Ahead of the 'revenge tie' against Bentleys, the Lisahally Listener was fortunate enough to get an exclusive interview with one half of the Lisahally management, Rory Kirk. A tenacious character, Kirk offers an insider view of life on the touchline of one of Derry's finest Sunday League teams.
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Lisahally Listener: The season thus far has been fairly successful and despite a few minor blips, Lisah' are currently on course for promotion. Are you and Danny confident that your team can maintain its prodigious form?
Rory Kirk: We are confident we can maintain this form and we are aiming for the league title. Promotion will be a bonus but we want to finish first. As long as the team can stay focused we will achieve this.
LL: Many Lisah' fans have been surprised by the run. What would you say has been the secret (if any) to success?
RK: A few things. Pride, passion, fitness, respect and belief. Simple things like maintaining the ball and when lost go and get it back. Hound the opponents down and disrupt their play.
LL: Rumour has it that you have borrowed inspiration from Al Pacino's speech in Any Given Sunday. Can you confirm this and if so, why did you use this particular speech?
RK: This speech is a favourite of mine as it is very relevant to any team. I used it as a player when we won the cup two seasons ago and it has stuck with me. It has everything to get you hyped up, in my opinion.
LL: Several Lisah players have recently moved on to newer pastures; semi-pro Paul Lowry has moved to Manchester, Ronan Whoriskey is supposedly "on loan" in Australia and who could forget the transfer saga of Kieran McGlinchey. How have Lisah' been coping and will there be new signings in January?
RK: We are always on the outlook for new players that can add to the team and are willing to bust their balls for the team. We won't sign show ponies. Players moving on is part of the game, but we have a squad this year to cope unlike previous years. No one is irreplacable!
LL: How did the Kieran McGlinchey saga affect the team?
RK: Not in the slightest bit. If a player wants to join another team for free pints and grub, good luck to him. No one player is bigger than the team. This issue is closed for the team now.
LL: Has it been difficult dealing with Lisah's so-called 'big' personalities?
RK: It is hard at times as certain players think they are bigger than the team. This is not the case and whenever any of them step out of line we have a word with them and that sorts it. Discipline is key to the team at the minute. If any player has a problem with it I have a simple solution: Get your boots and find another team. There is no 'i' in team and never will be as long as I am in charge.
LL: You were renowned for your passionate playing style and it seems like you've carried that on into management. Do you think you'll ever make a return to play?
RK: I am in a position now that I have a good squad and team to ensure that I am not required as they are playing my game out on the pitch for me. Before I took up this position I said that more youth had to get the chance, as the team had become stale and happy with 3rd place every season. The youth have grasped this chance and hopefully 'The Monk' will not be required...but I haven't gone away you know!
LL: How well prepared is the team for the revenge tie against Bentley's?
RK: The team will be very focused and the desire will be there to beat Bentleys. I feel when we last played them we all let ourselves down with lack of belief and experience in the second half. This will not be the case this time and we will be barking for 90 mins. We want our 3 points back.
LL: Any final thoughts?
RK: The management would like to thank yourself for the hard work you do promoting, the fantastic local support, the players for sticking with us and giving us a chance and training hard at training, but remember one thing: no one player is bigger than the team and a few at the minute think they are. If we maintain the desire, pride and passion we will win this league with, don't forget, a squad. Keep up the support and we will keep winning. WOOF! WOOF!
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