'I’m coming to the end of my career so I’m just making the most of it' - Bradley

After 22 years with Cockhill Celtic, there’s not much that team captain Jimmy Bradley hasn’t seen. 

This Sunday at 2pm, the newly crowned Inishowen champions will clash with Wexford side Gorey Rangers as they hope to become the first side from the peninsula, and the third Donegal team in history to win the FAI Junior Cup.  

Bradley is one of the veteran players on the team. Before winning the league title a number of weeks ago, he was the only player on the current squad to have captured the Ulster Senior League 10 in-a-row and the Inishowen title, but topping off the season with some national silverware will no doubt be the cherry on top of the cake. 

“We’re really excited for it, I say a few of the lads are counting down the minutes, we only have a few more days to prepare but we’re just looking forward to getting out onto the field,” said the Cockhill captain. 

Following last year’s FAI Intermediate Cup final to Rockmount, Bradley believes his side has taken plenty of learnings to go one step further this season, and with the club dropping down to junior football, it was important for them to put a marker down early and show that they are still a dominant force. 

“I would say for me, after last year’s intermediate final defeat, redemption could be one word I’d use,” Bradley said. “We’re going to do everything in our power to win the cup, it’ll be nice to make amends for last year’s disappointment, but we know it’s going to be a really tough game. 

“There’s a brilliant buzz around here at the minute, there’s a lot happening, and you can feel the excitement in the air around the club and amongst the locals. Even for the young supporters to see this success, this can be a backbone for a lot of them to one day be successful with Cockhill in the future.” 

And while Bradley acknowledges that dropping down to junior football from intermediate level did take a bit of adapting, the chance of winning a national title is still as important for him and the club, with the 39-year-old joking that he may not have many years left on the field. 

“Yeah, we can be honest and say it’s probably not the same as last year considering this is junior level and last year was intermediate level, but we still have to acknowledge that we are in a national final. You can only win the competition that’s in front of you, we’re in the FAI Junior Cup final and we want to win it and we’re doing everything in our power to win it. 

“I made my debut 22 years ago in the first team, I’ve seen almost everything with the club at this stage,” he admitted.  

“Time really does fly; I know I’m coming to the end of my career so I’m just going to make the most of it. I don’t think I have a few years left in me to play . . . maybe only a few matches, we’ll see how Sunday goes first. 

“I was playing for Cockhill before we entered the Ulster Senior League back in 2005, so there’s not much I haven’t seen here, but in all those years we haven’t won this competition, so it’ll finish the season off nicely, and add to the club’s trophy cabinet.”