The Hossies celebrate 40 years this weekend

WHEN the great and the good gather to mark Omagh Hospitals’ 40th anniversary celebrations in the Coach Inn on Saturday evening they will be raising a glass to a club that, despite it’s many ups and downs, has shown a tremendous fortitude, resilience and ability to adapt in keeping the show on the road.

And no doubt it’s those qualities that will be called on as the club reflects on their latest relegation from Division One following last weekend’s agonising defeat to Magheraveely that will help them bounce back yet another time.

In 40 years the club’s first team has been promoted six times and relegated seven and since the 1990-1991 season when they were promoted as champions of Fermanagh and Western League Division Three the club’s first team has gone all the way to Division One three times and all the way back down to Division Three twice.

They are the proverbial yo-yo club, but, through thick and thin and when other more established clubs fell by the wayside, the Hossies have managed to maintain a presence in the local game.

Originally established to provide competitive football for the staff working at the Tyrone County Hospital and Tyrone and Fermanagh Hospital, the club has had to adapt over the years to become part of the local community and football family outside hospital life.

Nowadays it’s a club very much with its own identity although many of those behind the scenes have been stalwarts of the club for more years than perhaps they care to remember.

Among them the inimitable Brendan Morrison, who has managed club teams umpteen times, and Sean McCartan, who has filled almost every position imaginable, right through from player to manager and to his current role as club secretary.

Reflecting on those early years Sean said, “The club was formed after a club called Cranagh United folded. Seamus Kelly and Tony McLaughlin started the club in 1982 and it was essentially for the workers across the two hospital sites. There was only two players in the original team that weren’t employed by the hospital.

“Gradually though there were less and less staff from the hospital and more from outside the hospital and further afield. Dwindling services also fed into the change and there is no doubt we did have our struggles. Over the years every now and again we have found ourselves having conversations about pulling the reserve team or keeping it going and thankfully we have kept it going.”

For majority of the past 40 years, Omagh Hospitals had their own pitch at the T&F Hospital but since the construction of the new hospital they have played on council pitches at Cranny Bridge, Donnelly’s Holm and more recently at Omagh Leisure Complex.

On the field of play the Hossies have won F&W Division Three (The Brendan Keogh Memorial Cup) three times in the 1990-91, 2003-04 and 2009-10 seasons, Division Two (The Enda Love Memorial Cup) twice in 1992-93 and 2004-05 and were last promoted to the Fermanagh and Western top flight as runners-up in the 2018-19 season.

So many players pulled on a shirt for the Hopsitals across five different decades and many will remember the likes of Seamus Glackin, Paul McBride, Willie Lowe, Mickey O’Neill, John Sharkey, Pat Fullerton, Mick McCullagh and current manager Mickey Coyle among others.

Many of those past players will no doubt rekindle some great memories come Saturday evening and McCartan is certainly looking forward to again meeting up with some familiar faces.

“I look back at all the fellas who pulled on that jersey and you played along with and the friendships you made over the years,” continued the club secretary.

“A lot of these lads I have remained friendly with and that’s why I’m looking forward to Saturday night.

“There’s always been a family feel to the club, you have the likes of the McCullaghs, dads and sons playing together, that sort of thing.

“Nowadays things are a bit more professional than when I was playing and boys look after themselves better than we did. The club gave an opportunity to so many to play football and through it all we have kept going.

“It doesn’t get any easier running a club but we keep going and that is the most important thing.”

Unfortunately the Hossies’ relegation to Division Two last weekend has perhaps threatened to put a bit a dampener on Saturday night’s celebrations but knowing many of the characters involved the latest setback will be parked on the back burner.

Bouncing back will be another challenge for another day and, as everyone in local football can testify, the Hossies have never taken a backward step when it comes to a challenge.