By Jonathan Brown
Former Tollymore United manager Phillip McGrattan is the man tasked with leading Dundrum United back to the Newcastle League Premier Division, having been appointed manager alongside assistant Peter McCormick back in June.
A number of the club’s former players have made a comeback in pre-season, including Ethan Hanna, Kurtis Kenny, Paddy Dornan, Chris Mulholland and Michael McGrattan, which has pleased the new manager ahead of Dundrum’s opening KitRoom Cup game away to Ballyvea IIIs.
“There’s been a few boys that didn’t play last year or who didn’t play last season who’ve made a comeback – I can’t praise the players enough, the numbers at training have been brilliant.”
The Dundrum squad has also been bolstered by teenagers like Thomas Burns and Ezra Maude. McGrattan has been impressed with their attitude in pre-season training, adding that they’ll help to improve the performances of his more established players.
“The enthusiasm of some of the younger guys has been brilliant. They’re not afraid to get stuck in in training, which I like, as long as it’s not overly competitive. With those younger faces coming in, it’s bucked everybody’s ideas up.”
Commenting on the Newcastle League’s new KitRoom Cup tournament, the former Dundrum player said it will act as a good measuring stick for his players and believes it’s a positive development for local clubs in terms of providing competitive football early on in the season.
“We’re looking forward to it, so we can see where we actually are — to see where the established players are at and where the younger players can bring us to. It’s going to be interesting, you’ve got different teams from different divisions facing each other; Ballyvea in Division Two, ourselves in Division One, and then a couple of the Premier League teams. I think it’s going to be a good test.
“I think it helps clubs in a way as well. Instead of running around trying to organise friendlies before the start of the season, the KitRoom Cup is going to get everybody up and running right away,” McGrattan explained.
But the priority is promotion back to the Premier Division following relegation to Division One at the end of the 2023/24 season.
“Promotion has to be our aim for the season, that’s what I’ve been speaking to the players about in pre-season. There’s going to be big competition for places which can only be a good thing, it keeps everyone on their toes. And we want to try and get a couple of good cup runs as well.”
Read analysis from all the Newcastle league teams in the current paper, such as Ballynahinch United Swifts, Ballyvea III, Castlewellan Forest, Ballynahinch Olympic Town, Drumaness Mills Reserves and Newcastle Town Swifts.
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