Kennedy looking forward to working with O’Rourke

By Kieran Lynch

BRYANSFORD announced a new management team last week, with John Kennedy and Martin O’Rourke appointed at the helm.

Kennedy, who was most recently with Dromintee, says that he’s ‘honoured’ to have been appointed, and he believes that Bryansford, who have found themselves in the relegation play-offs of the Down Senior Football Championship in each of the last two seasons, have the potential to make serious improvements.

“It’s an honour to manage a club like Bryansford, because of the tradition and history they have, and it’s a great opportunity to go and manage a club like that,” he said.

“I don’t mean this as a slant on the last management team, but it’s probably fair to say that they have been underachieving, and what attracted me to the job is that I see them as a much better team than to be fighting off relegation.”

As for his management partner O’Rourke, who was most recently with Ballyholland, Kennedy says that he can’t wait to get working with the former Armagh inter-county star, due to his high level of experience in coaching.

“Martin will bring experience; he has been around a lot of clubs, and will bring that bit of know-how with him,” said Kennedy.

“He’s very thorough in everything he does, his reputation is very good, he’ll bring organisation, and I’m genuinely looking forward to working with him, and trying to pick his brain.

“The experience he has picked up over the years is invaluable; he has been around a lot of good clubs and a lot of good footballers.

“Plus, the other thing about him is he’s a good fella as well. He’ll have my back, and I’ll have his, which is important in any management group.”

Finally, Kennedy says that he doesn’t know any of the Bryansford squad personally, but that he knows enough about them to see their tremendous footballing potential.

“I was the Glenn u-21 manager a few years ago, so any of the boys around the age profile of 30 I would know pretty well,” he said.

“Bryansford beat us in the semi-final of the u-21 championship, and we couldn’t get a hand on Chris Clarke, he beat us on his own. So, I don’t know them personally, but I know their footballing ability and their pedigree.

“So, I know that they’re a sleeping giant and the potential is there.”