THE 1999 Down minor team will be remembered as an incredibly talented group of footballers, who managed to win an All-Ireland title after drawing twice on their way to lifting the Tom Markham Cup.
The manager that year was Castlewellan’s Gerry Dougherty, who managed alongside Martin Farnon, Eamon O’Hare and Barry Breen. Gerry says he feels blessed to have been part of that great season.
“So many people toiled for so long and didn’t get anything. At least we got our day in the sun.”
The reason for that success is down to a team filled with quality players.
The captain of the team was Liatroim’s Liam Doyle.
Gerry said, “If you want to emulate a player it would be Liam Doyle. He didn’t ask anyone to do anything on the field that he couldn’t do himself. He was a very skillful footballer.
“He had great respect within the group. They all knew how good he was. And he never let them down.
“He was a leader on the field and off it. A real role model. He was just the ideal man. If you were cutting him out of a tree, he is the type you would cut out.”
Gerry said that he was always impressed by how Liam carried himself.
“When he was interviewed after winning things he was so composed and didn’t get carried away.
“He didn’t want to take the praise for himself, he was always sharing it with his teammates.”
The reason for Liam’s maturity was partly to do with his family.
“There is very little you have to tell a lad like that because he came from a great background.
“His father, Willie Doyle, played on the Down team that won the All-Ireland in 1968, so there was already an All-Ireland medal in the house.
“He (Liam) had won the Hogan Cup with St Colman’s. So there was another All-Ireland medal. They were going with their third one in the house.
“You don’t need to coach that type of player.”
The 1999 minor team was also famous for having a strong Mayobridge contingent that included players such as Benny Coulter and Mickey Walsh.
Gerry said, “They were two leaders. They led by example on the field.
“They were stars in all the games.”
What was odd about Benny, was that Gerry and the management opted for an unusual role for a player who would go on to be one of the best forwards Ulster football has ever seen.
“Benny Coulter was one of the best forwards in Ireland, so this seems strange, but we played him at midfield because he had the ability to field against anyone.
“Believe it or not, playing at midfield throughout the campaign, he ended up as the top scorer.”
Playing alongside Benny in midfield was Atticall’s Louis Sloan.
Gerry said, “Louis Sloan was a big lad and high fielder. He was a good worker and a tough lad, and could compete in the air.
“Believe it or not, there were three Atticall men on the team. The goalkeeper, John Sloan, Louis Sloan at midfield, and Gary Morgan, who played in the forward line. For a small club like Atticall, at that time it was a big thing to have three boys who won All-Ireland medals.”
Playing Benny Coulter in midfield was important as it provided Down with a platform to win the ball and then attack.
“Our style of play was to get out of our defence as quickly as possible and to get the ball into the opposition area as quickly as possible,” Gerry said.
“Then depend on the skills of the forwards to get the scores.”
In the full article Gerry talks about what each of the players brought to the team, and how the side managed to overcome adversity to go on and win.
