By Niall McCoy

NEW Silverbridge manager Kevin Franklin is aiming to play attractive football when the Harps do finally get back onto the pitch in 2021.

Like all new bosses, Franklin’s first few months have been littered with frustration as the Covid-19 pandemic has meant that he hasn’t been able to get to know his squad outside of the virtual arena.

He does have a knowledge of Armagh football though, and anyone who watched his previous stints at Shane O’Neill’s and Dromintee, who he guided to the Division 1B title, will know that his preference is for front-foot football.

“There is a certain way I like to play football. I like my teams to play ball,” said Franklin.

“To me, there are only certain things you can choreograph in a match, set plays and the likes, after that a match takes on a life of its own and you entrust players to take responsibility for their on-field performances.

“You have to play to the strengths you have in the club too. There is no point me going to Silverbridge and saying we’ll do A, B or C if we don’t have the man-power to do it.

“They do have the talent there in attack. You go out to beat the other team, you don’t go out ‘not to lose’.

“I think players enjoy the idea of that too, rather than going out to keep opponents to six or seven scores and trying to get a couple of frees in response.”

While the gates at Keeley Park haven’t been locked as Silverbridge’s walking track still gets plenty of use, there has been an eerie silence around the impressive complex.

Franklin, who has a strong backroom team of Eoin Hamill, Eamonn McEvoy and Tom Franklin, is obviously hopeful that action will resume as soon as possible.

“We went to meet the players before Christmas and the night before the meeting we had to pull the plug,” said Franklin. “There was a big spike in Covid in that area at the time.

“We’ve contacted them all with phone calls and Zoom calls and all that. We’ve sent them out training programmes to do, running sessions and strengthening work.

“Football has a lot to do with connections and building relationships and that will not happen until we’re on the ground. There is a huge air of positivity around both the team and the club and we are just looking forward to getting up and going.”