John McKeever adds All-Ireland winner to his management team in Portglenone

By Michael McMullan

JOHN McKeever will take charge of his native Portglenone this season and has assembled a management team that includes former All-Ireland winning captain Peter Canavan, Gaelic Life can confirm.

McKeever, who managed Coosktown to an All-Ireland intermediate title, took over his home club when Barry Dillon stepped down after their defeat at the hands of Aghagallon.

Canavan, who teaches with McKeever in Cookstown’s Holy Trinity College, is a significant addition to the club’s search for a first ever senior championship.

Cookstown man Tommy Devlin is also part of the management team, having been with McKeever in Cookstown, Bellaghy and Coalisland

John’s brother Adrian, Barry McErlean, Phelim McCloskey, Harry Kearney and Martin McLaughlin are all on board, the latter having worked as a performance analyst with Derry teams.

Portglenone lost three senior finals – all to St Gall’s – during the noughties. With the help of an influx from their 2013 U21 winning team, they secure an intermediate title the following season

The Casements have been knocking on door at in the senior championship in recent years.

McKeever and Canavan’s focus for now is Holy Trinity’s MacRory Cup campaign. They face St Patrick’s Maghera in the semi-final, with Omagh CBS up against St Mary’s Magherafelt in the other semi-final.