Family bonds behind Portaferry success

By Shaun Casey

GERARD McGrattan was still playing the last time Portaferry claimed three consecutive county titles, and last Sunday, he patrolled the sidelines and watched on as his son led the line on another historic day for the club.

Sunday past was the first time since 2002 that Portaferry won three in-a-row, and Tom McGrattan, the manager’s son, earned the Player of the Match award for a stunning performance after racking up 1-12.

But the family ties don’t stop with the McGrattans. There’s the Conlons, the Smyths and the Sands brothers, Eoghan and Daithi, who claimed the other three-pointers in their 3-21 to 2-15 victory over Ballygalget.

“He’s performing well, he has a new role on the team now, he’s a more centre-forward role now as opposed to the early days when he played inside but it’s just the way the team have gelled well,” said McGrattan of watching his son star for the club.

“A lot of the other boys create the scores, and Tom can take a score, but he’s working hard at the game and delighted for him. But there were some good performances all over the pitch, through the team, half a dozen boys could have got man of the match.”

The relationships on the field, tied from the family links off it, brings Portaferry closer together and McGrattan thinks that those connections are the key trait behind any success the team enjoys.

“When you have brothers playing and cousins playing and close friends playing together, that’s what a team is. Generally, they become very, very close and that’s what you want.

“The best teams are the ones that are close, whether it’s through family or whether it’s through going to school or whatever, being mates. That’s what binds a team together and makes them stronger.

“It’s nice certainly to be a proud father, myself and Marty (Mallon), our two sons are playing and it’s nice for the two of us but a lot of that group of players, I coached them from a very early age.

“So, I know a lot of them, they’re very, very young as a group of players, and I have a good connection with them. It’s nice, like any parish or any club, to be coming home with a cup, it’s great for everybody.

“It’s great for the community and great for the younger kids that are there watching. The boys all go to the schools this week and visit the kids and there’s a juvenile presentation in the club on Friday night and the cup will be in it.

“That’s the most important thing, really that the boys have to do now, is to be role models and set an example and encourage more kids to play.”

The next mission now for the Portaferry men is to try and push on in the provincial series. They’re already through to the Ulster final, their first appearance in the decider since 2014, and their hoping to add a second title to the one secured ten years ago.

They came agonisingly close to reaching the showpiece 12 months ago when they lost out to Cushendall in devastating circumstances. They could, and probably should, have won that game, but it was the Antrim side who went on to claim the Ulster title.

“I think, last year, obviously a lot of people wouldn’t have given us much chance against Cushendall but we had them beat. But they have that bit more experience and strength in depth and they got over the line and caught us at the end.

“The six weeks now gives us great time to prepare for it and to focus on the Ulster final because you don’t think any further than the next game. We didn’t think about the Ulster final until straight after the match on Sunday.

“So, we’ve got plans in place for preparation over the next couple of weeks. I’m looking forward to it and I’m looking forward to the challenge because either Cushendall or the Derry champions, it’s going to be a challenge no matter who we face.”