BALLYVEA III take centre stage in this week’s edition of club focus. Manager Samuel John Robinson and veteran midfielder Jeffrey Stewart discuss what has been a season to remember following a fourth-place finish in NADAFL Division Two and a run to the NADAFL Charity Shield final.
Former youth team coach Samuel John Robinson took charge of Ballyvea III in the summer 2023, his first senior managerial role.
The Mourne side dropped down from Division 1 of the Newcastle League to Division 2, to allow for a season of rebuilding following a difficult 2022/23 campaign when they finished with just 11 points on the board.
The manager says the drop down a league has been beneficial, particularly for the younger players in the side, and says he’s content with their fourth-place finish in the league.
“It’s (the drop down to Division 2) been very beneficial from the youth side of things. At the start of the season I had quite a lot of 16 year olds in the squad, one of those 16-year-olds is now playing for the first team.
“Some have moved into the Seconds as well, it’s developed the younger players to play in higher leagues,” Robinson said.
Read the complete feature as Samuel John Robinson and Jeffrey Stewart assess what the team have learned this season.