It’s a Given: Copany Rovers’ marathon man reflects on 34 seasons

Thomas Given can remember even before the beginning.

Copany Rovers had a false dawn when they first attempted to get into the Donegal Junior League.

The lack of a home pitch saw them turned down. However, in 1988, they were in.

Given, then aged 17, was initially turned away himself. Told he was too young at first, it was’t long before he donned the yellow and blue.

Last Saturday, Given scored Copany’s fifth goal in a 5-4 win over Gweedore Celtic. The goal saw the veteran defender go level with Francie Johnston, his cousin, on 157 goals - the club record.

It’s Copany’s and Given’s 34th season and he has scored in 29 of them.

“I haven’t had too many spectacular goals,” he says,

“Most of my goals are coming in at the back post and getting on the end of something.”

Copany Rovers' Thomas Given

One does standout.

Copany reached the final of the Sportsmans Cup in 1993 and took on an in-form Drumkeen United in the final at The Diamond Park. Although Copany lost a 4-3 thriller in extra time, Given netted a cracker.

“I caught if 30 yards out on the hat-volley and it hit the top corner,” he says. “I caught it perfectly. It was a nice goal to get.

“Our home place looks down over Copany’s pitch. My father never went to many games. He’d just look out the window and get enough to do him.

“He went to that final and that stands out. I remember him coming to me that day after the game, saying: ‘If you had scored two more of those, you would’ve won!’

“We had a great season, we beat Letterkenny Rovers in the semi-final and Drumkeen were flying at the time. Matt Gallagher (an All-Ireland winner with Donegal just a few months beforehand) played in the semi-final.”

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Given knew he was gaining on the record for some time.

Copany produced a book to mark their 25th anniversary. Records were meticulously maintained by the likes of Ian Curristan and William McGirr. Given himself kept ‘little diaries’.

“After we did the book for the 25th - there was a big effort put into that - I just kept adding the goals up myself,” Given says. “Francie was a Copany icon so it’s nice to go level. It’s been a long time coming and I’m getting old at centre-back.”

Given won the Division Two League title in 2014, 23 years after collecting the same title in 1991 - a goal from a scissor kick against Gweedore United remains a standout memory from that season.

Thomas Given with his two winners' medals

He was the captain of the 2014 squad. At 43, he played every minute of that season, captaining them to the title.

He has seen the good and the bad.

“We used to gather up on a Sunday evening, 30 or 40 of us playing for hours - this was a couple of years before we got into the League,” he remembers.

“James McGrory from Letterbarrow put in a good word for us and we got the application through. The timing was good because i was just 17 at the time.

“My proudest moment was lifting the trophy in 2014.”

Copany are on the rise again. Third in the Old Orchard Division Two of the Saturday League, they are only three points behind Ramelton Mariners and have a game in hand.

Glen Harron has been banging in goals this season. His father, Roy, scored Copany’s first goal in October ’88.

Graham Harron and Daniel Brogan, who has bagged eight goals in his last five games, are on form.

Given still gets a thrill out of the game.

“Ah, it’s just determination,” he says. “I always kept myself in fairly good shape. The next generation isn’t going to be as fit as this generation is.”

Given has completed ten marathons and is an active runner.

In December 2019, he ‘took a notion’ on his 49th birthday and decided they he would run 5k a day for the next year. He ended up running for 370 consecutive days, clocking 2128km, raising money for Pieta House. The charity is close to his heart and mind as he remembers Aaron Scott, a former Copany star who died in 2012.

“I decided to do the challenge just for the craic but i’m kind of stubborn so I did it,” he says. “It was an idea to stay fit for the football. I pushed hard and on my 50th birthday I pushed to see what I could do. That was the first time I broke 20 minutes for a 5k.”

He founded his new business, DGL Security, around the same time. His three sons Gary, Luke and Darren, have caught the football bug too.

There’ll be twists and turns before the season’s end. Last week, Copany were 5-0 in front at half-time and clung on to win 5-4 against Gweedore Celtic.

This weekend, they host Drumbar with the Mariners due at Killowen Park a week later.

“Drumbar have a game in hand and they have a lot to fight for yet,” Given says.

“It’s still very tight there.  For us now it’s about keeping focussed and having the work rate high.”