retired_northernmom

The Story of Eamonn Sweenedy

The summer of 1987 and the world was my oyster. Celtic were about to start pre-season training in the clubs centenary year and there I was 18 year old Eamonn Sweeney rubbing shoulders with legends of the game like Paul McStay, Roy Aitken and Paddy Bonner as I joined the first team in pre-season training.

The previous year I'd played in the Under 19's and had done myself no harm scoring 18 goals in 24 league games from the left wing. A tricky winger with pace and a cultured left foot I would turn up at Celtic Park every second Saturday and watch my hero Tommy Burns play down the left wing. I watched from the Jungle as Tommy charged down the left wing with a mixture of awe and jealousy.

Now I was channelling the frustration of all those days spend on the terraces despite to be on the pitch into catching the mangers eye and not only was I joining the team in pre-season training but I was beginning to excel. In our first bounce match against Irish minnows St Patricks Athletic we won 3-0 and I got on the score sheet and set up the other two. Even better than that was what awaited me when I got into the dressing room.

“You done well today kid,” said our gaffer Billy McNeill.... Yes, Billy McNeill said I, as in ME, done well? This is the guy who was the first player from these shores to lift the European Cup and he is praising me?! But that was only the start of it, “get yourself ready for next week cause you'll be playing.”

My heart skipped a beat... Next week? Arsenal at home in our final pre-season match in front of 60,000 fans desperate to see Celtic in there new centenary jerseys open what could be one of the most historic seasons n the clubs history... I couldn't wait...

1 August 1987 – a day I'll never forget. I was almost sick pre-match with nerves and felt like there was vice inside me crushing my guts. Despite this I sat quietly determined to show my family and fellow supporters who had packed the terraces I'd made my home every other Saturday since I was 10 years old that I was capable of being a key member of the Celtic first team.

The bell rang in the dressing room and it was time to go. I emerged from the tunnel with the Hoops on my back and the number 11 on my shorts. The sun was shining, top class opposition awaited us and the stadium was packed to the rafters. This was my dream and suddenly my nerves vanished to be replaced by an inviciable defiance that this was my match, my season!

With only a couple of minutes on the clock Paul McStay picked the ball up from Irish international Chris Morris and sent a long raking pass down the left wing and I killed it perfectly with my first touch. I got the ball out of my feet and set my sights on the imposing figure of Viv Anderson who was playing right back for Arsenal. “He might have 20 caps for England and ten years top flight experience but I've got 60,000 Celtic fans roaring me to skin him,” I thought to myself as I headed towards Anderson.

So there it was one on one with Arsenal and England's right back. “Feint right, knock it left and leave this guy trailing, just like I done all last season,” I said as I went scorching past Anderson like he wasn't there and the crowd went wild. But just as the cheer dimmed from the Jungle and I was about to wrap my left foot round the ball and into the box I noticed Kenny Sansom in the corner of my eye.

“This never happened in the Under 19's,” I thought as the experienced centre back covered for his fullback and came shoulder to shoulder with me. “Be strong,” I remember thinking just before impact and then the noise that would haunt me for years to come. “POP!”

“What was that noise?... What's that pain?” I thought as Sansom used his power to take the ball from me and knock me to the touchline. I tried to get up but I couldn't. I looked at my knee and it was pointing sideways. The feeling drained from my body. This was supposed to be the best day of my life. I was numb.

Straight away I knew I had a bad injury and this was confirmed by Celtic physio Brian Scott who took one look at me and called for a stretcher. Dislocated knee cap, torn cartilage, ruptured cruciate ligament. The diagnosis was was bad but my will was strong and I vowed I wouldn't let the injury end my dream.

Sadly in the late 80's and early 90's the medical miracles were not as strong and as powerful as my determination to comeback and perform my boyhood heroes and after a brief, far from glorious, comeback some four years later with Dundee I retired aged 23 in the summer of 1993.

retired_northernmom

drove to Telford and into the carpark at New Bucks Head where I was met by my new boss Lee Carter. I could tell instantly how passionate he was for the club as he gave me the lowdown on the job I was facing.

Telford were second bottom in the Blue Square Nothern Conference and seven points from safety with eight games remaining. Welcome to management I thought to myself but further investigation revealed all was not lost as only Kettering were pulling in more punters than my relation threatened outfit so the potential is there.

With the introductions out the way I was onto a meeting with my assistant Larry Chambers who gave me a lowdown on the squad. Larry and I struck it off and I firmly believe I can work with him to make Telford stronger. He'd been there for the season and advised me that we never really had a keeper who worthy of the name and were awfully short on cover at the back. Hardly what I wanted to hear when I was plotting a great escape.

He did shed some good news telling me that striker Marc Williams who was on loan from Wrexham and who had bagged four goals in seven games wss a real star turn.

That evening I sat down with Larry and watched video after video of the performances that had put Telford in such dire trouble and came up with a masterplan to avoid the drop.

As a former winger I loved wide players and luckily in Danny Sleath onloan from Mansfied I had a tricky winger with decent delivery who could supply Marc Williams with the chances in the games ahead. I quickly set about trying to tie him to the club till the end of the season. My approach would be an attack minded 4-5-1 / 4-3-3 playing a quick tempo and using the full width of the pitch.

Before the managers seat at New Bucks Head was even warm though my first match in charge was upon us and what a match it was. Boston United at York Street and second top versus second botton. Hardly the ideal start I had in mind but as I walked out in front of 1,226 fans including around about 250 away supporters I could have cared less. I was back in football and was fully intended to make the most of it!