Big rebuilding job needed at Greencastle FC - Pat McLaughlin

Having guided Greencastle to the Inishowen Premier Division title in 2018-9 and again in 2021-22, Pat McLaughlin was as pained as anyone to see their collapse this season which saw them finish bottom of the league without earning as much as a draw.

Greencastle managed to score just four goals in 16 outings, conceded 71 and their inevitable relegation to the First Division was apparent long before the turn of the year.

“Ah, it was a disastrous season where we only scored four goals and got no points in the league at all,” McLaughlin said. “There's a massive rebuilding job needed there.“We won the league, four cups in 2019, including the Ulster junior cup and that was some team.

“The team I had in 2022 has broken up, but there's a few good young players coming through but they need the experinced players back to make them into a team again.

“There's a lot of players needed to strengthen the team," McLaughlin continued. “We can't be relying on James Henry, Michael Barr and Gavin Harkin forever, but we'd probably need them boys back.
“It all depends on who's in charge next year and hopefully they can bring a bit of jizz back to Chapel Lane where the players enjoy their training, enjoy their match on a Sunday. It kind of got to the stage this season where players weren't enjoying it and it was a chore.
“We might never reproduce that team of 2019, but we need something."

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“It's a big job needed from whoever is manager next season, from the committee and from the players too. They can't expect to have everything handed to them, they need to help out and get stuck in to the club too.”

McLaughlin switched codes and manged the Moville Gaelic footballers in 2023 and 2024, guiding them to the Junior A final in his first season. But he worries about the future of local sports, regardless of whether it's Association or Gaelic football.
“I prefer the local matches to the crap on TV and I go to a lot of them – some good, and some very bad,” he said.
“But I think fielding two teams is getting harder and harder for many clubs. You never see young wans out with a ball, kicking against a wall. All you see is them with their phones and phones and phones."

“I just hope Greencastle can come back up. I love going to Chapel Lane on a Sunday and would love to see a buzz about it again.”