How Glen changed the narrative, replaced Ciaran McFaul and silenced the doubters

“People questioned your character and your manhood.”

Michael Warnock has been an integral part of this Watty Graham’s Glen team, and not just now when they are successful, but in the years that they weren’t.

The Derry native has been a mainstay for the club through the hard years when opposition teams discredited them and no one believed that they would achieve anything.

Before Malachy O’Rourke guided them to a club championship last year, Glen had never won a senior title and no one expected anything different from them.

However, they not only won back-to-back championships, but are now “The Kings of Ulster” to quote team captain Conor Carville after they defeated the reigning All-Ireland champions Kilcoo.

Carville also referenced the fact that they were underdogs and no one believed they could achieve what they have, and Warnock explains where that reputation came from.

“The narrative was, if you were born in Maghera and played for Glen, then you weren’t going to be capable of winning championships.

“People questioned your character and your manhood as well, and that’s something that’s been around for years, much longer than I’ve been living.

“It’s something that has given us a chip on the shoulder when we have been playing at senior level as well, and a narrative that we certainly wanted to change, because it’s not something that you want your club to be known for, or you individually.

“People saying that Glen didn’t have character or leaders, that’s something that has been sprouted about for years, and we felt that the only way we could prove different was by winning a championship and ultimately being able to back that up.

“So, it’s been nice to be able to do that.”

Last year they reached the semi-finals of Ulster and ran Kilcoo close, despite it being their first time playing in the provincial championship.

A big reason for that was having Ciaran McFaul at number six, as the Derry star put in some unbelievable performances that catapulted them onto the biggest stage.

However, with McFaul absent this year and for the foreseeable, it’s Warnock who has stepped into that number six jersey and he certainly had big boots to fill.

“After the year that Ciaran McFaul had last year, anyone could have stepped into that number six jersey and wouldn’t have been able to fill it.

“I’ll happily hold it for him until he gets back and I can give it to him, but there were a couple of factors as to why we were able to push on.

“Cathal Mulholland coming back was huge; he was a big player for us but unfortunately couldn’t shake an injury for a number of years, and thankfully now he has.

“He’s a huge huge player for us, and a lot of people outside of Derry and outside of the club maybe wouldn’t have known a lot about Cathal and his qualities, but for us at underage and even right up until senior level, he was a huge leader for us.

“So to get him back was a really big thing for us, and then having another year under Malachy O’Rourke and being more familiar with what they’re looking as a group has been a huge plus.

“So, it’s probably those two factors as to why we have managed to push on again this year.”

Related links:

• “Today, we’re Kings of Ulster” Glen dethrone Kilcoo with defiant display
• Ulster football’s critics forced to eat their words after insane game on TG4
• Sean Kelly on the challenges of playing for a full year without a pre-season

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