Trapattoni praises Bailieborough Celtic

Giovanni Trapattoni praised Bailieborough Celtic AFC and their protege Cillian Sheridan as an icon for younger players to look up to when he officially opened its new facilities at the Vale Grounds last Friday evening. The Italian flag, the Tricolour and a specially made banner greeted Mr. Trapattoni on his first visit to Bailieborough. He was accompanied by John Delaney CEO of the FAI, assistant manager Marco Tardelli, and interpreter Manuela Spinelli. Parish priest Canon John Murphy and Reverend Sam Anketell blessed the grounds, while Fr. Murphy displayed his knowledge of Italian and club chairman Raymond Clarke also welcomed Mr. Trapattoni in his native language. The grounds and facilities were in pristine condition for the hundreds who attended, and everybody was impressed by the effort the club had put into the occasion. Mr. Trapattoni was the epitome of friendliness and he spent time autographing everything and anything anyone put in front of him - always with a wide beam of a smile on his face. He said that it was an honour for him to perform the official opening of the grounds. Mr. Delaney made reference to his previous visit to Bailieborough when he presented trophies to club members on their presentation night earlier this year. He reiterated his theme from that night that parents are the people who should get involved, go out and see what their children are capable of and hold the memories of their first appearance, goals and other significant moments. He also acknowledged the fact that the club’s first honorary president Tom Carolan was present on the occasion. Raymond Clarke presented a bouquet of flowers to Ms Spinelli and Cavan Crystal to Mr. Trapattoni and Mr. Tardelli. Also presented was a copy of Bailieborough A Pictorial Past by Leslie McKeague. Following the presentations Mr. Trapattoni and Mr. Tardelli posed for numerous photos with the teams and committee, including with Vincent Smith, the oldest player on the original Bailieborough team from 1952. Following the photos Mr. Trapattoni then cut the ribbon to officially open the grounds. The club would like to thank everyone for making the evening such a great success; the hard working committee, the clergy, the parents and players of all the teams, the club’s sponsors (past and present), T-Bone PA, Caffola’s and Murph’s Bistro for providing the food, the gardaí and especially the traffic control stewards who ensured that everybody was safe on a busy Friday evening. The evening proved to be one of the highlights of the year for the club and its mentors and thanks are extended to Mr. Trapattoni, Mr. Tardelli, Mr. Delaney, Gerry Gorman, and all who ensured that it was so successful.