The Early Years
Sean McDermotts rose from the ashes of the old Shamrocks Club who were based in the Small Heath area of Birmingham, the area from which the club drew its first members. And so it began in April 1957, the club was founded by the four original officers. Chairman Eddie Brady, Vice Chairman Hughie Reel, Treasurer Jimmy Smith and Mick Healy the first secretary. Little did they realise at the time, that they had laid the foundations for what was to become one of the most successful clubs in G.A.A circles.
The first meeting took place at St. Anne's Parish Hall with the aim of choosing the name of the club and also deciding the club's playing colours. The outcome was to name the club Sean McDermotts after the well known Dublin Team that bore the same name. The club colours were to be, the now famed, green and white and the original membership fee was 5 shillings.
The club first fielded a team in junior football with a hurling team being formed in the following year. Early success was soon to follow and the first title, a junior football league, was won in 1958.
Continuing into the 60's, slowly but surely the club was built in to one of the up and coming clubs in Warwickshire by the efforts of committee members Jimmy Smith, Tony Jordan, Mick Healy, Andy Boland, Jack McIlory and John Reilly, the all aforementioned all being present in the photograph below.
The hard work contiued, progression through to Senior grade followed and a senior football championship final defeat in 1961 failed to dampen the spirit. The tide of immigration continued and the club went from strength to strength with an array of junior titles until the first success at senior level, the 1966 senior football league. A championship final that same year would have secured a senior double. Despite the defeat, a clear message of intent was made that there was soon to be a new order in the traditional Warwickshire establishment.
Completing the decade, the club continued its success; however it would have to wait until the next decade to notch up its first Senior championship honours in either code, despite a Senior Football league and Fr. Forde Cup in 1969.
With the domestic scene tied up, the Senior footballers looked further afield than Glebe Farm to the Club Championship of Britain. At their third attempt in 1972 they achieved their goal, taking the trophy out of London for the first time beating Parnells in the final. The trophy was retained in '73, without the assistance of the highly respected clubmen Paddy Reilly and John and Ted Steed who had returned to Ireland in the previous year.
n 1975, after retaining the Club Championship against their great adversaries the Kingdom of London, history was made when Sean McDermotts became the first British based club to compete in the Club Championship of Ireland. The date was February of the following year, the opponents were Roscommon Gaels and many nights of preparation and hard training were put in at Highbury Park. Sadly, it was not to be. In a classic football encounter, a solitary point separated the sides at the final whistle after the Mac's had missed a penalty in the closing minutes.
There were also some personal achievments of note in the 70's. In 1973 Noel McLean and Mick Behan represented Great Britain against Donegal at Webley Stadium with the latter being awarded the coveted Footballer of the Year in Britain for 1976. The greatest of all though was that of Ollie Brady. Having returned to his native Cavan, he was honoured with a Carols All Star Award in 1977.
It was in this period that the strong tradition of under age development was founded. Jimmy Smith, a pioneer of the underage structure began fielding underage teams to help develop the clubs youth structure and was visionary in realising that continued immigration could not be the only source of players for the club. In a environment where soccer was a first choice game, it was a credit to their their hard efforts that the underage structure began to flourish and is still as strong today.
On the hurling front, '71 saw Sean's break the resolve of a great Mitchell's hurling side, capturing their first senior hurling title and then going on to win another five titles in that decade. However, that all important club championship hurling title eluded them. This was not for the want of trying with narrow defeats in 1977 (1 point to St. Gabriels - London) and 1978 (after extra time to St. Gabriels). During this time, the stylish Larry Moore received the 1976 Hurler of the Year award in Britain.
If we were to look back at the calibre of players that graced the field over this great era, the clubs' alumni would stand scrutiny with many of the great clubs in Ireland. With many players returning to Ireland to represent their counties in both codes, such as: Joe Kiernan (Armagh), Des Kerrins (Sligo), Ollie Brady (Cavan), Mick Behan (Westmeath), Finbarr Conroy (Mayo), Jack Neville (Wexford), Ciaran O'Keefe (Cavan) to name but a few.
1980's - The NearlyYears
When looking at the honours list, one might conclude that McDermotts were a spent force in the 1980's. However, the records do not tell the whole story as this decade could be fairly titled as the 'the nearly years'.
Unfortunately, the tide turned as those younger players, who had been brought successfully through the under the under age ranks, with tireless work from Jimmy Smith (RIP) and others, found it difficult to fill the vacuum left by their illustrious forbearers of the 70's.
With the expectation and hunger for success being too much for some of these players, the club struggled to maintain the interest of this home-grown talent, especially with soccer being their first choice game. Despite this, of the ten titles up for grabs, two were captured and another four were narrowly lost in the finals of '85, '86, '88 and 1989. It is a testament to the high standards that were set when a club considers 2 senior titles and 4 lost finals as a less than satisfactory era.
The hurlers can be credited in this era with keeping the game alive in Warwickshire. With their only serious challenge being that of the club champonship and the dominance of London. Alas, like the 70's that all important provincial title evaded them, losing by a point in the centenary year final (1984) to John Desmonds of London.
It was in this era that the strong tradition of underage fooball continued. Again, with the determined efforts of Jimmy Smith (RIP) who brought on board Gerry Cunnane, the club began to dominate at juvenile level.
Numerous titles at U12, U14, U16 and minor level were secured and it was these teams that often provided the silverware in thos barren spells of limited senior success.
Finally, the end of the decade, saw the club elect Jimmy Smith (RIP) to Life President in recognition of his endless work and dedication from the very beginning of the club to its standing as one of the most successful clubs in Great Britain.
1990's - Back On Top
This decade, represented a return to the glory days, with the younger home-grown talent finally moving out of the shadow of that great 70's era to write their own history. As per usual, this revival was led by the hurlers who, having secured four senior titles in a row, (94-97) maintained a unique spirit that often secured victory when the 'chips were down'. This was none more evident than the 1990 final with a winning goal in the last minute. A notable feat was the number of 'masters' who had played through three decades to ensure the survival of hurling within the club.
The potential for the senior football team was denoted as early as 1991 with the Senior League title being secured. With another league title and B&I 7's title in between, the breakthrough was finally made with championship success in 1995 under the guidance of player/manager Edmund Meeghan (Snowy). The treble was soon to follow and but for the luck on the day, a provicial club title slipped through the net with a narrow 2 point defeat in the final. Testament can be laid to the earlier underage success of the 1980's with no less than nine of the team being Birmingham born.
After a shock defeat in '96, the senior football title was recaptured in '97 and this continued with a clean sweep for the decade. At this time, the only serious challenge was outside the county in the club championship an unfortunately the lack of consistent competition at county level proved to be the downfall when required to 'step up a gear'. Our Nemesis in that era was a highly decorated Tir Chonnaill Gaels side. A side that Macs could never seem to surmount, but who fondly recall the tough battle of '98 when Macs dominated the play, but failed to convert that to the scoreboard. Another agonising defeat to Hugh O'Neills in' 99 saw the oppurtunity for that great side to secure a club championship diminish. After two hard fought battles against Erin Gaels of Hertfordshire, Macs thought the Holy Grail was in sight but sadly it was not to be on the day.
On a sadder note, this decade witnessed the passing of two great Sean McDermott's men, namely Jimmy Smith (RIP) and Tony Jordan (RIP). On both occasions the Club responded in true style by securing victories in their memory with the '96 league and the '97 championship respectively. Their work and dedication to Sean McDermotts will long be remembered and is widely recognise not only within the club but throughout Warwickshire and Great Britain alike.
The latter part of the '90s saw Sean McDermotts help create a revolution in the Underage structure for GAA games in Warwickshire. Throughout the years, the club had been most vociferous of the benefit of a strong Underage system, with the success of the current senior squad being seen as the prime example. However, it was not until one of our very own members, Kevin McEvoy, a stalwart of the 80's senior teeams and a prodigy of the 70's underage structure, began the revolution. The idea was simple but untried in the UK. Bring GAA games into our schools and with a more involved support from Croke Park, implement a structured coaching programme and a more varied level of competition to attract the young players from other sports. The idea quickly spread and in a new period of acceptance in the UK where it became fashionable to be Irish, the scale of its success was unprecendented with Gaelic games becoming the fastest growing sport in the region year on year.
The Millennium
The new millennium has presented a huge challenge for the club in that the tide of emigration has faltered. Indeed, with the success of the home economy, several senior panel members have headed the opposite way. Despite the depletion of the squad, the Senior footballers have continued to dominate the local scene carrying on from the '97 championship up until 2003 to secure a record equalling 7 Senior football championships in a row.
As one of the most strongly established Senior clubs in Warwickshire, McDermotts' has benefited enormously from its continued work at under age level and the added impetus of the new schools and coaching structure. The benefit to our young players is seeing continued Senior success and being able to emulate those players. With rising stars coming through the new structure, those players have comfortably made the the transition from underage to senior level. The new generation represents, what the club hopes will be another dominant era.
This was none more so evident after the transitional period of 2004 & 2005, when Mac's regained the Senior championship to become holders in 2006, a fitting accolade for our 50th celebrations.
The 50th anniversary represents the beginning of a new era and with the Warwickshire Senior football title back where it rightfully belongs, what better time for Noel McLean, Chairman for the last 30 years (1977-2007) to bow out. His iconic leadership and determination has led the club from strength to strength and brought the club through the tough times as well. His Chairmanship has set a precedent for others to follow and his legacy is that which we see in the successful and vibrant club that we know today.
The underage is now the most active and vibrant sector of the club and has enjoyed tremendous success, with numerous U10, U12, U14, U16, and U18 titles. Recognition of the hard work from a dedicated team of underage mentors such as Kevin McEvoy and Anne Sweeney, has been rewarded with an underage club of the year award in 2005 and a haul of 7 trophies in the 2006 season. In addition, Sean McDermotts players have represented both club and county at numerous feile peile and international competitions at Croke Park.