Railway Union cricket will not be the same this season as Pat Collins will be missing. He first played for us in 2011 and returned again from Brisbane in 2012, 2013 and 2014. He was a member of our league-winning team in 2011.
Pat’s contribution to the club was immense. He always gave his best and even more for the club in everything that he did and did it with enthusiasm and to the highest standards at all times. He won a number of matches for the club single-handedly, either with his batting or his bowling, or indeed through his astute captaincy of the 1st X1 as he deputised for Kevin O’Brien on occasions.
But it was not only on the playing field where Pat made an impact. He was an excellent coach and communicator and raised the standard and interest in all of our young players to work hard, improve at their skills and play to the best of their ability at all times.
We wish Pat every success in his future career back in Brisbane and thank him most sincerely for the contribution he made to Railway Union.
The challenge for Railway Union cricket now is to build on the work of Pat Collins over the last four seasons and to put in place the structures and facilities that are required to continue our aim of achieving excellence in our youths and to ensure that cricket is an enjoyable and rewarding sport for everyone to participate in.
For 2015, the Club has appointed two experienced cricket coaches, Ali Shah and Rob Abbott. Ali and Rob will work at all levels of the club from under 9s right up to Men’s and Women’s 1st teams to ensure all our members and teams have the best opportunity to improve and enjoy their cricket.
Ali joins us from Guildford CC, near London, and, like Rob, he brings a wealth of experience of coaching young people in sport. Ali played underage representative cricket for Surrey, is an ECB Level 2 coach and was also a lead coach at the Youth Cricket Academy based at Outwood CC in Surrey. Ali has coached extensively recently alongside well-known coaches Joey Benjamin (ex England fast bowler) and Mark Lane (ex Ireland and England women’s teams head coach).
Rob is well-known to many youth members and parents already as he has been actively involved in coaching hockey to young people in Railway for a number of years. Rob played underage representative cricket for Kent (South East London) before concentrating on hockey. As well as being one of the driving forces behind hockey in Railway on and off the pitch, Rob is a senior international hockey umpire and one of the head coaches at Mount Temple Comprehensive School sport programme. Rob is an ECB Level 1 coach.
A number of our youth players participated in a recent LCU Certificate in Coaching Young People and Adults’ Course. This will equip them with the necessary skills to be in a position to assist throughout the season. We congratulate Eoghan Connolly, Niall Hunt, Mhairi Nicoll and Anna Callahan on taking this first step on the coaching ladder.
To sustain the club, we need more personnel to qualify as umpires, coaches and scorers and to acquire the various skills required to manage the club successfully. Seán Condron and Noel Fitzsimons recently qualified as Level 1 Umpires, making them two of the youngest qualified umpires anywhere in the world.
YOUTH CRICKET CAMP
Where: Railway Union
When: Tuesday 7th April – Friday 10th April (4 days)
Times: 10am -1pm each day
Ages: All children 5-12 years old Welcome
Cost: €40 payable on first morning with childs name on envelope. 2nd and subsequent siblings €30.
What to bring: lunch and a drink.
Registration: railwaycc@gmail.com
Activities will include cricket and also other multi sport activities ie soccer, handball, volleyball, SAQ etc.
All our coaches are fully vetted, experienced , qualified and have undergone Code of Ethics training.
Everyone Welcome!
By David Carroll
