Cookstown Hockey Club

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Cookstown Hockey Club
Grounds Coolnafranky Estate,
Cookstown,
Co Tyrone
Website www.cookstownhockeyclub.com
Email redarmy@cookstownhockeyclub.com
Secretary 2006-2007 Lynn Caskey
Sports Men's Hockey
Branch File:UBIHA232.jpgUlster Branch of the IHA
Founded 1951
Club Colours Red shirt, white shorts, black socks

Cookstown Hockey Club is a hockey club based in Cookstown, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. They are affiliated to the Ulster Branch of the Irish Hockey Association and were founded in 1951. In season 2007-08 they will play in the Premier League of the Ulster Senior League.

Early years

From their foundation in 1951, Cookstown gained promotion from the Junior League to Intermediate League Section A of the Ulster Senior League in season 1954-55.

A period of consolidation followed before Cookstown started to progress upwards in the ranks of Ulster hockey. In 1966-67 Intermediate League Section A was finally won to gain entry to Qualifying League Section B. The following season saw their league won again and promotion to Qualifying League Section A.

When the Ulster Senior League was re-organised after the 1968-69 season, Cookstown had performed well enough in their first season in Qualifying League Section A to secure a place in the new Section 2. For the next five seasons Cookstown proved to be one of the stronger teams in the Section, but always fell just short of promotion to the top flight of Ulster hockey.

Season 1974-75 finally brought the long awaited win of Section 2 and Cookstown secured their place in the top flight of the Ulster Senior League. Their position the top Section of the League has been retained continuously from that date.

1980s

The decade of the 1980s was a period of success for the club and saw Cookstown experience European competition for the first time.

In 1979-80 the club fought its way through to the Irish Senior Cup Final for the first time, losing to Belfast YMCA by two goals to nil.[1] The disappointment was tempered when their opponents were unable to represent Ireland in the European Club Cup and Cookstown accepted an invitation to take their place.

Cookstown won a qualifying tournament and went on to the main event in Rome. They won the Final on penalty-flicks. They became the first Club in Ireland to win a major European competition.[citation needed]

In 1983 the club won the Ulster Senior League Section 1 for the only time in their history. They mad it a double by also winning the Anderson Cup.

The Irish Senior Cup came to Cookstown for the only time in 1986-87. As underdogs they beat Banbridge 4-0 at Blaris, in the last Final to be played on a real grass pitch.

In 1988, as a result of their Irish Senior Cup success, Cookstown were again in European competition and finished 7th in the Premier section of the tournament held in Holland.

The only major trophy that had eluded Cookstown, the Kirk Cup, was finally won in 1988-89 when Mossley were beaten by one goal to nil at Blaris.

The 2nd team also joined the trophy winning when they won two Irish Junior Cups in 1983 and 1985.[2]

1990s onwards

The successes of the 1980s have been hard to follow. The only two major trophies won since the 1980s came with the capture of the Kirk Cup in 2002-03 and 2006-07.>"BBC Kirk Cup Final Report 2006-07 Season". Retrieved 2007-06-02.</ref>

The club attained their best league position for many years when they finished second in 2006-07. A winner-takes-all game against the eventual winnners Annadale in the last fixture of the season was lost.[3] A victory would have won the league for Cookstown.[4]

Honours

  • Kirk Cup (3 wins)
    • 1988-89, 2002-03, 2006-07.

International representatives

The following Cookstown players have represented Ireland at full International level:

  • Martin Sloan - played for Ireland 149 times and was Captain in more than 100 games
  • Andy Barbour - current international with 66 Caps (at April 3, 2007)
  • David McManus
  • Mark Burns
  • Geoff Hamilton
  • David Larmour

Sources

  1. ^ Ireland's Saturday Night 12/04/1980 Page 3
  2. ^ Ireland's Saturday Night 16/04/1983 Page 2
  3. ^ "Belfast Newsletter - Match report for final fixture against Annadale". Retrieved 2007-06-02.
  4. ^ "Belfast Newsletter - Match preview". Retrieved 2007-06-02.

External Links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cookstown_Hockey_Club&oldid=135386423"