‘This is an opportunity for these players’ - Funston on National League set up

Bonagee United manager Michael Funston says his players are relishing a chance to play senior football this Autumn.

With the club becoming one of three Donegal teams moving up to the new National League, along with Letterkenny Rovers and Cockhill Celtic, it will give a number of players in the county the opportunity to play at a higher level.

Since the collapse of the Ulster Senior League, there has been an absence of a level higher than Junior football in Donegal for three seasons.

A League of Ireland veteran, Funston knows what to expect for the side, but he’s looking forward to the challenge.

“It’s massive. For the players who haven’t had the chance to play at that level, this is an opportunity for them now.

“There is a real appetite for players who felt they were stuck at playing at Junior level.

“Until you take the step up, I don’t think players fully understand the commitment and the level you have to reach. Intermediate is not a bad level, but senior football is relentless, and you have to do it Monday to Sunday, and then you reset and go again. I think that is the hard thing for players to grasp, it isn’t just a game of football on a Sunday, this is business.

“For me, I loved every bit of it, but from a player's point of view, it is a massive step up and there are a lot of players who want to make that step up.”

The Funston household has been heavily involved in the Dry Arch Park club, and Funston knows all the ins and outs of how they have gotten to where they are now, and he commended them for helping to make this happen.

“It’s massive for the club, the club have always been ambitious.

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“From our house, with my father (Eric) as president, it’s a proud moment for him, our family, and the community. A lot of old stewards are here, and it’s a massive day for them too, so it’s a really proud moment for anyone who has worn a Bonagee jersey.

“It’s not just for the players right now, it’s for all the people who have done the building blocks along the way and helped out in any way, for them to be able to say ‘wow, look where Bonagee is’.

“The commitment from the club, once you say you’re going into this, is massive, and we have to make sure everything is in place from finances to the squad size, and it will be a leap into the unknown.

“But they have always been hungry for success at Bonagee, which I admire.

“This pathway has always been spoken about, and it is there now. Bonagee have over 450 young people, boys and girls involved, and in the last ten years, the club has absolutely exploded, and this is hopefully the fruit of it, which will be shown now in the National League.”

The club also launched a new draw, Club Bonagee, with a monthly prize pool of €1,000, which will support the development of Bonagee United from under-6s to the senior teams, with the first draw taking place on the weekend of Easter Sunday, April 5.