the early 1990’s. Since then Patrick has gone to both play & manage the club. Included in that time was a 2nd Division West Cork League winners medal in ’95 & a West Cork League Cup winners medal in ’99. In 2000 he set up Albions first ever U-18 soccer team. O’Donovan managed the clubs junior team through their toughest period after they disbanded in ’05 & reformed in ’07.  He was manager for the 2007/2008 & 2008/2009 season. He now spends his days scouting the West Cork League & AUL for the next goldielocks.

ALBION GREATS – Lester Hurley

Name: Lester Hurley

Age: 32 and a half (my ass) 40!!!!!

Position Played: Centre Half (I’m a full back)

Boyhood Team: West Ham

Favourite Players: Trevor Brooking, Alan Devonshire, Billy Bonds

Albion Highlight: Winning the cup ‘99

Hopes for Albion future: To keep progressing & get their own pitch.

Most memorable soccer moment: Watching West Ham beat “The Scum” 1-0. (We at decourceyalbion.com can only presume he means Arsenal and do not share Lesters views on Arsenal FC).

Best Personal Soccer moment of all time: Scoring twice against a full Arsenal Youth Team when playing for Club 81(London) – Pat Galligan was the manager.

 

I LOVE ALBION BECAUSE: You should always support your local! 🙂

 

Lester Hurley served the latter part of his soccer career at both Ballinspittle FC & De Courcey Albion as a rock solid centre half/full back. He was part of the now legendary Albion team of 1998/1999 that won the League Cup. He now spends most days holding out for West Ham to hit the big time once more. He has been doing this with the past 29 years but we are sure his wishes come through eventually.

Albion Greats – Larry Austin

This week we look at Centre Half/Goalkeeper extrodanaire Larry Austin.
 
Name: Larry Austin
Age: 43
Position Played: Centre Back & Goalkeeper
Boyhood Team: Liverpool
Favorite Player(s) of all time: Ian Rush
Best Albion Highlight: Scoring Goal (O.G) against Donie Nyhan
Best player to play alongside: John Galvin & Seanie Moloney
Hopes for Albion future: Win World Cup ha ha!
 
Larry played in the famous Albion squad of the 90’s and is still remembered for his inch perfect goal from a header in Castletownbere at the pivitol point of the season for the Courcey lads. Unfortunately it was Donie Nyhan who was the keeper he scored against. Larry now resides in Boston USA, married with 2 children. Thanks to Larry for giving us his time to answer our “Albion Greats” questions this past week while he was home on holidays.
 
Larry Austin

Albion Greats – Fran

This week we look at De Courcey Albions all time leading scorer Fran “frantastic” Harrington.
 

Name: Francis Harrington
Age: 34
Position Played:
Striker or left wing
Boyhood Team:
Liverpool
Favorite Player(s) of all time:
Steven Gerrard
Best Albion Highlight:
Getting hot soup after some league game on top of a freezing mountain!!
Most memorable goal: So many to choose from and I don’t remember a single one…
Best player to play alongside:
Declan Murray – nothing was more likely to put a smile on my face than watching Dec miss from 2 yards and being able to take the piss out of him for the rest of the day.
Hopes for Albion future:
World domination of course.

Francis Harrington was De Courcey Albions main striker for most of the 90’s and early 00’s. Usually averaging 20 goals a season, a knee injury prevented him from signing back up in 2007 when the club reformed. He became legendary at the club not for his tap ins from 2 yards but more so from his wonder goals, speed & dribbling ability. Francis now spends his spare time scoring penalties against his brother Padraig who still hasn’t let go of his penalty save in the cup in 1999. 

 

Fran

 

Albion Greats – Scratch

This week on decourceyalbion.com we start our look back at the “Albion Greats”. Players who gave so much to the Club over the years. Each week we will profile a different player. To start off we have the one and only Padraig “Scratch” Harrington

Scratch saves a penalty in the 1999 cup final to win the game for Albion

Name: Padraig “Scratch” Harrington
Age: 21 going on 36, but closer to 21
Position Played: Goal-line, mostly smoking.
Boyhood Team: Manchester Utd
Favorite Player(s) of all time: Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona, Roy Keane.
Best Albion Highlight: Cup win in 1999
Most memorable save: Winning penalty save in cup win in 1999
Best player to play alongside: John Galvin
Hopes for Albion future: Munster senior League status obtained.
 

Padraig “Scratch” Harrington played in goal for De Courcey Albion for many a year and was the linchpin in their cup winning season of 1999, making two pivotal saves in the cup final in the penalty shootout. Scratch now spends most of his spare time rolling fags and scouting for new talent in the art of fag rolling.