Hall of Fame & Merit Awards Dinner 2024
February 26, 2024
On Friday night (23rd February 2024) in the Killyhevlin Hotel, Enniskillen the Fermanagh and Western Football League/Association held their annual Hall of Fame and Merit Awards dinner.
This year the former Chairman of the Fermanagh and Western Football Association Roy Cathcart (Enniskillen Rangers) was induced into the Hall of Fame and Seamus Bradley (Tummery Athletic) received the Merit Award.
Below is the ordination given by Neil Jardine Chairman of the Fermanagh and Western Football League.
Good evening distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. It is my pleasure to give the oration tonight for the fifteenth inductee into the Fermanagh & Western Hall of Fame, Roy Cathcart. Now, preparing and delivering these are normally nervy enough, hoping that you don’t get anything wrong and do the recipient justice, but tonight’s is more stressful as the teacher is quite literally, marking your work.
Roy is well known to all of us through his life-time of service to Enniskillen Rangers, starting out as a fallow sixteen year-old playing for the Reserve Team in the inaugural Division 2 in 1968. Roy had played a few games for STC at the start of the season and was approached by Cecil Carson to sign after playing against Rangers at Florencecourt, having previously played for the Club in the Belfast Telegraph Shield and Lowry-Corry Cup. From his debut in 1968, Roy was involved with Rangers until 1980, when he left to play for Pete & Brendan Keogh at Lisnarick returning to his home club after Lisnarick folded in 1982 before heading to Australia for two years. On his return home, Roy resumed his` career at Rangers, playing predominately for the Reserves but also many games for the first team. He recalled missing out on a place in the 1986 Mulhern Cup final against Shelbourne as he was cup-tied having played for the Reserve team in an earlier round in a comprehensive defeat away to Victoria Bridge; this was the last year that Reserve teams played in the competition as the Rehill Cup started the following season. He qualified for a Mercer League medal in the 1988/89 season having played more than 9 games in a 26 game campaign. Roy managed the Reserve Team for a number of years, it was he who gave me my debut in 1990, and also served as temporary 1st team manager for a short period.
Although he was never booked in the 500 plus games he played in his career, he was responsible for the abandonment of a game; in a Lowry-Corry match played at Lisnarick, the young keeper was somewhat bored during the match and decided to swing from the crossbar which promptly snapped causing the goals to collapse, abandoning the game.
It was during his time at Lisnarick that Roy was first introduced to administration at Fermanagh & Western level; then League Secretary Brendan Keogh asked him to attend an AGM as Lisnarick representative. On his return from Australia, Roy took up the role of Rangers representative in the League and Association, serving on the Management Committee and in 1990 was elected as the Association’s representative on the IFA Junior Committee. In 1998, he became only the second ever representative from this constituency to chair a committee in Windsor Avenue, following in the footsteps of fellow clubman Willie McElroy who had fulfilled the same role in 1980. A highlight of his time as chairman came the following season when he presented the Junior Cup to Dessie Kerr as Rangers finally achieved the holy grail of junior football. Rangers were back in the final the following year but this time it was neighbours Lisnaskea Rovers who lifted the coveted trophy in front of one of the largest crowds ever to watch a Junior Cup Final at Ferny Park. Roy would have the distinction of serving a second term as chairman; at this time he had also taken his place on Senior Council of the IFA. He would also serve as Chairman of the Women’s Committee in Belfast and was one of the very few to consistently promote the Women’s game at a time when it had virtually no profile. Roy would regularly travel with international teams at all levels and provide match reports and photographs of the teams, the only record that exists of these matches. In 2005, Roy took over as Chairman of the Association following the passing of Enda Love the previous year, having served in a number of roles for the preceding 18 years, stepping down at the 2023 Annual General Meeting. It would be safe to say that, much like his goalkeeping career, Roy was a safe pair of hands guiding the Association over this time, never one to countenance knee-jerk reactions and always ensuring any contentious matters were given a fair and balanced hearing. On a personal note, Roy would have always been one of the first people I would have consulted with when facing a possibly controversial decision, his advice and opinion were always a good barometer to guide my thinking.
Mr Cathcart, as he was known in his professional life, took early retirement in 2011 to further pursue his two loves in life, football and travel; even better was the fact that he was going to be paid to travel and watch football! It was at this time that Roy took up his appointment as a UEFA Match Observer, covering 91 games in the twelve years up to his retirement on age grounds last year. The role is one of great importance and authority as the Match Observer acts as the eyes and ears of the governing body at matches under their jurisdiction, ensuring that the organisation and running of the game is carried out according to the regulations, filing reports after the match detailing any incidents that may have occurred. There were many memorable moments during this time such as ensuring Atletico Madrid Manager Diego Simone behaved himself at a Champions League game whilst serving a touch-line ban and going toe to toe with Unai Emery during his time with Sevilla. Roy is quick to point out the opportunities that football can provide, a young cub from Florencecourt in charge of Ajax v Barcelona at the Johan Cruyff Arena in the Champions League.
I mentioned that Roy was now getting paid to travel and watch football but that is only partly correct. The fees and expenses paid by UEFA for these matches now have a visible end product as anyone who has visited The Ball Range can see. Roy made an early decision that this money would be used to provide improved facilities at the ground and to date has built five spectator shelters and the impressive players’ lounge, which also acts as a repository for the many souvenirs collected on his travels around Europe. It is safe to say that Roy is a driving force behind the development of The Ball Range and the club itself, he can be seen every Saturday with the camera recording the events on the pitch and posting the results on Facebook along with much other varied and informative content, not forgetting the fact that he has personally laundered every Rangers kit for the past 30 years. His current role is Treasurer, although you would be hard pressed to find an administrative or other role that he has not, or continues to fulfil.
Roy still maintains one role in football outside of Enniskillen Rangers, that is as Chairman of the Stadium Development Company, the subsidiary of the IFA responsible for the operation of the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park. This is a position appointed by the main IFA Board, and although he was reluctant to take the role at first, he has yet again proved more that capable of leading that body.
Roy has been an excellent ambassador for football, men's and women's, at local, national and international level through his administrative career and although he is now enjoying his second retirement, his ongoing commitment to Enniskillen Rangers is unbowed, every club needs selfless individuals like Roy to keep the wheels rolling but we all know that they are very hard to find. I have shared a large part of my journey in football with Roy, which has undoubtedly been to my benefit and I’m sure everyone here tonight would concur with that opinion.
Seamus Bradley was awarded the Merit Award for his actions at a match last September, where he undoubtly saved the life of a young man who had collapsed at a pitch beside where his own team was playing at the Valley Leisure Centre in Belfast. A young Cloughmills FC player collapsed during their match against St James Swifts, Seamus quickly made his way over to the incident and with the clubs defibrillator as well as providing vital medical assistance worked on the player until the ambulance arrived. Thankfully the player in question has now made a full recovery, but without Seamus efforts it would have been a different outcome.
Tummery Athletic Secretary Shaun McDermott presented the Merit award to Seamus Bradley on the night
