Double delight for Athy and Anthony Bracken in 1987

Athy celebrated their centenary year 1987. One hundred years as a club was marked with celebrations and the completion of a new clubhouse in Geraldine Park, but what was inevitably going to be an important year off the field became a historic one on it.

After getting onto the panel in 1986, 17 year-old Anthony Bracken earned himself a starting berth on what would come to be Athy’s first Senior Football Championship winning team in 35 years.

“That team in '86 was an older team,” Anthony said. “I wouldn’t say finished, but some of those older lads only had a couple of years left in them. Some of them played on for a couple of seasons after the 87 win, but they were happy now that they won their Senior Championship.”

It wasn’t just club success that followed the young corner-forward as he made his way onto the Kildare county minor panel. Despite missing out on the trials, earning a place in the Athy senior side was enough to have him recalled to the Lilies set-up.

“That was a fantastic year because I won my Senior Championship medal and won a Leinster Minor Championship with Kildare. And I thought that was going to happen every year,” he laughed.

Athy’s new man in the front-line also assumed free-taking duty upon his arrival to the starting XV, and it wasn’t long before the pressure was piled on his young shoulders.

“I remember one specific moment with a guy who was a sub on the team, and I won’t name names. We played Kilcock in Raheens and the last thing he said to me was ‘you can’t afford to miss any frees’ and that wasn’t a great help to me. I didn’t miss one and got a goal early on. It was a strange approach, but it worked I suppose,” Anthony smiled.

Athy would battle their way through the various obstacles to face Johnstownbridge in the county final.

“I remember the parade around beforehand clear as day. The Athy crowd were brilliant that day. We were well ahead and they started chanting ‘Johnstownbridge is falling down’. But they came back into it after half-time, I scored two late free and we ended up winning by six points.

“After that, the game was a blur, but the celebrations were mad at full-time.”

Athy ran out 2-9 to 0-9 winners on the day as their blistering start got them over the line to claim Championship glory. The '87 Championship win would only go on to look even better with time as Johnstownbridge claimed the next two Kildare SFC’s back-to-back, having already won one in 1983.

“We got both goals in the first half. We had a huge cushion, but they had Declan Kerrigan and the Donoghue’s and were a very strong outfit,” Anthony said.

“There was great pride for us in beating such a good team. We just got the run on them that day and a bit of luck, you need all of it.”

So, on their 100th birthday, Athy claimed Senior Championship glory and the previous winning side of 1942 could rest knowing that they weren’t the last to do so, when they beat Carbury 1-6 to 0-6 after a replay.

“I don’t know how to describe it. It was a weight off other people’s back. Then when the next team came along and won one it was a weight off our shoulders. You were always looking for the next team that was going to win it. We were all long gone in 2011 and I felt it was a relief when the next team came on and won,” Anthony explained.

The glitz and glamour of the open top bus parade was mirrored in true Irish style as the '87 Champions were brought through their town in the back of a lorry to be greeted by adoring support.

“It was unreal and is still brilliant to be part of that history. I am still involved with the club now at committee level and umpiring some games or filling in wherever is needed,” Anthony said.

Among other club men, Anthony wouldn’t be too far from Athy’s next Championship either when it eventually did roll around. Although, maybe not how he would have envisioned it having won his first title at aged 17.

“I was involved with the county panel in 1995 with Dermot Earley Sr. I played a couple of league matches and hurt my knee and that finished me for the year. Athy had a good year and got the county final with Clane, but I was out. My first final was my first year involved and I never got to play another county final, even after playing for 20-odd years.”

Athy were defeated by the top Kildare side of 90s 3-17 to 0-8 on county final day in ‘95 as Clane.

“When I stepped away (from playing), I didn’t know how I was going to get back involved with the club. I couldn’t see where I fit. But soon after Mark Brophy and Paul Hicks were putting together a team of lads to train the minor side in 2008. They came looking for me and we won a county minor title that year,” Anthony recalled.

“The next best thing you can do is help and coach young people. We stepped away from that in 2008 because other lads wanted to take over and we got the senior job in Athy. We were involved in 2009, 2010 and I had to step away in 2011 and they won the senior title that year. I felt I’d had some involvement so it was a great feeling.”

After leading the charge for their first Senior title in 35 years, Anthony would help shape the next team in line as Athy claimed the 2011 Championship with a 2-11 to 2-7 win over Carbury.

The gap this time was just 24 years as Anthony helped ensure the club wouldn’t leave it as long as they had the last time.

The Leinster Leader will be doing a feature article from every club in Kildare over the coming weeks and months as part of the Love of the Game series.

If you have a suggestion for an article on someone from your club, a legendary player, selfless volunteer or an idea of your own, send them to daragh.nolan@ leinsterleader.ie