Issue 13 Wednesday, February 6, 2008

 

Colm Foley

ONE could empathise with Colm Foley if he was feeling bitter. At 28 years of age, the man who once formed one half of the best central defensive pairing in the eircom League has been forced to call it a day. Persistent knee ligament problems have ultimately claimed this young career at a time when he should be at the height of his powers. But the articulate Dubliner is philosophical about having to leave the game he loves. "I had ten years at the top level of soccer in Ireland," said Foley. "So I suppose you could say I had a good innings. I spent eight years at a great club like Pat's, it gave me great memories. I've accepted that I can't play anymore and am looking forward to new parts of my life." And those comments were the prelude to YBIG's latest ‘eircom League Star Q&A’.

 

YBIG: What's your favourite eircom League ground, Colm?

CF: It would have to be Richmond Park.

 

YBIG: And who would be the toughest opponent you came up against during your career?

CF: Players like Jason Byrne stand out, but the toughest would have been Liam Coyle of Derry City. The sheer skill of the man made him very hard to mark, he was a class act.

 

YBIG: Who do you think is the most exciting young talent in the eircom League?

CF: Mark Quigley of St Pat's is very good. I can see flashes of Liam Coyle in him, actually. He came on in leaps and bounds last year and scored plenty of goals. To train with a fella, you see how good they can be, and Mark is a great young player.

 

YBIG: What's the most memorable moment of your career?

CF: Scoring the goal that won the league in 2002 was very special. So many fans made the trip to Dundalk that day and to see them celebrating after my goal was something that will live with me forever. They brought such colour and volume. People may say that Pat's were deducted points that season, but we knew in our hearts what we'd achieved as a team that year. We were champions.

 

YBIG: I couldn't agree with you more, Colm. Now, from your highest point to your lowest point; what was the worst moment of your career?

CF: People might expect me to say the 15-point deduction in 2002, but like I say, we knew we were champions, not Shelbourne, so it didn't weigh heavily on my mind. The worst moment of my career was having to retire.

 

YBIG: Who was the best manager you played under?

CF: Pat Dolan. He brought me to Pat's and I always got on well withhim. He was very good in the dressing room and he guided the club to a lot of success.

 

YBIG: What's your favourite TV show:

CF: The West Wing, I love it.

 

YBIG: And your favourite film?

CF: I'm going to get a bit of slagging for this, but Aliens is my favourite film.

YBIG: Is that number one, two or three? If there is a third one, that is.

CF: The second one, it's called ‘Aliens’. The first one is called ‘Alien’.

YBIG: That makes sense alright, I'll have to watch it. (Interestingly, Aliens is also YBIG writer Jonny Walls's favourite film. Not that that's anything to go by.)

 

YBIG: Have you any plans to go back into football in a coaching capacity?

CF: At the moment, no. I need to get a few personal things organized and I need to give work my full commitment for a while. I haven't been fully committed to the job while I was playing, so I'm going to rectify that. But I won't rule out coming back to the game in the future.

 

YBIG: What do you do during your spare time?

CF: I play a lot of golf, although not at the moment because it's a struggle to walk after my knee operation. But hopefully I'll be out on the course in the summer. I play golf with Willie Burke most of the time. (Willie Burke is a former St Pat’s and Shamrock Rovers defender)

 

YBIG: What's your opinion on how long it has taken the FAI to appoint a new Ireland manager?

CF: It's been very disappointing. I can't understand why it has taken so long. The same names just cropped up over and over again, so surely an appointment could have been made a long time ago. I also think it's an awful shame that the new man wasn't in place when the qualifying fixtures were being negotiated. He'll only have two friendly matches after the Brazil game to work with the team before the first qualifier, that's just not enough.

 

YBIG: What's your favourite holiday destination?

CF: America.

 

YBIG: Anywhere in particular?

CF: Orlando, it's brilliant. There's loads to do.

 

YBIG: Great stuff, I'm going there in March!

CF: You'll love it.

 

YBIG: Picture this scene, Colm: You're on a first date and at the end of the night you walk her home. As you leave her safe and sound at the front door and prepare to say good night, she invites you in for coffee. What do you do?

CF: Ha ha! I have a girlfriend so I wouldn't be in that situation.

 

YBIG: What advice would you give to young players trying to make a breakthrough in the game?

CF: When you're young the key is to be patient and to listen to the experienced players around you, your chance will come. Then it's about grasping the opportunity with both hands, though you do need a bit of luck along the way.

 

YBIG: Will we be seeing you at any matches next season.

CF: Definitely, I'll make it along to a few Pat's matches to cheer them on.

 

By Ronan O’Flaherty