With sporting royalty at the Local Women Sports awards, Lady Mary Peters (left) and event organiser, Michelle McTiernan
OH, what a night!
I want to start this month’s column by congratulating all the winners and nominees from this year’s Local Women Sports Awards.
This year we saw an increase in attendance and in nominations which shows how much our women and girls are valued in our sports communities.
It was a fantastic night of celebrations with sporting royalty in attendance; Lady Mary Peters dazzled in her sparkles and gave an inspirational speech to kick start the night. And, of course, we made sure to include regular updates from the stage on the Masters golf tournament in Augusta, where Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry were both at the top of the leaderboard throughout the night. More on Rory’s success later as that deserves it’s own column inches.
Back to the awards, they are a fantastic opportunity to showcase our grasssroots achievements as well as our international stars. After all the hard work, dedication and determination is just as evident in our grassroots winners as it is our top athletes. And as the only all female sports awards covering all sports in the UK and Ireland, I have no doubt they will continue to grow from strength to strength. So get your thinking caps on now for who you could nominate next year!
The charity on the night was Glow NI, focusing on the mental health and wellbeing of our top women and girls in sport. This has become such a key part of today’s society. We need to look after that side as much as the physical.
On the same theme I was also delighted to see the PFA Northern Ireland partnering with Kingsbridge Private Hospital Group to help support and protect the welfare of the players competiting in the NIFL Women’s Premiership.
The new season kicks off on May 1 and with record attendances, which are up 58% since the 2021 season, there is more of a spotlight than ever on women’s football here. Recent research has shown that there is an increased risk of ACL injuries in the women’s game so, with the best in the business at Kingsbridge supporting those who need medical care, it will enhance the players’ physical and mental needs in a way never seen before in the women’s game here.
Glentoran are the current champions but it was a tight race all the way last season with their biggest rivals Cliftonville. I was at the launch of the new campaign carrying out interviews for UTV and everyone is expecting an even more challenging league this season.
Glentoran Women’s Emma McMaster was ademant that their recent success means nothing: “Last season is gone, we have to put all that behind us now. We are striving to be even more professional than ever and to be better again this year.”
Cliftonville Ladies manager Brendan Lynch told me: “I think it will be as tight a league as we’ve ever seen, I expect Linfield to be right up there as well this year.”
Linfield’s new goalkeeper Lilie Woods said: “Yes, Glentoran and Cliftonville have been the top two sides in the country in recent years but we will always give them a good game and we are going out to challenge this season.”
Crusaders have been the bridesmaids in cup competitions in recent years so they have one main target this season, “To win silverware,” Crusaders Striker centreback Caitlin Hamilton told me. “Every season we are in finals, we know we can get there, it’s just that end product of getting our hands on silverware we have struggled with but I feel this season we can change that.”
Larne manager Gary Haveron with his son Alfie Mulvenna as they lifted the Gibson Cup together
Larne lifted the men’s Premiership title by winning the Gibson Cup on the last day of the season. A third league in four years. It was a monumental effort by the club, who were three points clear of Coleraine in the end, secured 21 clean sheets and scored 73 goals.
Manager Gary Haveron deserves a lot of credit having taken over from Nathan Rooney just after the season started. Born and bred in Larne, Haveron has put his heart and soul into the club and what made it even more special is that his son Alfie Mulvenna also got a winner’s medal on the day and the celebrated lifting the Gibson Cup together.
His mum was the first person he wanted to get a picture of with afterwards with the trophy and he paid an emotional tribute to his dad who sadly passed away five years ago. “It’s so hard that’s he’s not here for this today,” Gary told me in an interview for UTV afterwards.
“He and my mum made me the person I am today, they travelled everywhere with me supporting my career, they were around every Irish League ground with me. All you want to do is make your parents proud, I just wanted to make my dad proud and I think I’ve done that.”
Gary and I were both fighting back the tears at the end of the interview but then there were happy tears as he reflected on his 16 year old son Alfie.
“He’s been coming here since he was four years old, he’s the reason I kept coaching at the juniors at the club even when I was at Carrick,” Gary added.
“He goes to Crystal Palace in the summer now and if he applies himself the right way and makes the sacrifices, he can go as far as he wants, he’s a much better footballer than I ever was! Me and his mum Lisa are his biggest supporters.”
The full interview with Gary and his son can be viewed here: https://www.itv.com/watch/news/larne-crowned-irish-premiership-champions-for-third-time-in-four-years/0fmv8s7
As I menioned at the start, Rory McIlroy deserves his own column inches here. In fact there isn’t enough room to chart all he has achieved and how he has done it.
But I want to pay tribute to him in a small way here following his back to back Masters success. We are so privileged to be witnessing this extraordinary period in Rory’s career, soak it all in because this is a once in a lifetime talent we are watching.
And the tribute he paid his parents at the green ceremony shows he appreciates every single part of the journey he has been on to get to the top. If you saw the Amazon documentary you will have seen Rory’s mum Rosie recalling how she always knew her son was special.
He has achieved what only four others have done by winning back to back Masters and what only six have done by completing golf’s grand slam. Rosie, you were right all along, special is the word.
Rory McIlroy with his dad Gerry, mum Rosie, wife Erica and daughter Poppy after winning back to back Masters titles
