Ambitious plan to bring senior football back to Omagh

A FORMER professional footballer has resurrected the name of Omagh Town as part of an ambitious plan to bring senior football back to the County Tyrone town.

The project has been initiated by Omagh man and Loughgall United footballer, Caolan McAleer, who runs a series of football coaching programmes largely based at Youth Sport Omagh.

McAleer, who early in his career played for a number of clubs in Scotland including Partick Thistle and Airdrie, last week announced on Facebook, the return of Omagh Town.

The statement on the Pro Football Coaching FB read: “The Big News we have been waiting for, Omagh Town is returning. I have thought about this for many years and the time is right. We will be starting off with a small number of youth teams. The big goal is to bring Omagh Town Football Club back to the Premiership.”

That announcement engaged quite a reaction from both supporters of ‘The Town’ and those of other Irish League clubs.

Omagh Town was formed in 1962 and played in the Irish League from 1990 to 2005 when the club folded due to financial problems. During that 15-year period Town twice played in European competition and in 1991 clinched the Budweiser Cup by defeating Linfield in the showpiece final.

Nearly two decades on from the shutters being pulled down at St Julian’s Road – the club’s former home ground – McAleer believes now is the time to launch an audacious bid with the ultimate aim of bringing senior football back to Omagh.

“It’ll be baby steps to start with. We’ll be starting very young, five, six, seven, eight and nine and entering teams into the BKYL,” he said.

“Then after a year or two we’ll start looking at under-15, seventeens and nineteens and see if we can get a first team going.

“The first challenge will be can we get teams into the national leagues, against your Linfields, Crusaders and so on and that should attract those better players.

“Ultimately I want to do the full thing properly, girls’ teams, development teams, senior team, all age groups.

“The reaction on social media has been massive, Facebook, Twitter. I knew it would get a reaction but I didn’t expect it to be so big. I’ve got so many messages.

“Already I have five or six businesses looking to sponsor kits, there are people looking to be part of it.”

Going on past experience, some are likely to view McAleer’s vision as pie in the sky.

The former Finn Harps, Sligo Rovers and Dungannon player accepts the project is an ambitious one but believes he is the person to get it off the ground and drive it forward.

“Omagh is a big town, anyone here always has to travel to play at a high level,” he continued.

“The plan is to keep young players here, and build through the youth and get the support from people and businesses; I don’t see why we can’t make it happen.

“It might sound a bit daft but you have to start somewhere; someone has to do it. At this moment in time I’m probably the one best placed.

“You have to back yourself; obviously I have the coaching and stuff behind me.”

McAleer has been hugely encouraged by the response to his announcement and that has given him the added motivation to go for it.

He accepts that there will be many hurdles to clear before senior football in Omagh can become a reality and one of those will be establishing a ground that will be fit for purpose, given that St Julian’s Road no longer exists.

“I want to create that whole spark again. I have had kids saying to me ‘are you going to start Omagh Town?’ They don’t know what it was but their parents do,” he added.

“Since making the announcement I have had Linfield fans, Bangor fans, and others telling me how they remember coming to Omagh.

“I want to create an environment where kids want to play for Omagh Town.

“It’s a long-term project and I’m not going to be able to do everything in the first couple of years. I want it done properly. The right things have to be in place before taking big steps.

“It’s a shame St Julian’s Road is no longer there but it’s done now. I know it’s ages away but down the line we’ll have to look at a proper ground.”